WARNING: Major spoilers for Dune: Prophecy episode 2 below!
Now that the pieces are in place and the main players have been introduced,Dune: Prophecyis able to spread its wings as two rivals come face-to-face for the first time. The show’s first episode was a fittingly overstuffed entry tasked with the gargantuan assignment of re-introducing us to the vast Imperium 10,000 years before Paul Atreides inDune: Prophecy’s timeline.Now, a conflict is brewing for the Bene Gesserit and the contours of that are beginning to take shape.
Dune: Prophecy
Cast
Set in the universe of Frank Herbert’s Dune series, Dune: Prophecy, a sci-fi epic, follows the political and spiritual struggles on the desert planet of Arrakis. As factions vie for control of the prized spice melange, a prophesied hero emerges, challenging the balance of power and the fate of the galaxy.
After the murder of a young prince from a noble house and the emperor’s former Truthsayer Kasha at the hands ofDesmond Hart, House Corrino is in disarray. Should Emperor Javico trust this mysterious figure who claims to have survived Shai-Hulud? And does it matter if he’s committed such a ghastly crime if he’s seemingly done it out of blind loyalty to the royal family? These thematic threads will seemingly be tugged on throughout the season, but it’s not even the most interesting part of the new episode, which finally reveals the Bene Gesserit’s role in the show’s conflict.
Desmond Hart & The Emperor Want The Bene Gesserit Gone
What Does This Mean For Valya’s Plan?
The pivotal turning point in the latest episode ofDune: Prophecyhappens when Valya and Desmond confront each other, their masks off and their vulnerabilities exposed. It’s Valya who leaves the loser, though, with Desmond immune to theBene Gesserit Voiceas he reveals that the Emperor has cast her and the Bene Gesserit aside.
It’s a complete unraveling of Valya’s plan and, remember,the Bene Gesserit love a plan. As the origin story of the mysterious organization, it’s a necessary place for Valya to start from, while the rest of the Bene Gesserit are also reeling from Lila’s failed attempt at The Agony. They must hit the very bottom before they claw their way back up to the top.
We already know that the Bene Gesserit will achieve this.Emperor Shaddamkeeps his Truthsayer, Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam, close. Thanks to Olivia Williams and Emily Watson’s performances as Tula and Valya, the path that lies ahead for the Bene Gesserit is an intriguing one. There’s just a lot of noise around it that dulls the impact.
What The Swordmaster Being An Atreides Means For Dune: Prophecy
Princess Ynez Corrino’s combat instructor is Kerian Atreides, an ancestor of Paul Atreides who may acquire a target on his back from Valya Harkonnen.
Subplots about a rebellion onSalusa Secundusand the various interpersonal relationships within the Corrino family and those in their orbit are introduced, though the show is less interesting when it leans into the politicking and backstabbing of the noble houses. It’s the Bene Gesserit and the two Harkonnen sisters at their core that are most interesting, thoughDune: Prophecyseems content with bringing them out in small doses.
We see a young Bene Gesserit acolyte, Lila, go through what is called The Agony. It’s a process eerily similar to the one the Bene Gesserit undergo to becomeReverend Mothers. It is through this sequence that we are shown a new perspective on the Bene Gesserit’s collective memory, a cavernous room shrouded in shadows where the dead Bene Gesserit stalk the halls, awaiting any poor soul to come along.
Dune: Prophecyseems to still have some tricks up its sleeve which could make for an exciting season.
Lila is one of those poor souls. While Tula and Valya hoped she could unlock the key to the prophecy, she is now seemingly forever stuck in this shadow world thanks to the vengeful spirit of Dorotea, the Bene Gesserit Valya killed in the first episode. It’s a tragic twist, one made all the more painful by Tula’s own reticence to put Lila through The Agony. It’s also perhaps the most exciting imagery we’ve gotten from the series so far.
By the end ofDune: Prophecyepisode 2,Valya’s planhas suffered more than a few setbacks. Harkonnens are nothing if not formidable, however, and it’s a matter of how exactly Valya will end up back on top rather than if. It may sap the dramatic stakes from the series and this, coupled with extraneous subplots, makes the show slow-going so far, butDune: Prophecyseems to still have some tricks up its sleeve which could make for an exciting season.
Dune: Prophecyepisode 2 is now streaming on Max. The series will air new episodes every Sunday through December 22.
