TV Review: "Dune: Prophecy--Twice Born" (S1, Ep. 4)
Valya and Tula face new and more serious setbacks as they both fight a two-front battle against Desmond Hart and his efforts to eradicate the Sisterhood and manipulate Emperor Javicco.
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Warning: Full spoilers for the episode ahead.
This episode of Dune: Prophecy certainly raised the stakes of the brewing conflict between House Corrino, the Great Houses of the Landsraad, and the Bene Gesserit. At the heart of the strife are, of course, Valya and Desmond Hart, each of whom realizes that there is something far greater at stake than just who wields power in the Known Universe. As has been clear to some of us from the beginning, their personal conflict is very much about the survival of the entire Bene Gesserit as an institution. If Hart has his way, they’ll not only be banished from the side of the Padishah Emperor but from the side of every Great House and, it’s easy to see, from the Known Universe itself.
I don’t know about anyone else, but for me a little bit of Travis Fimmel goes a very long way. Don’t get me wrong. He’s perfectly cast as Desmond Hart, a strange and (more than slightly) delusional zealot who bears more than a passing resemblance to Marcus/Caleb in the short-lived HBO series Raised By Wolves. It’s just that I find him kind of a chore to watch, particularly when he is just striding around pontificating. It doesn’t help that I loathe religious zealotry of any kind–both in the real world and in fictional ones–and it’s becoming very clear that this is exactly what Desmond Hart is. So great is his loathing of thinking machines, and his loathing of the Sisterhood and all that they represent, that he is willing to do whatever it takes, and kill whomever it takes, to see both eradicated.
For all of that, it’s really quite extraordinary to watch the scene in which Hart brings his sinister telekinetic abilities to bear against both the rebels and their allies in the Landsraad itself, all while Emperor Javicco and Empress Natalya stand by and watch, giving their tacit approval to explicit and extrajudicial violence against their enemies, both real and perceived. The irony of all of this is that, while the two of them clearly seem to think this gives them a leg up and asserts their dominance over the nobles who would subvert their rule, they’ve really just chained themselves to someone over whom they ultimately have little or no control. Sure, Hart is loyal to the throne now, but who’s to say that his religious delusions won’t cause him to turn against them at some point in the future?
While for the moment it seems that House Corrino has asserted its dominance and power over the other noble houses, Dune aficionados will recognize that this is but a temporary victory. Indeed, one of the more notable attributes of this particular family is that, for all of their power and influence, they are never quite able to escape the cycle of dominance and contest with the other great houses with which they share power. While I find both Emperor and Empress reprehensible in their actions, I do continue to be impressed with both Mark Strong and Jodhi May, who are giving powerhouse performances in their roles.
The very fact that there’s such widespread dissatisfaction with the Corrinos reveals the extent to which the Imperium is still very much a fragile institution. The dreadful thinking machines might have been vanquished by human ingenuity and human arms, but that doesn’t mean that everyone is willing to join hands and embrace a new era of peace and prosperity, particularly since those who hold the most powerful also have control of the spice. This latter element is once again named in passing, but the series has yet to fully dig into what makes it such an invaluable part of the Known Universe and its people (perhaps a result of the short season).
At the same time as all of this is going on, Valya and Tula are also grappling with their own crises, both of which are in their own ways key to the future existence of their order. Valya might be quite a skilled hand with a knife, but even she can’t always foretell what will happen, as she learns when her plan to reveal the nascent rebellion is upstaged first by Princess Ynez and then by Desmond Hart, who is more than a match for her ruthlessness. Just what will be revealed when his blood is compared to the vast database the Sisterhood has accumulated remains to be seen.
And then there’s the revolution that Sister Theo is in fact a Face Dancer, one of the very sinister creations of the secretive organization known as the Tleilaxu (or, alternatively, as the Bene Tleilax). We’ve known for a while that there was something she was keeping hidden, now we see it in all of its disconcerting nature as she assumes the face of Valya’s dead brother in order to offer her absolution and the chance to move forward without his shade hanging over her. This entire exchange marks a pivotal moment in her relationship with Valya and with her own shapeshifting abilities. Given that we’ve already seen the extent to which Valya is more than happy to use anyone and everyone–including, most notably, her own sister–there’s no doubt in my mind that she’s also going to find a use for Theo, as well. From her point of view, every person, and in particular every member of the Sisterhood, is a potential weapon, and it’s a foolish and weak leader who doesn’t make the most out of whatever powers come to hand.
Lastly, there’s Tula, who is doing her own part to get to the bottom of whatever sinister force is motivating Desmond and causing nightmares among the students on Wallach IX. She’s as relentless as her sister in this regard. Not only does she manage to keep Lila alive (and brings her back to consciousness), but she also forces the other acolytes to essentially relieve the trauma of their dreams, all in the hope of figuring out what demon it is that haunts the Sisterhood. It’s a haunting sequence, to be sure, and a reminder of just how high the stakes are for everyone involved. Dune: Prophecy is often its visceral best when it leans into the horror, and this episode demonstrates why to great effect.
Clearly, Dune: Prophecy is keeping quite a few balls in the air and, for the most part, it’s pulled off this balancing act with a lot of aplomb. I continue to find myself engaged and compelled by this series, and I’ll admit that I find Valya’s ruthlessness appealing (even when she’s denying her sick uncle a life-saving respirator). We’ve only got two episodes left, and it’s going to be a very bumpy ride, indeed.
I’m more than happy to go along for it!