Dune Prophecy

The second episode of Dune Prophecy left us with a lot of questions and there is sure to be some fallout from the death of Lila. Even more so we have been introduced to a lot of characters and storylines that we are going to need answers to before this show wraps. Now the show may have just started but at 6 episodes it is already almost over. This episode marks the halfway point, and what insight will we get?

Valya is no longer the most powerful person in the imperium, if she ever was. Desmond possesses the ability to resist her voice. And she is not taking kindly to her displacement. She of course has plans upon plans, and though she seems a little shocked by the development she doesn’t seem all that phased by having to pivot.

We are getting some flashbacks in this episode that show us Valya before the sisterhood. This show isn't so much about the origin of the sisterhood because the sisterhood existed before Valya and Tula joined. It's really about the origin of the Harkonnen hold on the sisterhood.

We see the Harkonnens before war…interesting. Roland! I suppose most people know him as Robert Baratheon but A Knight's Tale is my favorite movie sooo…

Oh this Harkonnen vs Atreides war has been going on for a while. Since the war. Now I personally want to see that if we are going to do prequels. The wartime seems a lot more interesting to me. And in an age where we are combating AI especially in the entertainment industry a war against the thinking machines is exactly what we need to see.

Mom clearly hates Valya, that's about right. “The voice” really seems to have fully originated with Valya, she used it to save her brother whom she seems to have a really good relationship with. He dies, because all origin stories have to be tragic. I’m gonna have to write an evil character that’s just evil cause they feel like it. I truly don’t think every villain needs an empathetic origin story.

We get more Mikaela this episode as she delivers the results of the agony to Valya. I also need to see more Mikaela.

Tula used to be in love, she sacrificed a lot to go be with her sister. They have to put her man's horse down and she doesn't have the stomach for it. See cause she can’t unplug Lila. She even finds a more human way to put down the horse. She is the softer, kinder sister.

Lots of flashbacks this episode, Valya was always a problem in the sisterhood.

I do love that we are showing multiple generations of the sisterhood and the bonds that they form whether they actually believe in the sisterhoods values or not.

Rochella’s granddaughter always had personal beef with Valya, and it was always the younger sisters that resisted. We see that a little bit now under Valya’s leadership. The younger girls might be questioning their faith but they also feel very close to each other and seem willing to stick it out for each other.

See…Valya is a harkonnen, a genetic line that we the audience know as evil or corrupt. Valya is convinced that this is a hate campaign against her family, propaganda. I think that in her mind hers is a story of overcoming public perception and legacy but in reality it just solidifies the Harkonnens image and legacy in the imperium. In fact if anyone had the opportunity to overcome family ties it was Tula before she fell in step with her sister. OH NO he’s an Atreides!!!!!! This is going to end badly. He still loves her…oh my god I'm gonna cry. I love him and now I am very sad. Oh god she killed him and his whole family…it's so clearly against her nature. Evidenced by the fact that she lets the younger boy go. I am wrecked what the fuck. The fucking plot twists…so well delivered.

This episode has incredible balance between flashbacks and present day scenes. Flashbacks are very often poorly used and throw of the structure of an otherwise incredible show/movie but prophecy is using them very well

Rochella gives Valya an ultimatum and basically gives her a take home agony test, god her family hates her so much. What’s really great about this show is how they make you feel for a family we know we're supposed to hate. If she were an Atreides no one would question her actions, but because her name is harkonnen and we know that's bad, she seems evil. But the reality is that she was just a young girl whose life was destroyed by a prominent family who then tried to silence them and she got revenge. It's really not any different than what Arya Stark did in GOT. She was never really out for power for power's sake, she simply wanted her family recognized for their contributions.

Sister Jen is reaching a breaking point and Sister Emmeline might not have said anything but you can see the doubt all over her face.

And there are other Harkonnens still alive.

Tula seems to be reaching a breaking point as well, she is trying to keep Lila alive. Which also means that Lila would be the subject of the prophecy…as they are using spice to try and bring her back to life “born twice, once in agony and once in spice”.

This episode actually gave us a lot of background that we needed, even if it didn’t really answer a lot of questions from last episode. In fact we opened up even more questions. But the flashbacks were formatted really well and the plot twists were extremely well delivered. This episode had a lot of twists and turns and I think it was fantastic. I really normally don’t like prequel series or spin offs but this one is doing really well.