Dune: Prophecy Episode 6 Review

Warning: This review contains spoilers from the season finale of Dune: Prophecy

After Tula discovers that Desmond Hart is her son Dune: Prophecy offers another mix of an episode. In the top five, the prequel varied in quality. Billed as a Bene Gesserit origin story, the series has touched lightly on the infighting within the Brotherhood, focusing instead on an anti-Imperium rebellion, authoritarianism under the reign of Emperor Javico Corrino, and a strange and troubling prophecy. that has something to do with it. it has to do with the War of the Machines that occurred before the events of the series.

“The High-Handed Enemy” is an action-packed episode that concerns itself with putting together a second season, which HBO has just acquired. Now that we've seen parts of this story come to a conclusion, I can't help but feel like it's been sliced ​​and diced one too many times, rearranged in an attempt at intrigue. The ending hits all the right notes, but in a way that feels out of order. It's a strange place to end, because there's something about this story that remains compelling, but the way it's told makes it all feel hollow.

Valya Harkonnen leaves the Empire in chaos

What her future holds is still unclear

Despite proclaiming that she always has a plan, Valya Harkonnen spends much of the season being outsmarted by Desmond Hart or otherwise thinking on her feet after being cornered. It's an interesting contrast to the outward face she wears in front of others. His efforts to install Princess Ynez on the throne are thwarted, but she still manages to escape Salusa Secundus with her protégé.

In the end, they arrive on Arrakis, with Valya still determined to carry out her plan. Emily Watson has spent the entire season delivering a tough but vulnerable performance, and the finale is no different. Griffin Harkonnen's death still haunts Valya and is key to her final confrontation with Desmond, which takes place at the Salusa spaceport.

But Dune: Prophecy seems afraid to explore Valya beyond her grand ambitions. She no longer desires power because of the Harkonnen name; This hunger comes from something much deeper, an ambition to seek power over all, no matter the cost and under the banner that best suits him. We hope a second season can delve deeper into who Valya really is.

Tula and Desmond come face to face

The moment leaves the Harkonnen sisters divided

Tula arrives in Salusa just in time to stop Valya from killing Desmond Hart. She wants to eliminate the threat, but Tula is more interested in understanding her, not only because he is her son, but because it is part of her nature. Valya may see the situation with clearer eyes, including how Desmond got his powers, but Tula knows you can't defeat a threat without knowing that.

It seems possible that Desmond is one of the first products of the Bene Tleilax, an organization known for genetically engineering people to suit their nefarious needs. He's a Ghola or an altered version of his former self, and while the show makes it clear that it's a machine that gives Desmond his powers, it could be an early version of the organization before abandoning machines completely.

Anyway, before Tula can ask any questions, Desmond has her arrested by the Imperial guards after a quick hug. The reunion is intended to be emotional, but it doesn't happen as it should – we don't know Desmond and Tula has just learned that he is her son. It will be an interesting dynamic to explore in Season 2, but for this ending it feels unearned.

The brotherhood revolts as Valya's secrets come to light

The future of the Bene Gesserit is less clear than ever

Desmond, Tula and the Corrino family aren't Valya's only problems. In his absence, the Brotherhood is in ruins. Lila is now fully possessed by Mother Dorotea and she discovers the horrible truth about Valya's reign over the Sisterhood. This includes the murder of Dorotea's followers, a brutal massacre that is covered up so that Mother Raquella's work tracing the genetic lines of the imperium is not destroyed.

It's unclear what exactly Dorotea's beliefs are, though they are clearly purer than Valya's power grabs. The season ends with the Brotherhood discovering the skeletons of Dorotea's followers, sparking a battle between Valya and Dorotea's new acolytes.

Dune: Prophecy it ultimately ends where the real story begins. It is known that the series went through many changes in pre-production and this is very clear from the way this season tells its story. With a solid foundation like this, however, it is not difficult to imagine a second season that far surpasses its predecessor.