Will the ultimate pair of episodes of HBO’s Dune: Prophecy repay the table-setting of the primary 4? They need to, proper? The reality is that the essential and business repute of this present might hinge on whether or not or not they do. If it’s all extra set-up for future seasons, extra wheel-spinning because the writers of this present put items in place as an alternative of truly shifting them on the sport board, then it’s going to make this general season really feel like a disappointment. However, if the lit fuses lastly result in explosions, it might get the thrill that this present has distinctly been missing. Discover how folks on-line saved speaking about The Penguin after its incredible finale? Dune: Prophecy might use that sort of buzz, or danger sinking into the desert of the glut of TV choices within the 2020s.
“Twice Born” is one other uneven episode for about half of its runtime, persevering with the division of its two most fascinating characters in Valya and Tula Harkonnen, and spending a number of time speaking about what to do as an alternative of truly doing something. Regardless of the dramatic throat-clearing, there are thematic parts of the episode which can be value unpacking. For instance, discover how the episode opens with two households in disaster, paralleling the ability buildings of Home Harkonnen and Home Corrino. It begins with Valya’s reunion together with her aged uncle Evgeny, who blames her for the dissolution of the legacy of his complete home. Understanding that Harrow Harkonnen is somebody she might simply management, she affords herself because the household’s Truthsayer. She is going to information them again to the Excessive Council and once more management common politics from backstage. She’s primarily pitching the creation of a frontrunner from the rubble of a regime she helped topple a era in the past.
Lower to the Corrinos, who’re on the other finish of the ability spectrum but additionally going through a formative chapter of their legacy. Nez is startled to see Desmond Hart on the desk, particularly as rumors flow into about how he murdered Pruwet Richese. She doesn’t maintain again, telling her father that she received’t be part of his plans in the event that they embody Desmond. In an fascinating beat that might be simply missed, Constantine strikes to affix Nez as she storms out and Javicco orders him to sit down. He might not have the ability to management Nez, however he’s not going to lose Constantine too.
Javicco is making ready for a gathering of the Excessive Council, over which he’s sort of just like the Speaker of the Home, the Emperor who listens to the grievances and considerations of the opposite regimes all through the universe. On the similar time, Desmond is caught ripping out pages of Kasha’s sisterhood guide one after the other. It’s actual “Common Psycho” habits, and he encourages Javicco to make use of that sociopathic energy to his biggest benefit. “Present them the person that you’re,” he says. “Use me.” He’s a weapon to show coverage into energy. Is Dune: Prophecy a political commentary on life within the 2010s and 2020s, by which political dialogue has turned to violence? Maybe, however it’s thinly written to date if it’s designed to make any form of particular political level past “watch out the way you wield the ability you’ve been fortunate/corrupt sufficient to attain.”
Whereas wheels are turning (or spinning) behind the scenes, the rebels are planning an assault throughout the Excessive Council assembly, one involving a “pondering machine,” a drone that may get near the emperor earlier than exploding. Shortly after studying of its existence, we study that Valya is aware of concerning the drone bomb and plans to make use of that information to disclose Atreides as a betrayer and achieve favor with the council. It’s once more energy vs. politics, the primary theme of the present. It should all finish reasonably abruptly, chopping a probably fascinating plot thread earlier than it has an opportunity to go anyplace, however I’m getting forward of myself.
Time for the acolytes! The episode truly opens with a haunting imaginative and prescient associated to the loss of life of Dorotea by Valya’s voice, a dream that a number of acolytes look like having on the similar time. To strive to determine what they know and the way they realize it, Tula initiates a spice ceremony with the acolytes, beginning them on a form of imaginative and prescient journey like they’re getting excessive within the desert on their technique to Joshua Tree. On the futuristic journey, the acolytes begin furiously drawing circles. It’s a terrifying beat in a present that might use extra highly effective imagery. Is it the effectively the place Dorotea was killed? Is it a sandworm? A planet? A bouncy ball? Tula tries to drag them out of the imaginative and prescient together with her voice, however she will be able to’t, till all of them choose the identical drawing that appears like eyes within the darkness. It’s later revealed it’s not the effectively however the Shai-Hulud, the Fremen phrase for a sandworm. Why? Are the sisters drawing the connection between what occurred on Arrakis to Desmond Hart?
A little bit of behind-the-scenes motion—most significantly, Nez going to Atreides to assist burn down her father’s empire—leads into the Excessive Council assembly. There’s some political chatter and speak of grievances earlier than Nez makes her transfer, accusing Desmond of killing Pruwet on the Council ground. It seems the rebels and Valya don’t want an precise bomb once they have a princess to blow all the pieces up. After which Desmond steps in. He did kill Pruwet. He introduced in a pondering machine, and that’s punishable by loss of life within the regime that Desmond needs to make a actuality. And he caught the rebels, though the Atreides connection seems unknown or a minimum of saved secret. With a nod from his boss, Desmond lights up opposing council leaders and the rebels. It’s a brutal show of energy that takes a bodily toll on Desmond, which Javicco appears extra involved about than the chaos that the very public violence will sow.
Again to Tula, who’s speaking to Emeline, who has put the entire items collectively. The Harkonnen sisters killed Dorotea and Orry. And she or he’s going to inform everybody. Tula responds by slitting her throat. Valya has been portrayed because the vicious one, however Tula will do no matter it takes too. Wait! It’s a dream. Or is it a imaginative and prescient? Will she need to homicide to maintain her sister’s secrets and techniques? She has one thing else to fret about first when she wakes to seek out Lila has returned from her spice agony. Lila doesn’t know the place she is. What’s going to Tula inform her?
Within the episode’s ultimate scene, Evgeny croaks (Mark Addy deserved higher), leaving Harrow totally in cost, which is precisely what Valya needs. She will management him. She has a imaginative and prescient of Griffin. Or does she? Is it a shapeshifter? As Griffin shifts into one other determine, Valya says, “Thanks, Theo.” It was Theodosia, the sister who went on the journey with Valya. Did she know that Valya wanted to see Griffin another time to heart her? It’s a reminder of how a lot of this present is concerning the loss of life of a Harkonnen by the hands of Home Atreides and the battle that can proceed over ten thousand years.
Stray observations
• Edward Davis is efficient as Harrow Harkonnen, taking a component that might have been all milquetoast, a pawn for Valya to make use of, and making it really feel extra advanced and relatable. Let’s hope the writers give him extra to do than Mark Addy.
• Different MVPs this season exterior of the recognizable “primary” solid like Watson and Williams embody Sarah-Sofie Boussinina (Nez), Emma Canning (Younger Tula), and Shalom Brune-Franklin (Mikaela).
• Prophecy has a behavior of throwing out phrases that might not be acquainted to informal followers (like Shai-Hulud). So what does “Making the Imperium comes at a price” imply? Within the books, it’s one other phrase for the Corrino Empire, which was known as the Imperium, or the management on the seat of energy on Salusa Secundus. It’s a elaborate phrase for supreme energy and proper to regulate that dates again to historical Rome.
• I’m going with Mark Sturdy this week for an underrated advice. The actor in additional than 100 movies typically performs villains—he was simply Carmine Falcone in HBO’s different late 2024 big-budget present The Penguin—however he’s obtained underrated vary and sometimes is aware of easy methods to make an impression with restricted materials. (He did simply that in 1917.) He broke by way of in movies by Matthew Vaughn and Danny Boyle, however don’t miss his work within the nice Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.
