The second episode of Dune: Prophecy picks up immediately after the occasions of episode one’s ending, with the Sisterhood witnessing the fiery loss of life of the Emperor’s Truthsayer, Kasha. Concurrently, the marriage between Princess Ynez of the reigning Home Corrino and younger Pruwet of Home Richese is named off, to say the least, after the latter is burned to loss of life by thriller man extraordinaire, Desmond Hart. Once more, it generally appears like this present has extra correct nouns than a phonebook. In case you want extra context, learn our breakdown of Episode 1 right here.
Episode 2, titled “Two Wolves” (which possible refers to Desmond and Valya, and can turn out to be extra significant after Episode 3), is usually extra partaking than the primary episode. Sure, it is nonetheless slowed down by all that expository context and much more characters, nevertheless it has some extraordinarily placing sequences and strikes alongside at a depraved tempo. The primary thrust of the episode finds everybody coping with the aftermath of these two seemingly telekinetic killings by Desmond Hart, who’s promptly arrested by the Emperor after a tense trade between the boys. “I would not name it a tragedy,” Desmond says. “You made your emotions about Richese and the marriage very clear.”
“I didn’t let you know to kill that boy,” whispers Emperor Javicco Corrino.
“However you needed me to. What I did, I did for you. And I can do it once more,” replies Desmond. It is an trade that will get to the guts of politics in Dune (and arguably politics all over the place). Violence, whether or not hidden or express, is a function, not a bug, of politics.
Politics: Violence & Dying as a Means to an Finish
Set within the universe of Frank Herbert’s Dune sequence, this sci-fi epic follows the political and non secular struggles on the desert planet of Arrakis. As factions vie for management of the prized spice melange, a prophesied hero emerges, difficult the steadiness of energy and the destiny of the galaxy.
- Launch Date
- November 17, 2024
- Creator(s)
- Diane Ademu-John , Alison Schapker
- Solid
- Emily Watson , Olivia Williams , Jodhi Could , Travis Fimmel , Mark Sturdy , Jade Anouka , Chris Mason , Sarah-Sofie Boussnina , Shalom Brune-Franklin , Faoileann Cunningham , Aoife Hinds , Chloe Lea , Josh Heuston , Edward Davis , Tabu , Yerin Ha
- Seasons
- 1
- Franchise(s)
- Dune
- Showrunner
- Alison Schapker
Episode 2 particulars the corruption of politics and its tolerance (or embrace) of violence, because the Emperor, who looks as if a “good man,” goes from arresting Desmond to releasing him and utilizing his lethal powers for political functions. In the meantime, violence and loss of life corrupts the Sisterhood at a distinct stage on this episode, which thrillingly units up a duel between the Sisterhood (Valya particularly) and the Imperial Home Corrino (Desmond Hart particularly).
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“Two Wolves” begins with Valya leaving her planet with the acolyte Sister Theodosia (Jade Anouka) in an effort to go to the Emperor and regain some management following the lack of Kasha. Earlier than Valya leaves, she provides some upsetting directions to her sister, Tula (Olivia Williams, who continues to be a spotlight of the present). She desires the youngest acolyte within the Sisterhood, Lila (Chloe Lea), to endure “The Agony” and drink the toxic water of life, which Dune followers know is a liquid excreted from the sandworm which might open somebody’s thoughts as much as the historical past of their DNA, permitting them to entry the reminiscences of their ancestors. That’s, if it does not kill you.
The reasoning for that is reasonably flimsy, nevertheless it’s positive to simply go together with it. See, Lila is seemingly the great-great-grandaughter of Raquel, the unique Mom Superior who based the Sisterhood. Valya must know extra concerning the prophesied menace that may destroy the Sisterhood, and who will vanquish them (Desmond Hart within the short-term? Paul Atreides within the long-term?). Raquel had visions of the Tiran-Arafel (the destruction of the Sisterhood) earlier than her loss of life, in order that they consider Lila can entry them. What Lila does not know is that her grandmother was Dorotea, the Sister that Valya killed with The Voice. The younger lady agrees to drink the toxic concoction, with Tula guiding her by way of the expertise.
Betrayal: An Offended Father and a Insurgent Alliance
On the similar time, there’s panic within the Imperial Court docket on Salusa Secundus. The budding inheritor to the throne, Pruwet Richese, has been burned to loss of life, and the blame is positioned on the A.I. toy Pruwet was obsessive about. His father, Duke Ferdinand Richese, calls BS, and hears by way of the grapevine that there’s a prisoner being held who’s answerable for this loss of life. Home Richese retains its fleet of ships close to the planet, prepared to start an all-out warfare and cancel the cope with Home Corrino to assist their spice manufacturing on Arrakis.
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Talking of which, it seems that stud swordmaster Keiran Atreides is a spy for a insurgent motion in opposition to the Empire. His illicit romance with Princess Ynez will possible complicate that, particularly after he learns of her childhood trauma when a insurgent pressure kidnapped her and her brother, Constantine. One among Keiran’s fellow rebels is the blue-eyed Fremen Mikaela, who additionally works for the Imperial Court docket however is definitely a spy for the Sisterhood. She meets up with Valya and provides away Keiran’s id. Betrayal, backstabbing, and bullsh*t — the world of Dune is brimming with it.
Horror: A Sister’s Dying Trance & Desmond Hart’s Burning Reality
The ultimate act of “Two Wolves” is unbelievable, the perfect 20 minutes of the present to this point. Lila takes the poison to attach with Raquel and her ancestors and discover out extra concerning the Tiran-Arafel prophecy. Lila was raised within the Sisterhood since her delivery (when her mom apparently died in childbirth) and is an empathetic, soft-spoken soul, a sort of wide-eyed doe. Valya and Tula consider that she’ll have the ability to make it by way of “The Agony,” however what transpires is extra horrific than they might understand.
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This results in a terrifying, extremely well-done sequence in Lila’s thoughts (kudos to director John Cameron right here), as she enters right into a trance and joins her ancestors, all coated in loss of life robes, in a darkish area. The imagery right here is unforgettable and more and more disturbing as Lila is confronted by her grandmother, Dorotea, who takes revenge for being murdered by Valya and ends Lila’s life. Earlier than Lila dies, she says in a possessed voice:
The important thing to the reckoning is one born twice, as soon as in blood, as soon as in spice. A revenant stuffed with scars, a weapon born on warfare, on a path too brief.
This might lead us to consider that Desmond Hart is the reckoning, contemplating his expertise with a sandworm and the powers he developed consequently, however this might additionally check with Paul Atreides sooner or later. Hart definitely looks as if the Sisterhood’s current antagonist, although, as he is given extra freedom from the Emperor and is used to burn the indignant and threatening Duke Ferdinand Richese almost to loss of life as a warning after the Duke threatens him.
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Valya meets with Desmond on the finish of the episode, and he makes his intentions considerably clear. He says, “I would like what’s finest for the Imperium. And that’s to wipe out each hint of you and your Sisters from this world.” Valya makes an attempt to make use of The Voice to manage Desmond and have him slash his personal throat, nevertheless it fails to work on the thriller man prefer it did on Dorotea. She leaves realizing that her adversary is much extra highly effective than she ever thought, and that she’s in a a lot weaker place than she may’ve realized.
Episode 2 Is Glorious (When It is Not a YA Collection)
All in all, Episode 2 is nice tv in some ways. It progresses the story in such a manner that we aren’t continuously overloaded with exposition, but additionally by no means bored. It expands the context of its characters and helps us perceive them extra. It options a few phenomenally directed and filmed scenes. It solutions some issues, and provides to mysteries we’re determined to unravel. We even get a gap title sequence this time round, which does a fairly good job of working by way of all of the visible motifs and symbols of the franchise.
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The episode does stumble a bit right here and there. A intercourse scene is reasonably gratuitous and pointless; this present does not want any extra Recreation of Thrones comparisons. The character of Mikaela may’ve been launched and explored higher; the identical with the entire insurgent motion. The largest subject is with the younger acolytes within the Sisterhood. Dune: Prophecy nearly veers into the dreaded YA zone at instances by specializing in these Sisters and their stereotypical dialogue. There’s nearly a Harry Potter vibe to a few of it that feels lame and out of doors the present’s viewers. Dune: Prophecy is a mature sequence at its finest, and doesn’t want this sort of younger grownup subplot.
Travis Fimmel continues to be the gem of the present as Desmond Hart, who will get extra time to glisten right here. Emily Watson, who continues to be not precisely proper for the function of Valya, does have her finest scene within the present to this point reverse Fimmel’s character, and if the tip of this episode is establishing an final combat between these characters, Dune: Prophecy might be higher consequently. The second episode, in contrast to the primary, has sturdy pacing all through and is just thrilling tv. Sadly, the third episode of the sequence appears set to grind that tempo to a halt and do one thing very totally different, however we’ll get to that subsequent week in our persevering with protection of Dune: Prophecy. The present airs every Sunday evening at 9pm on HBO and streams on Max by way of the hyperlink under:
Watch: Dune Prophecy