This put up incorporates spoilers for the most recent episode of “Dune: Prophecy.”
It might be the understatement of the century to say that “Dune” lore shouldn’t be for the faint of coronary heart. Spanning millennia (each earlier than and after the delivery of Paul Atreides), numerous variations of creator Frank Herbert’s sci-fi touchstone over the a long time have barely even scratched the floor of what this wealthy, sprawling in-universe historical past has to supply — and that features each of Denis Villeneuve’s well-received blockbusters. “Dune: Prophecy” represents the following step to additional flesh out this world, which was on show as early as final week’s premiere episode and its depiction of the Butlerian Jihad. Episode 2, titled “Two Wolves,” retains that pattern going. This time, nevertheless, it does so by including some much-needed readability to what is likely to be one of many extra complicated elements of the latest films.
With so many characters and subplots to maintain observe of and solely a lot display time to go round, it stands to purpose that “Dune” variations must choose their battles rigorously. “Dune: Half Two” faithfully recreated probably the most vital moments from the novel, when Girl Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) is compelled to ingest the so-called “Water of Life” with a view to develop into a Reverend Mom among the many indigenous Fremen. Whereas informal audiences had little selection however to simply go together with all of the weirdness, guide readers know that the sequel overlooked a ton of particulars from this ritual that totally defined why this was so harmful within the first place.
That is the place “Dune: Prophecy” is as soon as once more filling within the gaps, including much more context to what we already know in regards to the Water of Life.
Dune: Prophecy depicts one of many earliest Water of Life rituals … with disastrous outcomes
It is one of many oldest tips in screenwriting: If you wish to emphasize how essential sure guidelines are, merely present your characters breaking them … and the results that should observe. On this planet of “Dune,” following guidelines and rituals and traditions is as essential because it will get. Tula Harkonnen (Olivia Williams), already so unsettled by the horrific dying of fellow Bene Gesserit and Reverend Mom Kasha (Jihae) within the waning moments of the premiere, learns this the arduous means when she should confront an excellent scarier proposition. Whereas her sister and Mom Superior Valya Harkonnen (Emily Watson) units out to Selusa Secondus so she will be able to take care of the chaos embroiling Home Corrino in individual, Tula is left behind to assist out in a really totally different means. Her star pupil, the younger Sister Lila (Chloe Lea), holds the important thing to unlocking the prophecy spoken by the earlier Mom Superior Raquella (Cathy Tyson) on her deathbed. And she or he’ll have to interrupt each single Bene Gesserit norm with a view to do it.
Nowhere is that extra clear than within the Water of Life ceremony, which “Dune: Prophecy” refers to as “The Agony.” Early on within the episode, Valya all however forces Tula to place her scholar at excessive threat by ushering on this ritual lengthy earlier than that they had initially deliberate to take action. It is revealed that Lila is definitely the great-great-granddaughter of Raquella herself, which means the Water of Life — a poison secreted by Arrakis sand worms that, when correctly ingested, will awaken her genetic reminiscence handed down by her ancestors — will present them with the solutions they want. Lila’s horrified response underlines the purpose that she has many, many extra years of coaching to endure earlier than even coming near feeling prepared. However, with current circumstances as dire as they’re, there’s little selection however to forge forward anyway.
As Tula and Lila quickly discover out, the outcomes are nothing in need of lethal.
How Dune: Prophecy makes Dune: Half 2 even higher
Contemplating how a lot mileage “Dune: Half Two” needed to cowl all through its already-lengthy runtime, maybe it was inevitable that among the nerdier and extra obscure particulars from the guide must be left unexplained. The Water of Life sequence with Girl Jessica (and, in a while, Paul Atreides himself) is a chief instance of this. The sequel conveys the broad strokes of the hazard and stakes inherent on this course of, certain, and Paul’s eventual transformation into an much more Messianic determine after ingesting the poison is given all of the dramatic weight it deserves. Nonetheless, one thing can not help however really feel lacking — one thing “Dune: Prophecy” makes an attempt to select up the slack on.
All through a number of tense conversations, Tula and Lila make it clear to viewers that this “Agony” is not any joke. The place “Dune: Half Two” defined the rote mechanics of this act (the Bene Gesserit should bodily rework the poison right into a innocent substance on a molecular stage utilizing their thoughts), “Dune: Prophecy” takes a way more introspective strategy by really displaying what this course of “seems to be” like from inside. Lila is transported to some liminal house that appears eerily like catacombs, surrounded by the faceless phantoms of her many ancestors. Though predominantly targeted on the emotional journey of Lila, it is left implied that Girl Jessica and Paul Atreides should’ve gone by an identical expertise — one which makes it far more obvious why their specific actions have been so harmful within the first place.
Lila does not seem to outlive the Agony, subsumed by the reminiscence of her ancestor Reverend Mom Dorotea (Camilla Beeput), whom younger Valya had killed with the Voice again within the flashback proven within the premiere. When paired with “Dune: Half Two,” this scene within the HBO collection capabilities as extra background materials to assist contextualize what may’ve gone so flawed all these years later with Jessica and Paul Atreides. New episodes of “Dune: Prophecy” air on HBO and Max each Sunday.