The episode begins with our main character, Valya Harkonnen, on the icy planet Wallach IX. She wants to change the bad reputation of her family, who betrayed humanity while fighting the thinking machines. Along with her sister Tula, they join the Bene Gesserit, a powerful group of women.
Valya becomes close with the leader, Mother Superior Takela, who teaches the sisters to tell truth from lies. This helps them shape the future politics of their world.
The old Mother Superior wants to create better leaders and has collected a lot of genetic information to teach the right people to lead. Before she dies, she tells Valya to continue her work and hints that something big is coming. Valya believes there is a reckoning on the horizon and she plans to put a sister on the throne to rule the empire.
Valya kills Dorotea, who does not share her perspective, and takes full control of the Sisterhood. Jumping forward 30 years, Valya is leading the Sisterhood. She fulfills requests from various houses for truthful women who can tell if someone is lying.
Prince Constantine visits Valya because he is concerned about his sister, Princess Ynez, joining the Sisterhood. Valya understands his concerns, and eventually she agrees to his terms.
Princess Ynez is training with her swordsman, Kieran, and they seem to have a thing for each other. But Ynez’s mother warns her to focus on her royal duties. Meanwhile, on another planet, the Duke is dealing with troubles on Arrakis, a desert planet known for its valuable spice.
Desmond Hart, who survived the attack on Arrakis, arrives to warn the Duke about internal threats. The Duke is concerned but tries to remain calm, while Desmond has his own plans.
Back on Wallach IX, the Truthtellers are trained to be strong and root out lies. Valya and Tula are looking for the perfect candidate to join Princess Ynez.
Ynez is married to Lord Pruvet, and during the celebration, Pruvet unveils a forbidden thinking machine, causing chaos. Valya is convinced that Ynez is the key to stabilizing the royal lineage.
But things take a dark turn when Desmond kills Pruvet, throwing the wedding and all of the Sisterhood’s plans into disarray. Kasha, a current Truthteller, is also killed, leaving Valya in shock.
Episode Review
The first episode of “Dune: Prophecy” is intense and full of political intrigue. Valya is a hardened character, willing to commit murder to achieve her goals. The episode sets up a complex story with a lot of moving parts and ends with a shocking twist.
The characters are a mix of likeable and unlikeable, which can make it difficult to root for anyone. The series starts off slow but picks up speed towards the end, leaving viewers eager to find out what happens next.
