Episode 2 of Dune Prophecy is beginning to find some ground but a big event just happen to anyone that has not read the books, even if the pacing still feels a bit slow at times, there's more substance here than the first episode specially the details behind the Bene Gesserit operation and plans, as most TV series based on books or previous movies it might not be 200% accurate but at least it is expanding the world and its characters towards those who know less about the Dune Universe. The production values remain impressive with the sets and costumes selling this far future universe and the performances, especially from the actors playing Desmond and Valya with two complex and mysterious characters, I especially liked how this episode got into the politics and manipulation by religion makes it very like a chess game where some are playing checkers.
- IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10466872/
- Platform: Amazon Prime Video
The episode begins with a Suk Doctor arriving at the Bene Gesserit temple to investigate Kasha's death, these doctors can be easily identify by their diamond tattoos and supposedly incapable of betraying those they serve due to their imperial conditioning, this is so contradictory to anyone who has seen the movies considering how the Atreides were betrayed by their doctor a very lol moment, then we got how the story split into at least temporary side stories like when Valya heads to Selusa Secundus, orders Tula to put Lila through a dangerous Rossak poisoning ceremony, and the politics at the imperial court get more complicated as young Constantine is manipulated while having sex with Lady Shannon who seem to be both enjoying him but at the same time working for her father trying to figure out details on her brother asssasination, its here when Constantline spill the beans and talk about a prisoner that in fact is Desmond.
The episode seem to do a great job at weaving in lots of Dune lore and mythology without making you feel like you've been dropped in the deep end of the pool, with references to events like the Battle of Corrin and figures like Rayna Butler to start pealing the surface of the Dune Universe. The visual aspect is one of the strong aspects of the series, from the design of the Heighliners that fold space to allow interstellar travel to the ceremonial chambers of the Bene Gesserit, it's clear there's been attention paid to make everything feel from a distant futuristic almost alien space, I was especially struck by how they portrayed Lila's ceremony and her encounter with the ancestral spirits, when enter into this short period of horror film like scenes but it did felt too short, I was hoping for some more terror from the spirits trying to consume Lila.
I’m starting to appreciate how the show deals with some of its pace problems, it is in fact starting to put the foot down and get conflicts to develop faster, for example we now have the dynamic between Desmond and the Emperor that is especially intriguing as we see this mysterious figure slowly amassing power and revealing the deceptions of the Bene Gesserit, it’s just like a chess game how they’re positioning him as a man of truth to power but also someone who is dangerous and unpredictable, the Keiran Atreides rebellion sub plot adds more complexity, though I wish it moved a little faster, but the scenes between him and Ynez give the impression that there are deeper conflicts to come, especially that loaded moment with the knife during their sparring session, I thought that she was going to tell him "I know what you are with the rebellion.
This episode really ends with a banger revelaing how dangerous Desmond Hart is becoming and just how he's playing both sides, the Emperor starts to see him as this powerful asset that he could use to break free from the Bene Gesserit's influence that at first thought The Emperor favor or like them as his allies but its obvious that he does not or at least goes with who favors him. There is also the fact that Valya starts to realize how much of a threat Desmond really is, especially when he shows to be immune to their voice control, which is pretty much their biggest weapon and this is what caught me off guard like ok now what?.
Desmond is positioning himself as this truth teller in a world full of lies, this is why he's always calling out the Bene Gesserit's manipulation and deception and presenting himself as totally honest, and that’s a pretty smart move when you think about it, it's basically him using honesty as a weapon in a world where everyone expects lies and schemes, but there is definitely more to his game plan than just being the emperor's new friend, he talks about wiping out the Bene Gesserit from every world, so he has a personal vendetta against them.
Lila's ceremony goes south, I expect this to happen since during the Dune movies only Paul and his mother were able to handle the worm poison, they are two big powerful figures while Lila is just a rookie on this matter, she was having this intense spiritual experience that looks straight out of a horror movie, we are getting hints about this prophecy about someone "born twice, once in blood, once in spice,” which could also apply to Desmond with his sand worm experience. Valya revelation that she’s a murderer is nothing new but the fact that Tula lies to Lila about her past and mother is what might setup a bigger conflict, imagine if "SOMEHOW" Dorotea stays in her mind latter down the line like what Mr. Smith does during the Matrix and hijacking a human mind, and the way the episode ends with Valya losing her power over Desmond and him basically telling her that her biggest fear is irrelevant shows that the ones holding the power are loosing ground, btw the Emperor never had control over anything.
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