I can't say Dune Prophecy has been a disappointment although based on the movies success, I don't feel its at the same level, the quality is there bit its just there story, a bit similar to Part 1 but after watching Episode 4 it's clear that the show is getting its more traction and delivering a solid mix of political intrigue and mystical stuff that's what makes the Dune universe so unique and attractive. The episode, titled Twice Born, brings together a number of storylines that have been building ever since the series began and it's nice to see how everything starts to make sense and tie up every cliff hanger from the first three episodes. We pick up at the Sisterhood compound with some serious action going on, both there and in the Imperial capital of Salusa Secundus, where the political games are becoming more and more dangerous by the minute. Desmond Hart is currently strengthening his position with the Emperor, but his mysterious powers seem to be a physical cost that's starting to show, while Valya Harkonnen, who got kicked out of the Imperial Palace is trying to work her way back into power through some clever maneuvering with her family, but everything back fires at the end.
That was what really stood out to me, how the episode wove all the various plot threads and didn’t make them feel over extended or complicated, sometimes that's an issues with this conspiracy theory series, that is probably what Dune Prophecy is, a constant conspiracy plot series that keeps spinning after each of the characters makes their move like on a chess game. The Sisterhood's Acolytes are having shared nightmares about sand worms and mysterious blue eyes who seem to use the Voice on them and that's just frightening enough to mix things up in the political drama. Tula Harkonnen faces their own set of challenges, including depending from using forbidden technology to save Lila, whose spice eyes at the episode’s end developing those unique baby blue background. Since day one I have been thinking that there has to be someone close to the Sisterhood compound who is attacking them, I doubt that Desmond can kill someone from one planet to another, in this case have all the Acolytes dream and command them through the voice from such a distant planet, yet they are all attacked by this entity.
Since the movies it has been talk about the "Great Houses", at first I thought it was just a few like eight but damn they are a lot and each house use their own Truth Sayer, we watch them all come together in Landsraad gathering, a meeting where all houses present themself to the Emperor for gathering, talk and take decisions that concern them all, at the same time become the perfect hot spot for all the different factions to play their hand. Valya's plan to use the rebellion's attack as an opportunity to regain favor with the Emperor is a smart play but what's really interesting is how Desmond Hart keeps one step ahead of everyone else, many of them sit so confident to make their move during this vital meeting, they don’t know that they might all be wasting their time, specially the Harkonnen.
On Episode 4 I really enjoy how it develops the tension at the moment the Acolytes shared visions, how the situation keeps escalating from Tula thinking she had control of them to the point she panics and had no clue what to do, imagine loosing them all at once, the risk to see them getting fried like Kasha, it makes the whole thing incredibly creepy and really brings out the supernatural aspects of the story. The Landsraad chamber design I thought would be way bigger, consider in other shows like GOT we got this massive halls for meetings, and the Emperor Palace is huge so why having them meeting on such small room?, but at least in a way felt that is taking place on another planet far away based on the structure design, always so rounded and full of that sand color.
The topic of studying other's power and the price of ambition keeps the series going and not becoming boring, specially the case when in addition to Valya's willingness to exploit her family for her own political gain, Desmond's physical suffering as a direct consequence of having the ability and the Emperor wrestling with how to assert control all point to themes about power's price, they all trying to gain some sort of power and advantage against everyone else but never with a solid but only temporary victory and still at what cost? that's the Desmond case. There is an explosive revelation that I did not quite understood until I look it up, having no clue who the "creature" at the end of the episode was, it was Sister Theodosia, she seem to be a Face Dancer or more commonly known as a shapeshifter, adds way more complexity to Valyas plan, again like always having an answer for every situation and keeping the grip of control over the rest.
Desmond's intervention at the Landsraad works out both shocking and satisfying, showing just how far Desmond's influence is and how much that takes out of him, every time he use his powers his back starts to get rip apart making him bleed but I guess this is new since he says before he was reborn from sand he did not have this powers,there is also Lila waking up with blue eyes in the same scene as Theodosia revealing herself as a Face Dancer is the perfect cliffhanger, and you know you want more of it. All of this suggests that the show is leading up to something bigger, Theodosia becoming a pawn to go for an undercover mission and even kill someone in public to blame someone specific, it has to be big because it was part of her agreement to become a Sister, to never use her powers again and she reminds Valya of this during the episode.
To be honest, I was particularly satisfied with this episode at the way the different character motivations are handled in this episode, its so interesting when everyone is working against each other, everyone's actions make sense within their own agenda but the funny thing is that almost no one have an advantage over each other, so when is this cat and mouse game going to stop?. Desmond’s way of outmaneuvering both the rebels and Valya felt such a lucky shot and going along with Tula and her growing frustration at the Lila situation shows how even the most strict and controlled characters start to crack, even Valya look desperate at some situations but still keeps her cool intact. I’m giving the episode a solid 7.5 out of 10 purely because it is able to progress the plot and keep its unique story development and world building around this huge political conspiracy.
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