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Dune Prophecy Kicks Off First Episode With Killer Robots & Bene Gesserit Origins
The first episode of Dune Prophecy is now streaming on Max.
Set within the expansive universe of Dune, created by acclaimed author Frank Herbert, and 10,000 years before the ascension of Paul Atreides, Dune: Prophecy follows two Harkonnen sisters as they combat forces that threaten the future of humankind, and establish the fabled sect that will become known as the Bene Gesserit. Dune: Prophecy is inspired by the novel Sisterhood Of Dune, written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.
Cast includes Emily Watson, Olivia Williams, Travis Fimmel, Jodhi May, Mark Strong, Sarah-Sofie Boussnina, Josh Heuston, Chloe Lea, Jade Anouka, Faoileann Cunningham, Edward Davis, Aoife Hinds, Chris Mason, Shalom Brune-Franklin, Jihae, Tabu, Charithra Chandran, Jessica Barden, Emma Canning, and Yerin Ha. Alison Schapker serves as showrunner and executive producer. Diane Ademu-John co-developed the series and serves as executive producer. Anna Foerster executive-produced and directed multiple episodes including the first.
At the time of writing, Denis Villeneuve’s Dune Part Two has grossed a whopping US$$714.44 million globally. In the meantime, check out our glowing review of Dune Part Two by heading over here.
Max will be available in Malaysia and other Southeast Asian countries (replacing HBO GO) starting from 19 November 2024.
Dune Prophecy is set in the same universe as the two Dune movies by director Denis Villeneuve, but this is the first time that the Butlerian Jihad is specifically referenced.
What is the Butlerian Jihad?
In the Dune universe, thousands of years before the age of Paul Atreides in the movies, humans were embroiled in a war against ‘thinking machines’, who are essentially AI and robots who rebelled against humanity. This conflict is known as the Butlerian Jihad.
It’s also the reason why, despite taking place in a futuristic spacefaring setting, the Dune universe doesn’t have any androids, robots, or AI like other science-fiction franchises. This is because AI was banned after the Butlerian Jihad.
In Dune Prophecy, we meet the first Mother Superior of the Bene Gesserit, Raquella Berto-Anirul. In her visions before her death, she sees the Shai-Hulud (sandworms) on Arrakis.
Essentially, Dune Prophecy will be primarily about the origins and rise of the Bene Gesserit, who are directly responsible for the meticulous planning of a future Kwitsatz Haderach (who eventually turns out to be Paul Atreides). This is achieved via a breeding campaign/conspiracy taking place across thousands of years and by arranging for marriages between specific families over the course of generations, they intend to create a superhuman AKA the Kwisatz Haderach who they can not only control but also whose descendants will rule over the rest of humanity.
Dune Prophecy reveals that it was Valya Harkonnen who created and first used the Voice.
The Voice is a power used by the Bene Gesserit to control others and forcefully them to do certain actions simply by commanding them using their voice. In the future, Paul Atreides will also gain the ability of the Voice.
She then becomes the next Mother Superior.
Tiran Arafel pops up at the end of God Emperor Of Dune book, the fourth novel in Frank Herbert’s series.
As (spoiler) Paul Atreides’s son Leto II (who is also a sandworm-human hybrid) dies, his last words are,
“Do not fear the Ixians. They can make the machines, but they no longer can make Arafel. I know. I was there.”
Arafel is later described as a “cloud-darkness of holy judgment.”
Essentially, it’s the apocalypse or doomsday or the end of days or judgment day for humankind.
Princess Ynez of House Corrino is supposed to marry Pruwet of House Richese, but the wedding is interrupted by Pruwet owning a robotic lizard as a toy. The toy (which is a ‘thinking machine’) then goes rogue in the middle of the wedding.
However, Emperor Javicco Corrino forgives the crime because he needs the wedding to connect House Corrino to House Richese (who has control of Arrakis, where Spice comes from).
Most of this first episode takes place on the Imperial homeworld, but Shalom Brune-Franklin as Mikaela is the first Fremen we’ve seen on the show so far. She’ll probably be the only Fremen on Dune Prophecy if the series never visits Arrakis. This is the opposite of the Dune movies, most of which took place on the planet Arrakis.
It’s refreshing to finally see the rest of the Dune universe outside of Arrakis being explored.
Emperor Javicco Corrino sees a recording of Desmond Hart wearing Fremen clothing and apparently surviving getting swallowed by a sandworm.
The episode ends with Desmond Hart killing both Pruwet of House Richese and Kasha (the Bene Gesserit Truthsayer attached to the Emperor). How can he kill them this way?
By using ‘machines’? By using a power? Maybe he’s a ghola, an artificially created human, who was replicated from a dead individual, by the Bene Tleilax.
Who is Desmond Hart (played by Travis Fimmel, best known for portraying Ragnar Lothbrok on the Vikings TV series)? What are his plans? That’s currently the biggest mystery in Dune Prophecy.
Until next week, excelsior!
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