WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for the Dune: Prophecy season 1 finale.
Following the events of theDune: Prophecyseason 1 finale, there are several key elements that are already set up to be expanded on in season 2.Dune: Prophecyis a six-part series based on the 2012 novelSisterhood of Dune, which was written by originalDuneauthor Frank Herbert’s son, Brian, and Kevin J. Anderson. The story takes place more than10,000 years before the rise of Paul Atreidies, which is chronicled in Denis Villenueve’sDune(2020) andDune: Part Two(2024).Dune: Prophecyreveals theorigins of the powerful shadow sisterhood known as the Bene Gesseritand how they manipulated the fate of humankind.
Dune: Prophecyepisode 1 “The Hidden Hand"introduced Valya Harkonnen, a fierce and calculated leader, and her biological sister, Tula Harkonnen.Dune: Prophecyepisode 2 revealswhat happened to Lila and her grandmother, Reverend Mother Dorotea, after Tula and Valya encouraged her to endure The Agony. InDune: Prophecyepisode 3, Tula takes Lila’s life into her own hands aftershe apparently died during The Agony ritualand tries to resurrect her through the use of forbidden technology. Episode 4 reveals thatLila was resurrected through the Thinking Machine, Anirul. Episode 5 showcases Desmond Hart’s rise to power, while episode 6 sees Tula reconnect with herabandoned half-Atreides child, Desmond Hart.
Valya will likely try to find the creator of the virus here
Image via Max
At the end of theDune: Prophecyseason 1 finale, Valya Harkonnen, Princess Ynez Corrino, and the swordmaster Keiran Atreides all escape the heated pursuit of Desmond Hart and his Sardaukar soldiers. The unlikely trio arrives on Arrakis which is where they will likely continue to be at the start ofDune: Prophecyseason 2.Valya still has a vested interest in making Princess Ynez the next Empressand makes it her mission to act as her personal protector and Truthsayer rather than treat her as just any other acolyte in the Sisterhood.
Valya tells Ynez when they arrive on Arrakis, “The path to our enemy begins here.“After Valya’s vision ofDesmond being operated on by Thinking Machines, which is how he acquired a mechanical virus that gives him magical powers, she is determined to discover who is behind it. Her vision shows a bright burning sun behind a shadowy figure overseeing the operation, which suggests that the creator of the virus is also on Arrakis. Valya will also plot how to put Ynez back on the throne and will likely enlist the assistance of Sister Mikaela.
Desmond will have to decide what to do with them
Much likeDune: Prophecyseason 1, Desmond Hart will likely remain the biggest question mark of season 2. After appearing to recognize Tula Harkonnen as his mother and discovering that Theo is a shape-shifting Face Dancer, he has both of them arrested.They should both be held “in suspension"as he and Keiran both were in season 1.
Tula will likely explain why she abandoned Desmond when he was just a boy and how it was a part of Valya’s master plan. Theo will probably remain loyal to Valya and the Sisterhood unless she discovers the truth about Valya killing Dorotea, which could sever her bond with Valya.Desmond and Tula have a strong chance of seeing eye to eyeand even working together to end Valya’s reign over the Sisterhood.
Desmond will likely act as the interim Emperor alongside Natalya
Emperor Javicco’s shocking death was all a part of Valya’s plan, even though she might not have known exactly how that was going to come about. She enlisted Francesca to take Javicco out but likely anticipated that she wouldn’t be able to do it.As “fate” would have it, Javicco turned his own blade on himselfafter discovering that he had never really known a true day of freedom.
Even more shocking was Empress Natalya killing Sister Francesca out of her own vendetta for the Sisterhood that she shares with Desmond Hart. Natalya and Desmond will likely represent the Imperial Throne together at the start ofDune: Prophecyseason 2, although Demsond may not want to take on the full responsibility of Emperor, or may not have a chance to. This would open doors forYnez – and her love interest Keiran Atreides – or even Constantine to claim the Imperial throne.
7Desmond Hart Is Implanted With Thinking Machine Tech
Desmond may not even know the strength of his own power
Because the Thinking Machines implanted a fear-based virus into Desmond Hart’s eye, this makes him a sort of false idol with a very deadly power. As seen throughoutDune: Prophecyseason 1,Desmond appears to be in full control of the virus and who it affects. He initially kills Pruwett Richese and Sister Kasha simultaneously using the virus, triggering the reaction by pressing against his right temple.
It’s unclear whether Desmond is doing this of his own volitionor if the Thinking Machines programmed him to become theface of The Reckoning, essentially staging a doomsday scenario for a potential underlying gain. Valya believes that whoever gave him this virus is using him as a weapon and must be stopped. Desmond will likely either harness the power for his own ends or succumb to it by whoever programmed it in season 2.
She will likley turn the Sisterhood against Valya
With Valya and Tula out of the picture at the end ofDune: Prophecyseason 1, the Sisterhood appears to have regained its rightful leader in Dorotea, who has emerged through her granddaughter Lila. In theDune: Prophecyseason 1 finale,Dorotea reveals the truth about Valya to the Sisterhood and quickly establishes her own following. Lila can also harness the presence of the original Mother Superior, Raquella, meaning that Valya may have a very difficult time gaining power over the Sisterhood ever again. Dorotea and the Sisterhood also discover the forbidden Thinking Machine technology that Valya and Tula have been hiding for their breeding index.
Valya will be determined to expose the other “hidden hand” in season 2
Valya’s greatest ambition in Dune: Prophecy season 2 – other than the ones already established in season 1 – will be to discover and eliminate the creator of the fear-based airborne virus within Desmond’s eye. Sinceshe won’t kill Desmond because he is Tula’s long-lost son, she has to go back to the source of the virus itself, which she plans to find on Arrakis. Even Valya has no idea who or what she is up against at the end of season 1. It’s also likely that whoever the “hidden hand” who implanted this virus also programmed Desmond to believe he had been swallowed by Shai-Hulud.
Francesca may only be the first death by her hands
Natalya reveals her true colors to Desmond Hart at the end ofDune: Prophecyepisode 5. She is willing to do whatever it takes to take down the Sisterhood one by one, an intention that she shares with Desmond. Now that she officially has blood on her hands after killing Sister Francesca, she will likelymake it even harder for the Sisterhood to step foot on Salusa Secundusunless she plans to lure them in and eliminate them secretly. The key to Natalya’s reign will be largely up to Desmond, who would be a formidable asset to her on the Imperial Throne. He could, however, have a change of heart after discovering his mom is Tula.
He will likely turn it over for a high-ranking Imperial position
Lurking in the shadows of theDune: Prophecyseason 1 finale is Harrow Harkonnen, Valya’s ambitious nephew, who now has his own trick up his sleeve heading into season 2. Harrow has been gifted a piece of Thinking Machines technology – a glowing orb – that acts as a hidden recording device. It’s revealed in theDune: Prophecyfinale that Harrow secretly used the orb to record Valya’s conversation with Francesca and Theo about her plan to kill Emperor Corrino. Seeking his own glory, and knowing the dangers of Valya firsthand,Harrow will likely take this evidence to Empress Natalya and Desmond, which would certainly make Valya an intergalactic enemy of the Imperium.
He could completely change after the shocking twist
Prince Constantine Corrino doesn’t have much of a role in theDune: Prophecyseason 1 finale and has yet to establish himself as a true player in this game of power and deceit. Through Francesca’s help based on Valya’s plan,Constantine was appointed to oversee spice production on Arrakis, which means that he is more than likely to appear on the Dune planet and reunite with his sister there.
Discovering where Constantine’s loyalties lie in season 2will be interesting to see unfold. He ratted out Keiran for being an insurgent and may take pride in his new Imperial rank, which could turn him against Ynez altogether. Then again, both of his parents are dead, and he will certainly be looking for answers and someone to blame.
1Valya’s Anriul Breeding Index Could Be Destroyed
Lila/Dorotea smashed it but that could have also taken her out
With Valya’s Thinking Machine breeding index now exposed, it could be taken down by Dorotea and the revolting Sisterhood. The season 1 finale showsLila/Dorotea smashing the Thinking Machine Anirul, which is followed by the noise of the machine powering down. This would imply that Dorotea successfully destroyed Valya’s breeding index, which would cause massive problems for her vision of the Sisterhood and the “hidden hand” in the selection of royal lines. If Lila did destroy Anirul at the end ofDune: Prophecyseason 1, however, it may mean that she took herself out as well, since she is powered by the Thinking Machine techology after Tula resurrected her.
Dune: Prophecy
Cast
Set in the universe of Frank Herbert’s Dune series, Dune: Prophecy, a sci-fi epic, follows the political and spiritual struggles on the desert planet of Arrakis. As factions vie for control of the prized spice melange, a prophesied hero emerges, challenging the balance of power and the fate of the galaxy.
