WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for the Dune: Prophecy season 1 finale.
Dune: Prophecylays the groundwork forDune 3in several intriguing ways.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.
It’s a good precursor before the “weirdness” of Dune 3
Image via Max
One of the best aspects ofDune: Prophecyseason 1 is that it introduces new elements, and some even weirder elements, than the recent film series. For example, the Bene Gesserit power of Voice is one of the most compelling aspects of the Sisterhood and the originalDunefilms. It is undoubtedly one of the most powerful skills in theDuneuniverse and is accessible only to the Bene Gesserit. While Lady Jessica and others use the Voice throughout theDunefilms towards intriguing ends,Dune: Prophecyseason 1 makes the Voice even more dangerous by introducing its originand the lack of moral restraint from its creator.
Furthermore, some of the more strange elements ofthe Duneuniversethat are introduced inDune: Prophecyinclude Thinking Machine technology and the various ways in which it is used within the Bene Gesserit and beyond. This opens up plenty of opportunities for theDuneuniverse, especiallyDune 3and other eventual movies and television series, to dig deeper into these “weirder” areas ofDunelore. Based on the source material written by Frank Herbert,Dune: Messiahshould be a big step up in weirdness from the first twoDunemovies.
It helps set up Duncan Idaho’s return in Dune: Messiah
Dune: Prophecysuccessfully lays the groundwork for further types of species in futureDuneinstallments, such asFace Dancers and Gholas. The character Theo fromDune: Prophecyis one example of introducing higher concepts that go beyond what we’ve seen so far and showing there’s more to this universe than what’s already been shown. According toDune Wiki, “Face Dancers were a sterile race of metamorphic transhumans engineered by the Bene Tleilax.” The Bene Tleilax, or the Tleilaxu, are “a group of secretive, genetically altered humans who inhabited Tleilax, the sole planet of the star Thalim” (viaDune Wiki).
Another interesting type ofDunespecies is a ghola. According toDune Wiki, “a ghola was an artificially created human, who was replicated from a dead individual.” This would explain the return of a fallen Dune character in the first 2021 film, Duncan Idaho. Duncan Idaho returns in theDune: Messiahbook and should do so in theDune: Messiahmovie as well. With lots of focus onThinking Machines inDune: Prophecy, including one being put inside Desmond Hart,it’s better positioned to pull that key character element off inDune: Prophecy.
The Bene Gesserit are mostly unknown and inaccessible in theDunemovies
The shadowy mechanics of the Bene Gesserit inDune: Prophecyset up what’s to come in futureDuneinstallments, including the eventual thirdDunemovieDune: Messiah, which will be directed by Denis Villeneuve. Without giving away any spoilers in the upcomingDune: Messiahmovie,the Bene Gesserit scheming and plans to overthrow Paul inMessiahfit with what we see from them inProphecy.
While the Bene Gesserit are mostly an unknown and inaccessible force in theDunemovies, they will become more of an integral part of Paul’s affairs as Emperor inDune: Messiahand remain one of the most interesting aspects of theDuneuniverse altogether, which is likely why HBO has already greenlit a second season onDune: Prophecy.
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.
