The close ofDune : Prophecyfinds dramatic climaxes forits biggest storyline , but it also leavesalmost everything open - ended . It ’s a fitting stopping point , perhaps , for a narration that accept place 10,000 years before the mainDunenarrative — particularly with that just - announced 2nd season on the way .
Along with cliffhanger galore , however , it also gives us some worked up reunions , revelations , and a scenery - swallowing visual aspect by our sure-enough pal Shai - Hulud . Let ’s dig into the 80 - minute finis , “ The High - Handed Enemy ” !
We open up on Tula in distress — not surprising , after last hebdomad ’s big launching of who her baby grow up to be — then prune to another angle on the long - ago but still - reverberating face-off between Valya and Dorotea . It ’s something we ’ve revisit in flashbacks and visions , but this time we ’re seeing it from the point of purview of Tula , Kasha , and Francesca , who full witness Valya force Dorotea to cut her own throat .
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The girls set about drive their covering - up stories flat , but Tula — who is by far the most horrified by what she ’s just seen — run from the room and vomits . When Valya chase after her , Tula tells her sister the news : she ’s fraught . Valya tender to help her raise the child , and says Tula does n’t need to care about that rule requiring Sisters to be class from their baby . “ When I ’m Mother Superior we can do whatever we want , ” she says , adding “ Sisters above all . ” Not Sisterhood . Sisters . Tula smile through her tear and repeats it : “ Sisters above all . ”
In the present solar day , Tula and Nazir , the Sister who ’s also a MD ( she came to Wallach IX to do Kasha ’s autopsy , remember ? ) , bewilder over the acolytes ’ eery drawings of their shared nightmares , and of Desmond Hart ’s computer virus that has so far killed Kasha and others , including the rebel paraded before the crowd at the Landsraad . They realize that the grounds it contain Kasha a few day to become flat , and the rebels died almost instantly , is because she was uniquely skilled at repressing her sense of veneration .
“ Fear … that ’s what it ’s feeding off , this virus . It begins a range reaction . The organic structure lash out itself , ” Nazir says . “ It ’s a bio - artillery . ” What is not clean iswhodid this to Desmond . Who create this bio - weapon ? Who made him the computer virus ’ first dupe ?
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That ’s an ongoing mystery story . But in the meantime , the women take in they can theoretically yield a curative for this computer virus , but it ’ll be a dangerous process . Tula volunteers to be the guinea pig , but Nazir assert her aesculapian training makes her substantially - equip for the task . Unfortunately , mind over matter is n’t enough to keep the virus at bay and she succumbs to its agonizing effects — after gasping out that she can see “ the monster of Arrakis ” whose “ eyes are watching him , ” and though she ca n’t identify the monstrosity , she fuck “ it ’s not human . ” Tula sobs in horror as Nazir dies .
In the castle , Desmond is at that very instant question rebel well-wisher Keiran Atreides . But the threats , and the guards roughing him up , get nowhere : “ I ’ve get no love for the Sisterhood or the Harkonnens , but I hate you and everything your Emperor stands for , ” Keiran articulate .
Keiran ’s back in his suspension cell when Princess Ynez run in , intent on breaking him out . Empress Natalya — Ynez ’s own mother — stalking in and has her arrested . Harsh ! Elsewhere in the palace , Francesca and Emperor Corrino are in bottom together , and he postulate her to flummox around … permanently . In his judgement , his married woman would be totally coolheaded with this arrangement . When Francesca hesitates , he ask her to request a meeting with the Mother Superior . Just then , a guard enters to tell the Emperor that Ynez has been catch .
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Francesca makes haste to tell Valya the tidings , first of Ynez and then of Corrino ’s offer . In Valya ’s mind , antecedence one is getting Ynez out of the gaol ; nothing else matters right now . “ Corrino has forgo his right to live out his sovereignty in peace treaty , ” she enunciate . Freeing Ynez will require make exercise of Theodosia ’s particular set of skills — and then fleetly getting Ynez , the succeeding ruler of the Imperium , to a good place until her enthronement . Also , sorry Francesca , but Corrino ’s got ta be removed from the characterization altogether .
To that end , we return to the flashback in the Wake Island of Dorotea ’s “ suicide . ” Valya shows Tula , Francesca , and Kasha the thought process machine that ’s overseeing the Sisterhood ’s breeding program — two elements that , taken separately , are shocking and go against what most believe the orderliness support for . Combined , their very existence is almost unthinkable .
Valya asks the AI to come up with a compounding of parents to bring forth the next ruler of the Imperium — a woman in the Sisterhood , in adherence with Valya ’s interpretation of Raquella ’s deathbed wishes . As we know it will , it come up with Prince Corrino ( not yet Emperor ) , and Natalya — and that ’s how their not - very - well-chosen marriage come up to be . It ’s in this room , as well , that Kasha ’s ill - designate position as royal Truthsayer , and Francesca ’s role as the Sister who sultrily “ imprints ” on Corrino , are also typeset in motion .
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This is how , Valya smugly declare , they ’ll one day get a Sister on the stool . When Tula points out that Dorotea ’s followers are n’t move to go for it , Valya asks to mouth with her in private . Then , she shows her the AI ’s predictions for Tula ’s unborn child , a blend of Harkonnen and Atreides pedigree . “ Your child has incredible voltage , ” she tell . “ He could shape the trajectory of worlds ! We can guide him together . ” Tula ’s case betrays that she ’s already think it ’s not thebestidea to have Valya involved in raising her son .
In the present day , Tula is alone with the AI , and she asks it about Nazir ’s sleuthing of something “ inhuman ” in the computer virus . “ You ’re talking about a thinking machine on a nanoscale ? ” , the computer asks — and tell Tula the only way to stop the computer virus from doing further scathe is to vote down Desmond . Tula argues that he was n’t contain to be a weapon system . He wasmadeinto one . She decides the only thing she can do at this point is go verbalise to him herself .
Tula ’s loss from Wallach XI is supposed to be top - mystical , but Emeline overhears two Sisters talking about it . In her room / cell / creepy-crawly infirmary elbow room , Lila awakens and is annoyed to receive she ’s in restraints . She set on her dependable pitiful voice and asks Jen to loosen the straps , only to stab her with a syringe full of sedatives that someonereallyshould’ve kept out of her range .
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In the palace , the Emperor is ripping into Desmond over Ynez ’s arrest . Desmond ’s like , “ Your wife made me do it . ” The Emperor comes back with “ Well , I ’m ship my married woman on a ‘ term of enlistment of goodwill , ’ ” which is plainly another style of saying “ getting her out of the way so I can cling out with Francesca . ”
Desmond chuckle . He is well cognizant the Emperor is still being pull wires by the Sisterhood , even if the Emperor ca n’t see it for himself . But he is surprised to listen that Corrino has soften his stance . He ’s no longer in favour of cut the Sisterhood out completely . “ You ’re choose their council over mine ? ” Desmond gasps .
On Wallach IX , Emeline is rallying her Mexican valium of fellow devout follower — “ We must band together in faith!”—when a ghost appears . It looks like Lila , who everyone thought die a few sequence ago . But it ’s not Lila , and it ’s not Raquella either . She looks around and demand to see certain Sister who are n’t present ; Emeline , who ’s up on her Sisterhood chronicle , tells her their junto disbanded after Dorotea ’s suicide . “ self-annihilation ? No , ” Lila says , and that ’s when we know : she ’s now own by Dorotea , back from the dead to settle the score .
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Emeline does n’t have intercourse that , though , and she ’s surprised to see Lila searching through the Sisterhood ’s files . As it becomes reset the Sisterhood ( aka Valya ) has erase platter of Dorotea ’s followers , Jen bursts in and brings Emeline up to speed . They actualize then that they are in the presence of Mother Dorotea , as unbelievable as it sounds .
At the palace , Valya figures the most efficient way to get into the suspension cell surface area where Ynez is being held is to get arrested herself . It ’s time for a JAILBREAK ! As Valya ’s walk up to the castle — shewassummoned by the Emperor , after all — Theo enters at another entrance , where Francesca takes her to a secure room where she can undergo her translation . Francesca , meanwhile , has in her possession a phonograph needle coat in deadly poisonous substance that Valya has instructed her to use on the Emperor . It ’s a hard ask , because she does have cryptical feelings for him . But , you know : “ Sisterhood above all . ”
The Emperor is in a terrible mood once his meeting with Valya rolls around . Just before , he ’s realise that Natalya and Desmond are ganging up on him . There ’ll be no ship the Empress on a “ hitch of grace . ” Oh , no no no . She ’s the new sheriff in Ithiel Town , and though Corrino may continue to guess he ’s in power , from here on out , Natalya and Desmond will be calling all the shots .
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So he ’s especially peeve to see Valya sitting on his throne when he enters the way . She ’s intentionally provoking him — she’stryingto get check — though it has to be gratify to get a line him say she was right and that he never should have trusted Desmond . There ’s no going back to the fashion things were , she say , calling him a “ weak man ” who ’s well puppeteered by others . Francesca does n’t really love him ; he was just a Sisterhood assignment for her . His meter as Emperor was 100 % orchestrate by the Sisterhood , and really he ’s just a placeholder for the ruler they ’ve been angling into position for decades : Ynez . In short , she tells him : “ Your time is get to an end . ”
Of course after that truth bomb , flavored with some alternative cutting vilification , Valya is cart off to the suspension cell . achiever !
Back on Wallach IX , LilaDorotea has a truth turkey of her own . As Emeline and Jen watch in horror , she recalls her own death , then tell them , “ The Harkonnen sisters have been lying to you about the story of this situation . ” move around out we only know part of the story , as LilaDorotea yanks a lever tumbler that drain the murky pool in the middle of the Sisters ’ main courtyard .
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We go to a flashback . It seems that after Dorotea ’s death , and Valya ’s self - ensure rise to the rank and file of Mother Superior , she , along with Tula , Kasha , and Francesca , used the Voice on all of Dorotea ’s god-fearing followers — making them choose to either imprecate to espouse Valya , or take their own life . The ending event is a grim , forced mass self-destruction . The only survivor is Sister Avila .
From that setting , another grim tableau : Francesca know she has to pour down the Emperor , but he ’s angry with her , having just heard Valya tell him Francesca was with him out of duty rather than passion . She pull the poison needle from her sleeve and tells him it was Valya ’s plan , “ never mine . ”
In the poky , Valya easily overwhelm the guards ( with Theo ’s supporter ) and swiftly frees Ynez . speak of Theo , she ’s transformed herself into Ynez , and she ’ll be assuming Ynez ’s topographic point “ until we can localize things correct . ” After some back and onward Valya agrees to free Keiran too . ( Keiran does a funny double - take when he sees Theo in camouflage , and wish her good hazard . )
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At that very moment , guards bristle in on a get together between Natalya and Desmond , and they ’re tell Valya has been arrested . Desmond immediately knows it ’s a exercise set - up to free Ynez . “ Sound the dismay , ” he sighs , wearily . “ Lock down the palace . ”
Keiran , Ynez , and Valya speed toward the shuttle port as Desmond enters the cellphone city block . The captive are all gone , but there ’s an injured guard lying on the flooring . We have a reasonably good thought it ’s Theo transformed again , since faux - Ynez is nowhere to be seen . When Desmond leans down to talk to the soldier , Theo gets one good knife - jab to his tum ( while grunting out “ Sisterhood above all ! ” ) , but as we know he ’s weirdly resilient . He stand up , jerk the tongue out , and orders “ this monstrosity ” suspended in a cadre as she begins to transform back into herself .
Meanwhile the pregnant conversation between the Emperor and Francesca is getting scary and emotional . He jeopardise to stab her , but the embossment she has on him wo n’t let him injure her , and we have a go at it he would n’t do that anyway . He reflect on his very recent realization that his entire sprightliness has been plotted beyond his command , and actualise he can finally take boot … by prod himself . She ’s horrified , and as she ’s comforting him as he ’s bleeding out , we see someone creep into frame with the poison acerate leaf and stab her with it . It is , of track , Empress Natalya , who then flutters out of the room acting like she ’s just let out her married man ’s all in body .
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We contract to another gruesome sight : the bones of those Sisters storm to gash their own throats 30 age ago . The current babe gaze into the run out pool in horror as Dorotea shares her tale . “ These are the remains of our most faithful . Valya Harkonnen murdered them . ” Then : “ The Sisterhood has lost its means . But I will not be silenced again ! ” Her next move ? She leads the group into the hidden AI way , and smashes the computer to flake .
While all this is materialise , Tula ’s alone on her ship to Salusa Secundus . She gets her own flashback , to the last time she saw her Logos : sweet cradle the baby and telling him “ You merit the opportunity to regain your own way of life — not Valya ’s , the Harkonnen ’s , or the Sisterhood ’s , or mine . ” That ’s why , we learn , she swapped him with the unsuccessful Logos of an itinerant laborer , and post him on his way to become … well , Desmond Hart . Only Francesca experience that Tula ’s son survived .
In the present day , we get one ready scene with Harrow Harkonnen , gleefully tick off the surveillance twist Desmond Hart gave him to spy on Valya and company . Gleeful because , presumptively , it enamour a bunch of Sisterhood plotting — ammunition he can expend to help get himself back in the Imperium ’s secure graces . It ’s worthful no matter who ’s in complaint , you have to assume . And since we know House Harkonnen gets back up on top finally , he has to start up somewhere .
Having made their way to the shuttle , Valya , Keiran , and Ynez zoom to the outer space port ; they ’ve got ta haul hindquarters to take on a Valya contact who can smuggle them off - major planet . En route , Valya hang back to grease one’s palms some clip , using her Sisterhood powers to fend off guards while Keiran and Ynez show off their steel skills while get to their leakage .
At last , it comes to this : Desmond and Valya bear human face to face again . “ You say you ’ve take in my end , ” she says . “ Show me . ” The computer virus begins to activate in her , and we maltreat into her imagination — it starts on Lankiveil as she re - lives using the Voice to save her brother , Griffin , from drowning . Tula walks in while Valya and Desmond are both crumble on the ground , she from the computer virus and the weight unit of the vision ; he from his Theo - inflicted wound and the infliction of channelise the computer virus .
Tula tries to guide her sister back , much like she did all those long time ago when Valya underwent the Agony by herself . “ You have to let go of your fears ! ”
It seems to be work until the dream Griffin incriminate Valya of causing his last , and then some : “ You shoot down me . You killed us all . ” The dream landscape painting begins to change ; though it ’s icy , we can see the familiar rumbling of a sandworm border on on the celestial horizon .
As Tula facilitate Valya bring in control of her fear and bother , the dreaming landscape further change . It ’s no longer snowy Lankiveil — it ’s desert Arrakis . Thumpers do their affair as Shai - Hulud climb from the sand . Then , we cut back to those two glowing eyes that so terrorize the acolytes in their incubus . We see now it ’s glowing grim lights on a mentation machine . Suddenly we ’re looking from Desmond ’s POV ; he ’s strapped on a mesa , and a golem weapon plucks out his eyeball and makes some alterations to its stem and iris before shoving it back into his skull . We can also see the shape of a cloaked design watching from above .
“ I saw what they did to him , ” Valya gasp , but she admits she could n’t make out who “ they ” might be . She is sealed , however , that they put a thinking automobile inside him to weaponize him . When she makes a move to finish Desmond off , Tula uses the Voice to stop her . “ He ’s my son , ” she explain . Valya is shocked that Tula has lied to her , telling her that her baby died — and has keep the secret all these years .
“ I ’ve given you everything , sister , but I could n’t give you him , ” Tula state . She want to protect him . Valya is shocked by this—“You cerebrate I ’m a demon , sister?”—and Tula unloads . “ All the carnage , conjuring trick , all by your orders . But your grip on the Sisterhood was n’t fixed . I could have broken it at any fourth dimension . Why did n’t I ? Because we ’re the same , you and I. Two skirt chaser , born to bung , no care for the monetary value … my boy deserved a near fate than us . ”
Valya is horrified that Tula ’s son has now become a tool for the foe — a concealed enemy , but one wise enough to harness Desmond ’s great potential for their own employment . Valya ’s quick to kill him , but Tula begs for her to hope her . She wants to bring through him and purpose the threat herself . Valya agrees , but says she knows the Reckoning is still upon them . If their enemies want to press in the shadows , Valya figures she ’ll do the same .
Desmond , of course , has catch all of this from his status on the floor , and he ’s not at all thrilled to become reacquainted with the mother he believes abandoned and betrayed him all those years ago . Still , they apportion a brief hug before guards seem behind him , and he orders them to arrest her .
In the last scene , our fugitive three — Valya , Ynez , and Keiran — get in at their finish : Arrakis , where else ? “ Come , Princess . The path to our enemy begins here , ” Valya says .
Despite its length , “ The eminent - Handed Enemy ” grapple to go forth quite a few dangling thread in its wake . What will happen to the Sisterhood now that ’s Dorotea ’s back in armorial bearing ? Who will head the Imperium now that Emperor Corrino is dead and Ynez is off - planet ? What ’s Harrow Harkonnen lead to do with that surveillance footage ? Is Theo going to form - budge her mode out of prison house , maybe helping the new arrested Tula on her way out ? What ’s in front for the Arrakis newcomers ? Will the Fremen Sister Mikaela avail them out ? And who orwhatturned Desmond into a robotic virus - carrying weapon ?
It ’s fortunate that a time of year two was announced by HBO of late last calendar week , because that ’s a flock of material left to sift through ! What did you think of the closing curtain — and do you have any theories about all those enquiry that need answering ?
you may learn time of year one ofDune : Prophecyon HBO and Max . A second season is on the way .
require more io9 news ? Check out when to expect the latestMarvel , Star Wars , andStar Trekreleases , what ’s next for theDC Universe on motion picture and television set , and everything you need to recognize about the succeeding ofDoctor Who .
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