Warning: spoilers for Dune: Prophecy Episode 6 - “The High-Handed Enemy” are in play.
Friends and fellow fans, we’ve officially made it through Season 1 of Dune: Prophecy. As the 2024 TV schedule draws to 1 close, fans have seen a lot play out in this year’s finale. With what we know about Prophecy including the fresh Season 2 greenlight and in the wake of one last round of interviews timed to “The High-Handed Enemy’s” debut, I felt like it was time to ask some questions. Especially when after all that’s happened over the past two weeks has left me with some unanswered questions that still haunt me.
How Does Desmond’s Parentage Leave Valya And Tula’s Relationship?
We pretty much need to start with the obvious question, which is all about how Mother Superior Valya (Emily Watson) and her sister, Tula (Olivia Wiliams), are going to fare after Desmond’s parentage reveal. During the virtual press conference for Dune: Prophecy’s season finale, which CinemaBlend attended, Ms. Watson, Ms. Williams, and showrunner Alison Schapker all revealed their thoughts on how this last-minute reveal will shake things up.
Provided in edited excerpts, here's part of what all three parties had to say:
- Emily Watson: 'It’s blown everything up, but I think Valya is probably still holding ‘I am the chosen one, I have the destiny’ [that] is still her guide. That's her guide through this. … I think Valya's instinct is to run for the shadows. ‘I will stick with my mission, because that's what keeps me alive.’
- Olivia Williams: 'I think a huge thing for Tula is the moment when she says, "please don't kill my son, trust me, I've got this." … It's an interesting thing though, because sometimes people of that character like to stay in the shadows, and it will be interesting to see what happens, if she is pushed further to the front and whether she can handle it.'
- Alison Schapker: 'I also think like any secret that comes out, the longer you keep the pain around it needs to be metabolized. It makes you have to rethink your relationship - going back over the years, [thinking] “how did I miss something?”'
Judging by the events of the last few episodes, Desmond Hart’s still-mysterious and facinating presence is about to become a bit of a pain point for another figure in Dune: Prophecy’s landscape. And, as far as I’m concerned, it’s not a matter of if, but when.
How Will Empress Natalya React To Desmond’s Revealing Truths?
In recent times, Empress Natalya Corrino (Jodhi May) has been getting rather cozy with Desmond. Thanks to his husband’s rekindled affair with Sister Francesa (Tabu), Natalya’s support of Mr. Hart’s anti-Sisterhood/anti-tech crusade has forged quite a bond; with a little bit of potential romance mixed in as well.
Here’s where Dune: Prophecy showrunner Alison Schapker’s comment about secrets complicating relationships comes back to haunt our cast of characters. With Desmond connected by blood to The Sisterhood and being fitted with Nanobots that give him the powers of the “burning truth,” he’s basically a ticking time bomb of antithesis to Empress Natalya’s beliefs.
So how does Jodhi May think the truth will affect this new alliance? When I asked her that very question, she told CinemaBlend the following:
It throws up lots of really explosive questions, doesn't it? You know? Yeah, that's definitely gonna make her pause for thought to say the least.
Considering how Desmond Hart’s explosive encounter with Mikaela (Shalom Brune-Franklin) went, blowing things up seems to be another recurring theme of Dune: Prophecy’s first season. Hopefully, for Empress Natalya's sake, she'll be able to walk away just as unscathed.
There’s a lot more to consider with what happens in “The High-Handed Enemy’s” season finale storyline, too. I hate that we’re going to have to wait for answers to these Prophecy questions as well as clarity in regard to how the major developments impact these players in the future.
At the same time, I am happy to say that fans actually have a second season to look forward to at some point in the future. So, if you haven’t caught any of Prophecy, and need something to watch over the holiday break, grab a Max subscription and jump in!
