Dune: Prophecy, Episode 5 Review

Well, that was certainly a whirlwind episode! To recount, Desmond got promoted, then blown up (I'm just glad he finally got a new jacket). Constantine got scolded by Kieran, then got him arrested. And also, Francesca finally made a reappearance as Constantine's mom! The Empress's disdain for the Bene Gesserit finally makes sense... Oh, and also, Desmond Hart might be Tula's long-lost son? Let's get into it.

Desmond Hart's questionable parentage

At the end of this episode, we are fortunate to see Tula analyzing Desmond's blood against the Breeding Index. But, of course, the answer to his true parentage is left as a cliffhanger! Lucky for us, we did get a few answers, we know that Desmond Hart is descended from both the Atreides and the Harkonnen bloodlines... Does this match ring a bell for anyone? Tula seems just as surprised as we all are, and the sneak peek into next week's episode might explain why.

In the sneak peek of next week's episode, we see young Tula looking haggard and holding a very young baby. Do you see where I'm going with this? It seems to me that Desmond Hart is the child of Orry Atreides and Tula Harkonnen. At the end of this episode, we also see Desmond confiding in the Empress that he is the son of a Bene Gesserit woman who abandoned him, which explains his disdain for the sisterhood as well. In next week's sneak peek, Valya is confronting Tula, saying, "You lied to me," probably about Tula's possible pregnancy.

I have mixed feelings about this. I thought Desmond Hart was an interesting character; his tendency to wax poetic about his experience on Arrakis and his telepathic burning abilities that resulted from his near-death sandworm experience were unique! But to find out that his entire gripe against the sisterhood stems from Mommy Issues is a little disappointing... I wasn't sure how I was expecting the writers to justify his character, but this sure wasn't it. I was expecting some Ixian smugglers to have saved him after his sandworm attack and, along the way, nurse him back to health while installing a new telepathic burning weapon inside of him. As for his hatred for the Bene Gesserit and unwavering loyalty to the Emperor/Imperium, perhaps the troop of soldiers he led on Arrakis was led into a trap by a Bene Gesserit sister who sought to disrupt the Spice trade. That's the backstory that I thought an interesting character such as Desmond Hart deserved, but I guess Mommy Issues are a tale as old as time.

Explosion at the Club

It seems that Valya's plan for finishing off Desmond Hart was to have Harrow sell out Mikaela's club as a rebel hive and booby trap the place with explosives for when Desmond decided to pay a visit. I mean, I guess it's a good plan? It seems very drastic, though. I would've thought the Mother Superior would be able to come up with a more refined assassination plot. Whatever, sometimes the simplest way is the best, I guess.

The explosion at the club was an exciting scene, but I was not pleased with the way that Desmond and Kieran figured out Mikaela's identity. Before the explosion, Desmond went upstairs to poke around some Spice barrels and discovered Mikaela's Bene Gesserit robe tucked into one of them. I'm no spy, but wouldn't you conceal your identity-revealing garments more carefully, or, better yet, wouldn't you not have them at all? I mean, hello? In the heat of the fighting, Mikaela whips out her Bene Gesserit knife in front of Kieran, which immediately alerts him to her true identity as well. Really, I thought it was Spy 101 that you probably shouldn't carry a Bene Gesserit exclusive knife on your person. If I were Valya or anyone else in the Bene Gesserit, I would tell Mikaela to ditch her robe and get a generic knife. It was cool that we got to see her don her robe at the Bene Gesserit meeting that revealed she was a part of the Sisterhood, but any good advisor would probably forgive her for being out of uniform if it meant better protecting her identity.

Lila/Raquella's Analysis of the Virus

Raquella, working through Lila, helps Tula decipher what exactly killed Kasha. She discovers a pathogen similar to one that the machines made to kill humans during the Butlerian Jihad. However, this new pathogen concentrates in the amygdala, the fear center of the brain. While Mother Avila knocks on the door of the research lab to deliver a message from Valya, Lila interrupts her conversation with Tula telling them that the pathogen is an RNA retrovirus. Mother Avila rightfully questions, "What is this abomination?" in regards to how Lila survived the Spice Agony and is now speaking as personifying Mother Superior Raquella. Tula essentially tells Avila not to worry about it and to keep her mouth shut. I'd bet money that Lila becoming an Abomination is going to be a big problem for a later episode.

Francesca's Imprinting

I was very pleasantly surprised to see that the practice of imprinting is present in this early-age Bene Gesserit. Imprinting is first explored in Heretics of Dune, the fifth book of the main series. Imprinting is explained to be the mental manipulation of a target through physical sensations. In other words, imprinting is just enhanced sex that guarantees loyalty and control of the target. Francesca's successful imprinting of the Emperor is hugely important for the sisterhood, as it essentially guarantees that he is theirs to control. During Constantine's identity crisis in this episode, Francesca confesses that he was brought into this world to protect his half-sister Princess Ynez. This seems like a good thing, as he's been able to successfully protect Ynez in the past. However, Constantine turns in Kieran Atreides, their swordmaster and Ynez's part-time boyfriend, after he finds evidence that Kieran is working with the rebels. Undoubtedly, this is going to drive a wedge between the two siblings, Ynez is less than pleased to hear that 1. Her boyfriend is a rebel, involved in the plot that almost killed her entire family, and 2. her brother was the person to get him arrested.

Ynez is understandably conflicted, so she goes to visit Kieran in his floating cell and questions him about his allegiance. Using Truthsense, Ynez learns that Kieran is earnest in his belief that the rebel cause will bring about a better future for the Imperium. Personally, I couldn't help but roll my eyes at this. First off, she's using Truthsense as if she were an actual Bene Gesserit Sister. And secondly, no matter the romance she had with this guy, he still was involved in a plot that almost killed her and her entire family, and he actively believes in weakening the Emperor, her father! If you ask me, she could stand to learn some familial loyalty from the Harkonnen sisters.

Conclusion

This episode ends with a bang: a sneaky kiss between the Empress and Desmond Hart! It seems like in the wake of the Emperor's continued unfaithfulness with Francesca, Natalya is allying herself with the human weapon. Not a bad choice! I have no doubt this new alliance will come to a head in next week's episode. See you next week for the finale!

Dutifully yours,
Mother Superior