‘Dune: Prophecy’ ‘In Blood, Truth:’ Tula plays Frankenstein and Desmond’s twisted origins exposed
It’s almost difficult to fathom that we’ve just witnessed the penultimate episode of “Dune: Prophecy’s” six-episode debut season and we’re going to miss this immersive series from creators and executive producers Alison Schapker and Jordan Goldberg. Let’s pray that the season finale makes a second outing irresistible for the studio.
With Valya’s ruse last week in “Twice Born,” with Baron Harrow Harkonnen failing to finger Emperor Corrino for Pruwet Richese’s death and Keiran Atreides’ conspirators roasted alive by Desmond Hart, things are looking grim for the Harkonnen family’s future prospects, especially with angry Uncle Evgeny dead and pompous Harrow being ridiculed for his weak sauce performance at the Landsraad High Council.
And down deep in the catacombs of the Sisterhood’s home on Wallach IX, Tula’s Frankenstein-like experiment to use the Anirul thinking machine with a sprinkling of spice to resurrect Lila has succeeded, as we saw the young girl alive again and her striking blue eyes saturated by the spice known as melange like the native Fremen of Arrakis.
Onward to the fifth revelation-filled episode titled “In Blood, Truth,” beginning with a very different sort of reunion as Emperor Corrino receives a guest in the form of Sister Francesca, Javicco’s former lover and Constantine’s mom, who’s played by the beautiful Bollywood legend Tabu. This confidant of Valya’s inner circle shows up to secure her son’s future by convincing the Emperor to allow him to direct the royal fleet despite his having essentially no experience for the job whatsoever.
Desmond Hart, being given credit for saving the Landsraad from the hunter-seeker bomb, attends a formal ceremony bestowing upon him the title of Bashar, leader of the Emperor’s elite guard to defend the Imperium’s values “with ferocity and pride.”
Over at the Sisterhood, Sister Jen (Faoileann Cunningham) speaks out regarding the students’ nightmares invading their minds, frustrated that they’re being given no explanation as to the meaning of the blue machine eyes that watch from the darkness. Tula scolds her in front of Mother Avila and the acolytes but has bigger plans for the outspoken member of the special school due to Jen’s intelligence, strength, and resistance to the doomsday dreams.
She’s asked to accompany Tula into the catacombs under strict confidentiality, where she’s shown Anirul and the crazed possessed Lila. Sister Jen is enlisted to help guide Lila back from this possessed state that’s channelling dead Mother Raquella.
Fans of classic Universal horror films like “Frankenstein” and “The Bride of Frankenstein” will notice the stylistic similarities in these gothic scenes, with the cold lab walls and a body strapped to a stone slab. Raquella, speaking via Lila, needs to know how Kasha died and uses a slice of her brainstem to investigate, discovering a damaging viral enzyme in the fear center of Kasha’s brain.
Back at the palace, Harrow comes slinking back to offer an apology for his misguided accusations and to gain favor with Desmond Hart, who instantly sees Harrow as a pawn to be used to ferret out info on the relationship between the Sisterhood, spice trade, and the rebellion.
Valya, in full manipulative mode, meets with Francesca to reveal that the Sisterhood has been sidelined after Kasha’s death and that the Emperor has refused a new truthsayer. She needs her help to guide the Emperor back to the Sisterhood while she distracts Desmond Hart and his new police dogs. Fortifying her defenses even further, she encourages Harrow to get cozy with Hart to help House Harkonnen, but he’s more than apprehensive and for good reason. Valya has gone over the edge!
Swordmaster Keiran Atreides, the infiltrating resistance rebel, warns Mikaela that Hart is hunting for insurgents, but she’s got a sack of portable explosives and she aims to use them. When Desmond Hart and his goons arrive to shake her down for information on spice smuggling, he needles her on her Fremen heritage before trashing her outpost, while upstairs, Keiran plants the bombs.
In a much appreciated action sequence, Keiran gets to display his sword skills by dispatching Hart’s soldiers while trying to escape before the explosives detonate. Desmond Hart finds Mikaela’s black Sisterhood robe upstairs amid spice containers when the bombs go kaboom and Keiran And Mikaela get free of the building. But Keiran recognizes Mikaela’s distinctive knife and confronts her about secretly working for the Sisterhood. Hart miraculously survives the explosions by activating his body shield at the last second and he walks out, “Terminator”-style.
In a quiet moment, Francesca reminds Constantine of his purpose to protect his sister Princess Ynez, the future ruler of the Imperium. Summoning the courage to snoop, he finds Keiran’s 3D hologram map of the palace layout in the training room and has him arrested when he strolls in after the outpost explosion and fire.
Finally, a contingency arrives on Wallach IX with Desmond Hart’s blood sample. Tula runs it through Anirul’s genetic library and a direct match is found. His mother was a Sister! And for an even better twist, Tula’s devastated reaction hints at him being the abandoned love child of her and Orry Atreides, as Desmond partially relates to a seductive Empress Natalya in a cross-cut scene. These are some messed up families!
What will happen when Constantine’s newly-awarded Imperial fleet is deployed to Arrakis to bring stability to House Corrino? Are Valya’s contingency plans solidly in place? Will Ynez side with the Atreides after using truthsaying abilities on Keiran?
Hold on tight for the Dec. 22 season finale of “Dune: Prophecy!”
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