Following Denis Villeneuve's epic sci-fi adventure Dune: Part 2, The Bene Gesserit's origin story is the subject of Dune: Prophecy on Max. Premiering on November 17, 2024, the six-part backstory concerns Valya (Emily Watson) and Tula Harkonnen (Olivia Williams) establishing the Bene Gesserit, a socio-religious sect of women whose members gain supernatural strengths and powers through disciplined mental conditioning.
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Set 10,000 years before the events of Dune, the pilot introduces viewers to a mysterious soldier named Desmond Hart (Travis Fimmel). Desmond Hart does not appear in the Dune source novels and is solely created for the TV origin story, leading many to wonder who he is, his motives, and what special powers and superhuman strengths he uses to advance his mission.
3.5/5 Dune: Prophecy Sci-FiAdventureFantasyDrama
Release Date November 17, 2024 Cast Emily Watson , Olivia Williams , Jodhi May , Travis Fimmel , Mark Strong , Jade Anouka , Chris Mason , Sarah-Sofie Boussnina , Shalom Brune-Franklin , Faoileann Cunningham , Aoife Hinds , Chloe Lea , Josh Heuston , Edward Davis , Tabu , Yerin Ha Seasons 1 Expand 'Dune: Prophecy' Centers Around the Bene Gesserit Close ✕ Remove Ads
Dune: Prophecy chronicles the origins of the Bene Gesserit's Sisterhood and follows sisters Valya and Tula Harkonnen. As the siblings fend off forces threatening humanity's future, they establish a cult-like conspiracy of women who have undergone intense mental training to wield superpowers. In Dune, The Bene Gesserit's primary goal is to create a male specimen named Kwisatz Haderach. In Dune: Prophecy, Valya and Tula must protect the traditional Breeding Program after Reverend Mother Dorotea (Camilla Beput) tries to eliminate it.
To protect the Breeding Program, Valya uses The Voice to convince Dorotea to kill herself. Three decades later, Valya becomes the new Reverend Mother and attempts to perpetuate the bloodline by matchmaking Sisterhood trainee Princess Ynez (Sarah-Sofie Boussnina) and Pruwet Richese (Charlie Hodson-Prior). This will ensure that Emperor Javicco Corrino (Mark Strong) keeps a stranglehold on The Imperium and rules Arrakis forever.
Halfway through Dune: Prophecy's pilot, a Truthsayer named Kasha Jinjo (Jihae) has strange visions after encountering a man named Desmond Hart, a mysterious figure who does not originate from the source novels.
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Upon meeting Desmond Hart, he tells Kasha that the Fremen did not attack the previous regime. Instead, he declares an Imperium-related group for the ambush. Relaying this to Valya, the Mother Reverend ignores Kasha's warning, allowing Desmond to pursue his motives. Desmond plans to undermine the Sisterhood to gain Emperor Corrino's trust, using his sophisticated charms to infiltrate the Sisterhood and get in the ruler's good graces.
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During the pilot's final moments, Emperor Corrino tells Desmond that he has detested his daughter Ynez's marriage to Pruwet Richese. As the Emperor's cruel enforcer, Desmond uses a mystical superpower to set Pruwet ablaze and burn him alive. Although Hart is not part of the source novel series, ScreenRant has equated the character to Duncan Idaho, although Desmond harbors more secrets relating to his goal. As Travis Fimmel tells Business Insider:
"Desmond certainly doesn't want to be in control of everything. But he wants the Imperium to be in safe hands, and he'll do whatever he can to manipulate that."
Before setting Pruwet on fire through pyrokinesis, Desmond refers to his might as a "Great Power" that bears more scrutiny.
Desmond Hart's Powers of Pyrokinesis and Voice Resistance ✕ Remove Ads
Desmond Hart has demonstrated multiple superpowers in the first two Dune: Prophecy episodes. After showing the pyrokinetic ability to immolate people with mindpower, killing Pruwet for the Emperor, Desmond is shown to be impervious to The Voice. In Episode 2, "Two Wolves," Desmond claims to have been ingested by a Sandworm, which could explain where he gained his demonic superpowers.
When Desmond tells the Emperor that he killed Pruwet for him, nullifying his marriage to Princess Ynez, Corrino arrests Desmond. With jail time upcoming, Empress Natalya urges her husband to keep Desmond around and utilize his mysterious powers for their benefit. The Emperor agrees and keeps Desmond's guilt for killing Pruwet a secret. With a newly formed bond, Corrino and Desmond vow to protect each other. Desmond demonstrates as much when a royal confronts Corinno and uses pyrokinesis to burn his skin as a warning.
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While the full breadth of Desmond's powers will be explored in the remaining four Dune: Prophecy episodes, "Two Wolves" ends with Desmond telling Valya that he will wipe out The Sisterhood. Valya fights back by using the Voice to convince him to commit suicide. The episode ends with Desmond fully resisting The Voice, much to Valya's shock and dismay.
For the uninitiated, The Voice is a Bene Gesserit superpower that uses particular vocal tones to infiltrate and brainwash people subconsciously. However, it does not work on those who cannot hear the speaker. Although Dune: Prophecy is an origin story, other characters in the Dune universe have shown the ability to resist The Voice. Along with Desmond in the past, future characters impervious to The Voice include Baron Harkonnen in Dune and House Corrino in Children of Dune. Given Desmond's direct ties to Emperor Corrino in Dune: Prophecy, it's implied that his voice resistance will evolve into House Corrino's weaponry.
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Dune: Prophecy is available to stream on Max