The following review contains spoilers for the third episode of Dune Prophecy, “Sisterhood Above All”
“Sisterhood Above All” is all about consequences. Whether it’s Tula’s decision to put Lila through the Agony, Vorian Atreides’ decision to spread rumors (true or not) about Abulard Harkonnen, or Griffin Harkonnen’s decision to confront Vorian about those rumors, everyone is f****ing around and finding out in episode 3. And frankly, it’s the best recipe for success that Dune: Prophecy has come up with so far. A lot of that comes from a noticeable and welcome absence of the droning political plotlines, but it’s just as much elevated by the strong backstories written for our two main leads, and the actors who carry those stories out. It doesn’t get away without running into some of the series’ known drawbacks, but one can start to see how the series might still be able to find success if it can keep the drama up.
The younger members of the cast steal the show in “Sisterhood Above All.” Jessica Barden is able to capture Valya’s wisened essence while adding her own flair and understandable fury to the Harkonnen daughter. Despite Valya’s sometimes violent tendencies, this endears us to her, and makes for a more three dimensional lead. Though on a nit-picky note, I would like to mention my distaste for Valya being the sole discoverer of the Voice. It feels in line with how we learned where Han got his blaster and his name in Solo: A Star Wars Story; that’s to say a disappointing explanation of something we didn’t ultimately need to know. The Voice’s development feels like something that should have taken place over centuries of studying and researching and testing. It could have also been left completely unexplained, and the mystery of that might have been better. Knowing that Valya just happened upon the ability in a time of distress – like an X-Man unlocking their X-Gene – is just kind of a bummer.
Emma Canning is the real “Sisterhood Above All” highlight, though, leading a revenge plot that horrifies, delights, shows Tula in a new light, and gives her a ton more depth. Known only as the empathetic and forgiving Reverend Mother and sister up until this point, Tula’s revenge against Vorian and the Atreides clan for killing her brother Griffin is one I didn’t see coming, and the slow buildup and reveal is really well executed. Canning perfectly reflects the compassionate yet cunning sides of her character, even as she drives the poison needle into the neck of the man she just agreed to marry. It’s the standout storyline in a standout episode, and a scheme within a scheme that would make her Harkonnen descendants proud.
Back in the present day, Tula is dealing with more death by her own hand, but this time it’s one she actually regrets. Having to face Lila’s demise, and the wrath of a mourning Sister Jen, Tula doesn’t seem to have retained the willpower necessary to put down the horse with a broken leg down. The reveal of the thinking machines as the backbone of the genetic library and the tool by which Tula plans to resurrect her surrogate daughter ends the episode in a fittingly dark place while leaving the audience with a good hook to come back for. It’s another intriguing layer to the Tula puzzle.
This is where the budget and art direction of the series fails this above average episode, though. Our first real look at how thinking machines operate – with the code running through the walls – gives off generic and even corny vibes,. Like the origins of The Voice, it’s another tantalizing mystery that was better left to the imagination.
Ousted from the royal house’s business thanks to the influence of Desmond Hart, Valya goes to drastic lengths to get her power back in “Sisterhood Above All.” Juxtaposing her return to the family with flashbacks to her banishment gives the episode a good balance, and seeing how House Harkonnen have managed to move up in the world while still remaining on the outs with the other great houses shows just how far they fell when Vorian ruined their reputation. The current head of the family is Harrow Harkonnen, a measly man who would be a disgrace to his name if not for Valya, whose plans involve the Baron in her plans to regain her power. The episode ends with an encouraging tease of what those plans might entail.
