TV Review — ‘Dune: Prophecy’ Episode 5 Starts The Connect To The Films
by Frank Martin
This week’s episode of Dune: Prophecy mainly dealt with the political fallout of what happened the previous week. Desmond Hart (Travis Fimmel) solidifies his power alongside Emperor Javicco (Mark Strong). There was a lot of high-stakes political drama, but the installment also took steps to position itself as a true Dune prequel. Various pieces are falling into place that long-time fans of the book series will be able to see coming together. The show has yet to truly elevate any of its characters into a position to root for, but the Dune mythology is strong and entertaining nonetheless.
In order to weed out the rebels operating on his planet, the Emperor assigns Desmond Hart a group of soldiers to investigate. Harrow Harkonnnen (Edward Davis) gives him a tip, seemingly betraying his aunt. In reality, Valya (Emily Watson) asked him to distract Desmond so she could enact her plan to take him down. As he searched a rebel cell, an explosion went off, but he managed to shield himself at the last minute. Meanwhile, Tula (Olivia Williams) continues to search for answers regarding the visions plaguing the Sisterhood. But in the episode’s closing moments, she learned a shocking truth about Desmond Hart through his DNA: he has both Atreides and Harkonnen ancestry.
As the mystery of Desmond Hart starts to come into focus, the larger picture of where Dune: Prophecy falls within the larger Dune mythology comes into focus as well. At its core, the Sisterhood is all about power through manipulation. The fruition of their work is seen in the movies. But that work has to start somewhere. This episode really showcased how the Sisterhood’s power evolves over time and where their obsession with eugenics comes in. There’s still more to uncover, especially as the plot reaches its climax. It’s been slow-moving, but Dune fans should be more or less enjoying the ride.
Dune: Prophecy is now streaming on Max.
