This season’s penultimate Dune: Prophecy feels largely lackluster

The writers of Dune: Prophecy have spent five hours setting the table. It’s time to eat. So much of the legacy of this show is going to depend on whether or not it sticks the landing next week. Will there be some long-awaited action? (There’s been depressingly little so far.) A notable death or betrayal? Or just more set-up for season two? Only time will tell, but this week presented another chapter that felt like wheel-spinning. Even one of the only scenes this season that could be called action—the attempted murder by explosion of Desmond Hart—has almost no impact on the plot if you think about it. This penultimate episode was all about defining allegiances in the coming battle for control and introducing a major character in Sister Francesca (Tabu) who could shake everything up.  

“In Blood, Truth” is about that third word and how fluid it can be depending on who’s in power. Its focus is the continued problem child that is Desmond Hart, but the subplots do their part to drag down the pace of this episode by centering supporting players who will likely be pawns in this futuristic chess game: Constantine Corrino, Harrow Harkonnen, and Keiran Atreides. 

It opens with a ceremony that essentially knights Desmond Hart as the Bashar, the new military leader for House Corrino. There’s something so malevolent in Desmond’s eyes when he says things like, “We need to defend our values with ferocity and pride.” It’s also one of the few scenes in a very political show that someone could read as a commentary on the fractured state of the world in the 2020s. Hart is the power player who comes in and encourages might over empathy. Does that make him the Stephen Miller of this show? Karl Rove? Elon Musk? Discuss amongst yourselves. At the party, Desmond suggests that they leave a fleet above the planet to continue to show their military power. Again, how very Project 2025.

Tabu! The legendary actor finally joins Dune: Prophecy as Sister Francesca, the former truthsayer, lover of Javicco, and mother of Constantine. A Bollywood star since the mid-’80s, Tabu is one of the most famous worldwide stars, having won numerous awards and starred in massive hits. She has worked in American cinema a bit in projects like The Namesake and Life Of Pi, but she still acts primarily in Indian cinema. Her casting here adds some gravity to a show that needs it.

Back at the Sisterhood, the acolytes are getting restless, especially Jen, who pushes back against Sister Avila about the nightmares they’ve been having. Tula senses that Jen is different and lets her in on her secret: that Lila is still alive, although we soon learn that the poor young sister is being used more as a conduit for Mother Raquella. She’s essentially returned from the other side to get to the bottom of the impending doomsday and figure out what killed Kasha.

Harrow goes to curry favor with Desmond, claiming that he was misled by his aunt. Desmond senses that he can learn more about the Sisterhood if he controls a Harkonnen, asking Harrow to get to the bottom of how they’re manipulating the spice trade. They do a bit of spice cocaine, and Harrow reveals his knowledge of an underground market that was funding the rebels. If Desmond goes there, he can get to the bottom of the rebellion.

Meanwhile, Sister Valya and Francesca are talking about how the Sisterhood is being sidelined, especially after the emperor has refused a new truthsayer. They’re going to try to get Constantine named the leader of the military fleet, as the son of a sister can help them maintain political power. And Valya is going to keep Desmond occupied while Francesca works the Sisterhood back into power through both her relationship to Javicco and her son’s.

Desmond Hart and his Stormtroopers are coming for Keiran and Mikaela. Just before the spice hits the fan, Mikaela has some important words for Keiran, who has been undercover in the Corrino regime for years. “Do not ever make the mistake of thinking you can become the man you are pretending to be” feels like an important line. Thinking you have power doesn’t mean you do. But they do have explosives! Mikaela is going to blow up Desmond and whoever comes with him. Let’s go. This show needs some explosions.

Before then, the writers unfurl a few more scenes about our pawns. Valya encourages Harrow to get closer to Desmond, presuming she can control her nephew. Francesca insists on more power for Constantine in his father’s regime. He gets turned on. Javicco likes his powerful women, exemplified even further by the empress sucking face with Desmond later. 

Desmond finally gets to Mikaela’s place looking for contraband but gives her a hard time about being a Fremen first. Finally, we get Keiran to show off his training as he starts dicing regiment soldiers. Action! A little bit at least. Explosions go off as Desmond is exploring the outpost, but he puts a barrier around himself, able to walk out of the destruction like he’s the T-1000. The bigger reveal is that Mikaela has a knife of the Sisterhood. She’s undercover too.

In the final scenes, Constantine gets Keiran arrested, gaining favor with his father but not his half-sister. Nez gets some key moments late in the episode, using her truthsayer power to get some information from Atreides, who isn’t lying when he says he cares about her and believes his actions can bring about a better Imperium. She’s going to choose the Atreides line over the Corrino one, and that’s going to get gnarly.

And lastly, Tula & co. are trying to identify Desmond Hart’s bloodline through a DNA sample. It turns out that he’s an Atreides and a Harkonnen! Tula is speechless. Desmond’s mother was a sister. Which one? As the empress makes out with this sister’s son, she says something essential: “Let us rid the Imperium of these witches forever.”

Stray observations

• • What needs to happen in the finale to resurrect a lackluster season and get people pumped for year two? Action would help. Tension. Some actual stakes. It can’t be this dialogue heavy. Let’s play the game we’ve been setting up for five hours. And make it fun. 
• • Wondering where you’ve seen Travis Fimmel, who plays Desmond Hart? He was excellent on the underrated Raised By Wolves, which you can also find on Max and was canceled far too soon. He was also a major part of fan favorite Vikings.
• • Does anyone else think that the reason this show is faltering with viewers is because it so rarely feels like the Villeneuve films? You almost have to remind yourself that it’s Dune. The Penguin somehow felt like a part of the universe of The Batman while never actually featuring the Caped Crusader. We don’t need Paul Atreides, but part of the problem could be that we don’t have a hero. Who’s the lead? It feels like Emily Watson, but she’s been sidelined lately. Mark Strong? There needs to be a more prominent protagonist next season or viewers might find another TV planet.