The gripping second episode of Dune: Prophecy thrusts Valya Harkonnen (Emily Watson), the shrewd Mother Superior of the Sisterhood—soon to be recognized as the Bene Gesserit—into a defensive position. The narrative reveals that Desmond Hart (Travis Fimmel), a soldier shrouded in mystery and harboring a deep-seated vendetta against the Sisterhood, possesses an immunity to Valya’s powerful mind-control technique known as the Voice. As the series progresses into its third episode, Valya finds herself strategizing to counteract this alarming revelation. However, the future of the Sisterhood appears increasingly precarious, especially as significant weaknesses in Valya’s sister, Tula (Olivia Williams), come to light. Tula, while exhibiting the same ruthless traits as her sister, also reveals a more nurturing and compassionate side that, although deeply human, could become a dangerous vulnerability amidst the ruthless political landscape of the Sisterhood. Notably, Tula’s bond with Sisterhood student Lila (Chloe Lea) poses a potential threat that the organization desperately seeks to avoid.

Tula’s Determined Love for Lila in ‘Dune: Prophecy’

In the second episode, under the directives of Valya, Tula takes decisive action by persuading Lila to undergo “the Agony,” a perilous ritual designed to unlock the memories of her female ancestors. This process, however, comes at a steep cost, as it requires the individual to be exposed to a lethal poison. The leadership of Valya and the Sisterhood harbors the hope that Lila will have the opportunity to connect with the memory of her great-grandmother, the late Mother Superior Raquella (Cathy Tyson), who founded the Sisterhood. They believe Raquella’s insights into the catastrophic event known as the Reckoning, which she foresaw and Valya is convinced is on the horizon, could prove invaluable. Although Raquella does manage to communicate briefly through Lila, providing some enigmatic details about the Reckoning, the consciousness of Raquella’s granddaughter, Dorotea (Camilla Beeput), who suffered a tragic fate at the hands of Valya, also takes hold of Lila, resulting in her being plunged into a comatose state.

As Episode 3 unfolds, Tula faces the grim reality of Lila’s precarious situation, with her peers cautioning her that historically, no sister has ever returned from the state induced by a problematic Agony. Although Tula initially pretends to accept this disheartening information and agrees to suspend Lila’s life support, her actions soon reveal a different story. Following a somber farewell from Lila’s classmates during a funeral, Tula clandestinely transports Lila’s body to a concealed chamber within the Sisterhood’s headquarters, a secret location Valya granted her access to while she is off-planet. Within this hidden chamber, Tula discovers thinking machines reminiscent of those that humanity once battled during the infamous Butlerian Jihad. Ever since that catastrophic war, the use of thinking machines has been strictly prohibited across the galactic Imperium. However, a flashback reveals that Raquella confided in Valya about the Sisterhood’s clandestine utilization of these machines for genetics research purposes. In a desperate attempt to save Lila, Tula places her inside one of these machines and commands it to sustain her life.

The Peril of Tula’s Compassion in ‘Dune: Prophecy’

In flashback sequences, Tula’s complicated blend of ruthlessness and compassion emerges vividly. The childhood experiences of Tula (Emma Canning), Valya (Jessica Barden), and their family unfold against the backdrop of their exile on the planet Lankiveil. This exile is purportedly due to their great-grandfather’s wrongful accusation of committing a war crime during the Jihad at the hands of Vorian Atreides. The narrative takes a tragic turn when their brother, Griffin (Earl Cave), vows to use his influence with the Landsraad to advocate for their family’s innocence. His untimely death is attributed to Vorian, as per Valya’s claim. As Valya begins her rigorous training within the Sisterhood, Tula embarks on a vengeful path, eliminating nearly everyone associated with House Atreides after seducing a member of the family, Orry (Milo Callaghan), under an alias. Despite seemingly harboring genuine affection for Orry—who even proposes to her—Tula ultimately kills him. However, she allows a younger member, Albert (Archie Barnes), to escape, which raises questions about her capacity for mercy amidst her pursuit of vengeance.

Albert’s survival could symbolize Tula’s lingering capacity for mercy and the continuation of the Atreides line. However, it may also foreshadow significant developments in the series’ timeline. Albert might be closely linked to Keiran Atreides (Chris Mason), the swordmaster serving House Corrino, who is secretly involved in a growing rebellion against the Imperium. Alternatively, if this aspect of Tula’s past becomes pivotal, Albert could even evolve into Desmond Hart himself, creating intricate connections between the characters and their destinies.

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Valya starts plotting her revenge against Desmond Hart, while Tula struggles to come to terms with Lila’s death.

Moreover, even if Albert’s survival ultimately serves no significant purpose, Tula’s attempt to revive Lila is destined to have profound implications, whether successful or not. If more people become aware of the Sisterhood’s reliance on thinking machines, the organization will inevitably face intense scrutiny as Imperial subjects harbor deep fears towards these machines, which are often vilified in popular religions and even criticized within the Sisterhood itself. A far greater risk looms if Lila is revived; she may reject the Sisterhood’s influence entirely. During the Agony, Raquella’s spirit warns, “The key to the Reckoning is one born twice. Once in blood, once in spice.” Valya hastily interprets this as a reference to Hart, who supposedly survived being engulfed by one of Arrakis’ giant sandworms, the source of the coveted spice or melange. Given that spice is integral to the Agony ritual practiced on Arrakis in the Dune films created by Denis Villeneuve, it stands to reason that it may also play a role in this early iteration of the ritual within the Sisterhood, or that the machines could utilize the spice in their attempts to save Lila. In this scenario, Lila could embody the prophecy of being born twice, potentially aligning herself against the Sisterhood due to the influence of her ancestral memories or the machines. This twist would serve as a poignant critique of the Sisterhood’s ruthless methods and add an emotional layer to Tula’s narrative arc.

New episodes of Dune: Prophecy premiere every Sunday at 9 p.m ET on HBO and Max.

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