Dune: Prophecy has officially wrapped its inaugural season.
On Sunday, Dec. 22, the season finale aired on HBO titled “The High-Handed Enemy,” and it came after Desmond Hart (Travis Fimmel) was revealed to be Tula Harkonnen’s (Olivia Williams) son.
“That was one of the things that was carefully plotted across the six episodes, which was how to give each episode its own identity, but at the same time, feel like things had changed, and that the story, the characters, had undergone something that shifted the story going forward,” said showrunner Alison Schapker during a press conference ahead of the finale. “It was very important to always understand Valya’s (Emily Watson) throughline, Desmond’s story, and Tula’s story. And I would say they were our main characters, but it was then a matter of trying to introduce everyone.”
She added, “It’s a big world, and it’s a dense world, so it was a bit of a balancing act. But, I’m really pleased with how the six episodes build and culminate [in] the finale.
A sisterhood both on-screen and off-screen
In a previous interview with Blavity’s Shadow and Act, Emily Watson and Olivia Williams, who portray the Harkonnen sisters, Tula and Valya, spoke about this moment being “an absolute treat,” as it is the first time both veteran actresses have been able to star in the same project.
After meeting early in their careers as thespians, their admiration for one another transferred to the screen in Dune: Prophecy, where they played the sisters the story revolves around.
“I think we share a lifelong kind of story muscle that, you know, we’re not related, but we’re related,” said Watson during the press conference. “We know we have the same instincts of what the story needs. We might approach things in slightly different ways, but we really have the actors [saying] ‘What is this scene telling, and why are we telling it?’ — and let’s find that.”
Williams added, “I also think Emily suggested quite notoriously now that we go and visit the National Portrait Gallery in London to have a look at some sisters who had some similar dilemmas to the sisters in the Dune: Prophecy story. We went to look at portraits of Queen Elizabeth I, and she famously sort of bumped off a couple of her cousins and sisters in order to get the crown. And [she] could write a letter saying, ‘I love you, dear sister,’ and then use the same pen to sign her sister’s death warrant. It came in so useful when we were facing these stories of generational hatred towards another family and sisterly bonding that goes beyond blood to bloody secrets.”
How did ‘Dune: Prophecy’ Season 1 end?
After Valya’s calculated ambition drives her to manipulate her allies and sister Tula, she begins to justice some of her ruthless actions to restore the Harkonnen name.
On the contrary, Tula’s emotional turmoil grows when she discovers that Desmond Hart is her estranged son. This leads to her challenge of Valya’s morality and her ultimate attempt to save Desmond from his conditioned hostility.
Ultimately, Tula finds herself isolated after being arrested by Desmond’s forces. At the same time, Valya escapes to Arrakis to further her plans to restore the Harkonnen legacy by using the planet’s resources to strengthen her position.
All six episodes of Dune: Prophecy Season 1 are available to stream on Max. The show has been renewed for Season 2.
