As a gamer who’s spent countless hours navigating the vast, interconnected worlds of games like Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, I can confidently say that the reveal of Arrakis in the Dune: Prophecy season finale is nothing short of exhilarating.
[This story contains major spoilers from the Dune: Prophecy season finale.]
The hierarchy of the Dune universe just changed.
I was disappointed to find that The Rock wasn’t in the season finale of HBO’s Dune: Prophecy. Instead, it was another rock, or rather, a desert planet named Arrakis, that stole the limelight. This planet, central to Frank Herbert’s novels, serves as the foundation for the show.
Although Dune: Prophecy hinted at Arrakis throughout its initial six episodes, it didn’t actually depict it on screen except for brief but crucial holographic glimpses. However, the entire landscape is now vividly shown following the final scene of the finale. Thus, the intriguing world of Arrakis has officially been mapped out and is now ready to be explored in season two, which was recently announced.
At a recent press conference, Alison Schapker, the showrunner of “Dune: Prophecy”, mentioned that they decided to switch locations following a season where Arrakis seemed to have an influence from afar. This could be seen in the economy of spice, trade, or the psychological elements of visions and nightmares connected to Arrakis and Desmond’s past, which were subtly affecting everyone’s thoughts.
We’re planning to physically set foot in the intensely anticipated and somewhat legendary Dune universe, which we’ve been familiar with throughout the season, yet maintained a certain distance until now,” Schapker explained regarding their decision.
In the series, Schapker mentions Desmond Hart, who is portrayed as an ardent imperial loyalist and a fierce adversary of the growing Bene Gesserit. Throughout season one, Hart demonstrates both literal and symbolic powerful qualities. Desmond Hart’s abilities are partially attributed to his experience on Arrakis, where he was consumed by a sandworm before re-emerging with newfound talents. Now, Mother Superior Valya Harkonnen (Emily Watson) has arrived on Arrakis to explore Hart’s origins.
Schapker commented, “Valya’s presence there seems quite crucial. She’s returned to the place where Desmond first appeared, sharing his tale of origin: ‘I hail from Arrakis, I was devoured by a worm and lived after my entire platoon perished.’ In essence, I believe Valya is back… to uncover more secrets, especially since she’s now at the location where Desmond transformed into an adversary. It will be intriguing to discover what she unearths there.
However, it’s important to note that Desmond isn’t just Valya’s enemy; he’s also her nephew. In the penultimate episode of “Dune: Prophecy,” we learned that Desmond is the result of a romantic involvement between an Atreides and Valya’s Harkonnen sister, Tula, portrayed by Olivia Williams. By the time Denis Villenueve’s films delve into the tale of Timothee Chalamet’s Paul Atreides, it’s worth mentioning that, as a spoiler, Paul is also half-Harkonnen.
It seems Desmond is an individual selected or destined 10,000 years prior to Paul’s era, and Valya is eager to find out more about this. To aid her in this quest, she has invited some acquaintances: Keiran Atreides, portrayed by Chris Mason, and Princess Ynez, played by Sarah-Sofie Bussing.
Mason shared with The Hollywood Reporter his thoughts about Kieran’s storyline in season two: “The Atreides were there, but Kieran might have visited here once before, possibly during training. It’s intriguing to discover where this connection leads us now.
In a potential second season, we could delve deeper into the mysteries of Arrakis, but also explore a growing conflict within Valya’s order, and the repercussions following the assassination of the emperor, portrayed by Mark Strong.
What’s going to happen when Valya, Keiran, and Ynez face these dangerous situations? We won’t find out right away, but it’s certain that we’ll get some answers in season two.
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Dune: Prophecy is now streaming on Max.
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2024-12-23 06:54