Episode 5 has the difficult task of following the best episode of Dune: Prophecyand while it never reaches the tense heights of Episode 4director Anna Foerster and the writers nonetheless succeed in the penultimate installment of the season. Episode 5, “In Blood, Truth,” takes a bit of a breather after the exhilaration of the previous episode, but in the larger scope of things, this makes sense for the season as a whole. The episode takes the time to tie up some loose expository ends, has a suspenseful action sequence, and provides some big reveals that should make Episode 6 especially good.
The episode does suffer from a bit of ridiculousness, though. Characters make some stupid choices, some things stretch the suspension of disbelief too much, and one subplot feels like a silly waste of time. The big final reveal may seem a bit arbitrary in the moment, but makes more sense in retrospect. It’s up to the season finale to determine whether this twist is a wise move or a feckless choice. Let’s get into Episode 5, spoilers and all.
The Ties That Bind Sisters, Rebels, and Kings
Dune: Prophecy Episode 5: In Blood, Truth
3
/5
As Corrino names a new Bashar, a Sister with deep connections to the Emperor arrives on Salusa Secundus; after receiving a tip, Desmond goes on a warpath to root out the insurgents; Tula tries to keep her secret project from being discovered.
- Episode Number
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5
- Season
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Dune: Prophecy – Season 1
- Runtime
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1h
- Director(s)
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Anna Foerster
- Release Date
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December 15, 2024
- Episode 5 takes a breather but builds the narrative in smart ways.
- The episode has a very good action sequence and the best use of music yet in the show.
- Travis Fimmel continues to be excellent as Desmond Hart, and all the actors do well here.
- The subplot with Lila continues to waste time and gets even sillier.
- There are some ridiculous, unrealistic moments in the episode.
“In Blood, Truth” is a very apt title for Episode 5, as it deals with family ties, ancestral bonds, and bloodlines. The episode opens with Emperor Javicco Corrino appointing Desmond Hart his new Bashar (a kind of military colonel) in charge of an elite regiment of soldiers. Desmond has become like a son to the Emperor, more so than his actual son, Constantine. So it’s a particularly interesting time for Constantine’s mother, a Sister named Francesca (played by Tabu), to arrive at the Imperial Palace from “halfway across the universe,” as her son puts it.
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Francesca received a message from her son, though it turns out that Valya sent it, luring Sister Francesca into the Imperial drama. Her arrival stirs up old romantic emotions in the Emperor and motivates Constantine to be more responsible and active, all of which drives a wedge between the Emperor and his wife, the Empress (who, of course, has been maneuvering for Desmond Hart to take more power). The Empress and Desmond Hart share a disdain for the Sisters; Sister Francesca spurned the Empress by stealing the Emperor’s heart, and Desmond’s mother was a Sister who abandoned him to a likely death.
We learn that last bit as Desmond bonds with the Empress, while Tula uses a blood sample of Desmond’s to trace his ancestry through the Sisters’ genetic database. While it isn’t explicitly stated, it’s implied that Tula is Desmond’s motherlikely from Episode 3 and her evening with Orry Atreides (before she killed him). So when Tula tells an acolyte that she “sacrificed more than you could ever know” for the Sisterhood, this includes her own child. As usual in Dunewhere decisions backfire like boomerangs, Tula’s choice may have brought about the reckoning itself.
Desmond Hart and the Swordmaster
Other bloodlines are explored in Episode 5, including the relationship between two HarkonnensValya and her nephew, Harrow. Valya dispatches Harrow to be a double agent of sorts; he apologizes to Desmond and gives him infortmation about the rebel insurgents, and promises to find information about Valya for him. He reports all this back to Valya, of course, as she tries to manipulate the situation. Through Harrow, she has given Desmond the exact information that she wants him to have, enough to set a trap.
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That info leads Desmond to investigate Mikaela’s nightclub where the rebels and others have plotted in the shadows. Swordmaster Keiran Atreides tries to warn Mikaela of this beforehand, but she’s way ahead of him. As we know, Mikaela has been dealing with the Sisters; apparently she is one, too, and has been instructed by Valya to set a trap for Desmond. She rigs the whole place with explosives, and Keiran helps her. Desmond and his troops arrive, leading to an excellent sequence straight out of an action-thriller. Is it unrealistic that Desmond survives, even with his shield? Sure, but he also survived a sandworm, so it’s all kind of weird. Before being ‘sploded, Desmond finds what appears to be a robe from the Sisterhood (probably Mikaela’s).
Keiran may have escaped the massive explosions, but he’s still in trouble. For idiotic reasons that only exist to progress the narrative, the Swordmaster apparently left his detailed, secret schematics of the Imperial Palace out in the open. Constantine finds it as he puts away his equipment after training, and even though his sister Ynez is in love with Keiran, blood is stronger. Constantine turns Keiran over and has him arrested, gaining his father’s respect. The Emperor assigns him a leadership role on Arrakis to procure spice. Princess Ynez is devastated, and so is the Empress. Constantine isn’t her blood, after all.
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A Silly Subplot Wastes Valuable Time
Pretty much all of what’s been mentioned in Episode 5 is handled very well and feels necessary for the plot (give or take the introduction of yet another character, Sister Francesca). It’s edited well, the actors are operating on the same wavelength, and Hauschka’s score is especially great. What doesn’t work nearly as well is this whole “Lila” subplot that’s been plodding along for several episodes. As we learned in Episode 4, she’s alive, but she’s apparently being possessed by different ancestors in her own bloodline and needs to learn to control it.
Tula brings in Sister Jen (Faoileann Cunningham), the only acolyte who didn’t experience the same horrifying dream as the others, to help her deal with Lila. The original Mother Superior, Raquella, takes over Lila’s body and is suddenly on a mission. She goes to the lab with Tula and Jen and starts slicing off layers of Sister Kasha’s brain and analyzing it to discover what killed her (and other victims of Desmond Hart), and where the nightmares are coming from. Apparently, it’s a virus; Raquella-as-Lila calls it “a genetically modified airborne RNA retrovirus.”
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Honestly, this is all pretty stupid. Watching the small child (possessed by Raquella) wear head-mounted magnifying optivisors and spout scientific babble in a lab feels too much like Freaky Friday or Big to be taken seriously. It doesn’t fit with the often grim and political tone of Dune: Prophecyand also seems like a big time-suck. How much valuable time has been spent on this subplot, from Lila undergoing the Agony, to Tula trying to revive her, to Lila being possessed? What has come of it? That there’s somehow an intergalactic virus, apparently. Who knows, but it’s been one of the show’s most disappointing aspects.
Am I My Family or Me?
One of the main themes of Dune has always been the dialogue between individual and communal identityasking, “Is family destiny? Am I my given name, or my surname?” Paul Atreides becomes Usul, Muad’Dib of the Fremen, but the Atreides within him remains. The Houses are monarchic, defined by bloodlines; women swear an allegiance to the Sisterhood before joining. Thus, deciding whether to turn against the will of their family (be it House or Sisterhood) becomes the spiritual conflict of many characters in Dune.
As Dune: Prophecy approaches its finale, the struggle between individuality and the collective is going to determine the fate of many characters. Almost everything is set for it to be an excellent finaleso long as the show leans into what works and avoids the silly stuff. Dune: Prophecy is streaming on Max through the link below. The season finale airs Dec. 22.
Set in the universe of Frank Herbert’s Dune series, this sci-fi epic follows the political and spiritual struggles on the desert planet of Arrakis. As factions vie for control of the prized spice melange, a prophesied hero emerges, challenging the balance of power and the fate of the galaxy.
- Release Date
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November 17, 2024
- Creator(s)
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Diane Ademu-John, Alison Schapker
- Cast
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Emily Watson
, Olivia Williams
Jodhi May, Travis Fimmel
, Mark Strong
Jade Anouka , Chris Mason , Sarah-Sofie Boussnina , Shalom Brune-Franklin , Cunningham Gull , Aoife Hinds , Chloe Lea , Josh Heuston , Edward Davis , Tabu , Yerin Ha - Franchise(s)
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Dune
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