Warning: SPOILERS ahead for Dune: Prophecy episode 2!Dune: Prophecyepisode 2,titled “Two Wolves,” sees Valya Harkonnen and her Sisterhood suffer some pretty severe setbacks on the road to becoming the feared Bene Gesserit ofDunelore. The HBO prequel show isbased on Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson’s 2012 novelSisterhood of Dune, which reveals the origins of the Bene Gesserit and takes place10,000 years before the Denis Villeneuve movie timeline. Before the series began, House Harkonnen had been disgraced in the wake of the Machine War, but Valya and her biological sister Tula have been accruing power from within the Sisterhood instead.
Much of Valya’s power and long-brewing plans come to her courtesy of the Voice, an ability she has refined since her youth, but it comes back to bite her twofold inthe final moments ofDune: Prophecyepisode 2. First, the Voice has no effect on her newfound enemy Desmond Hart, making him a much bigger threat than previously anticipated and allowing him to wrestle control of Emperor Corrino from her. Second, when the young acolyte Lila undergoes the Agony to reconnect with her ancestors, the vengeful spirit of Valya’s first victim Dorotea comes to take her daughter from the Sisterhood.
Dune: Bene Gesserit Explained - History, Origins & Powers
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The Sisterhood now finds themselves with reduced influence and in a state of panic after Mother Reverend Kasha’s assassination and Sister Lila’s tragic demise, andScreenRantinterviewed actors Aoife Hinds and Faoileann Cunningham about how the Bene Gesserit will handle said events.
Hinds plays Sister Emeline, who strongly believes in the beauty of martyrdom, while Cunningham portrays Sister Jen, who takes a much more cynical approach to what the Sisterhood can do for her. The duo discussed how their backstories led to their perspectives and teased how Lila’s fate and the threat of Desmond Hart will affect themthroughDune: Prophecyseason 1.
Dune: Prophecy Episode 2 Begins With The Sisterhood Reeling From Kasha’s Death
“They’re already on a bit of a wobbly slope with regards to how they feel about being there and what’s next.”
Screen Rant: The Sisterhood really goes through a rollercoaster ride of emotions in episode 2. Starting off, can you each discuss how you feel about Kasha’s potential assassination? How does this dark vision for the Sisterhood affect your actions after this episode?
Aoife Hinds: I think they’ve gone through it. They’ve seen this Truthsayer, the Reverend Mother Kasha, arrive and then witnessed her very traumatic burning from the inside. So, they’re grappling with that and what that means, and they all have diverging views about what it might mean.
And then suddenly Theodosia says, “No, that was an assassination.” I think that, within the Sisterhood, they feel that they’re safe. They think that, because these women are so powerful and have these powers, no one can get them within the walls of the Sisterhood. Obviously, Theodosia’s words completely unroot any feeling of security that they thought they had.
So, they’re already on a bit of a wobbly slope with regards to how they feel about being there and what’s next. It’s very, very impactful.
Faoileann Cunningham: I think it’s interesting because in this moment that we’re talking about, I remember [as Sister Jen] being like, “Damnit, I haven’t been quick enough.” Obviously, we’re incredibly competitive, so I remember being like, “I was sleeping on this. How does Theodosia know this?” Sitting in the library that day, I needed to leave immediately and figure it out.
Jen just thinks on triple time. I don’t think she sleeps very well, and she’s probably an insomniac because I think she’s trying to do it all. But it is definitely a shock, and I think it’s clear that it matters to her to be able to protect herself, to be perceived as strong, and to know that she is strong. So, the suggestion that someone has entered the Sisterhood and done something like that… It’s something that she has to consider.
If anything, I think it puts much more pressure on her to get what she needs to get from the Sisterhood at a much quicker rate, and to get better at this thing much faster. Because she does not want to outsource her power to anybody.
Sister Emeline & Sister Jen Approach Their Situations In Dune: Prophecy Differently
“Even though they start off with opposing views… they’re thrown in this together.”
Screen Rant: Sister Emeline mentions her family’s role in the Battle of Corrin. Can you expand on how that backstory has shaped Emeline’s outlook on the Sisterhood?
Aoife Hinds: Yeah, I think she’s incredibly proud of where she comes from. She’s incredibly proud of her family being martyrs and really contributing to the end of the Machine Wars. That’s something that she wants to protect at all costs.
I think she’s grown up with this very religious, spiritual belief that she wants to share, and it’s one that she believes people can only benefit from. Some maybe see her as a bit of a missionary, and it has completely shaped how she perceives the world and how she perceives herself. She has this incredible sense of purpose, which I think comes with that. So, where she comes from is extremely important to her.
Screen Rant: Each of you seem to have a nice connection with Lila, as she looks to both of you for advice, but you are also very close to each other. Will we see more of this dynamic as the season progresses?
Faoileann Cunningham: The thing that becomes very apparent quickly, I think, is that stuff is changing or unraveling in the Sisterhood. I think we just happen to be the cohort of students there at that exact moment, so there’s not an option really to leave.
I think that that alone ties us, in a physical sense, to the place we’re staying. It fluctuates, definitely, but I think we definitely have the same questions that we ask together.
Aoife Hinds: I think we definitely have the same questions. Even though they start off with opposing views, and they’re kind of an unlikely pairing, they’re thrown in this together and have to band together. Through that, they gain more curiosity about the other person’s view on things, bit by bit. So, yeah, we’ll see more.
That has been one of my favorite things to play. Faoileann and I are actually close, so that’s just been really lovely to portray and see where it brings us. Ultimately, we’ll see, but there is something that is a very real threat. There is a very big threat to both of them, and that will also bring them together.
Lila’s Agony At The End Of Dune: Prophecy Episode 2 Has Lasting Effects
“It’s kind of like a game of chess, where we’re waiting for the other one to make a really clear move.”
Screen Rant: You’re both together watching Lila’s fate play out in that horrifying moment. Do you hear what she says, and does having witnessed that affect your perspectives going into episode 3? What can you each say about your reactions?
Faoileann Cunningham: I think there’s a really interesting thing for me; there’s this sudden moment where you’re able to see that we connect physically. But there’s a very individualistic thing to all of this, and regardless of what we believe, I think we only believe what we think we know about the world.
It’s more about how they’re actually grappling with their own reaction to what happens, and the shock of seeing the other person [react]. Also, I think there’s a lot of competition and being a threat to each other also means you keep your enemies close. It’s not that they’re enemies necessarily, that’s all up for grabs, but I think they’re both very intelligent in very different ways.
I think it’s much more about how they move going forward. And it’s kind of like a game of chess, where we’re waiting for the other one to make a really clear move or to say something really clear… And that doesn’t happen.
More About Dune: Prophecy Season 1
From the expansive universe of Dune, created by acclaimed author Frank Herbert, and 10,000 years before the ascension of Paul Atreides, DUNE: PROPHECY follows two Harkonnen sisters as they combat forces that threaten the future of humankind, and establish the fabled sect that will become known as the Bene Gesserit. DUNE: PROPHECY is inspired by the novel SISTERHOOD OF DUNE, written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.
