In HBO’s Dune: Prophecy, the epic story of Dune takes fans 10,000 years into the past. Set long before Timothée Chalamet’s Paul Atreides or Austin Butler’s Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, the prequel explores the origins of the universe’s most powerful forces, including the Bene Gesserit.
The premiere episode, titled “The Hidden Hand,” dives straight into the history of the Butlerian Jihad, the war that obliterated thinking machines.
This conflict’s impact resonates across generations, including the Harkonnen family’s rise to prominence. Emily Watson and Olivia Williams star as Valya and Tula Harkonnen, the sisters leading the Bene Gesserit, a covert sect with a powerful grip on politics.
The episode opens with a flashback to the Jihad, followed by Raquella’s deathbed prophecy, which foreshadows the iconic sandworms of Arrakis. Valya, now the new Mother Superior, prepares to induct Princess Ynez Corrino (Sarah-Sofie Boussnina) into the Sisterhood, setting the stage for intense political and personal drama.
Desmond Hart (Travis Fimmel), a soldier with a mysterious past, introduces a new twist when he uses telepathic fire powers to burn the Richese prince alive. The episode teases the deepening intrigue surrounding Desmond’s secretive role and the fate of the royal family.
