At its core, "Twice Born" juggles multiple narratives with varying degrees of success. Valya Harkonnen attempts to salvage House Harkonnen’s fortunes by elevating her nephew Harrow to the High Council, while simultaneously scheming to counteract Desmond Hart's growing influence. Meanwhile, the Bene Gesserit acolytes, plagued by shared nightmares of Shai-Hulud and glowing blue eyes, descend into chaos under Tula’s leadership.
Over in the Corrino court, Emperor Javicco remains the consummate pawn, manipulated by his wife, his daughter Ynez, and Hart. The episode crescendos at a High Council meeting, where Hart's fiery intervention quells a brewing rebellion but underscores the fragility of the Emperor’s regime.
Emily Watson’s Valya Harkonnen emerges as the linchpin of the episode, her scheming both masterful and tragically self-defeating. As she maneuvers to install Harrow within the Landsraad, her vulnerability is exposed in moments of solitude. Her hallucination of her brother’s approval poignantly underscores how deeply her ambitions are rooted in familial loss. Watson’s performance deftly balances Valya’s outward composure and her internal desperation, capturing a woman who thrives on control but is increasingly at the mercy of forces she cannot predict.
Mark Strong’s portrayal of Emperor Javicco Corrino continues to frustrate and fascinate in equal measure. Javicco’s spinelessness, exacerbated by his daughter Ynez’s brazen bid for power and his wife Natalya’s manipulative machinations, makes him a pitiable figure. Yet Strong imbues him with enough pathos to elicit sympathy. His reliance on Hart, who manipulates him with a mix of mockery and loyalty, highlights the emperor’s vulnerability in a house riddled with treachery.
On Wallach IX, Olivia Williams’ Tula Harkonnen faces her own reckoning. Tasked with managing the Bene Gesserit’s younger acolytes, she grapples with their spiraling visions of doom and the fallout from her resurrection of Lila. The shared nightmare sequence, in which the acolytes sketch haunting images of Shai-Hulud, is one of the episode’s most visually arresting moments. Tula’s inability to control this frenzy mirrors Valya’s struggles, presenting the Harkonnen sisters as two sides of the same fractured coin.
Emily Watson’s Valya Harkonnen emerges as the linchpin of the episode, her scheming both masterful and tragically self-defeating. As she maneuvers to install Harrow within the Landsraad, her vulnerability is exposed in moments of solitude. Her hallucination of her brother’s approval poignantly underscores how deeply her ambitions are rooted in familial loss. Watson’s performance deftly balances Valya’s outward composure and her internal desperation, capturing a woman who thrives on control but is increasingly at the mercy of forces she cannot predict.
Mark Strong’s portrayal of Emperor Javicco Corrino continues to frustrate and fascinate in equal measure. Javicco’s spinelessness, exacerbated by his daughter Ynez’s brazen bid for power and his wife Natalya’s manipulative machinations, makes him a pitiable figure. Yet Strong imbues him with enough pathos to elicit sympathy. His reliance on Hart, who manipulates him with a mix of mockery and loyalty, highlights the emperor’s vulnerability in a house riddled with treachery.
On Wallach IX, Olivia Williams’ Tula Harkonnen faces her own reckoning. Tasked with managing the Bene Gesserit’s younger acolytes, she grapples with their spiraling visions of doom and the fallout from her resurrection of Lila. The shared nightmare sequence, in which the acolytes sketch haunting images of Shai-Hulud, is one of the episode’s most visually arresting moments. Tula’s inability to control this frenzy mirrors Valya’s struggles, presenting the Harkonnen sisters as two sides of the same fractured coin.
Travis Fimmel’s Desmond Hart remains an enigma, his allegiances as murky as his origins. Hart’s climactic intervention at the High Council—admitting to Pruwet Richese’s murder (which he committed in episode 2, Two Wolves) and executing conspirators with brutal precision—showcases his immense power and unpredictability. Yet Hart’s theatrical delivery and self-destructive tendencies raise more questions than answers.
Is he a loyal servant of the Emperor, or a weapon with its own agenda?
His possible connection to thinking machine technology adds another layer of unease, tying him to the series’ broader themes of artificiality and resurrection.
"Twice Born" delves into the weight of prophecy and the ethical dilemmas of power. The shared nightmares among the Bene Gesserit hint at a reckoning tied to the desert sands of Arrakis. Tula’s use of thinking machine technology to resurrect Lila, and the unsettling parallels between Lila and Desmond, underline the show’s preoccupation with the boundaries of life and humanity. These themes resonate with Herbert’s original exploration of the double-edged nature of destiny and technological advancement.
The internal collapse of House Corrino parallels the chaos within the Bene Gesserit. Ynez Corrino’s calculated betrayal of her father, coupled with Natalya’s manipulations, underscores the fragility of power built on deceit. Yet, even amidst their scheming, the Corrinos lack the ruthlessness and coherence of Valya’s machinations, making their downfall seem inevitable. The Landsraad meeting further exposes these fractures, with Hart’s intervention temporarily staving off disaster but deepening the house’s internal divides.
Director Richard J. Lewis (Due South!) crafts a visually striking episode, from the acolytes’ haunting sketches to the ornately staged High Council meeting. Yet, the narrative struggles to match its visual ambition. Valya’s schemes often feel too transparent, and the political drama lacks the nuance of its HBO predecessor, Game of Thrones. The reliance on exposition over organic storytelling undermines the show’s potential for suspense and intrigue.
While Watson, Williams, and Strong anchor the episode with compelling performances, the younger cast struggles to convey the emotional weight of their arcs. Edward Davis stands out as Harrow Harkonnen, capturing the awkward mix of entitlement and insecurity that makes him both pitiable and dangerous. Fimmel’s theatricality as Hart, while divisive, adds an unpredictable energy that keeps the audience guessing.
"Twice Born" falls into the prequel trap of over-explaining iconic elements from Herbert’s universe. The hinted origins of the Litany Against Fear risk diminishing its mystique, and the connection between Desmond Hart and Shai-Hulud verges on heavy-handed. By attempting to flesh out every thread of lore, the show risks losing the enigmatic allure that made Frank Herbert's Dune a classic.
As Dune: Prophecy hurtles toward its final episodes, "Twice Born" sets the stage for a dramatic reckoning. Yet, its uneven pacing and reliance on exposition threaten to undermine its narrative momentum. The episode’s greatest strength lies in its thematic resonance, exploring the costs of ambition, the fragility of power, and the haunting weight of prophecy.
"Twice Born" delves into the weight of prophecy and the ethical dilemmas of power. The shared nightmares among the Bene Gesserit hint at a reckoning tied to the desert sands of Arrakis. Tula’s use of thinking machine technology to resurrect Lila, and the unsettling parallels between Lila and Desmond, underline the show’s preoccupation with the boundaries of life and humanity. These themes resonate with Herbert’s original exploration of the double-edged nature of destiny and technological advancement.
The internal collapse of House Corrino parallels the chaos within the Bene Gesserit. Ynez Corrino’s calculated betrayal of her father, coupled with Natalya’s manipulations, underscores the fragility of power built on deceit. Yet, even amidst their scheming, the Corrinos lack the ruthlessness and coherence of Valya’s machinations, making their downfall seem inevitable. The Landsraad meeting further exposes these fractures, with Hart’s intervention temporarily staving off disaster but deepening the house’s internal divides.
Director Richard J. Lewis (Due South!) crafts a visually striking episode, from the acolytes’ haunting sketches to the ornately staged High Council meeting. Yet, the narrative struggles to match its visual ambition. Valya’s schemes often feel too transparent, and the political drama lacks the nuance of its HBO predecessor, Game of Thrones. The reliance on exposition over organic storytelling undermines the show’s potential for suspense and intrigue.
While Watson, Williams, and Strong anchor the episode with compelling performances, the younger cast struggles to convey the emotional weight of their arcs. Edward Davis stands out as Harrow Harkonnen, capturing the awkward mix of entitlement and insecurity that makes him both pitiable and dangerous. Fimmel’s theatricality as Hart, while divisive, adds an unpredictable energy that keeps the audience guessing.
"Twice Born" falls into the prequel trap of over-explaining iconic elements from Herbert’s universe. The hinted origins of the Litany Against Fear risk diminishing its mystique, and the connection between Desmond Hart and Shai-Hulud verges on heavy-handed. By attempting to flesh out every thread of lore, the show risks losing the enigmatic allure that made Frank Herbert's Dune a classic.
As Dune: Prophecy hurtles toward its final episodes, "Twice Born" sets the stage for a dramatic reckoning. Yet, its uneven pacing and reliance on exposition threaten to undermine its narrative momentum. The episode’s greatest strength lies in its thematic resonance, exploring the costs of ambition, the fragility of power, and the haunting weight of prophecy.
Whether the series can resolve these threads with the grandeur and complexity they demand remains to be seen. For now, "Twice Born" stands as both a testament to the series’ potential and a cautionary tale about the dangers of sprawling ambition.
If you have some err... worming tablets, now might be the time to take them...
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