December 11, 2024 • 46 mins
Abu is joined by Jason for a meeting of the Landsraad high council.. They break down episode four of Dune: Prophecy and explore Valya’s scheming with her family as she attempts to win back the Emperor’s confidence and defeat Desmon Hart.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Today's episode contains spoilers for Dune Prophecy episode four twice born.
(00:04):
Watch that before you listen today. Hi everyone, I'm a
Boo and welcome to X Ray Visions Extras and Extra
(00:27):
Vision series, where we dive deep into even more of
your favorite shows, movies, comics, and pop culture. Every superhero
team needs side quests, and our rotating bandele of producers
and guest hosts will be suiting up to help Jason
and Rosie cover all of the amazing nerd content out there.
In fact, today I'm joined by the Tehran rfl himself,
Jason CONCEPTI own.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Thank you, Emperor, who must I burn with my mind?
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Okay, Jason, we are here to of course talk about
Dune Prophecy episode.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
Four of six.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
We're going to run through the summary of the episode together,
share our thoughts, and then at the end, I'll have
some Lord tidbits to share, which folks in the Discord
have been appreciating. Which is always fun because I get
to do some Dune research every time I.
Speaker 4 (01:14):
Watch these episodes.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
Okay, so let's jump right in. Episode four of Dune
Prophecy opens on Wallach nine, which is a buzz after
all of the acolytes have experienced a terrifying and possibly
prophetic dream vision. In fact, Sister Emmeline is standing over
that pool where Dorotea had died and nearly stabs herself.
(01:36):
She's in some sort of trance, but luckily Sister Jen
runs in and is able to stop her before the
knife falls. Now after the title credits, we return with Tula,
who is in a meeting with Sister Emmeline and Sister
Jen and is doing her best to try and understand
the who, what, when where of this dream? What's happening here?
(01:58):
She's quite shocked, but she can't quite figure out what's happening.
I got the sense she's also nervous that the Dora
Tea murder might leak somehow through these visions.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Yes, that is definitely the sense you get.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
And I also thought it was interesting that Sister Emmeline
uses truth sense on mother Tula. I think maybe the
first time we've watched an acolyte do that on one
of the teachers here at the school. A breach of trust,
which we'll see Emmeline kind of becomes a bit rebellious later.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Yeah, not a lot of trust to be found at
the Sisterhood right now, which I think is really fun.
Do you get a sense of what the ranks are
currently in the sisterhood? How many levels are there between
Mother Superior and everything else up from acolte.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
I think in this show it is quite linear. It's
just Vollya Mother Superior up top, and then her sort
of inner circle of reverend mothers, who I think is
basically Sister Avila and Tula sort of the right.
Speaker 4 (02:59):
And left hands. We don't get a sense of any.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
Tenured professor teachers that are kind of around, but presumably
there are other teachers teaching these accolades. It's not just
the three women at the top that we see. But
I think as far as this show is concerned, that's
it for now. And actually, speaking of Sister Avilla, after
this little parent teacher conference, she turns to Tula and
she's like, leave this alone. Don't mess with the dream thing.
(03:25):
It'll go away, it'll work itself out. It's better not
to tamper with this, which is precisely what Tula will
not do this episode.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Sisterravilla exists primarily in this show to say Tula, don't
do that, yes, and for Tula to just blow through
absolutely do it anyway, Like Avilla's entire contribution is like,
now you shouldn't do this, let me take care of it,
and then Tula will just be like, no.
Speaker 4 (03:52):
Thank you for your opinion, Nevila. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
We then come back to Volya, who is as your
recall from the of the last episode, back home at
the hearken In household, and she has a bit of
a confrontational meeting slash Thanksgiving dinner with her uncle and
nephew where they throw some barbs back and forth, which
I thought was cute and on brand. But she does
(04:15):
have a mission here. She proposes that it is perhaps
finally time for House Hearkenin to have its very own
truth sayer, and not just any truth sayer, go right
to the top. But me, Mother Superior, what do you.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
Think about that?
Speaker 1 (04:29):
That's a pretty good sales pitch And Harrow's like, okay,
tell me more now listen.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
Is it in a pinch? Have I just recently lost
my job? Are we as an organization in a lot
of trouble? And that's what's driven me this? Uh huh, yes,
but don't ignore the headline. House Hearkenin gets Mother Superior
as Truthsayer's.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
Right, full stop, top of the fold. Incredible stuff. Yeah,
House hearken In really not doing their due diligence here.
You've got a background check anyone you hire, like, it
doesn't matter what credentials they claim to walk in with
his sisters. Theodosia at the dinner table, by the way,
does use truth sense on Harrow. Hearkenent just so we
can get a bit of character motivation for this guy
(05:12):
who we are just now introduced to in this episode,
and we learned that Harrow's deepest, darkest desire is for respect.
He wants to earn the respect of his peers in
the Lancerad and in the governing body. And Valia is
basically promising him that. Wally is saying, I will be
your truth sayer and I will help you gain a
respected seat on the High Council of the Lancerad, and
(05:35):
Harrow agrees. Meanwhile, we cut to another tense I believe
breakfast this time this seems like a morning situation. Yea, yeah, yeah,
the juice looked really delicious. There was a lot of
good food in the background of this episode, or maybe
I was just hungry when I was watching the Karnos
are having also quite the confrontational breakfast at that beautiful
(05:56):
waterfall terrace thing in the palace when Princess storms in
and basically just calls Desmond out as a killer. She says, uh,
there are rumors swirling in the palace that prueit Richesy
was murdered and I think you did it. And Desmond
just cops to it. He's like, yeah, yeah, I did you.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Know why? Because he's got fucking thinking machines. He had
that thinking machine toy. Yep, what did we fight the
war for? Is that not a crime?
Speaker 4 (06:25):
Yes?
Speaker 3 (06:25):
Did not?
Speaker 2 (06:26):
Your father the emperor proclaiming her crime? Come on, why
are we getting mad at me right now?
Speaker 4 (06:32):
Exactly?
Speaker 1 (06:33):
Yeah, while he's stuffing his face with rolls like.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
So hungry. Also, is Travis Fimmel like purposely making faces
where his eyes go cross eyed? Throughout this episode He's
making some of the most insane faces while giving line
readings and spoiler burning people with his mind and eating
(06:57):
that I've ever like he is fully wild in this episode.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
Yeah, and that might be intentional because of the whole
eye thing. Shai Halud gave me an eye. I lost
my eye in the attack so maybe he is doing
some eye acting there, which is impressive. I could not
do that while trying to deliver lines. Now, while this
dinner is taking place, we also get a quick couple
of shots of the wider city at large, the spaceport
where we see ships arriving. The great houses of the
(07:23):
Lancetrate are all coming to Solusis secundus, folks, there's a
big meeting that's.
Speaker 4 (07:26):
Happening, so everyone is arriving.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
We then cut to our boy Desmond Hart, who is
presumably like in his office or whatever, and he's just
casually burning one of Kasha's old Sisterhood books that she
had left behind, like daring pages out and burning them
understand one by one.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
Well, this is clearly he is on the tracks for
a confrontation with the Sisterhood. Writ large that said, this
is a little bit over the top. No, like we
need this stuff, don't we, Emperor, don't we need these books?
Speaker 1 (07:58):
I feel like there's got to be some thing important
in there. The Emperor did not seem to mind. But
the Emperor doesn't really have the most solid spine as
we know, so it's tough. I mean, it's also just
like mad disrespect to books. You know, I think both
books are precious, and like this may be more than
the Pruitt thing, perhaps his greatest crime. The Emperor and
Desmond chat here. It's just two dudes having a heart
(08:19):
to heart growing out, Havoco sits down and he admits
to Desmond that he's feeling insecure in his position. He's
unable to live up to these legendary Carino ancestors. As
we had talked about in episode one. They're war heroes,
they're great politicians. I'm a nobody. Nobody respects me in
the imperium. Desmond tries to be like, well, maybe you
(08:41):
should have a spine, Maybe you should be more of
a hard ass. Maybe you should rule with an iron fist.
And if people don't respect you, you got me. Tell
me who to burn. Point me in a direction, I'll
kill it.
Speaker 4 (08:54):
But for what it's worth.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
Havoc is like, no, not right now. Let's just keep
you as back up for now, you're still benched. We
then cut to out of the city, where in a
nondescript alley, we join Kiaran, a tradees and his rebel
friend that we met a few episodes ago, who are
meeting up with an Ixian tech smuggler, the first time
we have seen an Xian on screen from the Dean universe,
(09:18):
at least in the modern adaptations, and this smuggler, in
exchange for many many Solaris gives the Rebels this drone
bomb hunter seeker looking thing, which is obviously a thinking
machine and obviously very illegal.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Can I ten thousand years later they will have this tech. Obviously,
we will see it in the first Dune movie, and
it's there in the first Dune book, but of course
piloted by a Hearken and I guess yes, So this
is just flat out illegal because there's no pilot.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
That's right, that's right.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
Autonomous is the key, right, It has its own quote
unquote brain, and so it's very illegal, as we will
see later in the episode. We then cut back to Vollia,
who is in her room at the Harken end State.
She is, in fact, recording one of those long eye
message voice messages that people love to record. It's quite vulnerable,
it's quite heartfelt. We get a sense of a softer
(10:11):
side to Vali here, but she doesn't hit send. I
think we've all been here with an X or two.
She deletes it instead. And then she stabs the cartridge,
the game Boy cartridge in two sisters. Theodosia enters and
reports that the rebels have got this drone. They're gonna
use it during the lamps Ride meeting. They're gonna kill
(10:32):
the emperor.
Speaker 4 (10:33):
And Bali is like, perfect, that's.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
Exactly what we need to happen, because I'm gonna be there,
I'm gonna swoop in, I'm gonna save the emperor. I'm
gonna get back in as good graces.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
Why not just immediately drop the dime, you know what
I mean?
Speaker 3 (10:47):
Why not?
Speaker 2 (10:48):
Why not just right now go to the emperor and say,
guess what, Your sword master's currently in the palace right
now and fucking your daughter like all the time, is
plotting to kill you. I go through this, add this
extra wrinkle where also you have to save his life
in front of the assembled lands red right, this seems
(11:09):
like a bad idea from somebody who's supposed to be
in a position of that requires wisdom and intellect.
Speaker 4 (11:14):
You know, Jason, that is an amazing point.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
And I think if you were Mother Superior, that's what
you would do.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
Yeah, well that's not what Balia does, and in fact,
what they decide to do with the sisters decide to
do is they're going to take advantage of these rumors
about pruet riches that have been swirling in the palace,
and they're instead going to convince these two particular members
of the Lanstrade Council to use Haro Harken and give
(11:44):
him that open spot that house Rachese left open, and
use Harrow to accuse the Emperor basically of murdering open
an investigation into the Rachese boy's death and accuse the
emperor investment being involved. We see this sort of manipulation
montage take place, the sisters whispering to their particular dukes
(12:06):
and lords to convince them, and then we also see
Harrow meet with these council members and basically accept the job.
He's a little nervous about it, but he accepts. Okay, Jason,
let's take a quick break. When we come back, we're
going to check back in with Tula and the accolytes
who are having nightmares.
Speaker 4 (12:37):
All right, We're back over on Wallach nine.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
Tula gathers all of the acolytes for a class group
spice trip art therapy session, but things quickly go south
when all of the sisters are once again stuck in
a trance and can't seem to get out of it.
I thought this was actually a really great scene. A
lot of good horror elements here. But the sisters are
stuck in this trance. They're all scribbling on their parchment.
They're all basically scribbling the same thing. It all kind
(13:03):
of converges into the same images of sand and shy
Hallou to the worm, and then ultimately this pair of eyes,
that pair of blue eyes that this show has been
teasing all season long. Sister Emmeline says something interesting. She,
in fact, once she's out of this trance, says, quote,
God is watching us, judging us. The reckoning is here
(13:23):
end quote, which is very interesting. Makes my ears perk
up as somebody who has read all of Frey Kerbert's
student books, because that seems to be a pretty overt
nod to a huge character later in the books. And
I'm a little hesitant to say more than that.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
Oh really, now, when you say yes, I think I
know where you're going. When they say here, they don't
mean like in the present timeline though, right, because that
seems like unless they're going to add something, there's a
different character. It seems like they're talking about something that
will not happen for several thousand years.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
Yes, they do seem to be hinting at a thing
that happened happened for several thousand years. I don't think
they mean here literally, but if you'll recall a little
show called Game of Thrones season eight, in particular, a
thing that brand Stark could do with his powers, that
is perhaps what they're hinting at here too. But I'm
(14:17):
I'm skeptical. There's a lot of theory online that this
could be a certain character from book four of Frank's
stories who's just time traveling and manipulating things ten thousand
years in the past. I don't agree with that theory, okay,
but I just wanted to call it out for folks
who might be thinking it too.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
You know, it was cool about the art therapy lesson
other than again, we just had like a night scenario
with everybody having a bad dream. I think, let's like,
let's punt on the spice for a little bit, but
that's nearly heard all there. I did like the art
class because this was like a technique that was used
in real life and the CIA is like remote viewing,
(14:53):
oh mk ultra like project in which the CIA and
other defense acies tried to see if people could develop
like claravoidance, and that one of the ways they would
do it is this kind of like light scribbling. You
have someone miles away or in the other room focusing
on something and oh, the person who's to receive the
(15:15):
image sits there and just scribbles and lets their mind
go loose and sees if they can receive the image
and then draw it.
Speaker 4 (15:23):
Wow, that's cool.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
Yeah, I'll try sending you an image telepathically next time
you recorders.
Speaker 4 (15:27):
Do that.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
Returning to the Palace, Empress Natalia meets with Desmond in
a little one on one in his office and reveals
to him.
Speaker 4 (15:37):
I love it that.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
Uh it was me, Yeah, it was me all along.
I've been spreading the rumors about Pruitt. We're chasing myself
to so chaos, And she in fact gives Desmond these
recordings is like Imperial surveillance data about suspected machine dealers
who are dealing illegal technology, like our extceine friend from earlier,
for example, and she tells Desmond that it's time it's
(16:01):
time to clamp down on this it's no longer a
time for leniency against these machines. Do what you do best, Desmond,
burn him, and so he does that exactly. This guy
has just been promoted so quickly, so fast. He's apparently
in charge of the guards, and he tells them he
gives them this data, and he says, go find these sympathizers,
bring them to me. We then return to the Beloved
(16:24):
Club where Kira to Traadees is smoking with his friend Yeah,
and Yinez arrives and they talk. She admits to Kieran
that she's conflicted right now. She doesn't know what to
do about this whole Desmond thing. She doesn't know how
to confront her father about it.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
What is she to do?
Speaker 1 (16:43):
Kieran, being thetreates that he is, tries to convince her
to do the right thing, do the thing that is
best for the imperium and brings justice to a murderer,
even if that means disobeying your father and moving against
your family. Specifically, he says, quote sometimes you have to
burn it thing down before you can save it end quote,
and so Ynes takes this to heart. She then goes
(17:04):
to her half brother Constantine and asks him to help
her move against Desmond to help her betray father. He
is understandably nervous. He likes his head where it is,
but she, you know, works some angles.
Speaker 4 (17:19):
She flatters him.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
She tells him how brave she is, how she wouldn't
have made it this far without his love and support,
and so he seemingly reluctantly agrees. Meanwhile, back at the Hearkenans,
sister Theodosia confronts Balia about why the hell she's been
here for two episodes.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
Yeah, and honestly, like, I'm asking the same question.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
Good question, thank god somebody asked.
Speaker 2 (17:48):
Sister.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
Theodosia was like, yeah, it's fine, I'll keep cashing in
my day rate. But it turns out Theodosia has been
brought here because she has some sort of secret talent
that she has sworn off of ever using again. Okay,
but Valia says, we may need it as a last
resort if things really go south. We're up against an
(18:08):
enemy we don't know how to defeat.
Speaker 4 (18:10):
I might need your abilities.
Speaker 1 (18:12):
Theodosia is upset about this, obviously, but Walia is like, look, sister,
head first, if we got to use it, we.
Speaker 4 (18:19):
Gotta use it.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
And we'll see what that power is shortly at the
end of the episode. Okay, Jason, it's Lance Ride meeting time.
Everybody gathers, all the great houses are here. Harrow, Harkin
and sitting right up front in that respected seat on
the Lance rad proud of my guy. Yeah, want it
come up good for him? And this is obviously where
all of the schemes and plotting that we've watched all
episode culminates. This convergence point. Harrow stands up, does his thing.
(18:44):
He accuses or he wants to open an investigation into
the for Jazy Boy's death.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
Yes, I formally request, that's right, an investigation into the
practices of this man here, Desmond, who we know nothing about.
Under the audicle, he quotes, it's like an art, like
some kind of ancient right that these houses have, which
I liked. Yes, and people like, oh my god, this
has not been used in quite a while.
Speaker 4 (19:07):
That's right.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
He refers to Conley, which I will talk more about
in my lore segment at the end of time.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
That's right, Conley.
Speaker 1 (19:13):
Yes, we'll talk more about that in a bit. But
in fact, before he can actually name the Corinos and
the Emperor specifically as the people he's really pointing at.
Ynez comes in and does it for him. She boldly
accuses her own family of being complicit in this murder.
Things quickly stroll into chaos, but then Desmond takes control
of the room. He parades in those captured tech smugglers
(19:36):
that his guards had gone out into the city to grab.
He once again, this time to the whole lancetrat body,
boldly admits to murder. He says, yeah, I guild the
murder chasing boy. I did do it, but it's not murder.
This was a justified execution. Really playing with semantics here,
but this was a justified execution against a machine sympathizer,
(19:56):
the very same machine, Jason, and with the dramatics flow
or if she brings out the drone, the very same
machine that would have blown all of your asses up.
Everybody in this room and obviously everyone just gasping. This
is blowing everyone's minds. He's definitely got a dramatic flare here.
Must have been incredible on his high school theater stage.
(20:17):
And Desmond declares that from now on, a hard line
will be declared against thinking machines. Zero tolerance for machines,
zero tolerance and in fact, we're gonna start today. Zero
tolerance policy starts right now. He activates his powers and
burns in a pretty horrific scene. He burns all of
the rebels and even one of the counselors who had
(20:39):
a thinking thinking machine.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
Earlier, and he just like gets everybody, and everybody's just
like gonna watch nobody's gonna like go.
Speaker 3 (20:46):
At this guy, like we're just gonna watch this outen.
That was yes, that was my question as well.
Speaker 4 (20:50):
Nobody's even like screaming and running out of the room.
Speaker 3 (20:52):
You know, it's giving kind of the boys the head.
Speaker 4 (20:58):
Scene and the boys a little bit him scene.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
Yes, but I have a question, Yes, Kiaran a trades
flees the room, how does he not get Kiaren? That's
how is he unaware of him?
Speaker 4 (21:10):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (21:10):
And how does he not? Is it just simply the
plot armor?
Speaker 4 (21:13):
But it must be.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
I feel like there's got to be some other explanation.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
I don't have an explanation from the books or from
a lower standpoint for that. To me, it feels like
plot armor. Because we got Karen's friend, yes, his buddy,
that he was smoking, openly smoking within the bar.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
Yeah, he had several meetings with this gentleman. If you
got that guy, he's gotta get Karen. And we got
the ixcey and also, you know, we really got everybody
around him. Gosh, we're going to triangulate like we got
we got this guy rock solid. No, Kieren gets away,
presumably because of plot armor. Okay, We then return to
Wallach nine for a little bit. We are now under
(21:49):
a cone of silence. This felt like a misplaced scene
came out of left field to me. I agree, But
we're under a cone of silence, and Sister Emmeline, if
you'll recall her from earlier, is now reading from what
I believe is the oc Bible, which is a text
within the Dune universe, could be something else, but is
reciting from this book and keeping Dorotea's teachings alive.
Speaker 1 (22:12):
I guess this was confusing to me. I'm not sure
where this cropped up for Emmeline all of a sudden.
Speaker 4 (22:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:16):
But we also then check in with Tula, who is
sitting next to the Spice Bakta tank where Lilah is recuperating,
and in fact, Tula is getting real sleepy. She has
a nightmare slash vision of sister Emmeline confronting her about
Dorotea's death. She brutally in this vision kills sister Emmeline,
only to wake and find that Lila has left the
(22:39):
tank and she tells the AI to turn all the
smart home lights on, and we then see a gray
and or blue eyed It's a little unclear in the
lighting what color her eyes are, but we see Lila
walking around seemingly very confused because the only words she
says are where am I? I have some theories on
where that might go, but we can talk about that.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
Yeah, please Okay?
Speaker 1 (23:01):
To wrap up the episode after all this Landstride chaos,
we are back at the hearken In household and Valia
tells Theodosia that she has acquired a sample of Desmond's blood.
She has this bloody rag from the event and they
basically got to send it to twenty three and meet
right to figure out what part Mongolian this guy is,
but also who is what his backstory is? She then
(23:23):
has I really loved this final scene?
Speaker 4 (23:25):
Actually?
Speaker 1 (23:25):
She has this very intense and emotional standoff with her uncle.
Speaker 2 (23:29):
Yeah, mark Addy pulling down the old thunder again.
Speaker 1 (23:38):
A Valia lets her uncle die in this moment, doesn't
give him his inhaler and then looks over and we
see none other than Griffin Harkin hasn't aged a day.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
I was like, what the fuck is happening? Hold on it?
I thought it was like I think just thinking of
the penguin. I was like, is this a like what
right is happening right now?
Speaker 1 (24:02):
Certainly, and I think it was played off as a
vision for a few beats intentionally, Yeah, But then she
walks up and literally hugs Griffin and they exchanged some
words back and forth. But then she says thank you
THEO specifically, and then Griffin walks away and as we
cut to the credits here, our final shot is a
(24:22):
shot of sister Theodosia shape shifting back into herself.
Speaker 4 (24:26):
This was crazy from Griffin harkinin.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
So that is the adojent's special talent is she can
shape shift fully her entire form quite painfully.
Speaker 4 (24:40):
It seems it looked very painful into the mirror.
Speaker 2 (24:44):
Image of whoever she is studying. I guess off of
like they would show her holograms and then she would
mold it somehow.
Speaker 4 (24:50):
But that was a that was like a wow, what Yeah,
that was a big wow. What moment. I think for
many reasons.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
Yeah, for folks who have read the Dude novels, you
immediately think face answer question mark, Yeah, face dancer.
Speaker 4 (25:03):
But even in the Brian.
Speaker 1 (25:05):
Herbert prequel books, the timeline of that doesn't quite line
up because face dancers haven't been invented by this point.
So this seems to be a show only decision. Okay,
and maybe we'll get an explanation for it in the
next episode. I'm curious before we dive into our big
picture thoughts. I'm wondering what you read was on why
(25:26):
Theodosia turned into Griffin exactly in this last scene.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
My only thought is that she must have been pretending
to be some sort of ghostly specter for reasons that
we have not yet. Yeah understood, That's what I was thinking,
Like she was trying to trick Uncle Harkinen into revealing something.
(25:51):
Doing something maybe is the reason that he h under
Dress in an extreme emotional stress, then passed away this yeah,
do to quote unquote natural causes. I'm not sure, right,
But that's the part I've just been trying to figure out,
because I'm like, what did she do? What was now
this does fall? I'm sure they will reveal what it was,
(26:13):
but this does fall into the general plot pattern of
this series, which is to show you the thing and
then later yes, show you the significance of the thing.
We can debate whether that's a wise plot choice or not,
but I'm utterly confused as to what the reason for
doing this could be.
Speaker 4 (26:33):
Yeah, so am I. I'm in the same boat.
Speaker 1 (26:35):
I do think we will perhaps learn something because Valia says,
have I pushed you too far? Seemingly they had some
conversation before and she asked her specifically to do something
as Griffin, So maybe there will be a reveal next episode. Okay,
that's doing Prophecy episode four. That's our recap of this episode.
Let's take another quick breather, Jason. Let's collect our thoughts
(26:56):
when we come back. Let's talk a big picture what
we think of doing Prophecy so far, and then touch
on some lower Easter eggs from this episode. Okay, we're back,
(27:18):
all right, Jason. I'm curious, where's your heart at with
this show right now?
Speaker 4 (27:22):
Four episodes in.
Speaker 2 (27:24):
I'm a little I'm saddened because I was wanting this
to be better. I think what is frustrating about this
episode in particular is this is what I've wanted, was
for us to go back to the present timeline, the
main timeline with all the plotting around Emperor Carrino, the
plots that surround him, Desmond Heart and what Desmond Heart
(27:48):
might be up to, and the general fallout from the
Cheesy Boy death. And we have done that, and it
was just kind of a mess. We talked about the
kind of end reveal that, you know, I don't know
that it is great story wise to have a kind
(28:10):
of diosx makin a superpower appear in the final moments
of like a pivotal episode, like out of nowhere.
Speaker 4 (28:17):
And here's this thing.
Speaker 2 (28:19):
I think compounding the confusion surrounding a diosx machin of
superpower appearing in the final moments of a pivotal episode
is when you don't tell us what it was used
to do. So I'm like, what is happening? I like
the lands rad stuff, I like the general politics. I
(28:39):
did like the kind of even though it did feel
like it came out of left field, the suggestions that
there are splinter groups within the Sisterhood, people who don't
agree with the general direction and are like, wait, what
is it we were doing, like we don't agree with this,
we adhere to Do'rtea's line of thinking. All that stuff.
I like, I just find and that there's a lot
(29:00):
of characters that feel very much to be passengers in
their own arcs. Yeah, great way to put Emperor Karno,
for instance. I think we thought Mark strong, great actor,
You're going to see more from him. He's really just
caught up in the backwash of Desmond Heart's plotline, which
is only beginning to take shape now. Same with the Empress,
(29:23):
who I think is a very strong and wonderful character.
Same with Princess Yanez, same with Kieran. So it's like,
I keep coming back to the central thing, which is like,
who's the main character. I think we know now that
it's Desmond Heart versus Valia is essentially like the confrontation
that we've been stumbling towards. I just wish that had
(29:43):
been set up a little earlier, if we had ten
episodes or more, I think I would feel like we
can get there. We can still get there, and there's
still enough good stuff here where I like the bones
of the thing with s Now. I'm truly a little
scared that we're not going to see a good show
(30:05):
or hints of a good show this season, and that
could this be it for doing prophecy, like we get
a pick up?
Speaker 4 (30:12):
I'm not sure.
Speaker 2 (30:13):
Based on this four episodes in a six episode season,
I'm not sure. Where are you with it?
Speaker 1 (30:18):
You practically voiced all of my opinions. I feel exactly
the same way. I think you put it beautifully. The characters,
many of the characters do feel like passengers in their
own storylines, and it's a lot of plot things happen,
like Domino's falling to make the next Domino fall. Yeah, seemingly.
The Lancerod stuff I thought was not quite as intriguing
(30:40):
as it could have been because we the viewer are
a fly on the wall and we know everyone's schemes, right,
and so we're coming into that lance Rod like we
don't know what's going to go down in the Lancerod,
and that's the primary tension. I did quite like that,
But we do practically know what everyone is here trying
to do, and I think if we're going to do intrigue,
(31:01):
I the viewer, I also want to be participating in
some of the intrigue. I want to be out of
the loop on some things as well.
Speaker 2 (31:06):
Yeah, going in that's a great point because I agree
with you, and I think it makes the things that
we are out of the loop on stand out in
a in a way that feels a little jarring, such
as this sudden appearance of the potential face dancer. Yes,
in that particular plotline, You're like, wait what.
Speaker 1 (31:25):
Yeah, absolutely, the things I did like were actually whenever
we cut back to Wallach nine, I'm quite intrigued with
what's going on with the visions, what's going on with
the Acolytes.
Speaker 2 (31:35):
You know.
Speaker 1 (31:35):
I think I've said this in our previous conversations, but
I almost would have preferred a show that was like
Les lancetrad Emperor Palace intrigue and more sisterhood, Like more
time on Wallock nine, more time with the Accolytes. If
we're going to do sort of like a kids at
School and a TV show sort of thing with the Accolades,
focus on Volley and Tula instead as our main characters,
(31:56):
maybe I think that's a show that I would have
been really invested in. But we're juggling a lot. We're juggling, yeah,
a lot of storylines and a lot of character arcs
that I just as you stated that, I'm getting very
nervous we won't be able to close the loop on
in a satisfying way in two more episodes with such
a short season.
Speaker 2 (32:16):
Where do you think we're going? What do you think
we end up as at the end of episode six.
Speaker 1 (32:22):
Well, I looked at the HBO always says the next
episode preview thing. There seems to be a lot of
action next episode. So I think we're getting some like
knife fights. Maybe we're getting some confrontations. Finally, maybe Kieran
and the rebels are just going to be like, no
more hiding, let's go, or our plot got foiled, so
we got to do something. I think where we're headed
(32:42):
is a showdown between Vollia and Desmond to win the
Emperor's favor, which again you kind of like take the
teeth out of that bite, because we know that the
Sisterhood is going to win this and be on the
Emperor's side. So I guess the thing that would subvert
our expectations is for Desmond to temporarily win and for
Valyatt to sort of lose this bout of the match.
(33:04):
In this first season, I'm not sure. I think either
of those things could happen. I think with Lylah in particular,
we're headed towards some sort of abomination. I think she's
possessed by Dorotea right now, which is why she's asking,
like where am I She's Dorotea has never seen this
room before. I guess Lila hasn't either technically, but I
think we're gonna see some possession come up.
Speaker 4 (33:25):
I don't know, I don't know.
Speaker 1 (33:26):
I want to throw the question back to you, though,
maybe in a different sense, like not where you think
we're going, but where would you need this show to
land the plane in the next two episodes for you
to walk away and be like, Okay, I'm along for
the ride. I'll be around for season two whenever that
comes up.
Speaker 2 (33:40):
Well, well, I'll tell you what I think will happen,
and I'll tell you the version of it that I
think would be cool. I think what will happen is
you get this bakeoff between Desmond and Volia to uproot
the rest of these machine rebels, including kieran A traadees.
(34:02):
I think you see kieran A treats. I think we're
introduced to the rest of House of trades, and maybe
the next episode we get hints of what the actual
governing members of that house are up to. Presumably they
would have been at this meeting and would be shocked
at what they've seen. I think we find that Kieran
(34:24):
is acting like off the reservation, but I think we
see under pressure, Volia and Kuran team up somehow to
maybe like get Desmond Heart out of the paint, and
I think that allows Kieran to continue as a character
in this story. I think that would actually be pretty cool.
This alliance of people who don't want to be allied
(34:44):
together and in fact strongly disagree with each other and
in fact are both illegally fucking around with Ai shit.
I think that's fun, right because they have a lot
of obviously skin in the game. Desmond wants probably both
of them dead, and so they need to get him
out of there. I think that's cool. That makes a
lot of sense, and I think we end up in
a place where we get some more suggestions about what
(35:08):
Desmond is and how he became this way. Now, what
do I think would be cool? I think would be
what would be cool is more like agency from everybody
who is not Valua and Desmond Heart. I would love
to see the Emperor being like, do I trust any
of these people? Okay? How do I protect myself? How
(35:29):
do I proceed with the Empress at my side? How
do we put enough insulation between us and Desmond Heart
and all the rest of these people in case it
goes a different way. Let's say we have to cut
Desmond loose? How do we do that safely? Like, here's
a guy who can burn people with his mind, and yes,
he's your attack dog now, but what if he's not tomorrow.
I would like to see more characters thinking that way
(35:51):
about their current situation. You know, do I trust my
truth sayer?
Speaker 3 (35:56):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (35:56):
I wish we were seeing more I start having conversations
with other people about like what do I do about
this person who's at my side and I don't now
know if I can trust them. That's what I would
like to see as we head down the downslope of
the season towards the end, is more characters acting like
they have a say in their own life and wondering
if all the people around them are true allies or
(36:19):
true threats or some shade of in between, and then
taking measures accordingly. I think that would be cool.
Speaker 4 (36:26):
What about you?
Speaker 2 (36:27):
What would you need to see to make you feel like, Okay,
I'm in for a season two.
Speaker 1 (36:31):
I would need to see a lot more exactly what
you're saying. I would need to see a lot more
Dune level scheming and planning from the Sisterhood. I think
what we've seen of the Sisterhood so far in this
show is not tantalizing enough, because I admit I know
a lot about Dune, so maybe none of this is
(36:51):
like new or mind blowing stuff to me. But I
wanted to come into the show to be like, oh
my gosh, I'm learning so much about the Sisterhood and
their inner workings. And that is a wild plan that
ex Sister and Dorotea came up with. So I think
I would like for this Sisterhood plotline to take us
somewhere that's new and exciting and mysterious for the Dean universe.
(37:14):
I think if we are hinting at something like a
like a Latout character, or if we're going to connect
it back to even Paula Trades, it feels like we're
chained a little bit too much to the movies. I
guess I would like for this show to take its
own identity and to recognize the fact, as we've discussed,
that we're ten thousand years away from so much of
(37:36):
this stuff, like really mattering that.
Speaker 2 (37:38):
Much is an immense amount of time.
Speaker 3 (37:42):
It's such a long time.
Speaker 1 (37:44):
It's enough time for like wild shit like the Sisterhood
to be eradicated and then come back.
Speaker 2 (37:49):
Yeah, that's a great, great point. Let's go to the
you know what now that we've said that, I want
to I have a lot of questions for you, but
I feel like they fall under lore. So let's jump
to lore so super quickly.
Speaker 1 (38:01):
I'm going to blast through some lower things. I feel
free to jump in with questions as well. OK, I
want to shout out House Vernius. We had a lot
of house names dropped in this episode because of the
lands ride meeting. One of them was House Vernius, who
is a particularly important house in the Brian Herbert prequel stories.
House Vernius actually calls none other than Planet IX their home,
(38:24):
and in fact they are the stewards of Planet X
for thousands of years, although in this show it's not
clear if House.
Speaker 4 (38:30):
Vernius is the same thing as X.
Speaker 1 (38:32):
Right now, they do take it over after this timeline,
so timeline stuff is still very fuzzy right now, but
certainly by the time we get close to Paula Trades
once we're in the you know, eight thousands, nine thousands,
close and down on that ten thousand mark. House Vernius
has been ruling X for a long long time, and
in fact, there's a whole plotline in the prequel books
where House Vernius interacts with Duke leto tradees and ultimately
(38:56):
meets their demise due to tragic events. Speaking of the Excians,
I wanted to shout that out as well, because we
met an Nix Senes smuggler in today's episode with the
whole thermal bomb drone thing. And for folks who may
not know, Planet X is basically just the Silicon Valley
of the Dune universe, there are a bunch of techies.
They are constantly pushing the bounds of the Balerian prohibitions
(39:18):
against thinking machines, even in Paula Tredy's time, so they
don't learn their lesson ever, basically over the next ten
thousand years. Some fun facts, they are actually responsible in
the lore for creating those cones of silence that we've
seen a couple of times in this show, and they
are responsible for creating the Hunter Seeker, the bomb that
we saw in today's episode, and the little needle bug
(39:41):
thing that attacks Timothy shallow May in the Dune movie.
I also wanted to shout out that we got some
Dune terminology here. We got Padishaw Javaco's full title Patashaw
Emperor of the Known Universe, Havico Karino the First, and
Patashaw is actually a Persian word. I really appreciated getting
this in the show because, as we know, Dune borrows
(40:02):
a lot from Arabic push though Persian, Hebrew traditions and languages,
many of them you know, sourced from the Middle East.
Frank Herbert did a lot of research on those things
and borrowed a lot of ideas for his stories, and
it was nice to get that as well. Notably because
the show and the Villaina films in fact, were criticized
for not calling the wars a gihad. In this it's
(40:25):
the Butler and Jihad. In the future, it's Paul's gihad,
which I think is fair. You just can't say the
word gihad on American television in twenty twenty four, so
it's fair, you know, I think that is pointlessing to
get up in arms about machine wars.
Speaker 4 (40:39):
Totally fine.
Speaker 1 (40:40):
And the last thing we mentioned this earlier Conley. Harold
harkinin declares Conley in this episode. And this is super
interesting because Conley is defined in the Dune books as
quote a formal feud or vendetta under the rules of
the Great Convention, carried on according to the strictest limitations.
(41:01):
And that's especially interesting because warfare in the Dune universe
is not the traditional warfare that we know today. It's
not the warfare of large armies clashing. It's not the
warfare of say, like a like a Star Trek or
a star wars with ships shooting lasers at each other.
It is very much about assassins and vendettas and underhanded
tactics and poisonings and backstabbings. And one way in which
(41:25):
this government is controlling the bloodshed is when you want
to quote unquote declare war against another house or arrival,
you have to declare Conley officially, and hilariously, in the
Dune Encyclopedia it actually explains you have to fill out paperwork.
It's like doing your taxes. You have to declare conly
and then within a limited capacity under strict rules of war,
(41:48):
you are allowed to try to assassinate each other and stuff.
And so that's practically what Harrol harkinin declared here, which
is why it's a big deal that he said that
at the Lawndride meeting.
Speaker 4 (41:56):
Did you have other lord questions for me?
Speaker 2 (41:58):
Jason? I do, so, what is going on with Desmond Heart?
And are there any lore roots for the kind of
powers that he has?
Speaker 1 (42:11):
I don't have an answer for what's going on with
Desmond Heart, which is a totally show invention. One thing
I can theorize, and perhaps the only connection that I
can make, is that in the Brian Herbert prequel books,
there are straight up like basically sorceresses on a planet
called Rossick, And it's these sorceresses that actually help found
are connected loosely to founding the Sisterhood. Actually, these sorceresses
(42:35):
do have the ability to like telepathically mind blast people.
It's not the same as telepathically burning someone to a crisp,
but they do have these abilities. Is Desmond connected to
a sorceress of Rossick from that planet? Was his mother
like a rogue sister who left the Order and that's
why he has a vendetta against them.
Speaker 4 (42:56):
I don't know. It's still up in the air.
Speaker 2 (42:59):
The proto face answer power that we see sister Theodosia
display here. You're right in that what we see is
face answer ish, but definitely not as you know, maybe
in ten thousand years they've honed the power and it's
just a lot easier and it's not what we see here. Yeah,
that said, do you think that's where they're going with it,
(43:20):
that this is kind of a proto face answer power?
And follow up, how do these where do these powers
spring from? The voice the face answer power? Where do
we think that they come from? Because it appears that
people are just born with it and then develop it
to the point that they're able to teach other people
how to do it. Yeah, where do they come from?
Speaker 1 (43:40):
So as far as the proto face answer things thing
goes in the like post episode discussion thing with the
show creators, they did refer to it as a proto
face answer So that seemingly is the direction they're going
with it, that this will have some sort of connection
to the face answers of the far future that we
know from the books. As far as where the powers
(44:01):
come from the voice. In this show, we discussed this
in the last couple episodes. Did actually start with Volua,
and it's quite accurate to how it was in the
books as well. It's a power that she discovered and
developed over time, and as you said, honed it into
something that could be teachable to her fellow sisters. The
face dancers, on the other hand, are actually more of
like a biological weapon. They were created by a group
(44:23):
called the Benny Playlax, and the Benny Playlax are super gross,
but they're very into like biological modifications and genetic modifications,
and so they create these mules, these face dancers, through
these modifications, through biological and genetic tampering, so that they
can have like assassins and spies within the imperium. It's
(44:46):
a political tool for them, and so for it to
just naturally appear is a little confounding. Also famously, the
Benny Jeserit in the future, the Benny Jesuit Order and
the Benny Sleaylax are like bitter rivals. They don't like
each other. So the fact that this power is appearing
(45:08):
within the Sisterhood with the sister it's certainly throwing me
off my game. It's nothing that I know about.
Speaker 2 (45:14):
Well, thank you. Thank you for the lowd doownload. Those
fast and of course.
Speaker 1 (45:18):
Always a pleasure of Jason, and that wraps it up
for our coverage of Dooing Prophecy episode four. Coming up
on the next few episodes of x ray Vision, you
and Rosie are continuing your coverage of the excellent Skeleton
Crew on Disney Plus, and Carmen and Joelle will continue
their journey through Robert Egger's filmography with an episode about
(45:40):
the Northmen coming up as they work their way up
to No.
Speaker 4 (45:43):
S Faratu on Christmas.
Speaker 3 (45:45):
That's different today's episode.
Speaker 4 (45:46):
Thank you all so much for listening by.
Speaker 2 (45:52):
X ray Vision is hosted by Jason Nsumsion and Rosie
Knight and is a production of iHeart Podcasts. Executive producers
are Joelle Smith and Aaron Kaufman. Our supervising producer is
a Boo Zafar. Our producers are Carmen Lawn and Mia Taylor.
Our theme song is by Brian Basquez. Special thanks to
(46:15):
Soul Rubin and Chris Laude, Kenny Goodman and Heidi our
discord moderator
Today's episode contains spoilers for Dune Prophecy episode four twice born.
(00:04):
Watch that before you listen today. Hi everyone, I'm a
Boo and welcome to X Ray Visions Extras and Extra
(00:27):
Vision series, where we dive deep into even more of
your favorite shows, movies, comics, and pop culture. Every superhero
team needs side quests, and our rotating bandele of producers
and guest hosts will be suiting up to help Jason
and Rosie cover all of the amazing nerd content out there.
In fact, today I'm joined by the Tehran rfl himself,
Jason CONCEPTI own.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Thank you, Emperor, who must I burn with my mind?
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Okay, Jason, we are here to of course talk about
Dune Prophecy episode.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
Four of six.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
We're going to run through the summary of the episode together,
share our thoughts, and then at the end, I'll have
some Lord tidbits to share, which folks in the Discord
have been appreciating. Which is always fun because I get
to do some Dune research every time I.
Speaker 4 (01:14):
Watch these episodes.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
Okay, so let's jump right in. Episode four of Dune
Prophecy opens on Wallach nine, which is a buzz after
all of the acolytes have experienced a terrifying and possibly
prophetic dream vision. In fact, Sister Emmeline is standing over
that pool where Dorotea had died and nearly stabs herself.
(01:36):
She's in some sort of trance, but luckily Sister Jen
runs in and is able to stop her before the
knife falls. Now after the title credits, we return with Tula,
who is in a meeting with Sister Emmeline and Sister
Jen and is doing her best to try and understand
the who, what, when where of this dream? What's happening here?
(01:58):
She's quite shocked, but she can't quite figure out what's happening.
I got the sense she's also nervous that the Dora
Tea murder might leak somehow through these visions.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Yes, that is definitely the sense you get.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
And I also thought it was interesting that Sister Emmeline
uses truth sense on mother Tula. I think maybe the
first time we've watched an acolyte do that on one
of the teachers here at the school. A breach of trust,
which we'll see Emmeline kind of becomes a bit rebellious later.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Yeah, not a lot of trust to be found at
the Sisterhood right now, which I think is really fun.
Do you get a sense of what the ranks are
currently in the sisterhood? How many levels are there between
Mother Superior and everything else up from acolte.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
I think in this show it is quite linear. It's
just Vollya Mother Superior up top, and then her sort
of inner circle of reverend mothers, who I think is
basically Sister Avila and Tula sort of the right.
Speaker 4 (02:59):
And left hands. We don't get a sense of any.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
Tenured professor teachers that are kind of around, but presumably
there are other teachers teaching these accolades. It's not just
the three women at the top that we see. But
I think as far as this show is concerned, that's
it for now. And actually, speaking of Sister Avilla, after
this little parent teacher conference, she turns to Tula and
she's like, leave this alone. Don't mess with the dream thing.
(03:25):
It'll go away, it'll work itself out. It's better not
to tamper with this, which is precisely what Tula will
not do this episode.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Sisterravilla exists primarily in this show to say Tula, don't
do that, yes, and for Tula to just blow through
absolutely do it anyway, Like Avilla's entire contribution is like,
now you shouldn't do this, let me take care of it,
and then Tula will just be like, no.
Speaker 4 (03:52):
Thank you for your opinion, Nevila. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
We then come back to Volya, who is as your
recall from the of the last episode, back home at
the hearken In household, and she has a bit of
a confrontational meeting slash Thanksgiving dinner with her uncle and
nephew where they throw some barbs back and forth, which
I thought was cute and on brand. But she does
(04:15):
have a mission here. She proposes that it is perhaps
finally time for House Hearkenin to have its very own
truth sayer, and not just any truth sayer, go right
to the top. But me, Mother Superior, what do you.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
Think about that?
Speaker 1 (04:29):
That's a pretty good sales pitch And Harrow's like, okay,
tell me more now listen.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
Is it in a pinch? Have I just recently lost
my job? Are we as an organization in a lot
of trouble? And that's what's driven me this? Uh huh, yes,
but don't ignore the headline. House Hearkenin gets Mother Superior
as Truthsayer's.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
Right, full stop, top of the fold. Incredible stuff. Yeah,
House hearken In really not doing their due diligence here.
You've got a background check anyone you hire, like, it
doesn't matter what credentials they claim to walk in with
his sisters. Theodosia at the dinner table, by the way,
does use truth sense on Harrow. Hearkenent just so we
can get a bit of character motivation for this guy
(05:12):
who we are just now introduced to in this episode,
and we learned that Harrow's deepest, darkest desire is for respect.
He wants to earn the respect of his peers in
the Lancerad and in the governing body. And Valia is
basically promising him that. Wally is saying, I will be
your truth sayer and I will help you gain a
respected seat on the High Council of the Lancerad, and
(05:35):
Harrow agrees. Meanwhile, we cut to another tense I believe
breakfast this time this seems like a morning situation. Yea, yeah, yeah,
the juice looked really delicious. There was a lot of
good food in the background of this episode, or maybe
I was just hungry when I was watching the Karnos
are having also quite the confrontational breakfast at that beautiful
(05:56):
waterfall terrace thing in the palace when Princess storms in
and basically just calls Desmond out as a killer. She says, uh,
there are rumors swirling in the palace that prueit Richesy
was murdered and I think you did it. And Desmond
just cops to it. He's like, yeah, yeah, I did you.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Know why? Because he's got fucking thinking machines. He had
that thinking machine toy. Yep, what did we fight the
war for? Is that not a crime?
Speaker 4 (06:25):
Yes?
Speaker 3 (06:25):
Did not?
Speaker 2 (06:26):
Your father the emperor proclaiming her crime? Come on, why
are we getting mad at me right now?
Speaker 4 (06:32):
Exactly?
Speaker 1 (06:33):
Yeah, while he's stuffing his face with rolls like.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
So hungry. Also, is Travis Fimmel like purposely making faces
where his eyes go cross eyed? Throughout this episode He's
making some of the most insane faces while giving line
readings and spoiler burning people with his mind and eating
(06:57):
that I've ever like he is fully wild in this episode.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
Yeah, and that might be intentional because of the whole
eye thing. Shai Halud gave me an eye. I lost
my eye in the attack so maybe he is doing
some eye acting there, which is impressive. I could not
do that while trying to deliver lines. Now, while this
dinner is taking place, we also get a quick couple
of shots of the wider city at large, the spaceport
where we see ships arriving. The great houses of the
(07:23):
Lancetrate are all coming to Solusis secundus, folks, there's a
big meeting that's.
Speaker 4 (07:26):
Happening, so everyone is arriving.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
We then cut to our boy Desmond Hart, who is
presumably like in his office or whatever, and he's just
casually burning one of Kasha's old Sisterhood books that she
had left behind, like daring pages out and burning them
understand one by one.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
Well, this is clearly he is on the tracks for
a confrontation with the Sisterhood. Writ large that said, this
is a little bit over the top. No, like we
need this stuff, don't we, Emperor, don't we need these books?
Speaker 1 (07:58):
I feel like there's got to be some thing important
in there. The Emperor did not seem to mind. But
the Emperor doesn't really have the most solid spine as
we know, so it's tough. I mean, it's also just
like mad disrespect to books. You know, I think both
books are precious, and like this may be more than
the Pruitt thing, perhaps his greatest crime. The Emperor and
Desmond chat here. It's just two dudes having a heart
(08:19):
to heart growing out, Havoco sits down and he admits
to Desmond that he's feeling insecure in his position. He's
unable to live up to these legendary Carino ancestors. As
we had talked about in episode one. They're war heroes,
they're great politicians. I'm a nobody. Nobody respects me in
the imperium. Desmond tries to be like, well, maybe you
(08:41):
should have a spine, Maybe you should be more of
a hard ass. Maybe you should rule with an iron fist.
And if people don't respect you, you got me. Tell
me who to burn. Point me in a direction, I'll
kill it.
Speaker 4 (08:54):
But for what it's worth.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
Havoc is like, no, not right now. Let's just keep
you as back up for now, you're still benched. We
then cut to out of the city, where in a
nondescript alley, we join Kiaran, a tradees and his rebel
friend that we met a few episodes ago, who are
meeting up with an Ixian tech smuggler, the first time
we have seen an Xian on screen from the Dean universe,
(09:18):
at least in the modern adaptations, and this smuggler, in
exchange for many many Solaris gives the Rebels this drone
bomb hunter seeker looking thing, which is obviously a thinking
machine and obviously very illegal.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Can I ten thousand years later they will have this tech. Obviously,
we will see it in the first Dune movie, and
it's there in the first Dune book, but of course
piloted by a Hearken and I guess yes, So this
is just flat out illegal because there's no pilot.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
That's right, that's right.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
Autonomous is the key, right, It has its own quote
unquote brain, and so it's very illegal, as we will
see later in the episode. We then cut back to Vollia,
who is in her room at the Harken end State.
She is, in fact, recording one of those long eye
message voice messages that people love to record. It's quite vulnerable,
it's quite heartfelt. We get a sense of a softer
(10:11):
side to Vali here, but she doesn't hit send. I
think we've all been here with an X or two.
She deletes it instead. And then she stabs the cartridge,
the game Boy cartridge in two sisters. Theodosia enters and
reports that the rebels have got this drone. They're gonna
use it during the lamps Ride meeting. They're gonna kill
(10:32):
the emperor.
Speaker 4 (10:33):
And Bali is like, perfect, that's.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
Exactly what we need to happen, because I'm gonna be there,
I'm gonna swoop in, I'm gonna save the emperor. I'm
gonna get back in as good graces.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
Why not just immediately drop the dime, you know what
I mean?
Speaker 3 (10:47):
Why not?
Speaker 2 (10:48):
Why not just right now go to the emperor and say,
guess what, Your sword master's currently in the palace right
now and fucking your daughter like all the time, is
plotting to kill you. I go through this, add this
extra wrinkle where also you have to save his life
in front of the assembled lands red right, this seems
(11:09):
like a bad idea from somebody who's supposed to be
in a position of that requires wisdom and intellect.
Speaker 4 (11:14):
You know, Jason, that is an amazing point.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
And I think if you were Mother Superior, that's what
you would do.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
Yeah, well that's not what Balia does, and in fact,
what they decide to do with the sisters decide to
do is they're going to take advantage of these rumors
about pruet riches that have been swirling in the palace,
and they're instead going to convince these two particular members
of the Lanstrade Council to use Haro Harken and give
(11:44):
him that open spot that house Rachese left open, and
use Harrow to accuse the Emperor basically of murdering open
an investigation into the Rachese boy's death and accuse the
emperor investment being involved. We see this sort of manipulation
montage take place, the sisters whispering to their particular dukes
(12:06):
and lords to convince them, and then we also see
Harrow meet with these council members and basically accept the job.
He's a little nervous about it, but he accepts. Okay, Jason,
let's take a quick break. When we come back, we're
going to check back in with Tula and the accolytes
who are having nightmares.
Speaker 4 (12:37):
All right, We're back over on Wallach nine.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
Tula gathers all of the acolytes for a class group
spice trip art therapy session, but things quickly go south
when all of the sisters are once again stuck in
a trance and can't seem to get out of it.
I thought this was actually a really great scene. A
lot of good horror elements here. But the sisters are
stuck in this trance. They're all scribbling on their parchment.
They're all basically scribbling the same thing. It all kind
(13:03):
of converges into the same images of sand and shy
Hallou to the worm, and then ultimately this pair of eyes,
that pair of blue eyes that this show has been
teasing all season long. Sister Emmeline says something interesting. She,
in fact, once she's out of this trance, says, quote,
God is watching us, judging us. The reckoning is here
(13:23):
end quote, which is very interesting. Makes my ears perk
up as somebody who has read all of Frey Kerbert's
student books, because that seems to be a pretty overt
nod to a huge character later in the books. And
I'm a little hesitant to say more than that.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
Oh really, now, when you say yes, I think I
know where you're going. When they say here, they don't
mean like in the present timeline though, right, because that
seems like unless they're going to add something, there's a
different character. It seems like they're talking about something that
will not happen for several thousand years.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
Yes, they do seem to be hinting at a thing
that happened happened for several thousand years. I don't think
they mean here literally, but if you'll recall a little
show called Game of Thrones season eight, in particular, a
thing that brand Stark could do with his powers, that
is perhaps what they're hinting at here too. But I'm
(14:17):
I'm skeptical. There's a lot of theory online that this
could be a certain character from book four of Frank's
stories who's just time traveling and manipulating things ten thousand
years in the past. I don't agree with that theory, okay,
but I just wanted to call it out for folks
who might be thinking it too.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
You know, it was cool about the art therapy lesson
other than again, we just had like a night scenario
with everybody having a bad dream. I think, let's like,
let's punt on the spice for a little bit, but
that's nearly heard all there. I did like the art
class because this was like a technique that was used
in real life and the CIA is like remote viewing,
(14:53):
oh mk ultra like project in which the CIA and
other defense acies tried to see if people could develop
like claravoidance, and that one of the ways they would
do it is this kind of like light scribbling. You
have someone miles away or in the other room focusing
on something and oh, the person who's to receive the
(15:15):
image sits there and just scribbles and lets their mind
go loose and sees if they can receive the image
and then draw it.
Speaker 4 (15:23):
Wow, that's cool.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
Yeah, I'll try sending you an image telepathically next time
you recorders.
Speaker 4 (15:27):
Do that.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
Returning to the Palace, Empress Natalia meets with Desmond in
a little one on one in his office and reveals
to him.
Speaker 4 (15:37):
I love it that.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
Uh it was me, Yeah, it was me all along.
I've been spreading the rumors about Pruitt. We're chasing myself
to so chaos, And she in fact gives Desmond these
recordings is like Imperial surveillance data about suspected machine dealers
who are dealing illegal technology, like our extceine friend from earlier,
for example, and she tells Desmond that it's time it's
(16:01):
time to clamp down on this it's no longer a
time for leniency against these machines. Do what you do best, Desmond,
burn him, and so he does that exactly. This guy
has just been promoted so quickly, so fast. He's apparently
in charge of the guards, and he tells them he
gives them this data, and he says, go find these sympathizers,
bring them to me. We then return to the Beloved
(16:24):
Club where Kira to Traadees is smoking with his friend Yeah,
and Yinez arrives and they talk. She admits to Kieran
that she's conflicted right now. She doesn't know what to
do about this whole Desmond thing. She doesn't know how
to confront her father about it.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
What is she to do?
Speaker 1 (16:43):
Kieran, being thetreates that he is, tries to convince her
to do the right thing, do the thing that is
best for the imperium and brings justice to a murderer,
even if that means disobeying your father and moving against
your family. Specifically, he says, quote sometimes you have to
burn it thing down before you can save it end quote,
and so Ynes takes this to heart. She then goes
(17:04):
to her half brother Constantine and asks him to help
her move against Desmond to help her betray father. He
is understandably nervous. He likes his head where it is,
but she, you know, works some angles.
Speaker 4 (17:19):
She flatters him.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
She tells him how brave she is, how she wouldn't
have made it this far without his love and support,
and so he seemingly reluctantly agrees. Meanwhile, back at the Hearkenans,
sister Theodosia confronts Balia about why the hell she's been
here for two episodes.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
Yeah, and honestly, like, I'm asking the same question.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
Good question, thank god somebody asked.
Speaker 2 (17:48):
Sister.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
Theodosia was like, yeah, it's fine, I'll keep cashing in
my day rate. But it turns out Theodosia has been
brought here because she has some sort of secret talent
that she has sworn off of ever using again. Okay,
but Valia says, we may need it as a last
resort if things really go south. We're up against an
(18:08):
enemy we don't know how to defeat.
Speaker 4 (18:10):
I might need your abilities.
Speaker 1 (18:12):
Theodosia is upset about this, obviously, but Walia is like, look, sister,
head first, if we got to use it, we.
Speaker 4 (18:19):
Gotta use it.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
And we'll see what that power is shortly at the
end of the episode. Okay, Jason, it's Lance Ride meeting time.
Everybody gathers, all the great houses are here. Harrow, Harkin
and sitting right up front in that respected seat on
the Lance rad proud of my guy. Yeah, want it
come up good for him? And this is obviously where
all of the schemes and plotting that we've watched all
episode culminates. This convergence point. Harrow stands up, does his thing.
(18:44):
He accuses or he wants to open an investigation into
the for Jazy Boy's death.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
Yes, I formally request, that's right, an investigation into the
practices of this man here, Desmond, who we know nothing about.
Under the audicle, he quotes, it's like an art, like
some kind of ancient right that these houses have, which
I liked. Yes, and people like, oh my god, this
has not been used in quite a while.
Speaker 4 (19:07):
That's right.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
He refers to Conley, which I will talk more about
in my lore segment at the end of time.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
That's right, Conley.
Speaker 1 (19:13):
Yes, we'll talk more about that in a bit. But
in fact, before he can actually name the Corinos and
the Emperor specifically as the people he's really pointing at.
Ynez comes in and does it for him. She boldly
accuses her own family of being complicit in this murder.
Things quickly stroll into chaos, but then Desmond takes control
of the room. He parades in those captured tech smugglers
(19:36):
that his guards had gone out into the city to grab.
He once again, this time to the whole lancetrat body,
boldly admits to murder. He says, yeah, I guild the
murder chasing boy. I did do it, but it's not murder.
This was a justified execution. Really playing with semantics here,
but this was a justified execution against a machine sympathizer,
(19:56):
the very same machine, Jason, and with the dramatics flow
or if she brings out the drone, the very same
machine that would have blown all of your asses up.
Everybody in this room and obviously everyone just gasping. This
is blowing everyone's minds. He's definitely got a dramatic flare here.
Must have been incredible on his high school theater stage.
(20:17):
And Desmond declares that from now on, a hard line
will be declared against thinking machines. Zero tolerance for machines,
zero tolerance and in fact, we're gonna start today. Zero
tolerance policy starts right now. He activates his powers and
burns in a pretty horrific scene. He burns all of
the rebels and even one of the counselors who had
(20:39):
a thinking thinking machine.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
Earlier, and he just like gets everybody, and everybody's just
like gonna watch nobody's gonna like go.
Speaker 3 (20:46):
At this guy, like we're just gonna watch this outen.
That was yes, that was my question as well.
Speaker 4 (20:50):
Nobody's even like screaming and running out of the room.
Speaker 3 (20:52):
You know, it's giving kind of the boys the head.
Speaker 4 (20:58):
Scene and the boys a little bit him scene.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
Yes, but I have a question, Yes, Kiaran a trades
flees the room, how does he not get Kiaren? That's
how is he unaware of him?
Speaker 4 (21:10):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (21:10):
And how does he not? Is it just simply the
plot armor?
Speaker 4 (21:13):
But it must be.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
I feel like there's got to be some other explanation.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
I don't have an explanation from the books or from
a lower standpoint for that. To me, it feels like
plot armor. Because we got Karen's friend, yes, his buddy,
that he was smoking, openly smoking within the bar.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
Yeah, he had several meetings with this gentleman. If you
got that guy, he's gotta get Karen. And we got
the ixcey and also, you know, we really got everybody
around him. Gosh, we're going to triangulate like we got
we got this guy rock solid. No, Kieren gets away,
presumably because of plot armor. Okay, We then return to
Wallach nine for a little bit. We are now under
(21:49):
a cone of silence. This felt like a misplaced scene
came out of left field to me. I agree, But
we're under a cone of silence, and Sister Emmeline, if
you'll recall her from earlier, is now reading from what
I believe is the oc Bible, which is a text
within the Dune universe, could be something else, but is
reciting from this book and keeping Dorotea's teachings alive.
Speaker 1 (22:12):
I guess this was confusing to me. I'm not sure
where this cropped up for Emmeline all of a sudden.
Speaker 4 (22:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:16):
But we also then check in with Tula, who is
sitting next to the Spice Bakta tank where Lilah is recuperating,
and in fact, Tula is getting real sleepy. She has
a nightmare slash vision of sister Emmeline confronting her about
Dorotea's death. She brutally in this vision kills sister Emmeline,
only to wake and find that Lila has left the
(22:39):
tank and she tells the AI to turn all the
smart home lights on, and we then see a gray
and or blue eyed It's a little unclear in the
lighting what color her eyes are, but we see Lila
walking around seemingly very confused because the only words she
says are where am I? I have some theories on
where that might go, but we can talk about that.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
Yeah, please Okay?
Speaker 1 (23:01):
To wrap up the episode after all this Landstride chaos,
we are back at the hearken In household and Valia
tells Theodosia that she has acquired a sample of Desmond's blood.
She has this bloody rag from the event and they
basically got to send it to twenty three and meet
right to figure out what part Mongolian this guy is,
but also who is what his backstory is? She then
(23:23):
has I really loved this final scene?
Speaker 4 (23:25):
Actually?
Speaker 1 (23:25):
She has this very intense and emotional standoff with her uncle.
Speaker 2 (23:29):
Yeah, mark Addy pulling down the old thunder again.
Speaker 1 (23:38):
A Valia lets her uncle die in this moment, doesn't
give him his inhaler and then looks over and we
see none other than Griffin Harkin hasn't aged a day.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
I was like, what the fuck is happening? Hold on it?
I thought it was like I think just thinking of
the penguin. I was like, is this a like what
right is happening right now?
Speaker 1 (24:02):
Certainly, and I think it was played off as a
vision for a few beats intentionally, Yeah, But then she
walks up and literally hugs Griffin and they exchanged some
words back and forth. But then she says thank you
THEO specifically, and then Griffin walks away and as we
cut to the credits here, our final shot is a
(24:22):
shot of sister Theodosia shape shifting back into herself.
Speaker 4 (24:26):
This was crazy from Griffin harkinin.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
So that is the adojent's special talent is she can
shape shift fully her entire form quite painfully.
Speaker 4 (24:40):
It seems it looked very painful into the mirror.
Speaker 2 (24:44):
Image of whoever she is studying. I guess off of
like they would show her holograms and then she would
mold it somehow.
Speaker 4 (24:50):
But that was a that was like a wow, what Yeah,
that was a big wow. What moment. I think for
many reasons.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
Yeah, for folks who have read the Dude novels, you
immediately think face answer question mark, Yeah, face dancer.
Speaker 4 (25:03):
But even in the Brian.
Speaker 1 (25:05):
Herbert prequel books, the timeline of that doesn't quite line
up because face dancers haven't been invented by this point.
So this seems to be a show only decision. Okay,
and maybe we'll get an explanation for it in the
next episode. I'm curious before we dive into our big
picture thoughts. I'm wondering what you read was on why
(25:26):
Theodosia turned into Griffin exactly in this last scene.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
My only thought is that she must have been pretending
to be some sort of ghostly specter for reasons that
we have not yet. Yeah understood, That's what I was thinking,
Like she was trying to trick Uncle Harkinen into revealing something.
(25:51):
Doing something maybe is the reason that he h under
Dress in an extreme emotional stress, then passed away this yeah,
do to quote unquote natural causes. I'm not sure, right,
But that's the part I've just been trying to figure out,
because I'm like, what did she do? What was now
this does fall? I'm sure they will reveal what it was,
(26:13):
but this does fall into the general plot pattern of
this series, which is to show you the thing and
then later yes, show you the significance of the thing.
We can debate whether that's a wise plot choice or not,
but I'm utterly confused as to what the reason for
doing this could be.
Speaker 4 (26:33):
Yeah, so am I. I'm in the same boat.
Speaker 1 (26:35):
I do think we will perhaps learn something because Valia says,
have I pushed you too far? Seemingly they had some
conversation before and she asked her specifically to do something
as Griffin, So maybe there will be a reveal next episode. Okay,
that's doing Prophecy episode four. That's our recap of this episode.
Let's take another quick breather, Jason. Let's collect our thoughts
(26:56):
when we come back. Let's talk a big picture what
we think of doing Prophecy so far, and then touch
on some lower Easter eggs from this episode. Okay, we're back,
(27:18):
all right, Jason. I'm curious, where's your heart at with
this show right now?
Speaker 4 (27:22):
Four episodes in.
Speaker 2 (27:24):
I'm a little I'm saddened because I was wanting this
to be better. I think what is frustrating about this
episode in particular is this is what I've wanted, was
for us to go back to the present timeline, the
main timeline with all the plotting around Emperor Carrino, the
plots that surround him, Desmond Heart and what Desmond Heart
(27:48):
might be up to, and the general fallout from the
Cheesy Boy death. And we have done that, and it
was just kind of a mess. We talked about the
kind of end reveal that, you know, I don't know
that it is great story wise to have a kind
(28:10):
of diosx makin a superpower appear in the final moments
of like a pivotal episode, like out of nowhere.
Speaker 4 (28:17):
And here's this thing.
Speaker 2 (28:19):
I think compounding the confusion surrounding a diosx machin of
superpower appearing in the final moments of a pivotal episode
is when you don't tell us what it was used
to do. So I'm like, what is happening? I like
the lands rad stuff, I like the general politics. I
(28:39):
did like the kind of even though it did feel
like it came out of left field, the suggestions that
there are splinter groups within the Sisterhood, people who don't
agree with the general direction and are like, wait, what
is it we were doing, like we don't agree with this,
we adhere to Do'rtea's line of thinking. All that stuff.
I like, I just find and that there's a lot
(29:00):
of characters that feel very much to be passengers in
their own arcs. Yeah, great way to put Emperor Karno,
for instance. I think we thought Mark strong, great actor,
You're going to see more from him. He's really just
caught up in the backwash of Desmond Heart's plotline, which
is only beginning to take shape now. Same with the Empress,
(29:23):
who I think is a very strong and wonderful character.
Same with Princess Yanez, same with Kieran. So it's like,
I keep coming back to the central thing, which is like,
who's the main character. I think we know now that
it's Desmond Heart versus Valia is essentially like the confrontation
that we've been stumbling towards. I just wish that had
(29:43):
been set up a little earlier, if we had ten
episodes or more, I think I would feel like we
can get there. We can still get there, and there's
still enough good stuff here where I like the bones
of the thing with s Now. I'm truly a little
scared that we're not going to see a good show
(30:05):
or hints of a good show this season, and that
could this be it for doing prophecy, like we get
a pick up?
Speaker 4 (30:12):
I'm not sure.
Speaker 2 (30:13):
Based on this four episodes in a six episode season,
I'm not sure. Where are you with it?
Speaker 1 (30:18):
You practically voiced all of my opinions. I feel exactly
the same way. I think you put it beautifully. The characters,
many of the characters do feel like passengers in their
own storylines, and it's a lot of plot things happen,
like Domino's falling to make the next Domino fall. Yeah, seemingly.
The Lancerod stuff I thought was not quite as intriguing
(30:40):
as it could have been because we the viewer are
a fly on the wall and we know everyone's schemes, right,
and so we're coming into that lance Rod like we
don't know what's going to go down in the Lancerod,
and that's the primary tension. I did quite like that,
But we do practically know what everyone is here trying
to do, and I think if we're going to do intrigue,
(31:01):
I the viewer, I also want to be participating in
some of the intrigue. I want to be out of
the loop on some things as well.
Speaker 2 (31:06):
Yeah, going in that's a great point because I agree
with you, and I think it makes the things that
we are out of the loop on stand out in
a in a way that feels a little jarring, such
as this sudden appearance of the potential face dancer. Yes,
in that particular plotline, You're like, wait what.
Speaker 1 (31:25):
Yeah, absolutely, the things I did like were actually whenever
we cut back to Wallach nine, I'm quite intrigued with
what's going on with the visions, what's going on with
the Acolytes.
Speaker 2 (31:35):
You know.
Speaker 1 (31:35):
I think I've said this in our previous conversations, but
I almost would have preferred a show that was like
Les lancetrad Emperor Palace intrigue and more sisterhood, Like more
time on Wallock nine, more time with the Accolytes. If
we're going to do sort of like a kids at
School and a TV show sort of thing with the Accolades,
focus on Volley and Tula instead as our main characters,
(31:56):
maybe I think that's a show that I would have
been really invested in. But we're juggling a lot. We're juggling, yeah,
a lot of storylines and a lot of character arcs
that I just as you stated that, I'm getting very
nervous we won't be able to close the loop on
in a satisfying way in two more episodes with such
a short season.
Speaker 2 (32:16):
Where do you think we're going? What do you think
we end up as at the end of episode six.
Speaker 1 (32:22):
Well, I looked at the HBO always says the next
episode preview thing. There seems to be a lot of
action next episode. So I think we're getting some like
knife fights. Maybe we're getting some confrontations. Finally, maybe Kieran
and the rebels are just going to be like, no
more hiding, let's go, or our plot got foiled, so
we got to do something. I think where we're headed
(32:42):
is a showdown between Vollia and Desmond to win the
Emperor's favor, which again you kind of like take the
teeth out of that bite, because we know that the
Sisterhood is going to win this and be on the
Emperor's side. So I guess the thing that would subvert
our expectations is for Desmond to temporarily win and for
Valyatt to sort of lose this bout of the match.
(33:04):
In this first season, I'm not sure. I think either
of those things could happen. I think with Lylah in particular,
we're headed towards some sort of abomination. I think she's
possessed by Dorotea right now, which is why she's asking,
like where am I She's Dorotea has never seen this
room before. I guess Lila hasn't either technically, but I
think we're gonna see some possession come up.
Speaker 4 (33:25):
I don't know, I don't know.
Speaker 1 (33:26):
I want to throw the question back to you, though,
maybe in a different sense, like not where you think
we're going, but where would you need this show to
land the plane in the next two episodes for you
to walk away and be like, Okay, I'm along for
the ride. I'll be around for season two whenever that
comes up.
Speaker 2 (33:40):
Well, well, I'll tell you what I think will happen,
and I'll tell you the version of it that I
think would be cool. I think what will happen is
you get this bakeoff between Desmond and Volia to uproot
the rest of these machine rebels, including kieran A traadees.
(34:02):
I think you see kieran A treats. I think we're
introduced to the rest of House of trades, and maybe
the next episode we get hints of what the actual
governing members of that house are up to. Presumably they
would have been at this meeting and would be shocked
at what they've seen. I think we find that Kieran
(34:24):
is acting like off the reservation, but I think we
see under pressure, Volia and Kuran team up somehow to
maybe like get Desmond Heart out of the paint, and
I think that allows Kieran to continue as a character
in this story. I think that would actually be pretty cool.
This alliance of people who don't want to be allied
(34:44):
together and in fact strongly disagree with each other and
in fact are both illegally fucking around with Ai shit.
I think that's fun, right because they have a lot
of obviously skin in the game. Desmond wants probably both
of them dead, and so they need to get him
out of there. I think that's cool. That makes a
lot of sense, and I think we end up in
a place where we get some more suggestions about what
(35:08):
Desmond is and how he became this way. Now, what
do I think would be cool? I think would be
what would be cool is more like agency from everybody
who is not Valua and Desmond Heart. I would love
to see the Emperor being like, do I trust any
of these people? Okay? How do I protect myself? How
(35:29):
do I proceed with the Empress at my side? How
do we put enough insulation between us and Desmond Heart
and all the rest of these people in case it
goes a different way. Let's say we have to cut
Desmond loose? How do we do that safely? Like, here's
a guy who can burn people with his mind, and yes,
he's your attack dog now, but what if he's not tomorrow.
I would like to see more characters thinking that way
(35:51):
about their current situation. You know, do I trust my
truth sayer?
Speaker 3 (35:56):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (35:56):
I wish we were seeing more I start having conversations
with other people about like what do I do about
this person who's at my side and I don't now
know if I can trust them. That's what I would
like to see as we head down the downslope of
the season towards the end, is more characters acting like
they have a say in their own life and wondering
if all the people around them are true allies or
(36:19):
true threats or some shade of in between, and then
taking measures accordingly. I think that would be cool.
Speaker 4 (36:26):
What about you?
Speaker 2 (36:27):
What would you need to see to make you feel like, Okay,
I'm in for a season two.
Speaker 1 (36:31):
I would need to see a lot more exactly what
you're saying. I would need to see a lot more
Dune level scheming and planning from the Sisterhood. I think
what we've seen of the Sisterhood so far in this
show is not tantalizing enough, because I admit I know
a lot about Dune, so maybe none of this is
(36:51):
like new or mind blowing stuff to me. But I
wanted to come into the show to be like, oh
my gosh, I'm learning so much about the Sisterhood and
their inner workings. And that is a wild plan that
ex Sister and Dorotea came up with. So I think
I would like for this Sisterhood plotline to take us
somewhere that's new and exciting and mysterious for the Dean universe.
(37:14):
I think if we are hinting at something like a
like a Latout character, or if we're going to connect
it back to even Paula Trades, it feels like we're
chained a little bit too much to the movies. I
guess I would like for this show to take its
own identity and to recognize the fact, as we've discussed,
that we're ten thousand years away from so much of
(37:36):
this stuff, like really mattering that.
Speaker 2 (37:38):
Much is an immense amount of time.
Speaker 3 (37:42):
It's such a long time.
Speaker 1 (37:44):
It's enough time for like wild shit like the Sisterhood
to be eradicated and then come back.
Speaker 2 (37:49):
Yeah, that's a great, great point. Let's go to the
you know what now that we've said that, I want
to I have a lot of questions for you, but
I feel like they fall under lore. So let's jump
to lore so super quickly.
Speaker 1 (38:01):
I'm going to blast through some lower things. I feel
free to jump in with questions as well. OK, I
want to shout out House Vernius. We had a lot
of house names dropped in this episode because of the
lands ride meeting. One of them was House Vernius, who
is a particularly important house in the Brian Herbert prequel stories.
House Vernius actually calls none other than Planet IX their home,
(38:24):
and in fact they are the stewards of Planet X
for thousands of years, although in this show it's not
clear if House.
Speaker 4 (38:30):
Vernius is the same thing as X.
Speaker 1 (38:32):
Right now, they do take it over after this timeline,
so timeline stuff is still very fuzzy right now, but
certainly by the time we get close to Paula Trades
once we're in the you know, eight thousands, nine thousands,
close and down on that ten thousand mark. House Vernius
has been ruling X for a long long time, and
in fact, there's a whole plotline in the prequel books
where House Vernius interacts with Duke leto tradees and ultimately
(38:56):
meets their demise due to tragic events. Speaking of the Excians,
I wanted to shout that out as well, because we
met an Nix Senes smuggler in today's episode with the
whole thermal bomb drone thing. And for folks who may
not know, Planet X is basically just the Silicon Valley
of the Dune universe, there are a bunch of techies.
They are constantly pushing the bounds of the Balerian prohibitions
(39:18):
against thinking machines, even in Paula Tredy's time, so they
don't learn their lesson ever, basically over the next ten
thousand years. Some fun facts, they are actually responsible in
the lore for creating those cones of silence that we've
seen a couple of times in this show, and they
are responsible for creating the Hunter Seeker, the bomb that
we saw in today's episode, and the little needle bug
(39:41):
thing that attacks Timothy shallow May in the Dune movie.
I also wanted to shout out that we got some
Dune terminology here. We got Padishaw Javaco's full title Patashaw
Emperor of the Known Universe, Havico Karino the First, and
Patashaw is actually a Persian word. I really appreciated getting
this in the show because, as we know, Dune borrows
(40:02):
a lot from Arabic push though Persian, Hebrew traditions and languages,
many of them you know, sourced from the Middle East.
Frank Herbert did a lot of research on those things
and borrowed a lot of ideas for his stories, and
it was nice to get that as well. Notably because
the show and the Villaina films in fact, were criticized
for not calling the wars a gihad. In this it's
(40:25):
the Butler and Jihad. In the future, it's Paul's gihad,
which I think is fair. You just can't say the
word gihad on American television in twenty twenty four, so
it's fair, you know, I think that is pointlessing to
get up in arms about machine wars.
Speaker 4 (40:39):
Totally fine.
Speaker 1 (40:40):
And the last thing we mentioned this earlier Conley. Harold
harkinin declares Conley in this episode. And this is super
interesting because Conley is defined in the Dune books as
quote a formal feud or vendetta under the rules of
the Great Convention, carried on according to the strictest limitations.
(41:01):
And that's especially interesting because warfare in the Dune universe
is not the traditional warfare that we know today. It's
not the warfare of large armies clashing. It's not the
warfare of say, like a like a Star Trek or
a star wars with ships shooting lasers at each other.
It is very much about assassins and vendettas and underhanded
tactics and poisonings and backstabbings. And one way in which
(41:25):
this government is controlling the bloodshed is when you want
to quote unquote declare war against another house or arrival,
you have to declare Conley officially, and hilariously, in the
Dune Encyclopedia it actually explains you have to fill out paperwork.
It's like doing your taxes. You have to declare conly
and then within a limited capacity under strict rules of war,
(41:48):
you are allowed to try to assassinate each other and stuff.
And so that's practically what Harrol harkinin declared here, which
is why it's a big deal that he said that
at the Lawndride meeting.
Speaker 4 (41:56):
Did you have other lord questions for me?
Speaker 2 (41:58):
Jason? I do, so, what is going on with Desmond Heart?
And are there any lore roots for the kind of
powers that he has?
Speaker 1 (42:11):
I don't have an answer for what's going on with
Desmond Heart, which is a totally show invention. One thing
I can theorize, and perhaps the only connection that I
can make, is that in the Brian Herbert prequel books,
there are straight up like basically sorceresses on a planet
called Rossick, And it's these sorceresses that actually help found
are connected loosely to founding the Sisterhood. Actually, these sorceresses
(42:35):
do have the ability to like telepathically mind blast people.
It's not the same as telepathically burning someone to a crisp,
but they do have these abilities. Is Desmond connected to
a sorceress of Rossick from that planet? Was his mother
like a rogue sister who left the Order and that's
why he has a vendetta against them.
Speaker 4 (42:56):
I don't know. It's still up in the air.
Speaker 2 (42:59):
The proto face answer power that we see sister Theodosia
display here. You're right in that what we see is
face answer ish, but definitely not as you know, maybe
in ten thousand years they've honed the power and it's
just a lot easier and it's not what we see here. Yeah,
that said, do you think that's where they're going with it,
(43:20):
that this is kind of a proto face answer power?
And follow up, how do these where do these powers
spring from? The voice the face answer power? Where do
we think that they come from? Because it appears that
people are just born with it and then develop it
to the point that they're able to teach other people
how to do it. Yeah, where do they come from?
Speaker 1 (43:40):
So as far as the proto face answer things thing
goes in the like post episode discussion thing with the
show creators, they did refer to it as a proto
face answer So that seemingly is the direction they're going
with it, that this will have some sort of connection
to the face answers of the far future that we
know from the books. As far as where the powers
(44:01):
come from the voice. In this show, we discussed this
in the last couple episodes. Did actually start with Volua,
and it's quite accurate to how it was in the
books as well. It's a power that she discovered and
developed over time, and as you said, honed it into
something that could be teachable to her fellow sisters. The
face dancers, on the other hand, are actually more of
like a biological weapon. They were created by a group
(44:23):
called the Benny Playlax, and the Benny Playlax are super gross,
but they're very into like biological modifications and genetic modifications,
and so they create these mules, these face dancers, through
these modifications, through biological and genetic tampering, so that they
can have like assassins and spies within the imperium. It's
(44:46):
a political tool for them, and so for it to
just naturally appear is a little confounding. Also famously, the
Benny Jeserit in the future, the Benny Jesuit Order and
the Benny Sleaylax are like bitter rivals. They don't like
each other. So the fact that this power is appearing
(45:08):
within the Sisterhood with the sister it's certainly throwing me
off my game. It's nothing that I know about.
Speaker 2 (45:14):
Well, thank you. Thank you for the lowd doownload. Those
fast and of course.
Speaker 1 (45:18):
Always a pleasure of Jason, and that wraps it up
for our coverage of Dooing Prophecy episode four. Coming up
on the next few episodes of x ray Vision, you
and Rosie are continuing your coverage of the excellent Skeleton
Crew on Disney Plus, and Carmen and Joelle will continue
their journey through Robert Egger's filmography with an episode about
(45:40):
the Northmen coming up as they work their way up
to No.
Speaker 4 (45:43):
S Faratu on Christmas.
Speaker 3 (45:45):
That's different today's episode.
Speaker 4 (45:46):
Thank you all so much for listening by.
Speaker 2 (45:52):
X ray Vision is hosted by Jason Nsumsion and Rosie
Knight and is a production of iHeart Podcasts. Executive producers
are Joelle Smith and Aaron Kaufman. Our supervising producer is
a Boo Zafar. Our producers are Carmen Lawn and Mia Taylor.
Our theme song is by Brian Basquez. Special thanks to
(46:15):
Soul Rubin and Chris Laude, Kenny Goodman and Heidi our
discord moderator
Hosts And Creators
Jason Concepcion
Rosie Knight
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