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Dune: Prophecy begins with a thesis statement. It occurs when Venerable Mother Tula Harkonnen (played by Olivia Williams), a member of the powerful, quasi-religious order of the Sisterhood, instructs a group of novices in the subtle art of divination, used to determine whether someone is true is to be dishonest. “Humanity’s greatest weapon is lies,” she tells them—both a justification for the lesson and an explanation of the ethos that underpins it dune The rigid imperial society of the universe continues. But the sisters’ weapon isn’t just their ability to detect lies; It is also their ability to tell them. Tula and her fellow sisters do not simply respond to the deceitful men who control the empire, as portrayed in the film dune Books. Instead, the women of Dune: Prophecy are the heroes of the series And his villains.

Playing with the binary of “good” and “bad” – and who falls into which category – is a core interest of the dune Franchise. Novelist Frank Herbert’s (predominantly male) heroes are bound by virtue, but they are also deeply flawed: Paul Atreides, the protagonist of the first dune The novel is a deconstruction of the messianic figure, whose seemingly divine attributes are the result of forces beyond his control. The reader is encouraged to side with Paul, but the story’s climax reveals that the existence of an all-powerful despot spells bad news for a fragile interstellar empire.

Dune: Prophecy draws on Frank Herbert’s anti-hero model to tell the origins of the Sisterhood, a nun-like order of duplicitous superwomen that eventually became known as the Bene Gesserit. prophecy is based on the prequel novel Sisterhood of Dune– written by Brian Herbert, Frank’s son, along with author Kevin J. Anderson – who follows the senior (and biologically related) Sisters Tula and Mother Superior Valya Harkonnen (Emily Watson) in their quest to expand their order. Their goal is to manipulate the noble houses into placing one of their members on the imperial throne, thereby cementing the Sisterhood’s control over the known universe.

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A more obvious interpretation of this story might have made these characters girl bosses, portraying them as an independent and powerful group of women determined to save humanity from its darkest impulses. Although Tula, Valya and their co-conspirators see themselves as saviors instead, prophecy ensures the audience doesn’t. The show continually exposes the women’s hypocrisy: They have no problem using the very lies they believe everyone else is forbidden, and they will go to extremes to protect their legacy.

The series’ antagonistic view of the sisterhood is an extension of the depiction of the order in Frank Herbert’s work. In the first book, the author reduces the Bene Gesserit to a cautionary tale of hubris: Paul thwarts their millennia-long efforts to influence the empire for their own benefit. Dune: Prophecy Deepens the audience’s understanding of why these women yearn for absolute power despite the dangers and the despicable methods they use to achieve it. In the dune-iverse, your legacy is your destiny, but for the sisters, destiny is just another tool at their disposal.

prophecyThe emphasis on the inconsistent morals of the main characters is a refreshing change from other recent female-led fantasy series. Recent shows have typically encouraged viewers to root for the women at the center: HBO’s House of the Dragon portrays its central former friends-turned-enemies as tragic rather than malevolent. The Wheel of TimeThe sorceresses fight to save their world’s magical source from the forces of darkness. An elven commander leads the Battle for Middle-earth The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powerand it’s not even a real competition. When it comes to a conflict between heroes and villains, it’s easy to know which side to be on, and therefore it’s a bit boring to get into.

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In contrast, the Sisterhood is devious, manipulative and amoral. These alienating qualities do not apply prophecy or its characters back; The sisters’ moral depravity drives both the empire and the intrigue. What is most compelling, however, is how much these women depend on it and often encourage it dune the strict, gendered structures of the universe. They arrange marriages, ensure that nobles give birth to children bearing humanity’s most desirable genes, and maintain the technologically advanced Empire’s archaic lord-serf system. While other series in their genre tend to feature strong female characters who break free from sexist constraints, prophecy shows how the female protagonists use discrimination and subjugation to their advantage.

Not all of it works. The series has already received some criticism for its use of certain source materials (some Frank Herbert purists consider the Brian Herbert prequels to be non-canon) and for its presentation of some parts of the lore. But its core themes – the corrupting lure of control, the dangers of placing the future in the hands of greedy autocrats – closely parallel those of the original dune Novels. Like the male protagonists of the older Herbert, prophecy‘s women intentionally perpetuate a vicious cycle of abuse of power and depravity. Their actions are their own and they are not ashamed of them.