Dune: Prophecy Episode 4 recap - Desmond has the trust of the emperor

Set in Frank Herbert's richly detailed Dune universe, Dune: Prophecy arrived on Max in November 2024 and has completed its first four episodes. The TV series serves as the prequel to Timothée Chalamet's 2021 film and delves into the origins of the Bene Gesserit, a sisterhood recognized for its exceptional abilities.

Dune: Prophecy shows how this secretive order impacts the Dune universe and forms the base of future events. Since it centers around the early developments of the sisterhood, the TV series follows the events that occurred 10,000 years before the birth of Paul Atreides.

As seen in the first four episodes, the journey of two sisters - Valya (Emily Watson) and Tula Harkonnen (Olivia Williams) is the main plot, with Valya, the leader of Bene Gesserit, and Tula as the Reverend Mother.

There have been dramatic revelations and political schemings since the story kicked off, and Dune: Prophecy Episode 4 was no stranger to these key themes. Continue reading for a detailed recap.

The Rebellion Begins to Form in Dune: Prophecy Episode 4

The fourth episode hints at future conflicts (Image Source: YT @Max)

Dune: Prophecy Episode 4, "Twice Born," kicks off with the continuation of the events after a chaotic confrontation between Tula Harkonnen and the Atreides, focusing on Keiran Atreides. While Keiran is leading a rebellion against the emperor, his challenges highlight uncertainty, especially due to his feelings for Princess Ynez.

Despite being a rebel leader, he's drawn to the emperor's daughter, creating personal tension and navigating a complex situation. Keiran's feelings for Princess Ynez clash with his fight against her father. This could lead to future conflicts in Dune: Prophecy Season 1.

Apart from his personal struggles, Keiran and his group come up with a clever yet risky plan. They plan to use the black-market thinking machine - a drone-like weapon in a public event. The motive? They want to provoke a major uprising, but their plans lack coordination.

At the same time, their rebellion doesn’t align with Valya Harkonnen, who's also working on plans for the sisterhood. The episode reveals Valya's goal to expose the rebels publicly, which would potentially help her strengthen the influence of her sisterhood. Due to this disconnection, the rebellion’s success is left hanging in the balance.

Desmond Hart strengthens his hold on the emperor in Dune: Prophecy Episode 4

Desmond Hart's plan continues (Image Source: IG @Duneprophecy)

The mysterious Shai-Hulud prophet, Desmond Hart, successfully manipulates the emperor and advocates for aggressive action, unlike Javicco Corrino’s cautious approach. Meanwhile, Empress Natalaya decides to leak intelligence about the rebels’ involvement with thinking machines.

This helps Desmond expose and eliminate them during a High Council meeting in Dune: Prophecy Episode 4. Desmond then begins a brutal public execution of the rebels and rivals noble, making the emperor even more reliant on him.

Meanwhile, Princess Ynez refuses to join the sisterhood and defies her father and Desmond. Since the Princess has similar feelings for Keiran, Episode 4 hints that she might consider escaping with him, which would ultimately complicate the rebellion.

Valya's strategic plan is disrupted by Desmond's brutal actions

Valya is facing several challenges (Image Source: HBO Max)

Later in Dune: Prophecy Episode 4, Valya faces setbacks due to Desmond’s public actions. She has been trying to place Harrow Harkonnen in a powerful position in the High Council, but thanks to Desmond, who ruined all her planning.

Harrow, who's often considered weak and a bit comical, is out of the picture, and this is undeniably a loss for Valya Harkonnen. However, Valya isn't someone who gives up easily and manages to collect a blood sample from Desmond Hart.

She planned to use the Sisterhood’s secret gene bank to dig deep into Desmond's background and gain more information about him. This suggests hidden secrets about Desmond's identity, which might soon come out.

Tula Harkonnen's challenges and the Sisterhood's growing crisis

The Sisterhood crisis grows (Image Source: HBO Max)

As the Dune: Prophecy episode continues, Tula Harkonnen is seen encountering problems at Wallach IX. The young members of the Sisterhood are troubled by strange visions filled with dark symbols like sand, a thumper, and Shai-Hulud, potentially hinting at an upcoming danger.

The visions are so haunting that it leads one of the sisters, Emiline, to almost slit her throat while sleepwalking. This shows that these visions are affecting them physically and emotionally.

When Tula uses a spice cocktail to recall the visions, she discovers that Desmond Hart's power might be troubling the Sisterhood from within. This adds to the growing crisis of the sisterhood mystery surrounding Desmond.

At the same time, Tula brings Lila back to life, a character thought to have died. When Lila wakes up, her bright blue eyes resemble Fremen people, adding to the mystery. Her return and transformation might play a key role in uncovering secrets about Desmnd's power and the threat they would face.

Theodosia's shocking transformation in Dune: Prophecy Episode 4

A Face Dancer is revealed in episode 4 (Image Source: HBO Max)

As the episodes come to an end, a startling truth about Sister Theodosia is uncovered. Turns out, she is more dangerous than she seems, as Theodosia is a Face Dancer. She's seen shedding her skin and bones and transforming into two different people: Griffin Harkonnen and Reverend Mother Dorotea.

Face Dancers are trained assassins with the ability to mimic others. They can be incredibly dangerous and manipulative. Despite learning about her identity, Valya keeps it a secret, possibly planning to use Theodosia's abilities against Desmond Hart.