HBO’s Dune: Prophecy season 1 came to an end on December 22, 2024, after six thrilling episodes. The sci-fi series concludes with a surprising twist, that completely changes the relationship dynamics between the two protagonist sisters, Mother Superior Valya Harkonnen and Reverend Mother Tula Harkonnen.
Ever since the beginning of the show, Valya and Tula stuck together as they tried to grow the Sisterhood’s dominance in the empire. However, in the finale episode, The High-Handed Enemy, Tula turns against her sister.
Tula uses the Voice, the powerful ability used by the Sisterhood to control their enemies, against Valya in the Dune: Prophecy season 1 finale. She did so to stop her sister from killing her son Desmond Hart, who she had abandoned years ago.
Tula uses the Voice on Valya to save her son in Dune: Prophecy
The Voice is a special power used by the Bene Gesserit, which allows them to control other people by changing their voice pitch and neurological order. In the past, the ability was created and perfected by Valya.
She even used it to save her brother Griffin when he fell into a frozen lake, commanding him to swim to safety. But Valya has also used the Voice for darker reasons, like forcing Reverend Mother Dorotea to take her own life.
Throughout the series, Valya’s control of the Voice is shown to be the best among the Bene Gesserit. No one has dared to use the power against her until Tula does. In Dune: Prophecy episode 6, Tula uses the Voice on Valya because she is desperate to protect her son, Desmond Hart.
For years, Tula had hidden Desmond’s existence from Valya and the rest of the Sisterhood to keep him safe. In the finale, when Valya is about to kill Desmond, Tula steps in and uses the Voice to stop her. Tula yells, ‘Stop!’ and Valya is forced to obey her. Tula then tells Valya the truth about Desmond being her son.
With the move, Tula not only proves her love for her son but also shows that Valya is not unbeatable. Valya is shocked and angry with Tula’s actions, as she never thought anyone could use the Voice on her, let alone her own sister.
The betrayal hurts Valya on an emotional level as she was the one who had taught the skill to Tula in the first place. She walks away from her sister, while Tula reunites with Desmond Hart; however, even she is betrayed and gets arrested by her son.
How do Tula’s actions affect her relationship with Valya in Dune: Prophecy?
By using the Voice against Valya, Tula has broken their bond as sisters and challenged the rules of the Sisterhood. As Dune: Prophecy has been renewed for a second season, the show will likely depict the rivalry between the two sisters going forward.
Actress Olivia Williams, who plays Tula, reflected on her character’s decision in an interview with TVLine and revealed she always felt like a ‘lesser sister’ to Valya, and hence, using the Voice is a big moment for her. She said:
“A huge thing for Tula is the moment when she says [to Valya], ‘Please don’t kill my son. Trust me, I’ve got this,’ and the fact that [Valya] does trust her, and goes. All these years she has known that she is highly capable and highly effective, but has been treated as the lesser sister.”
At the same time, Emily Watson, who plays Valya, said Tula’s betrayal has blown her relationship with her sister:
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“It’s blown everything up, though I think Valya is probably still holding onto ‘I am the chosen one, I have the destiny’ as her guide. But I think by the end of [the finale], everything she thought she knew is incinerated. Everything has changed.”
Dune: Prophecy season 1 is streaming on Max.
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