Warning: spoilers for Dune: Prophecy Episode 3 - “Sisterhood Above All” are in play. If you haven’t seen this week’s episode via HBO or with a Max subscription, you’ve been warned.
If we’re going by the traditional three-act structure, Dune: Prophecy’s run on the 2024 TV schedule has just entered Act II. And what better point to start giving us the backstory of the Harkonnen family, particularly young Tula and Valya and their journey towards the Sisterhood? Among other reasons, the timing is fantastic because it starts to fuel another mystery we’ve seen play out in the contemporary story: the true connection between Tula and the departed Sister Lila.
That mystery has me all the more intrigued after speaking with actor Emma Canning, who plays young Tula in Prophecy's episode "Sisterhood Above All," which further establishes her character’s pattern of having to give up any sort of love or connection in this world. It seems that Tula’s murder of Orry Atreides (Milo Callaghan) and almost all of his hunting camp is a huge key to her personality.
It’s especially potent after the ending of Dune: Prophecy’s second chapter, and in light of how this week’s events conclude, which inspired me to ask Emma Canning if she could tease anything about the future. I was specifically curious about what she could say about the relationship between contemporary Tula (Olivia Williams) and Sister Lila (Chloe Lea), which looms even larger in the aftermath of “Sisterhood Above All.”
With that question on the table, here’s what Ms. Canning had to share with CinemaBlend:
That's something I cannot answer. I can't say anything about Lila's parentage, nor… Who knows what’s in store? That’s all I can say. I would say stay tuned, because this is not the last surprise at all.
There are two things about Canning’s answer that intrigue me. First, her laughter while delivering it was a clear sign that I’d asked one of those right/wrong questions actors get with a project as secretive as Dune: Prophecy. But also, there was a pause when she said “nor,” which seemed to indicate that there’s more to Tula’s story to look out for than just answering the question of whether she is Lila’s mother or not.
After getting some more time with both Emma Canning and Olivia Williams’ incarnations of Tula Harkonnen in “Sisterhood Above All,” Dune: Prophecy has given me another story to keenly follow outside of the mystery of Desmond Hart (Travis Fimmell). As someone who’s kind of been forced to let go of everything she’s ever loved in the name of the mission Valya (Emily Watson) has been dictating for almost all of their lives, we may have seen a breaking point for this stoic and loyal player.
Considering how Dune: Prophecy’s Sisterhood turmoil is posing a major crisis of faith that could shake the institution to its very core, Tula using a secret massive supercomputer to potentially resurrect Lila is another huge stake driven into the ground. Reactions are going to be all over the place within this universe, and with Desmond wrecking havoc outside of the Sisterhood’s walls, this could become a two-fronted battle for all involved.
Keep that in mind when Dune: Prophecy continues to unfold in Episode 4 - “Twice Born,” on Sunday at 9 PM ET on HBO. And if you want to know how to watch Dune: Prophecy, it couldn’t be easier. Max subscribers will be able to keep up with those tuned into the broadcast feed, as new installments debut at the same time they do on cable.
