In Blood, Truth is the fifth episode of the first season of Dune: Prophecy. It premiered on December 15, 2024 on HBO and MAX. It was written by Carlito Rodriguez and Leah Benavides Rodriguez and directed by Anna Foerster.
Premise[]
While Tula tries to keep her secret project from being discovered by the other Sisters, Desmond goes on a warpath to root out insurgents.
Synopsis[]
Desmond dresses and gets ready, then leaves.
Javicco and Natalya step outside with Constantine and Ynez following them. Desmond leads the guards up to them and they all take out their swords and bow to Javicco. Javicco gives a speech about swift responses to people upsetting the social order. The attempted attack on the Landsraad was a threat to them all. If it weren't for Desmond, the day's ceremony would have been a funeral. Now more than ever, the need to defend their values with ferocity and pride. That's why he's assembled a new, elite regiment. Desmond will be his new Bashar, to lead the soldiers and eradicate treason. After hearing this, Ynez turns to leave. Two guards step in front of her, but she says she did her duty, so if her father ordered them to follow her, they better keep up.
Javicoo tells Desmond he needs him to deal with the threat to his family's lives. Desmond promises to take care of it and suggests leaving the fleet in orbit above Salusa for a while. He says it'll show strength and remind people who has power. Natalya comes up and compliments Desmond's uniform. He's just happy to serve them. Suddenly Francesca enters. It's been a long time since she last saw Javicco. Natalya asks if no one informed her this was a private affair. She says she's not there on Sisterhood business. Constantine sent her a message, so she's there to see her son.
Constantine forcibly enters Ynez's room, telling her guards their job is to protect her, not to keep him from seeing her. Ynez tells him they're not the ones preventing him from seeing her, but has them back off. She's not impressed with his attempt at apologizing. He feels terrible for leaving her at the Landsraad, but their father thought he was coming to support him and was proud of Constantine, which is why Constantine backed out. Ynez says he should have told her what happened and he promises not to let her down again.
Avila tells the acolytes that heat is just energy and they can redistribute that energy without harm. Jen and Emeline practice as Avila says a focused mind is their greatest protection. Jen asks what protection they have when nightmares invade. Emeline says the human mind is the highest master in the material world. Jen says the entire school is sharing a nightmare and those in charge have been silent on the matter. When she asks about the eyes watching them from the darkness, Avila says she's out of line. Jen wonders how they can discern truth when there is no truth there. Tula comes in and says they're dealing with a grave situation, not just on Wallach IX, but on the Imperial planet. That's the truth. She can either remember her duty or leave. Jen decides to sit back down and Tula orders her to leave the room.
As they walk out, Jen asks Tula if she's being expelled. Tula says no and has Jen follow her. She asks Jen if she still hasn't had the dream. Jen says no, she hasn't. She doesn't know why. Tula thinks she might be resistant to it, which makes her the perfect person to help Tula. Jen says she'll do whatever Tula needs. Tula needs her discretion. She takes Jen to the storeroom and on the way tells Jen she took a great risk doing what she's about to show Jen. But she felt she had to try. She opens a porthole in a door and Jen peeks in. She's startled when Lila pops up, screaming. Tula opens the door and calls for Jen to help her as she holds Lila. They secure Lila to a table as Tula calls for Lila to follow her voice. Tula explains that one of Lila's foremothers is causing this distress. Jen asks what Tula did to her and Tula says she found a way for Lila to survive. Jen questions if this is truly survival. Tula says Lila isn't lost to them. She just doesn't know what she's doing. They need to guide her back to herself. Jen calls for Lila to follow her voice, saying she's missed her. Lila finally calms. Tula says in time, the ancestors will settle and Lila will learn to manage them. She needs Jen to stay with Lila because they're friends and Tula has other things she has to attend to. She hands Jen a mild sedative she can give Lila as a last resort. As Tula leaves, Lila tells Jen she heard her.
Francesca is looking at a portrait of the royal family when Constantine comes up behind her. She hugs him and tells him it's good to see him. He asks how the other side of the universe is and says he wasn't expecting to see her. She says she came as soon as she got his message, but he didn't send a crystal and thought she was there because of Kasha. Francesca didn't even know that Kasha had died.
Harrow comes to see Desmond. He's there to apologize. Desmond says he needs to apologize to Javicco, not him. Harrow asks if Desmond has Javicco's ear and Desmond tells him to close the door. He tells Harrow that his actions bordered on treason. Harrow says it was just poor judgment. He made the mistake of listening to Valya's suggestion. She does nothing but bring shame to their house. Desmond calls Harrow over to sit by him. Then he asks why he should absolve Harrow. Harrow says they're not their bloodlines. Evgeny saw through Valya and he wonders why he couldn't do the same. Desmond wants to know the connection between the Sisterhood and the rebellion. Harrow doesn't know anything about that. Desmond asks if they're interfering with the spice trade to weaken the Emperor. He gives Harrow some spice and says if he can get evidence, the Imperial house will reward him. Harrow snorts the spice and says for a time, pirates were hijacking every other shipment of his whale fur. No one knew who they were or how to find them. So he stopped looking for pirates and started looking for contraband instead. He found that in Zimia, it all goes through one underground market, run by Arrakian smugglers. That means the rebels must have gone through that market to get the spice to sell to raise the solari needed to buy the thinking machine. If Desmond visits some of the smugglers and wins them over, they'll be able to tell him who the insurgents are and where to find them. Desmond says that's a start, but he'll need proof that Valya is involved to clear Harrow's name. After Desmond leaves, Harrow picks up a gadget from the table and opens it to reveal glowing sphere.
Francesca wonders why Valya didn't tell her the truth. Valya says the Spacing Guild has been known to monitor dispatches and she couldn't risk the emperor finding out that she'd summoned Francesca. The situation is too precarious and what happened to Kasha is just the start. The Sisterhood has been sidelined. The emperor is refusing a new Truthsayer and Desmond is leading him on a despotic path. Francesca asks if it's the reckoning Raquella spoke of. Valya says it is, but this might only be the start of it. Francesca asks what Tula has to say about it and Valya says Tula is by her side as always. If she were there, she'd tell Francesca that they must act. She's going to eliminate Desmond Hart. That's already in progress. She needs Francesca to guide Javicco back to them and get him to let his heirs study on Wallach IX. Francesca asks if Constantine was just a ruse. Valya says Javicco hasn't appointed a commander for his new fleet. It would be wise if the son of a Sister was in charge of that asset. Francesca thinks her odds of success are low with Desmond in her way. Valya assures her he won't be in her way. Valya will keep him occupied.
Desmond leads the guards to Keiran. He says they're looking for insurgents and invites Keiran to come along. When Constantine comes in, Desmond says maybe he'll come next time and leaves. Constantines takes a sword for Keiran and asks if he's ready to duel. Keiran is angry because Constantine was late again and tells him not to make excuses. If he wants his father's respect, he should start by taking responsibility for himself. The training could save his life, but Keiran won't train him if he doesn't take it seriously. That's his lesson for the day.
Keiran goes to Mikaela and tells her she has to get off the planet because they're looking for insurgents. It's only a matter of time before they find her out. Mikaela tells him to calm down and asks what about him. He says his cover isn't blown yet. He's spent years getting to his position at the palace. It would be foolish for him to burn it down now. Mikaela thinks it's because of Ynez. She reminds him she's been doing this a lot longer than he has. She tells him not to make the mistake of thinking he can become the man he's pretending to be, especially if that man is better than he is. Keiran tells Mikaela to come because Horace would want her to be safe. Mikaela says he didn't know Horace well if he thinks Horace would want her to run. She opens her bag and shows her she has chain detonators. He asks her how she got them. She says she has her own sources. If Desmond comes, she has quite a greeting for him.
Avila receives a package from Valya.
Jen gives Lila come water. She tells Lila that they all said goodbye to her because they were told it was the only way. She wishes she'd done more. Lila says it's not her fault. Jen tried to warn her. Jen says she was right about the Sisterhood being in trouble. Jen doesn't know where to begin. She tells Lila about the shared nightmares, but Lila already knows what they saw. She saw it, too. She foresaw the reckoning that would drive the Imperium to tyranny. If he succeeds, humanity will backslide into self-destruction. She saw all of it on her deathbed. She asks where Valya is. Jen realizes that she's not talking to Lila after all.
Jen takes Lila to see Tula, who says she should be resting. Lila goes over to the table and says it's a mess. Tula went through unorthodox methods to access her knowledge and now she's here. She wants them to get to work. Tula realizes she's speaking to Raquella. Raquella doesn't know how long she has in control. She assigns Jen to track the data and look for patterns. Raquella is relieved that the Mother School is still standing. Tula attributes that to Valya's work. Raquella knows she made the right decision choosing her. She worried her Great Work would be lost. Jen asks what she means, but Tula says it's not the time for questions. Raquella asks if Valya and Dorotea ever resolved their differences. She's disappointed that they didn't. They get the results from Kashas's brain tissue and Raquella sees damage she's seen before during the war. She asks Jen to get her a new sample.
Valya asks Harrow if the lead she gave him helped. He nods and says Desmond was grateful. If Desmond gets what he needs from the smugglers, Harrow's hopeful he'll be forgiven. Valya says he won't be, but they can use Desmond's distrust to their advantage. Harrow says Desmond as interested in the workings of the Sisterhood. Harrow asks what they are up to. Valya says they're serving the Imperium as always. His eagerness to help Desmond will get House Harkonnen back in the Emperor's good graces. He's wanted this his entire life and now Valya is giving it to him. He wishes he had a Truthsayer to know if she's sincere or not. She says he'll have to trust her. She puts a ring on his finger. He needs to leave to get on his ship. He's going to lay Evgeny to rest among their ancestors. Valya decides not to go, saying she already said her goodbyes to him. Harrow offers to send her regards and says she can stay there while he's gone. Theodosia asks Valya about her decision to lead Desmond to the rebels and how Francesca factors into that. Valya says one day, she'll learn the art of imprinting, making a strong impression that alters someone's life. It's a bond that never breaks.
Javicco asks Francesca what she wants. She wants him to start supporting Constantine and trust him with some real responsibility. Javicco says he has no desire to lead. Francesca reminds him he had a similar reputation when he was young. It was frustrating for his father the way Constantine is for him. She wants him to give Constantine a chance to show Javicco his best and allow him to prove himself. He'll become a man as good as his father is. Javicco pulls Francesca to the side and kisses her. She didn't come to put a wedge between him and Natalya. She walks away.
Raquella tells Jen and Tula about a pathogen that incubated in the human body and infected the liver. This has properties, but affected her amygdala, the fear center. A knock interrupts them and Tula goes out to find Avila, who asks what's happening inside. Tula says it's not safe for her. Avila questions if she even knows what's happening in the school, as students are demanding to be sent home. As they argue, Raquella opens the door and tells Tula it's a virus. The nightmare and deaths are connected to a genetically modified airborne RNA retrovirus. Avila is horrified and asks what abomination this is. Tula tells her she found a way to save Lila. She's still in recovery. Avila asks if Valya knows about it. Tula says she's doing what she was told to do, protecting the sisterhood at all costs. She dismisses Avila, telling her not to tell anyone else about this.
Mikaela and Keiran set up the chain detonators. They hear noise in the distance and she investigates. She welcomes Desmond and the guards. She offers him a drink. He just spoke to a smuggler who told him her place was a hotbed for insurgent activity and the spice he smuggled paid for the party. Mikaela doesn't know anything about that. Desmond sits up on the bar and gestures to the guards, who begin turning everything over, searching for contraband. Desmond finds it odd that Mikaela, a Fremen, is there profiting off the pillaging of her own planet. She says she found a different to survive. He really wants to know how the Sisterhood is connected to the rebellion. If she gives him something he can use, he'll spare her life. She says God created Arrakis to train the faithful and she lives there. Desmond reaches around her and presses a button under the bar. He leaves a guard behind to watch Mikaela and has the others come with him to look at the upstairs.
As they enter the room he's in, Keiran breaks a guard's neck and then draws his sword and stabs another.
Desmond finds the guards dumping spice all over the room.
Keiran activates the detonators, getting them ready. Then he comes up behind the guard watching Mikaela and slits his throat. He has her follow him out as he fights the guards. She pulls out her own blade and kills one of the guards.
Desmond finds Mikaela's outfit and realizes she's part of the Sisterhood. The detonators activate, but as things start to explode, Desmond activates his shield, saving his life.
Keiran and Mikaela are thrown by the explosion, but are able to get up. He recognizes her knife and now knows she's a Sister. She tells him everyone has secrets and the Sisterhood stands with what's best for the Imperium, just like Keiran. He asks if she's willing to let her people burn to serve that cause. He never wants to see her again.
Lila/Raquella is sleeping as Jen watches. Tula comes in and tells Jen to let her know if Raquella returns. Jen asks if Lila is being used for the Sisterhood's gain. Tula says they're in a time of crisis, so they have to make sacrifices. Jen asks what sacrifices Tula has made. Tula says it's more than Jen could imagine.
Desmond wakes up in the rubble and gets up.
Constantine practices his sword work. Francesca sits with him and he tells her about having to learn about the great Corinnos all his life. But he doesn't know anything about Francesca's family. The Sisterhood always has a purpose, a grand plan. She says that's their intention. He asks what her purpose was in having him. She left him to be raised by a father who can't stand him and never will and wants to know what the purpose of that was. She says he needs to see Javicco for the man he really is. Constantine thinks he can never be pleased, but Francesca says he's driven by fear. Constantine on the other hand, has never cared what people think. Francesca says opportunities will come to him and he needs to reach for them with both hands. Francesca says he was brought into the world to protect Ynez from anyone who sought to harm her, including those who claim to love her.
Valya is shocked that Desmond survived and wonders how that's possible. Mikaela doesn't know how, but his body wasn't among the dead. Valya has a contingency plan for him. Mikaela reminds Valya she just had to destroy everything she's spent years building. Valya says the investment wasn't wasted. They needed to occupy their enemies so Francesca could maneuver, so they need to hope she took good advantage. Mikaela can hold her head up high. Valya gives Mikaela something to get her to their safe house on Arrakis. Mikaela says she won't betray her people like she did Horace and the others. Theodosia reminds her that the Sisterhood is her people. Mikaela says Theodosia is naive and leaves.
Constantine is putting away his sword when he notices something and takes a closer look. He activates it and sees the schematics to the palace.
Keiran walks in to Constantine waiting for him. Constantine wants to think him for his concern and for everything he's done and taught him. Keiran says that's his duty, but he's gone beyond that. He reminded Constantine of his purpose. Several guards come in and take Keiran away.
Javicco stands at the head of the table and says it's a special occasion. He has Constantine stand and recognizes him for his quick action, which allowed them to apprehend a traitor. Ynez is shocked to learn it was Keiran. They plan to make an example of him to show that they won't tolerate treachery. Javicco announces that he's chosen Constantine to command his fleet. He knows Francesca is just as proud. Everyone toasts to him. Natalya and Ynez share a look and then Natalya leaves the table.
Ynez goes to where Keiran is being held. She uses her training from Kasha and asks him if everything was a lie. He says he cares about her, but she reminds him he tried to kill her family. He says he couldn't go through with it. He chose her over his principles, but he's willing to die for them anyway. She asks if he really thinks he can bring about a better Imperium. He says yes.
Lila wakes up and tells Jen she felt Mother Raquella moving through her. She asks if they got what they needed. Jen says it seems like they did. Lila asks where Tula is. She's gone to check a message from Valya. Lila's glad she didn't let everyone down. Jen says she's the bravest of them. She did her part. She tells Lila to get some rest.
Tula receives the message from Valya with Desmond's blood. To understand his power, they need to identify his bloodline. Tula puts the DNA in to be processed. Anirul runs it.
Desmond tells Natalya he should have died tonight. Natalya realizes he was chosen just like she was. Then the Sisterhood took it away from her. She lost everything to them.
Francesca unbuttons Javicco's shirt and presses her hand to his chest.
Natalya asks Desmond what they did to him.
Anirul says Desmond is Atreides and Harkonnen. Tula is shocked when Anirul identifies Desmond.
Desmond says the woman who gave birth to him sent him away to live among scavengers who left him to fight for scraps. She was a Sister. Natalya leans in and kisses him. When she pulls back, she tells him they can rid the Imperium of the Sisterhood forever.
Cast[]
Starring[]
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Co-Starring[]
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Gallery[]
Episode Stills[]
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Dune: Prophecy | ||
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Episodes | Season 1 | 1 The Hidden Hand • 2 Two Wolves • 3 Sisterhood Above All • 4 Twice Born • 5 In Blood, Truth • 6 The High-Handed Enemy |
Season 2 | tba | |
Characters | Bene Gesserit | Valya Harkonnen • Tula Harkonnen • Kasha Jinjo • Francesca |
House Corrino | Emperor Javicco • Empress Natalya • Princess Ynez • Constantine | |
others | Desmond Hart • Keiran Atreides • browse more | |
Cast | Emily Watson • Olivia Williams • Jihae • Tabu • Travis Fimmel • Mark Strong • Jodhi May • Sarah-Sofie Boussnina • Josh Heuston • Chris Mason • browse more |
External Links[]
Watch In Blood, Truth on Max