- "History will say that the Fremen were about to find their Messiah. But Paul Atreides would find his revenge and the world as we knew it would change forever."
- ―Princess Irulan Corrino[src]
Muad'Dib is the second episode of Frank Herbert's Dune. It premiered on December 3, 2000 on the SciFi Channel. It was written and directed by John Harrison.
Premise[]
The Lady Jessica and her son, Paul Atreides, manage to contact the native Dune population, known as Fremen.
Synopsis[]
At the governor's palace in Arrakeen, Baron Vladimir Harkonnen as plagued by a dream of Paul Atreides and of many people chanting a name. He is approached by Feyd-Rautha, who informs him that Paul and Jessica are dead from having flown an Ornithopter into a Coriolis storm and that their soldiers have killed Duncan Idaho and captured Dr. Liet-Kynes. The Baron asks Feyd if he has seen Paul and Jessica's bodies and Feyd insists that nothing survives such a storm.
In the desert, Jessica awakes next to the crashed Ornithopter. Paul gives her a note which confirms that Dr. Wellington Yueh betrayed House Atreides in an attempt to save his wife Wanna Marcus from House Harkonnen. Jessica tells Paul that he should wear Leto's Ducal ring, as he is now the Duke. Paul tells her that he has found some supplies and that they must find the Fremen, whom they will need in order to take back Arrakis. Paul and Jessica cross the desert in their stillsuits. Paul instructs that they travel south into the deep desert to find a Fremen sietch. Jessica suddenly vomits, but tells Paul that it is merely due to stress.
On Kaitain, Princess Irulan Corrino storms into that study of her father, Padishah Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV, and confronts him over his role in the Siege of Arrakeen. He denies being involved and she accuses him of using her by sending her to the banquet on Arrakis as a token of support. She asks Count Hasimir Fenring if it was his idea as Shaddam orders her to stop asking questions, she reiterates that she is certain of his involvement. He tells her that she must shed her naivite and learn what it means to rule an Empire, to which she warms him that he may regret it when the time comes.
In the desert, Paul and Jessica take shelter in a cave. In the governor's palace, the Baron questions Kynes over her role in Paul and Jessica's escape. Kynes insists that it was Idaho who was behind it, but the Baron does not believe him and orders that he be taken into the desert to die. Paul has a waking dream of his father telling him that they must harness desert power, a young woman asking him to tell him of the waters of Caladan and an unborn baby. Once the dream ends, he sees a desert mouse staring at him before it departs. Once Jessica emerges from the cave, he asks her how his sister is doing, which shocks her. He tells her that he is having dreams and visions and she states that even Leto did not know she was pregnant. Paul asks why not and she replies that there was not enough time.
Paul asks Jessica what she has done to him, declaring himself a freak. She denies this, but when he asks what he is she has no answer. He tells her that Arrakis is changing him due to the Spice Melange's presence in the food and air. As they cross the dunes, they fall, lose their paracompass and attract a Sandworm. They flee into a cave and the worm is drawn away by a thumper. They travel deeper into the cave and find an area filled with plants, where they are surrounded by Fremen. Paul recognises their leader as Stilgar, who reveals that they watched their passage over the desert.
Stilgar states that Paul is the boy that Kynes told them to find, he other Fremen reply that the law commands they be killed to drain their water. Jessica uses the Weirding Way to overpower Stilgar and Paul rushes to hide as the Fremen shoot at him with Maula pistols. Jessica uses the Voice on Stilgar and orders them to stop hunting Paul. He does so and offers sanctuary to Paul and Jessica, which they accept. Paul is approached by a young woman whom he recognises as the one from his dreams. Stilgar tells the young woman, Chani, that Paul is her responsibility and he tells him to follow her and do exactly as she does.
The Fremen lead Paul and Jessica across the desert and as the approach their destination, Sietch Tabr, they take refuge for the night in another sietch. The Fremen strip out of their stillsuits to recover their water and Chani notices Paul staring at her and covers herself. Jessica deduces from the way that Paul states at Chani is the girl from Paul's dreams and advises him that their best chance at survival may be to accomodate the legends of Fremen.
In the desert, Kynes collapses from exhaustion and dehydration, having been left their without a stillsuit. He lands on top of a pre-spice mass and is killed by a Spice blow. Paul and Jessica are woken by the force of it and some Fremen are sent to investigate it. Chani explains to Paul that they send gatherers to harvest the Spice before it is taken by Harkonnen pirates and then use it to bribe the Spacing Guild so that their satellites will not monitor their territory.
Once he returns to the sietch, Paul is challenged to an Amtal duel by Jamis, who wishes to prove himself after Paul overpowered him when he and Jessica first encountered the Fremen. Jessica attempts to use the Voice to dissuade Jamis, for which Stilgar warns her not to interfere. Paul and Jamis duel with Crysknives. Paul tries to make Jamis leave, but Stilgar informs him that an Amtal duel is to the death. Jessica states that Paul has never killed anyone and the duel ends when Jamis pounces on Paul, landing on his blade. Afterwards, Jessica laments that he son was forced to kill another and Stilgar tells her of the legend of the Mahdi.
Jamis' body is drained of its water and Paul declares that Jamis taught him that when you kill, you pay for it. Stilgar presents Jamis' water to Paul and advises him to use it for the good of the tribe. Chani reminds Stilgar that Paul must new choose his Fremen name. Paul asks the name of the desert mouse and Stilgar informs him that it is "Muad'Dib", which is the name Paul will now be known as among the Fremen. Paul and Jessica accompany the Fremen that night as Stilgar rides a Sandworm and they all rush at it and use Maker hooks to climb onto its back.
Upon arriving at Sietch Tabr, they are informed by the gatherers that Kynes is dead. Chani, who is his daughter, is devastated. Paul finds her and she asks him to tell her of the waters of Caladan. He tells her of rivers, lakes and oceans and she tells him of her father's dream that Arrakis could become a paradise. She leads him to a water cache deep in the sietch and he tells her that he has seen it in his dreams. She weaps as she speaks of her father's hope that the Mahdi would make it so none would ever want for water on Arrakis again. Paul has a vision in which he sees many Fremen chanting the name "Muad'Dib".
On Kaitain, Irulan summons her servant Farrah and tasks her to travel to Giedi Prime, seduce Feyd-Rautha and find out who collaborated with the Harkonnens to bring down House Atreides. Paul accompanies the Fremen in several attacks on Harkonnen soldiers and thefts of Ornithopters. Glossu Rabban is infuriated by these attacks and executes a captured Fremen to discourage further attacks. He sends a recording of this to the Baron, who shows it to Feyd, informing him that he intends him to replace Rabban as governor so that he will appear a savior by comparison.
Paul has a vision in which the Fremen call upon him to call Stilgar out so that he may kill him and become their new leader. Stilgar asks Paul what he sees in his visions and Paul replies that he sees choices both good and bad. Paul asks Stilgar if he fears the future and Stilgar replies that he does not, for the future simply is. As Fremen attacks on Harkonnen troops continue, Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam travels to Kaitain at the summons of a representative of the Spacing Guild. He tells her that the events on Arrakis has caused concern among the Guild Navigators. They conclude that the situation must be dealt with to ensure Spice production and maintain the balance of power. Irulan eavesdrops on this conversation.
Jessica, who is now the Fremen's Sayyadina, is visited by Chani, who marvels at the moistness of her skin. Paul watches the Fremen meeting with smugglers and sees Gurney Halleck among them. On Kaitain, Irulan arranges to travel to Geidi Prime for Feyd's birthday, which angers Shaddam. Fenring advises him that it may be advantageous to them, as Irulan will have an opportunity to learn much of the Baron's plans. Paul meets with the Naibs and promises that Arrakis can become the paradise that Kynes wished it to be once the Harkonnens are defeated. He offers to train the Fremen in the Weirding Way so that the Fedaykin may match the Sardaukar and terrify the Emperor.
Reverend Mother Ramallo arrives at Sietch Tabr and is introduced to Jessica by Chanu. She tells Jessica that Mapes said she was beautiful, but also pitied her. Jessica replies that she needs no one's pity and Ramallo states that this remains to be seen. They meet in private and Ramallo states that she and Paul have exploited the Fremen's legends well, which Jessica admits they did to survive. Ramallo warns her that the legend that protects her can also destroy her.
Paul, Stilgar and their Fedaykin return and Paul sees that Ramallo has arrived. He meets with Jessica, who informs him that his unborn sister is healthy and growing fast. She tells him that Ramallo has come to see them and that Stilgar says he has learned much, to which Paul replies that he is tougher than Thufir Hawat ever was. He asks Jessica why she never married Leto and she replies that it was so that another Great House could intermarry with House Atreides for political advantages.
Paul tells Chani of dreams he had of her during his absense. He asks her if she thinks it is possible to love someone enough to be willing to give them up. She tells him that she thinks it is necessary to share those you love with things greater than you. Jessica watches as they travel into the desert, where Chani explains that link between the Spice and the Sandworms and how little Makers are captured and killed to produce the Water of Life. She then leads him into a tent where they have sex. Paul has a dream in which Ramallo tells him that he is the Kwisatz Haderach, who can be in many places at once. He wakes and is told by Chani that it is time to return to the sietch.
Paul and Jessica train Farok in the Wierding Way and are approached by Othemyn, who has travelled with his brothers from Sietch Gara Kulon to find Muad'Dib and become Fedaykin, for which Paul welcomes them. On Giedi Prime, Irulan and Fenring meet with the Baron as they observe Feyd fighting gladiators. Irulan remains behind and is given a signal by Farrah as Fenring discusses the supposedly uninhabited southern desert with the Baron. The Baron advises that Shaddam should be grateful for the Harkonnens' aid in defeating house Atreides and wonders if the Emperor plans to move against him.
Stilgar informs Paul, Jessica and Ramallo that Harkonnen patrols and travelling further south before and that soon their bribes to the Spacing Guild will not be enough to protect them. They conclude that Sietch Tabr must be abandoned and a little Maker is killed and drained of the Water of Life. The Fremen then perform a ritual in which Chani is consectrated as Sayyadina and Jessica drinks the Water of Life. As Jessica attempts to transmute its poision, she has a vision in which she is told by a young Ramallo that she cannot go to the place where only the Kwisatz Haderach may go. Ramallo passes the genetic memory of previous Reverend Mothers to Jessica and is horrified to leaen that Jessica is pregnant, stating that the child will be changed by the ritual. Jessica successfully transmutes that Water of Life and Ramallo dies, making Jessica the Fremen's new Reverend Mother.
On Giedi Prime, Irulan approaches Feyd as he is being washed by Farrah and two other female servants, whom Irulan dismisses and takes up their duty. As she speaks with him of the defear of House Atreides, he confirms that her father and the Sardaukar were involved. He also admit that they never found Paul and Jessica's bodies and she departs as Farrah takes over attending to Feyd.
Paul and Chani engage in a Spice orgy with several other Fremen and afterwards she tells him that she has visions of their child. He tells her that through his visions and dreams, he has always known her. He then has a nightmare in which he sees all of the Fremen dead, his hands stained with their blood.
Cast[]
Notes[]
- On some releases, the episode's title is misspelled as "Maud'Dib".