Sisterhood Above All is the third episode of the first season of Dune: Prophecy. It will premiere on December 1, 2024 on HBO and MAX. It was written by Monica Owusu-Breen and Jordan Goldberg and directed by Richard J. Lewis.
Premise[]
Following a tragedy, young Tula worries about being accepted despite her family name, while a skeptical Valya struggles with the decision to take the Sisterhood vow. Years later, Valya receives a message that confirms her suspicions, and Tula mourns a loss.
Synopsis[]
Valya and Theodosia leave the palace and the door is shut behind them. Valya tells Theodosia they need to act quickly to maintain their hold on the Great Houses. Theodosia asks what about Javicco because they've been barred from the palace. Valya says it's not the first time they've tried to remove her. Desmond will learn like the others before him.
Lankiveil
Homeworld of House Harkonnen
Valya goes to the butcher and gets her usual. She takes it and goes home.
Sonia Harkonnen dishes out food and says she should have done the shopping herself. She tells Valya that even Tula has sense enough to ask for good cuts of meat. Valya says she should have sent Tula then. She was busy preparing the rest of the meal, but Tula says she doesn't mind. Griffin thanks both his sisters for the meal. Their father, Vergyl Harkonnen points out that their uncle, Evgeny Harkonnen, has no complaints. Tula asks Griffin if he's really going to Zimia. He says yes, because the Landstraad accepted their petition. Once he gets there, he's going to get them a better trade deal. Evgeny admires his work ethic. He can't wait to shove it in Vorian's face. Tula will miss him, but he gives her a tooth that he carved for her collection. Valya asks if Evgeny means Vorian Atreides and Evgeny explains that he's resurfaced. Valya sees it as an opportunity to get him to correct the record so their family will no longer be disgraced. Sonia says Vergyl has plenty of status, but Valya doesn't think much of him being mayor of peasants. His grandfather, Abulurd Harkonnen, was a hero and people should know the truth. They should be the leaders of the Imperium. Sonia doesn't understand Valya's greed and entitlement. Valya sees complacency as a disease and doesn't want to endure life. She won't sit by and let that happen. Valya leaves and Griffin goes to follow her. Sonia tells him not to because Valya's a wolf and will devour him, but he ignores her and goes anyway.
Valya as Griffin if their mother is right about Valya being entitled and greedy. Grffin says no. The rest of the family isn't like her. He asks if she remembers when he felt through the ice into the river. The water was so cold, his muscles seized. Still, Valya came after him. She reminds him that she saved him. He doesn't understand how, as he was sinking. Then he heard Valya in his head, ordering him to swim. It's because of her that he didn't die that way. She's not entitled or greedy. She's extraordinary. If she thinks the best course is to track down Vorian, he'll do it. Valya says the Imperium will be better for their contribution and they deserve to make it. He says they will.
Evgeny presides over Griffin's funeral. Valya stands away from Sonia, Tula, and Vergyl. As they move to go inside, Valya remains outside. She tells Tula she doesn't want to mourn. Vorian murdered Griffin and disappeared again. She wants the Atreides family to suffer like they have. But she can't because they're sending her to Wallach IX. Tula says the Sisterhood will help her. Valya thinks only one thing will help her, but their family couldn't stomach it. Tula says Griffin was worth more than an eye for an eye. Valya tells Tula not to stay on this planet no matter what she does. She needs to find something else. The only thing left there is death.
Several Truthsayers have gathered and are discussing the recent events. They think maybe Desmond was touched by the Maker and that's how he was able to resist Valya's power. Valya tells them to remember their resolve. The Hagal Truthsayer says Valya has their loyalty and asks how she wants to proceed. Valya sends them back to their nobles and head off any attempts to sow distrust. Valya will regain her hold on the Corrinos. Mikaela brings Valya a message from Tula. Valya asks if it's about Lila. and Mikaela says Lila didn't survive the Agony. But Raquella spoke through her and told them the key to the reckoning was one born twice. Valya thinks that's Desmond Hart. She asks what Valya's going to do. Valya thinks she needs to go home.
Tula watches over Lila. Avila brings her spice tea. Valya drinks it every day to clear her thoughts. Avila says it's normal for Tula to be grieving and suggests that Tula do as Raquella suggested and channel that into the future. No one has ever returned from the state Lila is in. She thinks keeping Lila in limbo is only making things worse. She's sorry it happened, but Valya has been clear how they handle this. They have to let her go. Avila offers to do it if Tula can't, but Tula roughly grabs her hand and tells her not to. Tula says she'll do it when she chooses to. She dismisses Avila. Tula cries and drinks her tea. Then she picks up the carved tooth, the one her brother gave her, which she had given to Lila.
Tula and Orry Atreides ride a horse together. He tells Tula they're first to arrive, so they can claim whichever quarters they want. She suggests waiting for the rest of his family. She wants to make a good impression on them. She's worried they won't approve, but he assures her that's not possible.
Ronan, Orry's cousin, asks Tula how she met Orry. She tells him he struck up a conversation at the market. Then he asks if Orry has met her people. She says there are barely any of them left. Albert reminds Ronan he promised to take him for target practice. Ronan says they have work to finish first. Tula tells Albert she could use help. She shows him how to prepare dead animals to be used to bait bulls. She shows him how to be careful not to rupture a sack of poison. She talks Albert through doing the next one himself.
As Tula cleans up, she hears a lot of noise coming from the hunt. She runs toward it and finds a horse on the ground with a shattered leg. Orry says the path gave way under them. Uncle Shander tells Orry he's sorry. Tula suggests some possible treatments, but they know they have to euthanize him. Tula stops him and tells him she'll be right back. She retrieves the poison and returns with it in a syringe. She injects it into his neck and he dies. Then she hugs Orry.
Dorotea teaches a class on Truthsense. Francesca correctly answers that it's how they serve the Imperium. Valya asks what if the Imperium is corrupt. Dorotea says then they influence that subtly. Valya asks if they ever withhold the truth, because them knowing doesn't mean they'll use it right. Dorotea thinks Valya is scared because she has nothing to serve and no purpose. She tells Valya to use that to motivate herself. They'll all be tested tomorrow. They must commit to the Sisterhood or resign themselves to an unremarkable life.
Kasha and Francesca say that Dorotea had no right to do what she did to Valya. She wasn't always so rigid, but she left on a mission and came back a true believer. She's all about humility and servitude. Kasha heard she was next in line to lead the Order, but now Raquella isn't sure about that. Francesca thinks Dorotea is too pious. Valya doesn't even care. She was going to be her brother's Truthsayer, but he was murdered. Her parents forced her to come anyway. They didn't want her at home anymore. Francesca asks her what she wants.
Dorotea asks the acolytes if they've dedicated their lives to the betterment of humanity and are they able to put the Sisterhood above everything else, even their families. If the answer is yes, they can go inside. If it isn't, she encourages them to meditate on whether or not they belong there. She looks right at Valya when she says that. Several acolytes say it's Sisterhood above all and go inside.
Much later, only Kasha, Valya, and Frances remain, standing in the rain. Kasha and Francesca say Sisterhood above all and go inside, leaving just Valya. Dorotea goes to Valya and says she's not interested in a contest of wills. They both know she'll always be a Harkonnen. She calls for Avila to go inside with her, leaving Valya alone.
A ship lands and several people get off.
A figure comes up behind Valya. She turns and uses the Voice to order them not to move. It's Raquella, who introduces herself and invites Valya to come inside. Valya says she hasn't taken her vow, but Raquella's inviting her to come in anyway.
Raquella tells Valya that the Voice stopped her outside. She'd never felt anything like it. She asks if anything like that has happened before. Valya says it happened once with her brother. He was drowning and she ordered him to swim. Raquella tells her that the human race is evolving and the Sisterhood works to advance the species. Adversity is the key to change. She knows about what happened to Griffin. When she lost her husband in the machine wars, she felt like a limb had been torn off. But sometimes, misfortunes take them where they need to go. Valya can do extraordinary things with the Sisterhood and might even shape the Imperium, if she decides to stay.
Tula gives Albert a bucket of water to carry to the fire. Then she goes to her quarters, where Orry is waiting. He has had a hard day and doesn't want to be with the others. Orry asks how Tula knew what to do. She says her brother taught her. Orry wants to meet her brother, but Tula says he died. He still inspires her and how she lives her life. Orry has noticed she doesn't talk much about her family. She says her older sister never cared much for her. She went off to school after Griffin died and her parents barely remembered she existed. She had to leave home just to be seen. Orry tells Tula he sees her. He mentions them getting married and decides it's him proposing. He asks her to marry him. She says it's only been a few months, but that's all the time he needs to know he wants a future with her. She kisses him, then pushes him back on the bed. As his family prepares for the hunt outside, Orry and Tula have sex.
Tula wakes up next to Orry. She gets out of bed. Orry wakes up and tells her his family will be thrilled they're getting married. Tula tells him she regrets that things are the way they are. All she wanted was to tell him. He asks what she means and she says he'd never have allowed himself to get close to her if he knew who she really was. He says they'll deal with it together. She tells him her name is really Tula Harkonnen. Orry looks at her and then says he understands why she didn't tell him. It's the name she was born with, so she didn't choose it. Nothing could make him hate her. Their families choose hate, but he doesn't agree with that. He tells her it's going to be okay. They'll write a future for themselves. Tula says some things can't be changed. Like Griffin will still be dead at the hand of an Atreides. They do what they have to do. Orry doesn't understand. Then he realizes how quiet it is. Tula says he didn't see her. Orry exits their quarters and finds his entire clan dead. Then she injects him with the same poison and holds him while he dies, saying she's sorry. Tula hears someone nearby. It's Albert. She looks at him and tells him to go. Tula then watches a bull stand on a cliff above. She watches as it turns and walks away.
Dorotea tells them to be careful of the seeds they sow and what they reap. She warns them to look out for corruption. The sees Valya walking with Raquella.
Raquella says the Great Houses are becoming more competitive over securing Truthsayers. Valya likes that.
Dorotea continues her teaching as Valya and Raquella walk past.
Raquella says she's taking Valya to the tunnels to show Valya her life's great work. She says they've been gathering DNA from the Imperium since the Great Wars to create a genetic library. That's how they make matches for the Great Houses. They bolster the unions to influence future generations, to get better leaders. Raquella was sure Valya would understand, though many don't. She's trusting Valya because this relies on forbidden technology.
Valya tells Francesca and Kasha that Raquella is choosing her to lead the Order next. She trusts Valya more than Dorotea. Francesca says it's wonderful news. Valya shows them what she's been working on and uses The Voice to make Kasha slap Francesca. Francesca and Kasha are impressed and ask if she can teach them to do it.
Raquella watches the three of them from a distance.
Raquella has called both Dorotea and Valya into a meeting. They're the strongest in the Order and they're both pushing boundaries. She believes they're both the future leaders of the Order. They both have followers. That is divisive. They are growing in power. They gain enemies as they gain influence. She looks around at the acolytes watching from above. Her time is limited and she knows this. She needs them to find a way forward together. She has them kneel as she prepares to poison them, allowing them to speak to their foremothers. Raquella goes to drop the poison into Valya's eye, but Valya gets up, apologizes, and walks away. Dorotea positions herself to start.
Kasha tells Valya that Raquella wants to see her.
Valya goes to Raquella, who has received a message from Tula. It has a particular line that caught Raquella's eye. It feels like a code to her. Valya says it means she has to go home. Raquella offers to arrange for her to leave. Raquella knows that her family name has always been more important to her, which is why she couldn't go through with the Agony test. She has unfinished business with her house. Raquella knew from the moment she saw Valya in the rain. She can't be patient. She tells Valya to go home and settle what needs to be settled, but then she must commit to a path. If she chooses the Sisterhood, she must sacrifice. She tells Valya to return a Reverend Mother or not at all. She gives Valya a syringe of the poison.
The Sisters stare as Valya walks past them. One calls her a coward.
Valya returns home. She tells Tula she got her message and asks if Orry is dead. Tula says they all are. Valya didn't believe Tula could and neither did Tula. Valya tells her Griffin would be proud. Tula starts crying and asks if he would. They hug.
Sonia asks why Tula brought Valya home after what Valya made her do. Tula says Valya is her sister and it was her choice. Nearby, Vergyl tells Valya she shouldn't have come back because she's already done enough. Evgeny agrees and asks if she thought about how the massacre would blow back on them. Valya says they should thank Tula. She did what none of them could. She punished the family that destroyed theirs and killed Griffin. She showed them the Harkonnens aren't cowards. Sonia asks what if they come for Tula. She blames Valya for what Tula did, but Tula says it was all her. Sonia says they already cost her one child. She continues, but Valya uses The Voice to silence her, the has her pick up a knife. Sonia asks what she's doing, so Valya stops and leaves.
Valya takes out the syringe and drips the poison into her eye. She is hit with immediate pain as her foremothers start to appear to her. She hears Tula telling her to open her eyes. Tula tells her to come back. Valya gasps and wakes up. She heard Tula's voice. Tula asks her what happened and she says the Agony. But she survived it. Tula says they need to hurry so they don't miss their ship. Valya is surprised she's coming. Tula doesn't want to lose her like she lost Griffin. She makes Valya promise that the Sisterhood will be a fresh start for them. Valya tells her they have a new purpose now.
Avila brings the acolytes in to see Lila. She tells them it's time to say goodbye to her. Emeline says it's all right because Lila's wisdom still exists, but Jen disagrees. She says Tula knew how desperate she was to find out where she came from and she took advantage of that. She shouldn't have been asked to do this because she was a child. Avila tells her the Sisterhood is built on sacrifice. Many sisters, some younger than Lila, have laid down their lives in services of their cause. They understood that to advance the cause, some of them must die. Lila knew that and played her part. Valya wouldn't have asked her to try if she hadn't believed it was necessary. They owe Lila gratitude and respect. They owe Tula the same. The acolytes step forward two at a time to say goodbye. Once they're done and gone, Tula disconnects her.
Theodosia asks Valya where they're going now. She says to the last place anyone would expect. Theodosia asks who they're meeting and Valya says sacrifices must be made. It's Sisterhood above all. The door opens to reveal Harrow, who is surprised to see his Aunt Valya. Behind him, Evgeny coughs. He never thought he'd live to see Valya come home. Harrow welcomes her in and asks about Tula.
Avila says she knows it was hard to Tula to let Lila go. She believes Valya will be proud. Tula agrees.
Tula goes to the storeroom, where she's secretly keeping Lila alive. She asks Anirul for diagnostics. Tula suggests administering spice, but Anirul says that's not authorized. Tula says Valya left her in charge and she orders Anirul to keep Lila alive. Anirul initiates Tula's order.
Cast[]
Gallery[]
Episode Stills[]
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Dune: Prophecy | ||
---|---|---|
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 Sisterhood Above All on Max