Dune: Prophecy Season 2's Renewal Is A Huge Relief Give What Happened In The Season 1 Finale

WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for the Dune: Prophecy season 1 finale.

The renewal of Dune: Prophecy following its divisive season 1 finale opens up new doors for the franchise after leaving several unanswered questions. Dune: Prophecy is a six-part series based on the 2012 novel Sisterhood of Dune, which was written by original Dune author Frank Herbert’s son, Brian, and Kevin J. Anderson. The story takes place more than 10,000 years before the rise of Paul Atreidies, which is chronicled in Denis Villenueve’s Dune (2020) and Dune: Part Two (2024).

Dune: Prophecy episode 1 “The Hidden Hand” introduced Valya Harkonnen, a fierce and calculated leader, and her biological sister, Tula Harkonnen. Dune: Prophecy episode 2 reveals what happened to Lila and her grandmother, Reverend Mother Dorotea, after Tula and Valya encouraged her to endure The Agony. In Dune: Prophecy episode 3, Tula takes Lila’s life into her own hands after she apparently died during The Agony ritual. Episode 4 reveals that Lila was resurrected through the Thinking Machine, Anirul. Episode 5 showcases Desmond Hart’s rise to power, while episode 6 sees Tula reconnect with her abandoned half-Atreides child, Desmond Hart.

Dune: Prophecy’s Season 1 Finale Didn’t Resolve Anything

It sets up even more questions heading into season 2

The announcement of Dune: Prophecy being renewed for a second season just before the release of the season 1 finale was a smart move by HBO to temper viewer expectations heading into episode 6. While there was initial speculation that Dune: Prophecy would be a limited series, HBO quickly thwarted any doubt that the Dune prequel series would become one of their most valued television offerings, with at least one more season in store in the near future.

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What Went Wrong With Dune: Prophecy

Dune: Prophecy wasn’t bad, but it didn’t live up to its full potential. Here’s our assessment of the six-episode first season and its issues.

Even though Dune: Prophecy does a lot to set up the world, characters, and story dynamics in its short six-episode first season, it hardly concluded anything by the season 1 finale and actually raised more questions than before. Since some of the bigger characters in season 1 will likely not be returning in season 2, the series has paved the way for certain characters – particularly Desmond Hart, Princess Ynez Corrino, and Keiran Atredies, to take on the majority of the screen time in season 2. If Dune: Prophecy had been abandoned after the season 1 ending, it would have ended on a wildly frustrating note.

Dune: Prophecy Season 2 Can Be Better Than Season 1

It won’t have to spend as much time establishing plot and character

Valya (Emily Watson) sitting on Emperor Javicco Corrino's throne in Dune: Prophecy Season 1 Ep 6

Image via Max

While Dune: Prophecy certainly had its more lingering moments, it did a lot to set up the future dynamics of season 2 and potentially beyond. Much like the 2021 Dune movie, which set up Paul Atreides’ rise to Imperial power in Dune: Part Two, Dune: Prophecy season 1 sets things in place so that season 2 can (hopefully) really start putting things in motion. After discovering the true motivations, origins, and resources in Dune: Prophecy season 1, season 2 is poised to dive straight into the action and should theoretically be even better than its predecessor.