Dune: Prophecy Episode 3

Summary

Gom Jabbar: A Dune Podcast – Detailed Summary of "Dune: Prophecy Episode 3"

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Podcast Information:

• Title: Gom Jabbar: A Dune Podcast
• Host/Author: Lore Party Media
• Episode: Dune: Prophecy Episode 3
• Release Date: December 2, 2024

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Introduction

In Episode 3 of "Dune: Prophecy," titled "Family Ties and Forbidden Powers," hosts Abu and Leo delve deep into the intricate narratives and character developments within the Dune universe. This episode explores themes of generational trauma, familial loyalty, and the struggle between personal desires and societal expectations. Throughout their discussion, Abu and Leo provide insightful analyses, highlight notable moments from the episode, and share their personal critiques and appreciations.

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Plot Summary

Opening Scenes:

The episode opens with a tense atmosphere as Valya Harkonnen is ousted from the palace, igniting her anger and determination to restore her family's lost prestige. Abu highlights Leo's enthusiasm, noting the mutual agreement between the hosts that this episode is a "home run."

Notable Quote:

Abu [06:04]: "She yells at everyone at one point, 'This complacency is a disease.'"

Valya's frustration is rooted in her perception that the decline of House Harkonnen is partly due to the Atreides, fueling her desire for revenge and restoration. Her confrontation underscores the theme of stagnation and the need for change, resonating deeply with the core philosophies of the Dune saga.

Flashbacks to Lankaville:

The narrative shifts to a snowy planet, Lankaville, the current base for House Harkonnen. The hosts describe the bustling fur whale industry, emphasizing the gritty reality of whaling operations. Valya brings meat back home, setting the stage for a tense dinner scene where familial discord becomes palpable.

Valya is portrayed as the family's black sheep, passionately opposed to the complacency she perceives in her household. Her outburst—"This complacency is a disease"—reveals her deep-seated anger and ambition to elevate her house's status.

Notable Quote:

Leo [06:21]: "Her rage and anger and her desire to change and improve their station in life… makes sense why she would then, when channeled correctly, become a really great Reverend Mother superior."

Valya's sibling, Griffin, complements her ambition as he seeks to secure better trade deals, indicating a close and aligned relationship between them. However, tragedy strikes when Griffin confronts Vorian Atreides and is brutally killed, leaving Valya devastated and further fueling her vendetta against the Atreides.

Notable Quote:

Abu [08:15]: "Straight to the grave. Obviously, the family has broken up about this."

Present-Day Sisterhood Struggles:

Back in the present, the Sisterhood faces internal strife as the trusted Truthsayers mysteriously disappear. Valya convenes a strategic meeting, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the Sisterhood's integrity amidst external threats.

Notable Quote:

Leo [11:12]: "Damage control. Damage control."

Sister Michaela enters the scene, delicately balancing the tragic news of Sister Lila's death with the revelation that not all evidence points to failure, hinting at deeper conspiracies within the narrative.

Tula's Emotional Journey:

A significant portion of the episode focuses on Tula, Valya's friend, whose emotional turmoil is palpable. Flashbacks reveal her relationship with Ori Atreides, her boyfriend, culminating in a heartbreaking murder scene where Valya poisons Ori to exact revenge for House Harkonnen's losses. This act of betrayal is softened by the method of poison, showcasing a more merciful approach compared to brute force.

Notable Quote:

Leo [21:06]: "Valia slits Ori's throat in bed… she chooses to use injected poison… a more merciful method."

Tula's internal conflict is further explored as she grapples with guilt over manipulating a child into taking a risky procedure, underscoring the moral complexities faced by the characters.

Valya's Transformation:

The climax of the episode sees Valya undergoing the agony alone, a pivotal moment that marks her transformation into an awakened Reverend Mother. This emotional breakthrough is facilitated by Tula's intervention, paralleling earlier instances where Tula guided others through the agony.

Notable Quote:

Abu [34:03]: "She takes thoracic poison and undergoes the agony on her own… a moment of emotional reasoning."

The episode concludes with the revelation that Sister Lila is preserved in a spice bacta tank, introducing new layers of intrigue and technological marvels within the Dune universe.

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Key Takeaways

Emotional Depth and Character Development:

Abu praises the episode for its rich emotional stakes and interpersonal relationships, noting the significant character growth of Valya and Tula. The hosts appreciate how Episode 3 moves beyond mere exposition and plot progression to delve into the protagonists' internal struggles and motivations.

Abu Comment:

"We're getting emotional stakes, we're getting interpersonal relationships between characters… it's the human emotional storytelling that I love so much in sci-fi stories." [39:50]

Subtle Storytelling and Lore Integration:

Leo commends the show's ability to weave subtle lore and Easter eggs seamlessly into the narrative. The inclusion of familiar elements like the Voice and fur whales adds depth for longtime fans while remaining accessible to newcomers.

Leo Comment:

"The first thing I think of when I hear 'fur whale' is WHALE!" [77:02]

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Critiques

Consistency of the Voice Ability:

Both hosts express frustration with the portrayal of the Voice, a powerful ability central to the Bene Gesserit. Leo questions the established rules and limitations, feeling that the show alters the original mechanics in ways that diminish its impact.

Leo's Critique:

"The voice is so frustrating. … I want to know the rules. I want to know the stakes." [50:30]

Exposition Heavy Scenes:

Abu points out that some scenes, particularly early dinner confrontations, were overly expository, breaking the immersion and feeling forced. The necessity of such scenes for narrative clarity can sometimes detract from the storytelling.

Leo's Observation:

"The dinner scene … was very, like, clunky and exposition heavy." [66:29]

Character Decision Timelines:

Abu suggests that certain character motivations and developments feel out of sequence, particularly regarding Valya's actions and her emotional responses. This disrupts the natural flow and believability of her transformation.

Abu's Insight:

"Valya's motivations change paragraph to paragraph in the prequel book … This series fixes that problem." [71:11]

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Minutiae: Lore Easter Eggs and Details

Fur Whales:

The episode prominently features fur whales, creatures integral to House Harkonnen's economy. Abu and Leo discuss the depiction of these majestic yet dangerous animals, drawing parallels to their mentions in both Frank Herbert's original works and Brian Herbert's expansions.

Notable Detail:

Abu [78:54]: "Fur whales were dangerous, especially when being hunted… capable of inflicting serious damage." [78:54]

Atreides Salute:

During a bull hunting celebration, the hosts spot the iconic Atreides hand-knife salute, a gesture of honor and unity among the family. This subtle inclusion serves as a nod to loyal fans familiar with the deeper lore.

Notable Detail:

Abu [82:36]: "The iconic back of the hand knife salute among the Atreides soldiers…" [82:37]

House Harkonnen's Economic Maneuvers:

Echoing the original series, the episode underscores House Harkonnen's strategic manipulation of the whale fur market to regain power and wealth. This detail reinforces the longstanding rivalry and economic tactics within the Dune universe.

Notable Detail:

Abu [79:35]: "House Harkonnen's reliance on whalefur is also present in the original six books." [79:35]

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

1. Valya Harkonnen on Complacency:

   Abu [06:04]: "This complacency is a disease."

2. Ori Atreides on Generational Trauma:

   Abu [54:25]: "No one chooses the name they're born with." Abu [54:25]: "A disagreement between our ancestors during wartime over a century ago should bleed into their future. But that is their burden, not ours."

3. Valya's Ultimatum:

   Abu [30:12]: "Go home. Go figure that shit out and come back a reverend mother or not at all."

4. Emotional Climax:

   Abu [34:03]: "She takes thoracic poison and undergoes the agony on her own… a moment of emotional reasoning."

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Conclusion

Episode 3 of "Dune: Prophecy," as dissected by Abu and Leo, presents a compelling blend of action, emotional depth, and rich lore integration. While the hosts appreciate the enhanced character development and thematic storytelling, they also voice concerns regarding certain creative liberties taken with established Dune mechanics and exposition-heavy scenes. The episode successfully advances the overarching narrative, setting the stage for further intrigue and character evolution in the episodes to come.

For fans eager to dive deeper into the Dune universe, "Gom Jabbar: A Dune Podcast" offers valuable insights and thoughtful analyses, enriching the viewing experience with every episode.

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Join the Conversation

Abu and Leo invite listeners to support the podcast through patronage, share their thoughts, theories, and Easter eggs, and engage with the community via their website and social media channels. Feedback is encouraged to enhance future discussions and provide a more immersive experience for all Dune enthusiasts.

Transcript

[Leo]

Today on the show, we're pulling off our shirts. We're dancing around the fire. Oh, and we're eating some soup that we sure hope isn't poisoned.

[Abu]

I love soup.

[Leo]

I love dancing around the fire.

[Abu]

Even if it is poisoned, frankly.

[Leo]

Even if it is poisoned.

[Abu]

Welcome to Gom Jabbar, your guide to the iconic world of Dune. We'll be exploring the themes, philosophies and characters found in the sandy depths of this vast universe, from Frank Herbert's groundbreaking novels to the adaptations on film and tv. My name's Abu.

[Leo]

My name is Leo.

[Abu]

And, folks, we are back once again to talk about Dune prophecy. We're getting into episode three. Such a great episode.

[Leo]

It was so good.

[Abu]

So good. I cannot wait to talk about it.

[Leo]

I'm so glad, too, because I know last episode I was very, like, team show, and you were like, more on the fence and, oh, it feels so good to like, agree that this episode is fucking awesome.

[Abu]

Yeah, this one was a home run.

[Leo]

Before we talk about it, let's get through our housekeeping. Let's make Shout Out Mapes proud indeed. And today, spoilers for Dune Prophecy, episode three, obviously, as well as the prequel book Sisterhood of Dune. If you've. Yeah, if you plan on reading that at some point, why are you watching Prophecy?

[Abu]

Of course. At the top of the show, a huge shout out to our Kwisatz Haderach level patrons. Rob Silver, Daniel Dion, Jonathan Lamberton, CR Spruill. I cannot think of a better group to dance shirtless around a fire with than our Kwisad's Haderach level patrons. That would be a night and a bull hunt trip to remember, guys, I.

[Leo]

Want to give you my life. I want to give you my future. And certainly not literally like, you're going to kill me soon. But, you know, that's how. That's how grateful we are.

[Abu]

That's how grateful we are. Of course, our gratitude also extends to all of our patrons at every level who help make this show possible. We cannot thank you enough.

[Leo]

Indeed we can. All right, let's talk about today's episode. As before, we're going to run through a quick summary to refresh your memory in case it's been a few seconds since you've seen the episode. And then we'll dive into a couple of takeaways or the things we liked, the things we wish were a little bit better. And then finally, we're going to wrap up by putting our fingers together, dialing in our pupils, dilate. We're going to share the minutia that we've observed little Easter eggs and lore tidbits that we spotted.

[Abu]

That's right.

[Leo]

But before we do that, we're going to take a quick break, so don't go anywhere. Dear listener, we haven't even done the episode yet. We'll be right back right after this.

[Abu]

Hey, folks, Abu and Leo here from the Gom Jabbar Podcast here to tell you about another Dune podcast that we think you're going to love.

[Leo]

It's called the official Dune Prophecy Podcast. It's from the fine folks at hbo. And of course, the HBO Original series is going to be focusing on that shadowy sisterhood that of course, becomes everyone's favorite Benny Jeserit.

[Abu]

On the companion podcast, hosts Greta Johnson and Ahmed Ali Akbar are going to guide you through every episode of the HBO Original Series and unpack each episode with guests from the show, including cast and crew.

[Leo]

So if you're listening to our podcast, Gom Jabbar, you're probably already a huge Dune fan. We think you'll, you'll enjoy the series and their companion podcast. It's a fresh take on an incredible universe, and we're all gonna go places we've never seen before.

[Abu]

That's right. And if you're a podcast listener, you know the drill. Listen to the official Dune Prophecy podcast wherever you get your podcasts. And don't forget to stream new episodes of the HBO original series Dune Prophecy, exclusively on Matt. Welcome back, folks. Let's dive into episode three of Dune Prophecy.

[Leo]

Yeah.

[Abu]

Starting with a quick summary. This episode begins with a very mad Valya Harkonnen as she is ousted from the palace. As we saw in the last episode, the Sisterhood have fallen out of favor with the Corrino Emperor and are no longer welcome. Yeah, she's mad, but she's got a plan, folks. As we'll see over the course of this episode, we almost immediately flashback then to a young Valya. We're back in the past, and this time we are on a brand new planet, Lankaville. A place that I think House Stark would feel very at home in. Snowy Lankaville, and currently the base world for House Harkonnen. At this time in Dune, we see right away the illustrious fur whale industry at work. We're skinning the whales, we're packaging that fur. We're getting that juicy, juicy meat off of them. We don't see the process for whale seed, but I don't think this is that type of show.

[Leo]

It's hbo. I was expecting an extensive whale seed extraction scene.

[Abu]

Right. Sadly, we don't get that. We. We do get the meat and the fur extraction.

[Leo]

Dang it.

[Abu]

Valia gets some aforementioned meat and brings it back home. And we get a little dinner scene at the Harkonnen household where things are quite tense.

[Leo]

Yeah.

[Abu]

Young Valia is clearly the black sheep of the family. She is upset about how their house and their station has fallen, thanks in part to what she thinks is Vorian Atreides fault. To the Atreides. And she wants to claw their way back to. To power and prestige. And she's upset that no one else in the family seems to be bothered by this. Everyone else is quite happy just living on this icy backwater planet shipping whale for day in and day out.

[Leo]

Yeah.

[Abu]

She wants something better. And I really liked the line here. She yells at everyone at one point, quote, this complacency is a disease. End quote. And of course, my ears perked up at the word complacency because, folks, that sounds an awful lot like stagnation.

[Leo]

Yeah. I really felt like her rage and anger and her desire to change and improve their station in life and all of that is so excellent and core to the themes of Dune and also makes sense why she would then, when channeled correctly, become a really great Reverend Mother superior.

[Abu]

Right.

[Leo]

Because she has that sort of fire and that desire to get stuff done. Similarly, in a kind of throwaway line, we see Griffin give the carved tooth to Tula, which is also nice. But Griffin mentions his own ambitions, which I appreciated. He wants to improve the trade deal.

[Abu]

That's right.

[Leo]

House Harkonnen gets, right.

[Abu]

He's like, I'm going on a little field trip to Salusa Secundus, Papa. I'm going to get us a better trade deal. We're going to get rich.

[Leo]

Yeah.

[Abu]

And in fact, after the dinner scene, I mean, Valya storms off, Gryffon runs after her. We actually get a sense of how close the siblings are and how aligned they are. Valia, of course, is the more vocal and perhaps the more ambitious and angry siblings. But Griffin is also not just looking to sit around, as you stated, Leo, not just looking to continue the lot in life that they have. They're both looking for something better. And it's clear that the two are quite close.

[Leo]

Yeah.

[Abu]

We also discover from their conversation here that Valya came upon the voice in quite a traumatic moment. Griffin had fallen into the icy river and was drowning, and she had basically compelled him with her voice to swim out of the water, you know, to get his muscles to move.

[Leo]

Yeah.

[Abu]

And that's A fun new origin point for the Voice. We'll talk about that later.

[Leo]

Yeah.

[Abu]

Unfortunately, we cut from this nice brother sister scene immediately to a dead Griffin.

[Leo]

Yeah, that was a funeral moment.

[Abu]

It's a brutal cut. I was quite shocked. I thought I missed something because I was, like, scribbling notes in my notebook and I, like. I paused and I was like, oh, I missed something. And I went back and I was like, I didn't miss anything.

[Leo]

Nope. It really goes from like, you and me, kid. We're going places. He did go places. He went to the grave.

[Abu]

Straight to the grave.

[Leo]

Immediate.

[Abu]

Obviously, the family has broken up about this. Clearly, everyone loved Griffin, and Vali and Tula in particular are really shattered by the loss of a beloved brother. And the little detail that, again, we'll talk a little bit more about in depth later in our conversation. But we are told here that Griffin had confronted Vorian Atreides, the great rival of their house, and Vorin murked his ass. And obviously that's going to do nothing but enrage Valia even more, who already hates, hates, hates the Atreides.

[Leo]

Yeah. One of the themes in this episode is this idea of family trauma and how it generationally is passed on. But another piece of it, for in particular Valya, is how immediate it is. And this is also, like, seconds before she sent to wallach9 to study with the Bene Gesserit. So she had had this idea of, I'm going to be the Truthsayer for Griffin once he's read.

[Abu]

Right.

[Leo]

That plan, of course, is shot when he dies. And then additionally, she's like, fuck the sisterhood. I need to look out for House Harkonnen and I need to do my part now that my brother's dead.

[Abu]

Yeah.

[Leo]

And that's when she's being sent to wallach9. So really, it's all so immediate for her, and I really appreciated that.

[Abu]

That fantasy of the future shattered in this moment. Right.

[Leo]

Yeah.

[Abu]

I'm sure she was like, me and my brother, we're going to go to the Landstrad together. We're going to. We're going to turn this house around, you know?

[Leo]

Yeah.

[Abu]

We're going to tag team this all the way to the top. And boom, that fantasy goes up in smoke. And I'm sure young Bali here is just utterly heartbroken.

[Leo]

Yeah, absolutely. Now, back in present day, the sisters are stressed. All of the Truthsayers from all the noble houses all dipped out for coffee at the same time. It's not suspicious. This is like, did your tooth say or leave at like 9:07. Yeah, 9:07am on the dock.

[Abu]

Me too. Mine too.

[Leo]

That's okay. We're not going to think about that. We're dumb.

[Abu]

Yeah.

[Leo]

Well, Valia is. Has gathered them basically for a little strategic meeting and she is giving them commands, assuring them, hey, everything's going to be fine. This is not the first time this shit's happened. I'm going to take care of House Korino. Don't worry about that. But what you all have to do is you have to intercept any additional attempts to undermine the trustworthiness of the sisterhood. So do your part.

[Abu]

Yes.

[Leo]

Damage control, damage control. Damage control. And Sister Michaela arrives, I will say, looking really cute.

[Abu]

I don't know if I said this.

[Leo]

In the last episode.

[Abu]

Yeah, maybe it was a little dark in that scene, but in the daylight.

[Leo]

I was like, oh, my God, she's beautiful.

[Abu]

I have a huge crush on Sister Michaela.

[Leo]

I have a huge crush on too many people in this show because even the souk doctor from last episode.

[Abu]

Yes.

[Leo]

Was, like, stunning. And then also Ori is so hot. I don't understand where they're getting these actors. It's incredible. What's in the water? What are they doing? But yeah, no, Sister Michaela arrives looking great. And in just the most hilarious delivery of information, she goes, lila died. Which we find out isn't even literally exactly true. Like, she didn't survive the agony. Like she didn't succeed in coming out of the agony, but also saying she didn't survive. And then just like chilling while. While Valia is like, oh, damn, so we failed. And she's like, oh, wait, no, you didn't actually, because you actually got a message from Raquel.

[Abu]

Incredible Sister Michaela girl compliment sandwich. You start with the good thing first, then hit him with the bad, and then end on a good.

[Leo]

Again, it's 101 tack. All right, 101. Also, did you see she reworded the prophecy so it didn't rhyme.

[Abu]

Yeah, right. She was like, here's the. Here's the apple intelligence AI summary of this prophecy, you know?

[Leo]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. But also, it's like, I feel like Mikayla heard your feedback. And from the last episode, she's like, oh, it sounds dumb rhyming. All right, let's cut the rhyming.

[Abu]

Right. Cut right to the chase. It makes her even cuter, frankly.

[Leo]

Makes her. She listens, she cares. Well, they didn't get. Obviously Lila didn't make it out of the agony, but they got some information from Raquela Valia jumps to the conclusion, oh, my gosh, gotta be Desmond Hart. I feel like the way she jumped to that conclusion, it's not going to be Desmond Hart.

[Abu]

Yeah. That, like, all but confirms it's not Desmond Hart. To me at least.

[Leo]

Yeah. So it's got to be something else. He's. He's some other piece of the puzzle. But we cut back to the Wallach nine, and Tula is almost inconsolable. She is so racked with guilt over having really grossly manipulated this child into taking this risk. But sister Avila shows up, brings her some delicious looking spiced tea. My God. Looks so good. Bet it tastes like cinnamon. And comforts her, but also reminds her, like, hey, you've got a responsibility. And this kid's in a coma. And ultimately, you know, procedure Bali has made it very clear when someone's in this state, no one's ever recovered from it. So at this point, it is better to let them rest, give their classmates closure. You know, Tula's like, give me time. I'll do it when it needs to be done. Because again, no one has recovered from this coma yet. It's only episode three. We'll see what happens in the later episodes.

[Abu]

Right from there, we return to another flashback, this time with young Tula, who is on a family bull hunting trip.

[Leo]

Yeah.

[Abu]

With her new hunk of a boyfriend, Ori.

[Leo]

Looks great. Great. Looks great.

[Abu]

They got chemistry on screen. It was good.

[Leo]

They're a cute couple. They're really.

[Abu]

They are. Yeah, they are. Now at this family bull hunting trip, she's trying to kind of mingle. Right. This is. We all remember that first time meeting your significant other's family. You're trying to make a good impression. You're trying to crack the right joke at the right time. There's always the one weird uncle who's like, giving you the stink eye the whole time, and you're like, that's the guy I got to get on the good side of.

[Leo]

Also the, like, flirty brother, sibling, cousin, something like that, who's like, yeah, we'll keep this up later, toots. You know, it's like, right? What was that look?

[Abu]

Right?

[Leo]

Why'd you wink? Get out of here.

[Abu]

Right. The vibes are weird. But she's doing her best to get along with the family and enjoy this hunting trip.

[Leo]

Yeah.

[Abu]

In fact, she actually calls over a young boy nearby who I suspect, and I might be totally off base on this, but I think this may be young Kieran, because we really linger on this boy a lot in this episode.

[Leo]

Yeah.

[Abu]

And the fact that he's the only one to survive the attack later in the episode makes me think like we're drawing some connection to a modern day Atreides and Kieran's the only modern day one we know.

[Leo]

My first thought was like, maybe Desmond, maybe Kieran's a possibility, but I don't know. I think it's too early to call.

[Abu]

Yeah. I think regardless, like, we're lingering on the boy long enough and he gets enough screen time that he's like some sort of significant he'll be back character. He'll be back. For now, we're just going to refer to him as young Kieran because that's how I scripted it. Here Tula shows young Kieran how to skin and prepare the bait that will lure the Seleucin bull that they are hunting. When suddenly they hear a commotion. Tula runs over to find that Ori's horse has broken its leg. The poor creature, there's no healing it at this point. All we can do is give it a quick death and a release from this pain and suffering. She stops Ori from stabbing it and instead rushes back to her workstation and grabs the poison that she was just showing young Kieran. Yeah. And she goes to the poor animal and administers this poison to give it a peaceful death.

[Leo]

Yeah.

[Abu]

Which I thought was very sweet.

[Leo]

Very sweet. Nice, handsome horse. Strong horse. Feel like the horse has a name that rhymes with Ori for the subtlety of the foreshadowing later in the episode. And actually I have a lot of good things to say about that, as much as I'm joking now, but yeah, in retrospect, it's like, oh, yeah, okay, I see what's happening.

[Abu]

Yeah. Right. But as you're watching it, it's fun.

[Leo]

Yeah.

[Abu]

The foreshadowing is only clear once you get to the end of the episode.

[Leo]

Totally, totally.

[Abu]

Which is the best kind of foreshadowing.

[Leo]

Yep.

[Abu]

Now, remaining in this flashback scene, we do cut then to young Valya over on Wallach 9. We see her being this, like, rebellious young student really getting on Sister Dorothea's nerves. It's giving Harry Potter and Severus Snape energy throughout all of this. And we see this ceremony a little bit later on outside in the rain, where the acolytes are committing themselves to the sisterhood. This is an oath that they must take. They're letting go of all past allegiances and taking a vow. Sisterhood above all, they say, before they're allowed to walk back into the school. And out of the rain and cold. Everyone slowly does that over time as they meditate on which way they want their lives to go, their old lives or their new lives. With the sisterhood. Everyone, that is, except Valia, who remains standing out there and is the last one standing ultimately, in the rain, just soaking wet, crying. Even Dorothea is like, fuck this, I'm not waiting out here for you. Walks off. And she's left utterly alone out there until what. What looks like nightfall, like practically the rest of the day passes. And Mother Raquela arrives and goes over to Valia and tells her, come in. Like, come in, let's talk. And Valia, a little hesitant. She's like, I haven't taken my oath. I can't move from here. She's very conflicted, right. She's got this harken in past that she's struggling with. Doesn't really know that the sisterhood is really the thing she wants to commit the rest of her life to. Mother Raquela comforts her, says, hey, just come in, let's talk. Forget the oath for a minute. And it's very sweet, you know, like they have this one on one. There's a lot of really great thematic Dune lines in here that touch on things like amtal. Right. I had written in my notes that Raquela says at one point, adversity is the key to change, which is practically the definition of amtal to some extent. So I really liked this one on one between Raquela and Valia and kind of sticking with the Harry Potter vibe I'm getting here. This is giving Harry and Dumbledore energy. Raquela is very warm and inviting to Valya.

[Leo]

Yeah. Even after Valya used the voice on her.

[Abu]

Yes.

[Leo]

And Raquela's like, I've never felt anything like that before.

[Abu]

Yeah.

[Leo]

So in this show, actually, it seems like they're kind of writing a new history for the Voice, which is cool.

[Abu]

Yeah.

[Leo]

Now, going back to the bull hunting trip. It's been too long since we've seen beautiful Ori. Our guy. Ori is. Is in love, dude. Head over heels now maybe it's hasn't.

[Abu]

Even been a year.

[Leo]

Hasn't been a year, orey. But listen, I get it. It's totally fine. Plus, he just lost his horse today. It's been a hard day. He's decided, well, with that horse gone, might as well get hitched. And he straight up proposes to Tula.

[Abu]

Wow.

[Leo]

And they bang. As we slowly discover that this entire party is House Atreides.

[Abu]

Yeah. Very cool.

[Leo]

Reveal And Tula is under a fake name, Tula Veil, which is straight from Mentats of Dune, of course. Lanka Vale Veil. Tula Veil.

[Abu]

Okay, nice.

[Leo]

Fine.

[Abu]

Good. One note I have here for hbo.

[Leo]

Yeah.

[Abu]

We're now three for three on the sex scenes. And it's getting gratuitous, even for hbo. Yeah, Every episode so far has had sex scenes. And so some sort of, like, pivotal either plot moment or emotional moment. And, you know, we gotta find another way to get some feelings across, folks. At this point, I was rolling my eyes.

[Leo]

I will say this one felt less gratuitous than the previous ones. Like, this one was very tasteful. There weren't as many, like, long shots of, like, the naked lady.

[Abu]

Agreed.

[Leo]

I hear you. I completely agree. HBO will be hbo. I like to imagine their. Their contract is like, okay, but who on this episode, you're like, yeah, oh, my God. Okay, the maid and a different servant. And you're like, great. Unconsequential. But we need the boobies. We need to see boobies. So, yes, they bang. And the next morning, she attempts to slip out quietly. So it is. It is then revealed that she poisoned the soup awfully. She gave the soup to, like, the child. She's like, hey, put this by the fire. He's like, sick. And then we see them all, like, scooping it and eating it.

[Abu]

Brutal.

[Leo]

So she poisoned it, killed everyone. And the next morning, she. It kind of seems like she's trying to escape without confronting Ori. And he is basically like, oh, I'm so excited to introduce you to all my living relatives. Right outside. There they all are, hearts beating, strong, well fed, well rested, definitely alive. That's how I describe. That's what my favorite thing about them. They're all alive. That's my favorite quality about. How's it, Dre. Old house Atreides, a bunch of living people. And she is really panicking because she clearly has caught feelings for him as well. She clearly. You know, her first thing that she says to him is like, I want I need you to know that I regret how things have. Have to be. And he is like blowing past all of the emotions that she's demonstrating. But she says, listen, I have to tell you, I lied about my name. I'm not Tula Vale. I'm Tula Harkonnen. He takes a long beat. He's like, well, that is. I can understand why you didn't say that. But then he has this really beautiful. He expresses this very poignant idea that, like, century old feuds. That's old people shit. Like if they want to cling to that stuff, if they want to carry that forward into their future, let them. That's not us. We can write our own future full of all of my living relatives right out there, you, me and all of my family who are again right out there and probably still alive. Maybe now she is like, I have. Some things can't be changed, some families can't be unpoisoned, my love. And they go outside to reveal all of the family has died. Poisoned from the soup.

[Abu]

Yeah.

[Leo]

And in a final moment, right as he's processing the trauma of his whole family being dead, she sweeps around him and dare I say, on the point where you would put the gom Jabbar needle, the high handed killer injects the poison, same place as on the horse. And then just like the horse, she cradles him and she's again very visibly upset of having to do this and, and perhaps because of her grief. When the young. You say young Karen in this guy. Yeah, sure. Young Kieran, I don't think it is, but whatever, we'll, we'll get to it. When the young Atreides boy, I'll call him, sees her still alive, he hates soup. Apparently he sees her cradling dead Ori, she goes, you know, run, get out of here, kid. Probably because of her grief, he escapes, which of course also makes her a liar. Later when she tells Valya, yeah, they're all dead. They. Every single one of them. Not a single one with a leg brace escaped a lie.

[Abu]

Shouts to my fellow picky eaters, sometimes you do win the day.

[Leo]

Yeah, dodge the soup. That's what I've always said. Nevertheless, her final moments with Ori are underscored by the appearance of a solution bull just rolling up, going, is everything good here? Everyone's dead. Sick. Just checking in. All right, I'll leave you to it. You're clearly busy. Bye bye girl. Bye, queen. And naturally, that's some beautiful imagery. The bull is the death of House Atreides, is the death of Atreides. Paul Atreides's grandfather, for instance, was killed by a Seleucian bull. So this is again some fun imagery for Dune fans to see that comparison.

[Abu]

Yeah, I liked how subtle this was, yet how powerful for the folks who know.

[Leo]

Yeah, great stuff.

[Abu]

All right. Returning to Wallock 9, we begin to see young Valia thrive under Raquela's wing. Racella has taken her into her confidence. She shows her things like the breeding program, you know, this top secret thing that seemingly Maybe Dorotea doesn't even know about. And we see young Valia boast to her friends, guys, yeah, I'm next in line. Mother Raquela says, I'm going to be Mother Superior.

[Leo]

I would say it seems preemptive, but what Raquela showed her was artificial intelligence and computers.

[Abu]

Top, top secret.

[Leo]

Like, the kind of shit that if that got out, your whole order is gone.

[Abu]

Yeah.

[Leo]

So it really is a moment of like, you are on the most inner circle possible.

[Abu]

Right.

[Leo]

And you have this power that Rachella has never seen before. So I could see the normies watching this and being like, oh, that seems hasty. But she has good reason. Yeah, she has good reason to think Rachella has put a lot of trust in her because she just did.

[Abu]

Yes, she is definitely in an inner, inner, inner circle of the sisterhood at this point.

[Leo]

Yeah.

[Abu]

And speaking of a power that Raquela is impressed by, Valia also shares this power with her to BFFs. Here. She shows them the voice. How she shows them is kind of funny. She commands them to first look at each other and then for one person to slap the other. And they're quite impressed. They're. They're suddenly giddy with excitement. And they ask Valia to teach them how to utilize this incredible power.

[Leo]

I swear to God. Okay, friends of mine, listening, if you discover the voice and you show me that you have this power by making someone else hit me in the face, we're not friends anymore. I'm not giddy, I'm not excited. I'm walking.

[Abu]

Guess who's getting hit next?

[Leo]

Slapping you in the face. Fuck off. That is the most disrespectful way. She's like, face each other, spit in her eyes. It's like, why is that so mean? Even just being like, do a jumping jack would have gotten the job done. And again, as much as I'm critiquing choices made for the show, it is so much worse in the book. I'll talk about that later.

[Abu]

That's hilarious.

[Leo]

Yes. So, so disrespectful.

[Abu]

Yeah. Again, it's giving Slytherin. It's like, this is the Imperial Curse. And it's like, teach me this unforgivable curse, please.

[Leo]

Oh, my God. Imperial sick. Sign me up. How do I. How do I Imperial.

[Abu]

Hilarious. Very Slytherin coated. Well, from there, we cut to an agony ritual. Dorothea and Valya are present with Rachela while the rest of the acolytes watch. And Rachela is performing a similar ritual to the one we saw Tula did with Lila. These two up and coming sisters, clearly the two that are next in line potentially to be Mother Superior are going to perform the agony and become full on Reverend Mothers. Except at the very last second, Valia chickens out and rushes out of the room. She cannot do it. And I really appreciated this too, because she doesn't just chicken out for, like, plot reasons. Yeah, there was emotional reasons for her to do so. I really liked that Rachela at one point said, she said something along the lines of, like, you will now undergo the agony and face the ones who made you, quote unquote. And of course, like, she's got family Harkonnen baggage. Like, the ones who made her are Harkonnens. Her other memory is going to be full of fucking Harkonnens. And Valya, in her emotional arc as a character, has yet to face that. And so of course she would back out from the agony. That's too much for her to confront at this moment. So I really, I really liked that. There was plot reasons to do it, but emotional reasons to do it as well.

[Leo]

I'll also say a quiet thing I appreciated was first that the acolytes have like, old fashioned garb. The subtle differences between this, like 30 years prior, they have different clothes. The agony ceremony isn't like on a table with like multiple. It's like we see the kind of subtle progression over the last 30 years. We see changes to how the sisterhood does these things. Yeah, the words are the same, some of those little, like, elements are the same. The poison's the same. It's still the Rossic drug, but we still see evolution. And as much as I've seen a lot of critique over like, you know, 10,000 years, not enough has changed. We do see some changes even just in this 30 year span, which is very cool. Yeah.

[Abu]

And the 10,000 thing, like, that's just a prequel storytelling problem in like all of sci fi. You just have to suspend your disbelief a little bit. Raquela then gives young Valia a stern talking to Raquela, clearly disappointed that her star pupil didn't want to go through with this thing. Potentially the next in line. This is important for her to go through the agony. You can't be Mother Superior if you don't go through the agony. That's a prerequisite.

[Leo]

I thought this was wild when she was like, well, I was thinking about maybe going home. And she's like, I can approve that. Bye. Yeah, it's like, whoa, okay, you are. Yeah. She was pissed.

[Abu]

She was pissed. She was pissed. And look, she gives an ultimatum to Valia. She's like, look, clearly the thing holding you back is her family baggage. Go home. Go figure that shit out and come back a reverend mother or not at all. Here's the poison, you know, I was like, whoa. Now, that is an ultimatum.

[Leo]

Yeah.

[Abu]

That's crazy. That is a test. To go through the agony in a controlled environment with your fellow sisters there to support you is one thing. To just be told to, like, go do this shit on your own and only come back if you survive it.

[Leo]

Yeah.

[Abu]

Wow.

[Leo]

It's really very intense. And also different from the book, which I appreciated because this does also feel like the Agency is Valya's and it's between Valya and Rachela.

[Abu]

Yeah.

[Leo]

I thought this was great. For sure. Now, back on Lankaveil, Valya confronts her family. She talks to Tula, right? And Tula's like, I didn't think I could do that either, and asks a really poignant question. She, you know, Valya is saying, griffin would be proud of you for killing that whole party of House Atreides people. And Toola's like, I don't know. Would he? Like, have we gone too far?

[Abu]

I had written that down, too. Would Griffin be proud?

[Leo]

Would he? Yeah. It was so, like, really, really beautiful.

[Abu]

Right. Was this for Griffin, or was this for us? Was sort of the implicit.

[Leo]

Yeah.

[Abu]

In between the lines there. And I loved that so much.

[Leo]

And also, like, was this for you? Like, is this. Is all of this kind of your rage? And granted, she owns it throughout, but I think that's also what gives resonance to later when she says, hey, promise me that when we go to the Bene Gesserit, it's a fresh start. Because it has been Valya's rage that has really been the catalyst for a lot of this. And there is this moment where, of course, interesting that House Harkonnen, they're all like, oh, yeah, we know that you killed a bunch of Atreides. That's crazy. It seems like it's public knowledge that this Harkonnen person.

[Abu]

Yes.

[Leo]

Murked a bunch of Atreides. And I'm wondering maybe the kid already ratted her out. Or if it was just.

[Abu]

Or did Tula just tell her mom, like, this happened. I did this.

[Leo]

Yeah.

[Abu]

Because Tula's, like, more honest. Maybe.

[Leo]

Maybe.

[Abu]

Yeah. This was a little. This was a little weird, I think.

[Leo]

I'm not sure. I feel like we will get more information about this or it won't be important, but either way, the family Is angry. The family's really angry at what Tula did. And they're angry at Valia for being the kind of one to really spurn her sister on to say, like, yeah, yeah, yeah. Go, go, go. So Valya demonstrates that the voice for her is really a mostly about knives. The voice seems to be 99% knife related. And now I'm wondering, maybe her friends just didn't have knives on them, because if they had, she would have been like, take out your blade. Hold it to her neck. Yeah, exactly. And they're like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Okay. I'd much rather slap you than stab you with a knife.

[Abu]

Yeah.

[Leo]

So she uses the voice on her mother. She says, shut up. Pick up the knife. And then just barely, doesn't kill her mother. Which is really, really a tense moment. And I was eating lunch, and I stopped chewing to watch that moment because I was like, oh, my God, she want to kill her mom. That's crazy. So the mother is unkilled, but she walks away. This is really a breaking point for her and her immediate family, it seems. And alone in the cold, in the snow of Lankaveil, she takes thoracic poison and undergoes the agony on her own.

[Abu]

Wow.

[Leo]

Now, demonstrating the wisdom of the sisterhood, it is nigh impossible for someone to make it on their own in this universe. So sure enough, Tula is there, finds her in the snow and talks her out of her agony, only for her to wake up now, an awakened Reverend Mother.

[Abu]

Yeah.

[Leo]

Really incredible. This also added so much resonance to the Valya telling Tula in episode one about Lila. You've done this before. You've talked people out of the agony before. Like, you've guided them back before.

[Abu]

And then Tula telling Lila, just follow my voice, you know?

[Leo]

Exactly.

[Abu]

Tula is very much this, like, guiding light for people going through the agony.

[Leo]

Yeah. And then that moment is Valya reflecting on this moment that Tula saved her life by guiding her out of the agony as well. It's this reminder of where. What have we been through together? So cool.

[Abu]

I loved it so much. Yeah.

[Leo]

And then they have their moment where they say, okay, Tula says, hey, I'm coming with you. I'm going to go to the sisterhood with you, but promise me, yeah, we're going to leave this stuff behind. Valya does not. She doesn't go, yes, I promise. She goes, we have a new mission now. And I'm like, okay. Not a promise. Did not promise her that this would be a fresh start.

[Abu]

Yeah.

[Leo]

Fascinating, Fascinating stuff.

[Abu]

Yeah. All right. Let's wrap up this summary. We return to the present day where the acolytes gather to say their final goodbyes to Lila. They're gonna effectively pull the plug on Sister Lila here. Sister Jen, who's clearly very torn up by this, actually, in a bold way, calls out Tula.

[Leo]

Yeah. For her manipulation.

[Abu]

You made her do this when you knew she wasn't ready. This is.

[Leo]

Yeah.

[Abu]

This never should have happened, this sacrifice. What did we even achieve from this? Sister Jen, Definitely angry.

[Leo]

Yeah.

[Abu]

In a touching moment, though, that I think really shows us the relationship between the elder mothers in charge. Sister Avila actually comes in to support Tula and to back this decision and kind of gives this speech about, like many sisters before us have sacrificed for the greater good of the sisterhood for.

[Leo]

Us to even be here. Yeah.

[Abu]

Yeah. None of us would be here if sisters like Lila hadn't made these difficult decisions. And if sisters like Tula hadn't made these difficult decisions. So it's a very touching moment of camaraderie between the two elder sisters.

[Leo]

If anybody here, anybody listening has watched Attack on Titan, this is very like Commander Erwin's speech where it's like, we honor those who came before us and we give everything to those. But that idea of, like, Lila made the choice. She knew the risk. You have to respect that. She had agency. And what you're doing right now is you're saying she was some mindless victim and was she manipulated? We can probably not talk about that that much, but for sure, she was brave to have done what she did, and you should respect her bravery. And it was really like, hell. Yeah.

[Abu]

I think Sister Avila makes a compelling case for sure. Yeah, I was nodding along.

[Leo]

Yeah, I think she's great.

[Abu]

Well, after the goodbyes, Sister Tula does remove those plug things or whatever off of Lila's head, seemingly turning off the life support and ending her life. Which, of course, we'll shortly say is not the case. We quickly cut back to Seleucus Secundus to check in with modern day Valia, who does the most millennial thing ever. She loses her job and then returns to her parents house to ask for help. Help. I get it, Valia. We've all been there. The pandemic was rough.

[Leo]

Yeah.

[Abu]

But fun to see that we're setting up some sort of a Valia Harkonnen standoff in the coming episodes. Clearly, she still has baggage with her family, but now is feeling so desperate that she needs their help.

[Leo]

Yeah, that's a great point.

[Abu]

Now, in the final scene of the episode we cut back to Wallock 9, we cut back to Doula, who is entering the secret base Breeding genetic archive room.

[Leo]

First time we're seeing it. Uh huh.

[Abu]

First time we actually enter and we get a huge reveal. Lila is actually floating in a spice bacta tank is the best way I can describe this.

[Leo]

Uh huh.

[Abu]

And Tula talks to an AI named Anuril and tells the AI to keep Lila alive at all costs. And the camera slowly pans out from the room and we see all of the clearly forbidden technology at work here in the Breeding Archive. And that's where we cut to credits.

[Leo]

This is. I mean, we've seen a lot of tech in Dune, you know, in Villeneuve's movies and so far in this series, like flying cars and stuff. But I thought they did a great job of making the computers really feel like a monumental reveal, which was very cool.

[Abu]

Yeah.

[Leo]

And yeah, I guess the idea is that the spice will rejuvenate her mind or something. And maybe this is what's going to also be the discovery of spice as the sort of key ingredient for spice agonies moving forward. That being said, there's, you know, a spice filled tank reads very navigator to me. Or maybe it's going to be abomination. Like we. Oh, I don't know. I'm so curious to see where this turns up. Yeah, very cool. Final scene. Very, very impactful.

[Abu]

Agreed. Okay, that's episode three. Let's quickly chat about some of the things that worked that we thought worked for us and some of the things that didn't work for us. We already hit on some of these during the summary, but. Leo. Yeah, what from this episode really resonated with you.

[Leo]

Yeah. I mean, just a great episode. I'm having so much fun. I love this show. I loved seeing Lankaveil. I've been very candid that seeing new places that exist in the Dune universe on screen for the first time is really fun. And the feel of the snowy, icy, shitty planet Lankaveil felt very true to the books. The fur whale processing area felt very alive and bustling. People going about their daily getting their meat from the butcher. And it all felt very alive. And I loved that it felt very populated.

[Abu]

Yeah.

[Leo]

Now, I also loved Sister Avila just all over the episode. I thought she was excellent in episode two, but in this episode she just had some excellent acting moments. Her standing up for Tula's bravery was really, really sweet. And the speech was so well delivered. I just wanted to shout out Barbara Martin, who is the actress who plays Sister Avila. Really, really excellent. Now, Tula's actresses, my God, their performances are so good. Both the modern day scenes and the flashback to, you know, Ori and the engagement and the poisoning and all of it, excellent performances. Olivia Williams, Emma Canning, both doing an amazing job. Specifically, older Tula's response to Valya would be proud of you making that decision to kill Lila where she kind of like smiles, but in that, like pained. I don't really give a shit. But I appreciate that you're being nice, but also I'm hiding stuff and. Okay, yeah, so good. Such good nonverbal acting. I loved it. And also Tula's heartbreak over Ori Atreides, even as she killed him, was just so palpable and so excellent. Would Griffin be proud of us? 10 out of 10. Excellent. And then finally, I'll say the music I felt was way better in this episode, much less present. In particular, though, why is it so quiet? It would have been hilarious if we had a loud soundtrack at that moment. Yeah, excellent. So thank you for listening to my complaints. Hbo. Thanks for making some adjustments on the fly. I know the show was already cut, so I appreciate you going in and fixing everything.

[Abu]

Yeah, always tough to re edit last minute.

[Leo]

It's hard, but they clearly got it done. So thank you and also you're welcome listeners, for solving these problems on your behalf. What about you, Abu? I know that was kind of a long list on my part.

[Abu]

I honestly, all I have to say about this episode is finally, many of my critiques. The main thrust of my major issues with episode two last week have been solved here. Because, folks, we're getting emotional stakes, we're getting interpersonal relationships between characters. We're understanding motivation, internal motivation for the characters. All of the things that were sorely lacking from episode two are present here in episode three. And for me, it makes it the best episode we've watched thus far of this season. We have a clear idea of who our central characters are in episode three. Who are the folks that we can either cheer for or cheer against. Even Tula Valia take center stage as our main characters. The emotional threat thrust of this story. And we desperately, I feel like needed that in somewhere in the first two episodes. You know, the first episode was very exposition heavy. The second episode was plot, plot, plot, plot, plot. And finally, here is where we get the thing I was just so hungry for in those episodes. So I was really, really glad to see it. And it's a big reason why I so greatly enjoyed episode three. Yeah, in fact, I would go so Far as to say, if I may be so bold, they got the order wrong. This should have been episode two, and episode two should have been episode three. Obviously, like, sequentially that requires a bit of re editing and you need to, like, clean up some scene sequencing for the story to make sense. But we needed this first because when I think of a lot of the moments in episode three, how much more weight would they have had? Emotional weight would they have had. If we knew these things about Vali and Tula, I would have much rather had this emotional stuff up front and earlier on, rather than getting it what is now. Again, as a reminder, I keep harping on this point. Six episodes. This is three. Halfway through this season, we are beginning to understand who our main characters are and what internally motivates them and what their emotional journeys are. It's something I feel like should have been handled much earlier to establish stakes and for the plot to then move forward with those stakes. I also want to compliment the writing in this episode. Certainly some clunky moments in the first two episodes. Some on the nose dialogue that really felt like producer feedback and intervention about, like, I'm confused. Will the normies be confused? We need to be very explicit and overly clear about this rather than just imply it or let it be subtle. This episode was much more subtle. Things like the bull, you know, no words had to be spoken there. And it was for the Dune heads. It was there. If you can connect those dots, you're going to greatly appreciate that sort of thing. I liked that subtlety. Was it a perfectly written episode? I mean, no. You know, I don't think Dune Prophecy is going to be a show remembered for poetic dialogue that sings. It's not the most strongly written show, but episode three was certainly head and shoulders above where the previous two episodes were. And so I wanted to shout that out as well. I really appreciated that.

[Leo]

Yeah, agreed. I thought some of the writing was really beautiful.

[Abu]

Yeah.

[Leo]

What about things that you wish were a little bit different? Are there any kind of adjustments you'd make?

[Abu]

Honestly, I don't know. I can't really think of anything. This was, again, I think, the strongest episode we've seen so far. And I don't really have any notes. I was glued to my screen on both watches. On my initial watch, I was, like, forgetting to take notes in my notebook because I was like, so emotionally invested. And even on a rewatch, I was kind of like, oh, man, the scene is so good, isn't it? And I was like, oh, no, shit. I'm supposed to be writing something down. So I loved it. I loved this episode a lot. We already kind of harped on Valia being a one trick pony with the knife thing with the voice. It's bit silly to have her again. Another thing, we're like three for three now at this point. Every episode has Valia pulling a knife voice thing, but again, it's neither here nor there. That's such a small thing at this point is something I'm really enjoying. I said this actually about the last episode too. Is the lore and world building are the things I'm actually enjoying quite a bit. It's fun to be in a Dune universe and experiencing a Dune story. And at this point I'm realizing that the more I try to nitpick the Brian Herbert stuff that I don't like, the less I'm enjoying just watching the show. And so I'm kind of just resigned to be along for the ride. The reality is we live in Brian Herbert's universe and there will be Brian Herbert stuff in nearly all adaptations of Dune. And I'm just gonna find a way to come to terms with that. I'm along for the ride for this show. So as much as that stuff annoys me, I'm kind of resigned to accepting it. I do want to share a hot take. I kind of teased this on our FaceTime call the other day.

[Leo]

Yeah.

[Abu]

But I want to share this hot take that I realized after watching and re watching this show. I did not miss or even notice the lack of Desmond the Emperor Yanez. Who's that other. What's his name? Something Atreides is part of some rebel plot. Like, yeah, I didn't miss them one bit in this episode, which I think says a lot. I think there's actually somewhere in this season I think there was a really great show that hones in on just the young Harkonnen sisters and their come up on Tula and Valia particularly. And this episode shows it. This episode shows like, oh, wow, there's a story in here that maybe doesn't even involve all of that Desmond psychic power stuff. That would be so good. And obviously that's not the show we're getting. This is one episode of a larger story. We're definitely going to be cutting back to that Desmond Emperor Yunes stuff next episode, I'm sure. But man, I almost would have rather watched a show about two sisters dealing with their family trauma and coming to terms with their own power and growing alongside and inside this mysterious new institution that is beginning to take a foothold within this young imperium that's beginning to grow. I think you can still have politics because you have the Harkonnen house stuff. You can still have a lot of the DNA of what makes Dune Dune. But hone in much more strongly on these two sisters as the core of your story and their emotional journey over the course of that season. I don't think that's the show we're getting. In fact, I think I have a gut feeling that by the end of these six episodes, this criticism will still hold true. I think this show might have gotten a little lost in the sauce of trying to be Game of Thrones in space, which I suspect is probably the elevator pitch they gave to hbo. You know, here's a established property. Denis Villeneuve blew it up. People want this, and people love Game of Thrones. We can give that to you. Hbo, give us the money. You know, sign the check to make this happen. And so I think we're leaning a lot into the Desmond and palace intrigue, which I'm now realizing doesn't quite hold the same emotional stakes as watching these two incredible actors and these two sisters do their thing and deal with their baggage. So I think I would add that to my very minor list of criticisms.

[Leo]

Yeah.

[Abu]

Which is not particularly about this episode. I think that that's more of a larger show storytelling, creative choice thing.

[Leo]

Yeah. I think you're right that this episode needed to happen for us to really, really understand the stakes for Valya and Tula. And I think now maybe the Desmond scenes might have more resonance and more emotional states.

[Abu]

Oh, I agree. Yeah.

[Leo]

Again, Mark Strong is so fun to watch on screen. And Travis Flamel is so much fun to watch on screen. Yeah. I wonder. I wonder if it. If it'll. If it'll feel as strong when we get back to the politicking, you know?

[Abu]

Yeah. What about you? Did you have any nits to pick for this episode?

[Leo]

Yeah. Well, you know, only pretty much Brian lore.

[Abu]

Yeah.

[Leo]

And not to continue making an enemy of Brian Herbert, but the voice is so frustrating. And even if the voice does work the way we're expected to believe it does, she says to her two friends, both looking at her face, her. And only one of them responded. How. How does that one know to respond and the other one didn't? Who's. Who? How is this psychic powers? Do you have to be looking at them? What are the rules? What are the stakes if that. If you don't establish rules and consistent stakes, these powers make no sense. It's Wingardium Leviosa. Can I wing Guardium Leviosa? Fucking Voldemort into space. Yes or no, jk? I want to know the rules. I want to know the stakes. So we know the rules and stakes in Frank's universe. So we've changed the way the Voice works in Brian's universe. I just don't know where the limits are for this ability. And even going to the moment in Mintats of Dune where she kills Dorothea. Dorothea resists just because she's strong, and then she doesn't, and then she dies. I just don't understand the stakes of the Voice. And you're right that I think when I focus too much on it, it kind of steals a little bit of my enjoyment from just watching a show that I'm really loving. So I do need to, like, balance these things. But I think it's also worth noting that, like, for people who are watching this who don't know about the original six books or haven't read all six of the original books, it's just better. The six books are just better than you'd expect, objectively.

[Abu]

Right?

[Leo]

Objectively.

[Abu]

There's just no arguing that in lore.

[Leo]

And consistency and all these different things.

[Abu]

Yeah. I don't even think Brian fans who enjoy the Brian Herbert books would argue that the Frank. That they're superior to the Frank books. Right?

[Leo]

Yeah, I think that is. That is. It's the coldest take I could. I could possibly bring to the table.

[Abu]

Frigid. We're on Lakeville.

[Leo]

Suddenly we're at Lakeville. Take Fur whale harvesting season take. But nevertheless, it is. It is worth reiterating. And that's kind of it for this episode. Like all of my were just like, hey, that doesn't make sense. But that's because of like Brian lore.

[Abu]

Yeah.

[Leo]

Happy as a. Happy as a slig in the sty, as they say.

[Abu]

Yum stinky.

[Leo]

Yum stinky.

[Abu]

All right, well, let's take a quick breather here, folks, but we still have more to talk about with this excellent episode, so don't go anywhere. When we come back, we're going to get into a couple of takeaways and dive a bit deeper into what we saw in episode three. This episode is brought to you by Google Gemini. With the Gemini app, you can talk live and have a real time conversation with an AI assistant. It's great for all kinds of things, like if you want to practice for an upcoming interview, ask for advice on things to do in a new city, or brainstorm creative ideas. And by the way, this script was actually read by Gemini. Download the Gemini app for iOS and Android today. Must be 18 to use Gemini Live.

[Leo]

This episode is brought to you by Dutch Bros. Get stoked for all the holly jolly vibes this season at Dutch Bros. Stay cozy with returning winter faves. Hazelnut truffle mocha and candy cane mocha. Plus the new Winter Shimmer Rebel energy drink blends up sweet cream and blue razz flavor with soft top and shimmer sprinks to keep those spirits energized all winter long. Download the Dutch Bros app to find your nearest shop, order ahead and start earning rewards. Welcome back, everybody. Hope you enjoyed your break. Let's get into some takeaways that we thought were worth highlighting from today's episode of Dune. Prophecy and Abu kick us off. What kind of stood out to you from today's episode?

[Abu]

So I wanted to spend a couple minutes here unpacking Ori's thoughts on this Atreides Harkonnen feud, because I thought it was very well written, very well acted, and quite poignant stuff that I think has had some really interesting ideas in this story. There's, of course, like, the actual history of what may or may not have occurred between the Harkonnens and Atreides, but there's also this idea of generational trauma and how it's passed down for over a century. And then, of course, the cycles of violence that we see people are trapped in because of these things. I think it's all wrapped up very beautifully in a really poignant scene with Ori. To get into it more specifically, once Tula reveals that she is Harkonnen, Ori takes a beat and then begins by saying, quote, no one chooses the name they're born with. End quote. Excellent start, Ori. We're off to a great start. My guy killing it. Yeah, full on husband material. You took a moment to collect yourself, you wrangled your emotions and then you opened with a line that sets the stage properly.

[Leo]

You know, my guy's got thoughts that rival his abs.

[Abu]

Unbelievable, unbelievable stuff.

[Leo]

Shoulders.

[Abu]

He continues spitting bars because he then says about how their families, quote, choose hate because of what they're taught. That a disagreement between our ancestors during wartime over a century ago should bleed into their future. But that is their burden, not ours. End quote. Who loves that?

[Leo]

Good.

[Abu]

So good. Amazing writing, you know, firing on all cylinders here. Beautiful stuff. Really poignant stuff. And I think Ori is really cutting to sort of the heart of why feuds, grudges, rivalries, hatred of any kind, any long standing hatred of Any kind is often based more on myth than fact. Right. It's like a beast that feeds on itself as time passes. And I'm sure certainly by the time of Paul. Right. But even here, just a century later, I'm sure people barely remember what we were actually fighting about, you know? Do you remember? Because I don't what's. Like, we just are supposed to hate each other, I think. And I think Ori's really cutting to that. You know, he's like, hey, this was not our problem. And this happened so long ago. Why do we have to still burden ourselves with this? Why does it have to continue to affect our lives? Really beautiful stuff here. And I really like that Ori is choosing not to let this myth of this beast of the past control his decisions now in the present or shape his future, shape his life. The way he chooses to love who he chooses to love. This is obviously a step away from the way their families have done it for generations. It's a really beautiful form of healing, I think, from generational trauma that, sure, a lot of folks can identify with my. Myself included. Like, I, as a immigrant, like, I have a lot of cultural baggage, a lot of just, like, immigrant baggage. Anyone's. Anyone's parents who moved to the US and told them shit, like, we sacrificed everything to bring you here, so you have to pay us back. Like, you get it. You understand that?

[Leo]

Yeah.

[Abu]

Like, this is something I, like, really strongly identified with.

[Leo]

Or.

[Abu]

Or are you choosing to be like, no, man. That was your choice, and that's your baggage. Don't put that on me.

[Leo]

Yeah.

[Abu]

That, I think, is a really beautiful sentiment for Mori, and it really struck a chord with me.

[Leo]

It also is modeling for Tula another way that everything could be handled.

[Abu]

Yes.

[Leo]

Because so far, Tula's only ever known Valya and Griffin, and she's only ever seen her parents, who suck, and Valya, who's way too angry about everything and is like, I have to take it into my own hands to fix the record. And then Griffin, who had his own solution to the problem, but got wrapped up in Volley his thing, and.

[Abu]

Yeah.

[Leo]

And then died. And so it's like that. And I think that also really informs how tragic her confusion is when she's like, I thought you would hate me. And he's like, no. Like, what are you. Nothing could make me dislike you. Because.

[Abu]

Right.

[Leo]

Whatever shit is going on out there, like, that's not mine. It's so good.

[Abu]

That's a great point also for what.

[Leo]

It represents in Tula's life. Too.

[Abu]

Yeah. And that's so true. Like, Tula is clearly trapped in a cycle that's perpetuated by Valya, basically.

[Leo]

Yeah.

[Abu]

It has never been modeled to her how to process this, like, generational Harkonnen Atreides trauma, this baggage that the family has carried for generations. It's never been, like, healthily modeled to her how to deal with it until literally this moment with Ori where she has already committed mass murder.

[Leo]

Yeah.

[Abu]

And it's too late to change course. It's really heartbreaking stuff. And I think, again, Emma the actress just, you see, the acting on her face reveals all of this. You know, it's all dawning on her that maybe there was another way to go about this. There's another way, a happier way that I can let go of these things. But as we know, she doesn't. And to be fair, Tula herself has not come to terms with the Harkonnen family trauma, and more importantly, her grief over her brother's death, over Griffin's death. You know, And I think that's where the difference lies between Tula and Ori. For Ori, this feud is just, like, a thing he's told about, and it's a thing from quote unquote, a century ago. It's not present for him. You know, it hasn't really affected him, in a way. But for Tula, this is a real thing. Like, we don't know the exact timeline here, but, like, months ago, a year ago, like, whenever her brother passed. This was a personal thing that happened to her because of this feud. It's an open wound for her right now, whereas for Ori, maybe it's just like a. Like an old wound that people tell him about, but he's never actually gotten the paper cut himself, so who cares?

[Leo]

And it's worth noting that in situate of Dune, there's a bunch of extra context that we don't get in this show. In this show, the context that we have is Griffin sought out Vorian Atreides to make Vorian, or to encourage Vorian to set the record straight, to repair the reputation of House of Harkonnen. Why isn't that just a polite conversation? And why did that result in Vorian killing? Killing Griffin? Obviously, that's a villainous thing if that's what happened. Huge caveat. But nevertheless, like, I can see how it would be still very immediate for her. Exactly to your point, like, she is still in the midst of this trauma, which, you know, is also very resonant with people who are still Dealing with the ramifications of shit that's happened hundreds of years ago in American history. You know, I think about my friends who have, like, indigenous family or my friends who are black or immigrants or like, whatever. It's like shit that happened long in the past is still very much something they're dealing with today.

[Abu]

It's not a painful history, it's a painful present that is still happening right now.

[Leo]

Yeah, A thousand percent.

[Abu]

Yeah.

[Leo]

So many resonant themes wrapped up in that conversation in this moment.

[Abu]

For sure. For sure. And I loved the line delivery on this. But Tula is still trapped within that context, right? The context of what she has witnessed with Griffin and what she has been told by her older sister Valya. You know, quote, we do what we must. End quote. My hands are tied here. Ori, as much as I love you, right? This is what I have to do. This is the only way I can deal with this. You know, and again, to kind of share my own personal experience with this, like, I get this too. As much as I understand Ori's side of things, I also very much understand Tula's side of things as well. Years of therapy have taught me that a lot of things that I thought were just things I had to do. My, like, people pleasing tendencies or my like, very workaholic attitude toward everything that comes from the very same baggage that I've carried my whole life. And I totally understand that inescapable feeling of, I'm doing what I must, I'm doing what I have to write. This is what I have to do. And it's not until someone models another behavior or helps you work through breaking the must part of the equation that you realize that there are maybe different ways to handle things or that there are healthier ways to go about dealing with the little T traumas and even the big T traumas in your life. And it's. It's really heartbreaking to see Tula not have that kind of support system. She. There's only this way she knows how to deal with it. She. She thinks this is what has to be done here. It's devastating stuff, and it's a very difficult mindset to escape. Especially, you know, as we've discussed, when you mix this history with the very present grief of just losing her brother, you know?

[Leo]

Right.

[Abu]

It's tough. And I mean, I really empathize with Tula in this situation as well. To be clear, I'm not endorsing mass murder as like a way to deal with your grief. Don't do that.

[Leo]

Yeah.

[Abu]

But I. I certainly know what it's like to feel trapped in cycles of. Of your past and not realizing that there is a way out until someone helps you through it.

[Leo]

Yeah.

[Abu]

So I really felt the emotion in this episode, and in particular, I think Tula and Ori's story was my favorite part of this episode for these reasons. So I wanted to touch on it here in the takeaway. Like, this is the human emotional storytelling that I love so much in sci fi stories, and I'm so glad we got it in this episode.

[Leo]

And can very much be extrapolated to human themes throughout all of society.

[Abu]

Exactly.

[Leo]

Every time, every era.

[Abu]

Exactly.

[Leo]

It's the sort of poignant things that Frank included in his book in 1965 that still is resonant today. So, yeah, I'm right there with you. That's a great takeaway for sure.

[Abu]

Well, what about your takeaway? What did you want to chat about?

[Leo]

Well, the thing I wanted to dial in on is just how much better this show is than the source material. I. Again, God, the temptation is just to really dig into the book that I force myself to read. But instead, what I'll say is I want to celebrate three changes to the seminal text, as it was called, that I think are really, really smart. And again, this is just to celebrate the good choices that the team heading this show have made. Basically, there are lots of small changes, to be clear, and there are still some things that are in line and kind of wonky. And like you've said, there's also, like, moments that I thought were a little. The script was a little like, okay, like, Griffin and Valia talking, I thought was a little exposition heavy. Well, yeah, you. I was the one that fell in the water. And I'm the fool who jumped in. You're the fool who saved me. You know, it's like, right.

[Abu]

Did it. You compel me with your voice?

[Leo]

Capital V. In my head, I felt.

[Abu]

Yeah, the start. The start of the episode. I think, like, the dinner scene in particular at the very top of the episode was very, like, clunky and exposition heavy. Because it's like, Valia, you're talking to your own family. Why are you explaining family history as if they don't know know it already? You know, like, it.

[Leo]

It felt a little X, Y and Z.

[Abu]

They're all like, yeah, yeah, we know. Can you just eat your soup? God damn it.

[Leo]

Goddamn.

[Abu]

I agree.

[Leo]

But anyway, it's fine. Exposition has to happen for people to understand what's going on.

[Abu]

Yeah.

[Leo]

Nevertheless, let's talk about three changes. I really liked the first change that I love, Valia being forced to go to wallach9. And I love this change, because in Sisterhood of Dune, Valia's motivations change paragraph to paragraph. There are times when she's like, sisterhood above all. And then she'll be like, fuck this, sisterhood. I'm all about House Harkening. And I'm like, well, that was a paragraph ago. You felt differently. But okay. Her character is like a byproduct of context rather than any kind of, like, internal, actual emotional reasoning. This series, I feel like, 100% fixes that problem. Because Valya had a plan to go to Wallach 9. But then Griffin's death, the delivery of his body, this reminder of what House Harkonnen has lost and her connection to it and her immediate trauma. And then her being forced by her family to go to wallach9. Holy shit. Of course she's going to be @Wallach9 being like, Fuck this place. I don't even. I don't give a shit who takes over after Raquela. What are you. What are you two talking about? It's like me in the break room when people are talking about Fanduel. What's the over under on touchdowns? I'm like, fuck off. I was forced to come here. But capitalism, this place. So that makes so much sense. And in the book, Griffin's body shows up at the very end of Sisterhood of Dune. It's what motivates her to do the spice Agony. But in this show, it's this kind of cruel reminder of what House Harkonnen has lost. Which, of course, would weigh heavily in her at school. And although she understands what she. Her potential can be through her conversation with Raquela. Yeah, when she ducks the agony to return home, presumably a hero, I imagine the fanfare she was expecting. Hey, guys. The plan I had with Tula, where I sent her to go kill a bunch of a tree. It worked. Aren't we all excited about this? And she's greeted as a villain by her own family. She then decides to take the matters into her own hands. I'm going to get the powers of a Reverend Mother so that I can correct the record. Blah, blah, blah. It all makes sense. Like there's this nice through line of her emotional reasoning and why she's doing each thing.

[Abu]

Yes, exactly. It's excellent.

[Leo]

And that is fully missing from the source material. Again, one paragraph, she's like, I'm gonna befriend Anna Carino so that I will have a friend who is the Empress. And also this kid. Why am I stuck being a babysitter? And. And I'm like, make up your mind. Have an opinion. I don't know. Just have a character, please. Second adjustment I love is the origin of the Voice in Valya's life, which is to save Griffin when he fell into the waters in Linked Vale. To be clear, in Sisterhood, she does save him from the water. He falls into the water. It's like freezing. He can't move his muscles. She jumps in after him and then just can move her muscles because she, like, is built different. And she keeps them afloat long enough for them both to be saved. So it's kind of a. It's like, okay, she jumped in to save him. It's to demonstrate their love, whatever. Sure. But the idea of the Voice in Frank's lore, the idea that you are compelling someone to do something, but through understanding how the Voice affects people and understanding what they want and understanding. I can imagine within Frank's floor, Griffin is panicking. His mind is. Is all over the place because he's awash in icy water. And he hears the desperation and the urgency in Valya's voice. And she says, swim. And I can see that being something that compels, snaps him out of it and helps him survive.

[Abu]

Yeah.

[Leo]

That is so within Frank's themes. It's excellent.

[Abu]

It's excellent.

[Leo]

And again, it ties her creation of the Voice, or her first experience with the Voice, to a deeply emotional moment in the books. She's kind of just fucking trying it out. She's like, I've been playing around with this thing that I've discovered since Getting Other Memory, and there's no. It's just curiosity. I don't know. I loved that this took, this ability, rooted it in Valya's emotions and her relationships. It's so good. 10 out of 10. Great choice.

[Abu]

And rooting it in emotions. Think how devastating it is now that it doesn't work on Desmond. This thing that saved her brother's life.

[Leo]

Oh, great point.

[Abu]

The thing that has gotten her out of trouble time and time again.

[Leo]

Doesn't work, in her opinion. Saved the Sisterhood, saved Raella's vision by.

[Abu]

It's so personal to her. And to have such a personal thing fall flat in your face.

[Leo]

Yeah.

[Abu]

In front. Like with Desmond Hart. How much more emotionally resonant is that? And how much better would it be if we got the Desmond scene after this episode?

[Leo]

Yeah, sure, whatever. Also, it's the power that Raquela calls her. It's like it's part of Raquela's validation of her.

[Abu]

Yeah.

[Leo]

Like her being special is Raquela being like, hey, you've got this power. You're pushing what it means to be different.

[Abu]

Exactly. Oh, it's so tied with who Valya is as a person and a character, emotionally, internally, that anything plot wise that happens with a voice now has like 10 times more weight. Because we know this.

[Leo]

It's so good.

[Abu]

Yeah, good stuff. It's a great choice. It's a strong storytelling choice and I'm glad it's different from the book because.

[Leo]

The book sounds not good, not great. Now the final thing I want to celebrate, the final change I want to celebrate comes with the caveat. I know less about this because I'm reading Mentats of Dune, but I'm only like a third of the way in. And it seems like this thing happens later in the book. But a big change that seems like a big deal to me is that Tula actually appears to love Ori Atreides.

[Abu]

No doubt.

[Leo]

And this is huge. And this might be surprising for people who haven't read any of Mentats of Dune. Now again, to reiterate, I might be missing some nuance, but I did my best. I found all the chapters where they're mentioned together when she's introduced, and I read those and was kind of not really seeing any additional nuance. So this really feels like a huge decision on the show. The showrunners parts. So in Mentats, Tula's marriage to Ori is like purely revenge plot against Vorian Atreides. And the idea being tool is this like, beautiful, enchanting woman. She's gonna go become the. The star in the sky, all of the stars in the sky for this young Atreides. And then they'll kill him just to ruin Vorian Atreides's life. That's basically all of it. And just like the show, we don't see them meet, we don't see any of their come up. We don't see them really getting to know each other. But when she turns coat, she slits Ori's throat in bed. So in the wedding bed, they find his cold, dead body, his throat cut, and she like climbs in through the window and attacks Vory and Atreides and then escapes. So in short, as far as I can tell, Mentats of Dune focuses the whole like Tula Ori plot purely around the getting revenge on Vori and Atreides and Vorian Atreides is a boring character. He is like a non character who the cares about. And then Tula, also in that series of events is this like two dimensional vengeful wrath wraith. Wrathful wraith who's just violent and mean and doing the things that. That Valia told her to. Right. I saw how conflicted in this episode Tula was when Ori didn't reject her. And that makes it so much more heartbreaking that she has to kill him. And then just like the horse, she didn't come up behind him and cut his throat. Instead she uses an injected poison. It's the kindest way. This is also why I think that horse moment is so beautiful. Because she chooses to do it with this poison because she thinks it's going to be better and more merciful. And then she does the same thing. She makes the same choice for Ori. And I thought it was hilarious to discover that in the book she kills him by cutting his throat the way he was about to cut the horse's throat. And she said, no, no, no, that's too brutal, violent and bad. So instead we're gonna, we're gonna use poison. We're gonna use poison the way that is a little bit more merciful.

[Abu]

Yeah.

[Leo]

I just, I feel like this is a subtle rejection of Brian's like brutish plot elements. And again, I think that this gives Tula an actual character, an actual three dimensional character who, yes, goes out into the world despite her intention to like infiltrate this Atreides clan and get revenge. She falls in love because Ori is a great guy. So anyway, I, I just thought that this change of making Tula fall in love with or story was so emotionally resonant, it made everything that you just talked about in your takeaway possible because they had this great exchange and talk and conversation. And it wasn't just she killed him off page and they find his body, you know, whatever, cold and dead in the bed.

[Abu]

Yeah.

[Leo]

This is a thousand times more relatable, more tragic. So in line with Dune's themes. Hat off tinfoil. Hat off tinfoil. To the team running this show. Excellent, excellent, excellent, excellent work.

[Abu]

Agreed. Agreed.

[Leo]

Okay. Good lord. Okay, we need to take another quick break, but when we're back, we're going to share some minutiae and then we'll wrap up this monster of an episode. Don't go anywhere. We'll be right back. Baking Hershey's Kisses peanut butter blossoms is the perfect way to celebrate the holiday season season with friends and family with.

[Abu]

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[Leo]

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[Abu]

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[Leo]

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[Abu]

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[Leo]

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[Abu]

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[Leo]

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[Abu]

Visit Chevrolet.com to learn more. Welcome back, folks. Let's round out today's episode with our minutia segment by sharing some of the lore Easter eggs that we spotted in episode three of Dune Prophecy. As always, if we missed any, send us the ones that you caught. Let's start with fur whales. Yeah, so in this episode, obviously we got some excellent shots of our furry whaley boys. The Dune fandom page actually calls these John Dax, which, you know, scientific name or another alternate name, who knows? In Mentats of Dune, they're just sort of repeatedly referred to as fur whales and nothing more than that. And so that's what we're going to go with here, right? A couple some fun trivia about these fur whales from that book from Mentats of Dune. We're told that fur whales, quote, were dangerous, especially when being hunted. The majestic creatures could dive deep into cold waters and escape, or they could turn on a pursuing boat and inflict some serious damage. End quote. Okay. For whaling. Serious business, folks. Be careful out there.

[Leo]

Yeah. There's a line, by the way, about how they're like pectoral fin could saw off a man's arm.

[Abu]

Wow.

[Leo]

And I was like, what? But yeah, cool. There's, there's a lot of details in Mentats of Dune about fur whales.

[Abu]

Hilarious. Now, it's not only Mentats of Dune and the Brian Universe where whale fur shows up as a commodity. Duke Leto himself explains it early on in the first book when he's talking about choam and the things that choam trades and the influence, the economic influence that Chome has. Quote, logs, donkeys, horses, cows, lumber, dung sharks, whale fur, the most prosaic and the most exotic. And the quote goes on. He talks about Chome and the economic influence there. But that is our first reference to whalefur.

[Leo]

Indeed.

[Abu]

So it does exist in the original Frank Herbert canon as well. Now, House Harkonnen's reliance on whalefur is actually Also present in the original six books. Here's a quote from the appendices. Quote. The return of House Harkonnen to power generally is ascribed to adroit manipulation of the whale fur market and later consolidation with melange wealth from Arrakis. End quote.

[Leo]

Yeah. Wow, is that spoilers? So whale for palest. Pays off, I guess, in the long.

[Abu]

Run for pays off.

[Leo]

There you go. Very cool. Whale fur. Fur for whales. Neat. Our next minutia, Vorian Atreides and Griffin Harkonnen. So today we get a few throwaway lines about Vorian, quote, showing up. He showed up after doing whatever, God knows what, and then disappearing again after killing Griffin. And while in Sisterhood of Dune, Vorian's chapters are like the least impactful chapters. You can cut almost every single one of them, except for two, I think, toward the end, and then nothing would change. They are also some of the most ridiculous in action packed chapters. And just to summarize a little bit of what happened between those two lines in today's episode, Vorian Atreides, ancient man, he's like 200 something years old, 300 years old, is being hunted down by his killer robot half siblings. He ends up on Arrakis. So actually Griffin and him confront each other on Arrakis. So maybe again, that'll be something that comes back. Maybe Desmond Hart was there. Maybe he saw what happened with Griffin. Who knows, we'll find out. And, and they do fight. They fight each other. They also end up like, kind of almost becoming friends, like they have kind of some camaraderie until, oh, evil robot siblings step in and kill Griffin Harkonnen. So not all is what it seems. Perhaps Navorian's chapters are mostly unnecessary. So we appreciated that. This decision basically just gets rid of all that fluff and just focuses in on Valya's perspective, which again, ultimately is the driving perspective of the show. Very, very smart decision to just say, hey, let's get rid of the rest of that shit. Here's Griffin's body and how does that affect Valya? Let's see. Moving forward. Yeah, excellent choice. And that's a little bit about Vorian and his older robot evil siblings who are not robots technically, but are very clearly just robots.

[Abu]

Yeah, we'll see what direction the show takes this and whether there's more truth yet to unfold about how Griffin Harkonnen actually died.

[Leo]

We'll see.

[Abu]

All right, our next bit of minutia, the last one for today is the Atreides salute. Did you catch this? One, folks.

[Leo]

Loved it.

[Abu]

During that celebration in the bull hunting scene, we see the iconic back of the hand knife salute among the Atreides soldiers.

[Leo]

So good.

[Abu]

Little Timmy Chalamet doing this.

[Leo]

Just.

[Abu]

It's just one of my favorite gifts out there. I use it all the time. But this is obviously something that we saw in both Villeneuve films. Duncan, Idaho, Jason Momoa also does this and it's super fun to see that. Wow. This is a long running tradition, a long running salute within the atreides family here. 10,000 years ago, we still have Atreides members saluting each other in this way. It adds a lot of depth to, to that gesture of honor to know the history of it.

[Leo]

Yeah.

[Abu]

So fun to see that little bit of connection and that through line for the Atreides here.

[Leo]

Very cool to see. All right, folks, that's our episode. But before we let you go, we want to remind you of some fun ways to support the show and keep in touch with us. Two best ways as always. Hey, become a patron. Consider supporting us over there. We also have Dune themed swag and merch on our merch store. Those links are in the show notes that support makes what we do possible.

[Abu]

That's right. And of course, we love to hear from you. Gomjabarpodcastmail.com I was just looking at the emails this morning and we have some great questions that we're going to tackle in these live Q&As that we've been doing every single week about Dune prophecy. So keep sending those in. Gamjabarpodcastmail.com Send us your questions, but also send us your thoughts, send us your theories, Call out any minutia in the episodes that you caught that we missed.

[Leo]

Totally.

[Abu]

We love all of that and we'll try to share it and shout you out in future episodes as well. So. Comtrabarpodcastmail.com say hello and we will do our best to respond. Maybe we're busy doing a lot of work over here, but we'll try. We appreciate it nonetheless.

[Leo]

I was explaining to someone how much busier life is since this show started happening. I'm like, it feels like we're doing four episodes a week.

[Abu]

Yeah.

[Leo]

And yeah, you know, it's an intense.

[Abu]

Production cycle right now, so bear with us, folks. But we're having fun too.

[Leo]

We are, we are. And we appreciate everyone's support. Now I'm thinking about having a bowl of soup and dancing around a fire.

[Abu]

Yes.

[Leo]

Yeah.

[Abu]

I highly recommend you have that bowl of soup, Leo. The one right in front of you.

[Leo]

I'm not loving the look in your eyes, but the soup smells great.

[Abu]

It's very good. Yeah, I made it for you.

[Leo]

Okay. Yeah. Again, really, the vibes. The vibes are really intense.

[Abu]

No, no, not that one. That one. The one next to it. The one next.

[Leo]

Okay. This one?

[Abu]

Yes, this one.

[Leo]

Should I. With bread? Without bread. What do you think? Unrelated to the poison. I didn't think that through.

[Abu]

Does it dilute the poison?

[Leo]

I have an antidote in the sourdough. It's my Covid hobby is poison antidote. Sour dough loaves.

[Abu]

Really got into sourdough.

[Leo]

Baking mixed with, you know, sh. Well, friends, there is no real ending. It's just the place where you stop the recording. But this podcast is always one step beyond logic. So help spread the word of Muadib and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. And be sure to check out the other shows on the Lore Party podcast network on loreparty.com you can also follow us on Twitter and Instagram at loraparty. You can also watch video versions of select episodes on the Lore Party YouTube channel. Thank you so much for listening. And remember, whoever controls the podcast controls the universe. We'll see you on the golden path.