WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for Dune: Prophecy episode 2.
Lila shockingly said “Harkonnen” to Mother Tula during her Agony ritual inDune: Prophecyepisode 2.Dune: Prophecyis a six-part series based on the 2012 novelSisterhood of Dune, which was written by originalDuneauthor Frank Herbert’s son, Brian, and Kevin J. Anderson. The story takes place more than10,000 years before the rise of Paul Atreidies, which is chronicled inDenis Villenueve’sDune(2020) andDune: Part Two(2024).Dune: Prophecyreveals theorigins of the powerful shadow sisterhood known as the Bene Gesseritand how they manipulated the fate of humankind.
Dune: Prophecyepisode 1 “The Hidden Hand"introduces Emily Watson’s Valya Harkonnen, a fierce and calculated leader, and her biological sister, Tula Harkonnen.Dune: Prophecyepisode 2 revealswhat happened to Lila and her grandmother, Reverend Mother Dorotea, after Tula and Valya Harkoennen encouraged her to prematurely endure a life-threatening ritual known as The Agony.Valya had been anticipating The Reckoning, otherwise known as the Tiran Arafel, for years, and wanted Lila to visit the spirit of her great-grandmother, Mother Superior Raquella, for guidance. The Tiran Arafel involves “a holy judgment brought on by a tyrant.”
New episodes ofDune: Prophecyrelease every Sunday at 9 PM on HBO & MAX.
Lila Said “Harkonnen” Before She Died In Dune: Prophecy Episode 2 - What It Means
One of the most stunning developments inDune: Prophecyepisode 2 is Lila’s tragic death during the Agony ritual. Sister Tula Harkonnen, the biological sister of Mother Reverend Superior Valya Harkoennen, had taken Lila under her wing as one of her most exceptional and promising pupils. Despite their closeness, Tula never revealed the true nature of Lila’s mother’s death, who died during childbirth, and Dorotea’s death, who was killed years ago by Valya using the Bene Gesserit power known as the Voice.Tula is initially hesitant about Lila undergoing the Agony ritual without the proper training. However, Valya insists that it is necessary to ask Raquella about the impending Reckoning known as Tiran Arafel.
Tula tells Lila to “follow the light” when she is lost in the ominous spiritual realm with her entire ancestral line. Although reconnecting with her ancestors may have sounded like a pleasant experience, it was especially harrowing for the inexperienced Lila, who was unaware of Valya’s betrayal of her mother, Doroeta, until it was too late. At first, Lila accomplishes the mission and channels Raquella, who warns about “the key to the Reckoning” being “one born twice. Once in blood, once in spice. A revenant full of scars. A weapon born of war on a path too short.” Soon after,Lila finds her grandmother, who has a chilling message for Tula and Valya.
Which Harkonnen Was Lila Referring To During The Agony Ritual
She was speaking directly to Valya and the entire Harkonnen family line
During the final moments ofDune: Prophecyepisode 2, Lila sits up fully possessed by the scorned spirit of her grandmother, who was formerly in line to be Mother Superior after the death of Raquella. Lila looks directly at Tula and says with an aggressive sneer, “Harkonnen,” addressing Tula but also more specifically, Valya. Dorotea announces in front of the room of sisters in training that she plans on taking the Bene Gesserit’s “hope” in the form of Lila as payback for Valya taking her life and stealing her rightful place as Mother Superior. After this message is delivered,Lila is seen in the dark spiritual realm embracing her grandmother as she dies in Tula’s arms.
Lila was raised by Tula in the Sisterhood. She was told her mother died during childbirth. She was aware that her great-grandmother was the powerful Raquella but was never told the truth about her grandmother Dorotea, as that would have completely destroyed her belief in Valya, Tula, and the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood. Tula basically raised Lila as her own but she is not her actual mother. Now that the Harkonnen have lost one of their pupils in the Sisterhood, the integrity of their school will likely be questioned and some of the other Sisters in training may want out.Dorotea taking Lila’s life protected her, in a way, from being controlled and used by the Harkonnenand may end up sparing her from the impending “Reckoning.”
The poison from the Agony ritual took her life
Unfortunately, Lila is actually dead at the end ofDune: Prophecy.Before the Agony ritual begins, she is informed that there is no antidote for the blue poisonthat incites the Agony experience. It’s quite remarkable how insensitive Valya was to Lila’s life when she instructed Tula to conduct the ritual while she tended to matters on Salusa Secundus. Tula regrettably went forward with the ceremony despite Lila’s unpreparedness. While Valya was thinking about the future of the Sisterhood and the Imperium, Lila’s blood, as well as Dorotea’s, are ultimately on her hands. She may be forced to answer for Lila’s death in future episodes ofDune: Prophecy.
Dune: Prophecy
Cast
Set in the universe of Frank Herbert’s Dune series, Dune: Prophecy, a sci-fi epic, follows the political and spiritual struggles on the desert planet of Arrakis. As factions vie for control of the prized spice melange, a prophesied hero emerges, challenging the balance of power and the fate of the galaxy.
