Warning: This review contains spoilers for Dune: Prophecy's season finale

After Tula discovers Desmond Hart is her son, Dune: Prophecy delivers another mixed bag of an episode. Across its first five, the prequel has varied in quality. Billed as a Bene Gesserit origin story, the series has been light on the in-fighting within the Sisterhood, focusing instead on an anti-Imperium rebellion, authoritarianism under the reign of Emperor Javico Corrino, and a strange and troubling prophecy that has something to do with the Machine War that took place before the events of the series.

"The High-Handed Enemy" is an action-packed episode that takes care to set up a second season, which HBO just picked up. Now that we've seen parts of this story conclude, I can't help but feel as if it's been sliced and diced too many times, rearranged in an attempt at intrigue. The finale hits all the right notes, but in a way that feels out of order. It's a strange place to end up both because there is something about this story that remains compelling, but how it's told makes everything ring hollow.

Valya Harkonnen Leaves The Imperium In Chaos

What Her Future Holds Remains Unclear

Despite proclaiming to always have a plan, Valya Harkonnen spends much of the season being outsmarted by Desmond Hart or otherwise thinking on her feet after being backed into a corner. It's an interesting contrast to the outward face she wears in front of others. Her efforts to install Princess Ynez on the throne are thwarted, but she is still able to escape Salusa Secundus with her protégé.

In the end, they make it to Arrakis, with Valya still intent on seeing her plan through. Emily Watson has spent the entire season delivering a steely yet vulnerable performance and the finale is no different. Griffin Harkonnen's death still haunts Valya and it's the key to her final confrontation with Desmond that takes place at the spaceport on Salusa.

But Dune: Prophecy seems afraid to explore Valya beyond her grand ambitions. She no longer desires power for the sake of the Harkonnen name; this hunger comes from something much deeper, an ambition to seek power over all, no matter the cost and under whatever banner suits her best. Here's hoping a second season can dive deeper into who Valya really is.

Tula & Desmond Come Face-To-Face

The Moment Leaves The Harkonnen Sisters Divided

Tula arrives on Salusa just in time to stop Valya from killing Desmond Hart. She wants to eliminate the threat, but Tula is more interested in understanding it, not only because he's her son but because that's just in her nature. Valya may see the situation with clearer eyes, including just how Desmond got his powers, but Tula knows that you can't defeat a threat without knowing it.

It seems possible that Desmond is an early product of the Bene Tleilax, an organization known for genetically engineering people to suit their nefarious needs. He's either a Ghola or an altered version of his former self and, though the show makes clear it's a machine that gives Desmond his powers, it could be some early version of the organization before it abandoned machines entirely.

Either way, before Tula can ask any questions, Desmond has her arrested by imperial guards after sharing a quick embrace. The reunion is meant to be emotional, but it doesn't land the way it should — we don't know Desmond at all and Tula has only just learned he's her son. It will be an interesting dynamic to explore in season 2, but for this finale, it feels unearned.

The Sisterhood Revolts As Valya's Secrets Come To Light

The Future Of The Bene Gesserit Is Less Clear Than Ever

Desmond, Tula, and the Corrino family aren't Valya's only problems. In her absence, the Sisterhood is in shambles. Lila is now fully possessed by Mother Dorotea and she uncovers the ugly truth of Valya's reign over the Sisterhood. This includes the murder of Dorotea's followers, a brutal massacre that is covered up so that Mother Raquella's work tracking the genetic lines of the imperium will not be destroyed.

It's unclear what exactly Dorotea's beliefs are, though they are clearly meant to be purer than Valya's power grabs. The season ends with the Sisterhood discovering the skeletons of Dorotea's followers, setting up a battle between Valya and Dorotea's new acolytes.

Dune: Prophecy ultimately ends where the real story begins. It's widely known the series underwent a lot of changes in pre-production and that's very clear from how this season tells its story. With a solid foundation like this, though, it's not hard to imagine a season 2 that far sures its predecessor.