Season 1, Episode 6, titled “The High-Handed Enemy,” directed by Anna Foerster and written by Elizabeth Padden & Suzanne Wrubel, delves into the conspiracies culminating in a silent coup. The Bene Gesserit, driven by their centuries-old mission, declare a war of espionage against the Imperial Royal Family, which has fallen under the control of Desmond Hart and his collaborator, Empress Natalya.
I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little death that brings obliteration. I will face my fear and I will permit it to pass over me and through me. – Jessica Atreides
Fear takes center stage as the overarching theme, intricately woven into the episode’s narrative. Each character grapples with their own fear, shaping their motivations and actions. The fear of losing power, and the fear of the destruction that unchecked power can bring, create compelling dynamics that echo the unfolding conspiracies.
The Bene Gesserit, haunted by the prophecy of a future tyrant, seek to impose their influence over the Imperium to stave off chaos. Meanwhile, the Imperial Royal Family clings desperately to their waning power. Keiran Atreides and the rebels, on the other hand, fear the tyranny that the Imperium perpetuates. This intricate interplay of fears illustrates how fear can serve as both a cautionary force, urging humility and vigilance, and a destructive one, driving desperation and poor decisions.
Ironically, the Bene Gesserit’s fear of the prophesied dark tyrant leads them to actions that ultimately set the stage for his rise. Their machinations, born of fear, pave the way for the emergence of the God Emperor, Leto II Atreides, whose reign brings both unparalleled destruction and transformation to the Imperium.
The Sisterhood in Chaos
On Wallach IX, Sister Nazir (Karima McAdams) volunteers as a test subject under the supervision of Reverend Mother Tula (portrayed by Olivia Williams and Emma Canning) to study the deadly virus that enables Desmond Hart (Travis Fimmel) to immolate his victims. The virus’s root cause is fear, and Nazir must confront and conquer her fear to resist its effects. However, her attempt fails disastrously when she envisions a monstrous, inhuman entity so terrifying that her fear consumes her. Overwhelmed, Nazir succumbs to the virus, ultimately dying through immolation.
Reverend Mother Tula, devastated by yet another failure in her efforts to counter her son’s power, resolves to confront Desmond Hart directly. In her absence, Sister Lila (Chloe Lea), under the control of the late Reverend Mother Dorotea, begins to gather Dorotea’s secret faction of loyal followers, including Sister Avila (Barbara Marten) and Sister Emeline (Aoife Hinds).
Dorotea reveals the truth about Valya (portrayed by Emily Watson and Jessica Barden), exposing her role in eliminating her rivals. She uncovers the hidden corpses that Mother Superior Valya concealed to consolidate her control. Armed with this revelation, Dorotea’s loyalists initiate a coup against Valya’s Bene Gesserit on Wallach IX.
The uprising escalates when Dorotea leads her group to the secret thinking machine room, the heart of the Bene Gesserit’s breeding program. There, in a symbolic act of rebellion, she destroys the thinking machine Anirul, severing a key component of Valya’s vision for the Bene Gesserit.
Keiran Atreides’ Interrogation
On Salusa Secundus, Desmond Hart interrogates Keiran Atreides (Chris Mason), seeking information about the insurgents and any potential ties between them and the Sisterhood. Hart taunts Keiran, suggesting that he has been unknowingly manipulated by a Bene Gesserit Harkonnen. He attempts to tempt Keiran with an offer to avenge his father’s friends and siblings, who were killed by Tula Harkonnen many years ago, by testifying at the Landsraad.
However, Hart underestimates Keiran’s deeply rooted disdain for the Imperium. While Keiran harbors a burning hatred for the Harkonnens and the Sisterhood, his hatred for the Imperial Royal Family and everything they represent runs even deeper. As a result, Keiran refuses to ally himself with an Imperium lapdog like Desmond Hart.
Later, Empress Natalya (Jodhi May) intervenes to stop her daughter, Crown Princess Ynez (Sarah-Sofie Boussnina), from freeing Keiran from imprisonment.
Meanwhile, Sister Francesca (Tabassum Fatima Hashmi) informs Mother Superior Valya Harkonnen of Ynez’s arrest, sparking Valya’s fury. Determined not to let her plans unravel, Valya activates one of her long-prepared contingencies: the assassination of Emperor Javicco Corrino (Mark Strong).
For decades, Valya had meticulously worked to ensure Ynez’s dual role as both Empress of the Imperium and a sister of the Bene Gesserit. This would grant the Sisterhood unparalleled control over the Imperium. Valya is resolute—she will not allow her efforts to secure Ynez’s coronation to go to waste.
Valya Fights the Sardaukar
Valya deliberately orchestrates her own arrest to infiltrate the prison holding Ynez. In a calculated move, she confesses to Emperor Javicco Corrino that the Sisterhood has been manipulating the entire Imperium—and the Imperial Royal Family—since his youth. She reveals that every decision Javicco ever made was influenced by the Bene Gesserit, who exploited his insecurities and weakness to consolidate their power.
Devastated by the revelation that his entire life has been a lie, Javicco succumbs to despair and dies by suicide in front of Sister Francesca. Paralyzed by horror, Francesca cannot go through with the planned assassination. Shortly afterward, Empress Natalya discovers her husband’s suicide, kills Francesca, and frames the suicide as a Bene Gesserit assassination.
Amid the chaos, Valya frees Ynez and teams up with Keiran to protect the Crown Princess as the three attempt to escape Salusa Secundus. Meanwhile, Sister Theodosia (Jade Anouka) makes a valiant effort to assassinate Desmond Hart, sacrificing her life in the process. However, her attempt fails, and she dies at Hart’s hands.
As they reach the spaceport, Valya stays behind, engaging in a fierce battle against Desmond Hart and his Sardaukar forces. Using both the Voice and her formidable combat skills, she holds them off long enough for Keiran and Ynez to escape.
The confrontation between Valya and Hart becomes a clash of wills, each attempting to overpower the other’s mind and resolve. Meanwhile, Ynez and Keiran fight through the remaining Sardaukar in a desperate bid to escape Salusa Secundus.
The Two Sisters
Upon arriving on Salusa Secundus, Tula discovers an unconscious Valya, who is still trapped in the grip of her fears. These fears threaten to consume her, leading to immolation, the fate of Desmond’s other victims. Tula intervenes, helping Valya confront and overcome her deepest fear: the fear of helplessness she has carried since the loss of Griffin. With Tula’s aid, Valya survives and awakens, becoming the first person to withstand and recover from Desmond’s mental attack.
More significantly, Valya pieces together a critical clue: the haunting blue eyes in her nightmares belong to Desmond. She realizes he has been tormented by an unknown faction that implanted a thinking machine into his eyes, a device that feeds and amplifies his power.
Valya attempts to destroy Desmond’s eyes to free him from the machine’s control but is stopped by Tula, who uses the Voice to command her sister. Tula’s love as a mother proves stronger than her fear of Valya, and she successfully halts Valya’s attack. Confused, Valya demands answers, and Tula reveals the truth: Desmond is her son, whom she sent away long ago to protect him from becoming a pawn of his aunt.
Tula pleads with Valya to let her save Desmond. Moved by Tula’s desperation and love, Valya reluctantly agrees. Conquering her fears has restored parts of Valya’s humanity, and for the first time, she resolves to act selflessly. She decides to confront the hidden faction responsible for Desmond’s torment, determined to uncover and eliminate the threat they pose to the Sisterhood.
As Valya departs to pursue this mission, Tula embraces her son, only to be arrested by Sardaukar reinforcements. Desmond is left conflicted, torn between his feelings for his biological mother and his loyalty to his own agenda.
Valya reunites with Keiran and Ynez, and the trio sets out for Arrakis. There, they plan to track down the hidden faction, hoping to end their dangerous influence once and for all.