Editor's note: The below contains spoilers for Dune: Prophecy Episode 4.
This week's episode of Dune: Prophecy, "Twice Born," ends on a surprising and weird note. Right after Valya Harkonnen (Emily Watson) kills her uncle Evgeny (Mark Addy), her dead brother Griffin (Earl Cave) appears to her in flesh and blood. Valya knows it isn't really Griffin, though, as his face starts glowing and his body slowly morphs back into Sister Theodosia (Jade Anouka). As it turns out, she is actually a Tleilaxu Face Dancer, beings who Dune fans have eagerly waited to see on screen for a long, long time.
The Tleilaxu Are Among Dune’s Most Interesting Beings
"Twice Born" marks the first time a Tleilaxu is brought to screens in Dune. They are a race of genetically altered human beings who specialize in genetical engineering. Through it, they are able to create Face Dancers, beings who are able to shapeshift into someone and assimilate their knowledge and memories if that person's DNA is available. The Tleilaxu use a combination of biological and neurological programming to ensure Face Dancers can flawlessly imitate not only the appearance but also the behavior and voice of their targets.
Besides shape-shifting, the Tleilaxu (or Bene Tleilax) are also known for producing gholas, genetically engineered clones of dead people. Through gholas, the deceased can achieve a sort of "immortality," since gholas also carry the genetic memory of their matrix and can be produced endlessly, as it actually happens to one of Dune's main characters in the books.
Because of their secretive society and morally questionable practices, the Tleilaxu are usually frowned upon, but they are also seen as a "necessary evil" by the Great Houses, who make wide use of Face Dancers and gholas to hurt their political opponents. The Tleilaxu eventually grow into one of the main existential threats to the known universe, and even breed a Kwisatz Haderach of their own once.
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Theodosia Has Good Reasons for Keeping Her Heritage Secret in 'Dune: Prophecy'
In "Twice Born," Theodosia mentions to Valya that her one condition for joining the Sisterhood was never having to use her abilities again, but, after she impersonates Griffin, this seems to change, because she is finally able to understand the Mother Superior's true motives. But she probably has her own reasons for never wanting to use her Face Dancer abilities again, which might be tied to why the Sisterhood took her in.
Little is known about Tleilaxu society itself, but it is deeply misogynistic in the sense that there are no female Face Dancers or Tleilaxu Masters (the highest stratum in their societal structure). They are bred from Axlotl Tanks, which are believed to be what remains of the Tleilaxu females. This means that Theodosia's very existence as a Face Dancer wouldn't be possible among the Tleilaxu, and is possibly why she tells Valya she doesn't want to use her abilities ever again. Being a female in an oppressive male-centric society, Theodosia probably found the ideal refuge in the Sisterhood.
Besides Prophecy, the Tleilaxu should be making their big-screen debut in Denis Villeneuve's Dune Messiah, given how, in the novel, a very smart Face Dancer called Scytale plays a key role in a conspiracy against Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet). In the series, however, the full extent of their involvement remains unknown — in the books, they are mostly considered evil in the equivalent time frame. But Valya called Theodosia to accompany her to Salusa Secundus for a reason, and it has to be more than simply impersonating Griffin in a moment of grief. Now that Valya has obtained a sample of Desmond Hart's (Travis Fimmel) own blood, Theodosia's abilities might come in especially handy.
Dune: Prophecy is available to stream on Max in the U.S. New episodes air weekly on Sundays.
Set in the universe of Frank Herbert's Dune series, this 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.
Release Date November 17, 2024
IMDb ID tt10466872
TMDB User Rating 0 .0
CastEmily Watson , Olivia Williams , Jodhi May , Travis Fimmel , Mark Strong , Jade Anouka , Chris Mason , Sarah-Sofie Boussnina , Shalom Brune-Franklin , Faoileann Cunningham , Aoife Hinds , Chloe Lea , Josh Heuston , Edward Davis , Tabu , Yerin Ha
Main Genre Sci-Fi
Seasons 1
Writers Diane Ademu-John , Kevin J. Anderson , Brian Herbert , Frank Herbert
Image via HBO
English (US) ·