In the first Dune 1965 novel there were no clones and no shapeshifters. But, then in 1969, when Frank Herbert’s Dune Messiah 1969 hit, he revealed that he’d had shapeshifters and clones hiding in his sprawling universe all along. These retcons were essential to the plot of the second Dune novel, and as such, will be huge parts of the upcoming third Dune movie directed by Denis Villeneuve. And now, at least visually, one very specific sci-fi power which has not been glimpsed in the new films, has been introduced onscreen in the TV series Dune: Prophecy.
In “Twice Born,” the fourth episode of Prophecy, something strange and unsettling happens at the very end of the episode. This moment not only changes the course of the next two episodes but also establishes a crucial detail that will impact the next big Dune movie.
Spoilers ahead for Dune Prophecy’s “Twice Born.”
Dune: Prophecy Episode 4 ending, explained
After having their plans foiled by Desmond Hart (Travis Fimmel), Mother Valya (Emily Watson) and Sister Theodosia (Jade Anouka) regroup in the dwelling of House Harkonnen on Salusa Secundus. Valya’s plan to explode the rebels and gain favor with the Emperor again failed, and now Desmond Hart — who may be the source of the dreaded reckoning — is more entrenched in political power than ever. Valya feels she’s running out of options, and even has what seems to be a vision of her deceased brother, Griffin Harkonnen (Earl Cave).
But it’s not a vision at all, and Griffin has not come back from beyond the grave. Instead, “he” tells Valya he understands what Valya has sacrificed thus far, and vows to help. Valya says, “Thank you, THEO,” which means she’s actually talking to Sister Theodosia, who is in disguise. Then, we see a kind of phantasmagorical transformation, as Theodosia uses this unique ability to morph into... someone else. This means Sister Theodosia is 100 percent a secret Face Dancer, the Dune universe version of shapeshifters.
This revelation explains what Sister Theo’s secret “ability” was that Valya alluded to earlier in the episode, and why Valya was determined to take Sister Theo with her on this mission in the first place.
How Face Dancers set up Dune 3
First introduced in Messiah, Face Dancers, like all Dune creations, are not aliens. Instead, they are genetically engineered by the Bene Tleilax. They are called “Face Dancers” because their skin appears to ripple or “dance” when their bodies change shape to mimic someone else.
In Dune Messiah, this concept is at first introduced casually, as some Face Dancers appear and entertain Paul’s royal court. But later, nearly the entire book revolves around the machinations of one Face Dancer in particular: Scytale.
In Messiah, Scytale is part of a larger conspiracy to destroy Paul and end his reign. As a Face Dancer, Scytale’s job is to disguise himself as a Fremen woman named Lichna, who, previously thought slain in the desert, returns to her father, Otheym. In the guise of Lichna, Scytale is able to manipulate Paul into being in a very specific time and place, which also involves controlling the reborn Duncan Idaho, who has has been brought back to life in the form of the ghola known as “Hayt.”
If this all sounds like a lot, that’s because Dune Messiah is as, they say, very extra. It’s a book that’s half as long as its predecessor, but arguably contains more Dune-y weirdness in its pages than you might imagine. With Messiah, Herbert changed the rules of his world forever, and established lore that would inform not just his four successive books, but also all the spinoffs and prequels too.
What Prophecy has done by introducing Theo as a Face Dancer is establish this idea in the new visual Dune language. There were no overt glimpses of Face Dancers in Dune: Part One or Dune: Part Two, but now, thanks to Prophecy, their powers have been clearly established, and the stage for Dune 3 has been set, with slightly more precision than before.
