Warning: The following article contains spoilers for Dune: Prophecy Season 1, Episode 4, “Twice Born.”
Dune: Prophecy Season 1’s fourth installment, “Twice Born,” closes with a real headscratcher: Sister Theodosia seemingly displays shapeshifting powers! So, what exactly is going on with Theo during Dune Season 1, Episode 4’s ending?
How Sister Theodosia Shapeshifts at the end of Dune: Prophecy Season 1, Episode 4
We’ve known there was something special about Sister Theodosia since early in Dune: Prophecy Season 1’s run. Theodosia herself flags unspecified issues tied to her past in Episode 2, “Two Wolves.” However, this doesn’t stop Mother Superior Valya Harkonnen from choosing Theo as her travel buddy when she heads to Salusa Secundus.
Now, Episode 4 has finally removed the mystery surrounding Theo, outing her as a shapeshifter – or (to use the Dune universe’s preferred term) a “face dancer.” Theo demonstrates her superhuman knack for mimicry late in “Twice Born,” taking on the appearance of Griffin Harkonnen so that Valya can fake a heart-to-heart with her late brother. But we’re guessing Valya’s keeping Theodosia on hand for more than just quasi-therapy sessions; indeed, Theo seems destined for spying and assassination missions in the immediate future!
Regardless, Sister Theodosia’s face dancer status will come as a big surprise for viewers – even those familiar with Dune: Prophecy‘s source material. That’s because Theodosia doesn’t appear in Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson’s Sisterhood of Dune or its Great Schools of Dune trilogy sequels; she’s an invention of Prophecy‘s co-developers Diane Ademu-John Alison Schapker. But as alluded to earlier, face dancers are far from a new concept in Dune lore. They first appeared in Dune creator Frank Herbert’s second entry in the series, Dune Messiah.
Related: Dune: Prophecy Season 1: Why Does Tula Harkonnen Kill Orry Atreides?
What Do We Know About Face Dancers From the Dune Books?
As outlined in Dune Messiah and its direct follow-ups, face dancers were bred by the Tleilaxu: a secretive bunch famed for their skills as genetic engineers. Face dancers’ unique genetic makeup and extensive physical conditioning allow them to assume the form (and in later generations, memories) of any adult. A target’s gender, height, weight, or other relevant characteristics don’t matter; face dancers can copy it all. Indeed, face dancers have just one major weakness: they often associate too closely with identities they adopt for long periods. Whether that’s the case with Theodosia in Dune: Prophecy Season 1 remains unclear, though.
Related: HBO’s Dune: Prophecy Season 1 Falls Short of True Revelation [Review]
Clearly, face dancers are a big deal within the Dune canon – and kinda complicated, to boot. This probably explains why they’re featured in Dune: Prophecy. After all, director Denis Villeneuve has a lot to cover in his upcoming Dune Messiah adaptation. There’s not really a lot of room to cover the ins and outs of face dancers, as well. So, it makes sense to cover as much of their backstory – as well as the canon surrounding another Tleilaxu creation, gholas – in Dune: Prophecy, instead.
Dune: Prophecy is currently airing on HBO and Max, with new episodes dropping Sundays.
Published: Dec 9, 2024 07:18 am