Dune: Prophecy Episode 5 finally introduces legendary Bollywood star Tabu to the franchise as she makes an impactful debut as Sister Francesca.
"In Blood, Truth" has a lot of storylines to juggle before the climactic finale as Valya Harkonnen works double time to ensure the future of the sisterhood while Desmond Hart works in the shadows to defeat them.
Meanwhile, Sister Tula recruits an acolyte in Wallach IX to help preserve her dangerous secret.
Dune: Prophecy Episode 5 premiered on Max on December 15.
Dune Prophecy Episode 5 Cast: Every Main Guest Star & Prominent Character
Tabu - Sister Francesca
Tabu makes her long-awaited debut as the older version of Sister Francesca in Dune: Prophecy Episode 5.
Sister Francesca returns to the palace to visit her son, Constantine, and reunite with the Emperor whom she had intimate affairs with in the past.
Tabu is a famous Bollywood actress best known for her roles in Drishyam, Life of Pi, and Khufiya.
Barbara Marten - Sister Avila
Barbara Marten returns as Sister Avila, one of the leading Sisters in Wallach IX who helps Sister Tula with the teachings of the Sisterhood.
Marten has over 70 credits, with roles in The Devil's Hour, My Lady Jane, and Dalgliesh.
Shalom Brune-Franklin - Mikaela
Shalom Brune-Franklin appears as Mikaela, a Fremen working undercover for the Sisterhood who helps Kieran Atreides enact his plan for rebellion.
Brune-Franklin is part of the cast of Baby Reindeer, Great Expectations, and Love Me.
Edward Davis - Harrow Harkonnen
After first making an appearance as part of the cast of Dune: Prophecy Episode 3, Edward Davis returns as Harrow Harkonnen, a member of House Harkonnen who is trying his best to elevate his House and restore its former glory.
Davis can be seen in Sanditon, Shadow and Bone, and Radioactive.
Jodhi May - Empress Natalya
Jodhi May portrays Empress Natalya, the wife of Emperor Javicco, who is not comfortable with Sister Francesca's arrival to visit her son.
May has credits in Renegade Nell (a show that received an exciting Season 2 update), The Witcher, and The Confessions of Frannie Langton.
Jade Anouka - Sister Theodosia
Jade Anouka is back as Sister Theodosia, Valya's loyal acolyte who is later revealed to be a Face Dancer in Dune: Prophecy Episode 4.
Sister Theodosia is sidelined in the episode as she continues to appear by Valya's side amid the threat of Desmond Hart's ascension.
Anouka is known for her roles in His Dark Materials, Cleaning Up, and Fool Me Once.
Chloe Lea - Sister Lila
Chloe Lea portrays Sister Lila, a formerly deceased acolyte who is revived by Sister Tula.
She is then possessed by her ancestor, former Mother Superior Raquella, to help the Sisters identify how Desmond Hart is able to kill his victims.
Lea previously appeared in Great Expectations, Foundation, and The Dumping Ground.
Chris Mason - Keiran Atreides
Chris Mason appears as Keiran Atreides, a member of House Atreides seeking a better Imperium which is why he is leading the charge to incite a rebellion.
Mason's notable credits include Dirty John, Broadchurch, and Riverdale.
Faoileann Cunningham - Sister Jen
Faoileann Cunningham's Sister Jen is an acolyte of the Sisterhood who is recruited by Sister Tula to help sort things out with Sister Lila's revival.
In an exclusive interview with The Direct, Cunningham revealed Sister Jen's true feelings about the ultimate goal of The Sisterhood, noting that they are chasing "this ultimate calibration of every part of yourself:"
"I think she sees the potential power in what the Sisterhood is chasing, which is like this ultimate calibration of every part of yourself. I think that is just like ultimately very interesting to her."
Cunningham has credits in The Northman, Storyland, and The Witcher: Blood Origin.
Josh Heuston - Constantine Corrino
Josh Heuston reprises his role as Constantine Corrino, the illegitimate son of the Emperor who wants something to prove to his father. He also reunites with his mother in Episode 5.
Heuston is part of the cast of Heartbreak High Season 2, Bali 2002, and Finally Me.
Here are the other main stars who appeared in Dune: Prophecy Episode 5:
- Emily Watson - Valya Harkonnen
- Olivia Williams - Tula Harkonnen
- Mark Strong - Emperor Javicco Corrino
- Travis Flimmel - Desmond Hart
- Sarah-Sofie Boussnina - Princess Ynez Corrino
- Aoife Hinds - Sister Emeline
Dune: Prophecy Episode 5 Plot & Ending Explained
Desmond Hart Is the New Bashar
Dune: Prophecy Episode 5, "In Blood, Truth," opens with Emperor Javicco assigning Desmond Hart as the Imperium's new Bashar (aka the military leader for House Corrino) and announcing to everyone that his "new, elite regiment" is the answer to those seeking to incite rebellion against him.
Princess Ynez Corrino is not a fan of his father's new directive, and she immediately leaves the ceremony.
Javicco wants Desmond to deal with the insurgents right away while the new Bashar recommends leaving the fleet above the planet to show their might to the rest of the Houses, noting it is a "reminder of where power really lies."
Given how quickly Javicco agrees to what Desmond suggests, it goes to show how he has taken control of the Emperor without Javicco even realizing it, and this spells danger for the Imperium.
Meet Sister Francesca
Sister Francesca, Valya's other close friend from back in the day, arrives to join the festivities. She is Constantine's mother who was in a past romantic relationship with Emperor Javicco.
The surprising thing about Francesca is that everyone is aware of her past ties with the Emperor, even Empress Natalya is concerned about her arrival.
Francesca is shocked to learn about Kasha's death, and she takes it up to Valya to ask why she wasn't informed of her friend's passing.
The Mother Superior apologizes, but she tells her that the situation for the Sisterhood has worsened after Desmond Hart's arrival. She needs Francesca's help to sway the Emperor into making Constantine the empire's fleet commander.
Doing this would allow the Sisterhood to have someone they can trust from the inside while Valya keeps Desmond busy.
Sister Tula Recruits an Acolyte
In Wallach IX, Sister Jen is having a meltdown during one of her classes as she pushes back against Sister Avila's teachings after dismissing her concerns about the nightmares they are having.
Sister Tula arrives to tell the other sisters that they are dealing with a grave situation, and everyone needs to remain calm. She then recruits Sister Jen to help her deal with the situation involving Sister Lila's resurrection and unstable mind due to The Agony.
Lila's horrible experience from The Agony has allowed her to be possessed by former foremothers and sisters, and this time, Mother Raquella ends up being the spirit inside her.
Realizing this, Tula and Jen work together with Mother Raquella to learn more about Desmond Hart, using Kasha's brain stem sample to discover how she was killed.
After a deep analysis, Raquella discovers that what happened to Kasha, the young prince, and the others is similar to the victims of the Omnius Plague, a disease that was uncovered and designed by the thinking machines during the Great War.
A newly engineered virus similar to the said plague has been the culprit of the Sisterhood's nightmares as well as the burning sensation that killed Desmond Hart's victims.
A Bombing Ensues
Before starting his search for the insurgents, Desmond is visited by Harrow Harkonnen to let him know that he is not sure if she can trust his Aunt Valya anymore.
Desmond uses this opportunity to gain Harrow's trust, realizing that controlling a Harkonnen could serve as an advantage for him to eradicate the Sisterhood once and for all.
As Desmond's search for traitors continues, his quest leads him to the Imperial City's club owned by Mikaela (a secret member of the Sisterhood who is also part of the Fremen from Arrakis).
Thankfully, Kieran Atreides is present in the club, and he works side by side with Mikaela to plant bombs to eliminate Desmond and his ragtag group of soldiers.
While Desmond is busy scouring the place to find evidence of rebellion, Keiran and Mikaela detonate the explosives which causes the club to go boom.
The rest of the soldiers are killed instantly, but Desmond is still alive after putting on a form-fitting energy shield at the last minute.
During the escape, Mikaela uses a traditional life used by the Sisterhood, which Kieran notices and realizes that his Fremen friend is actually a traitor.
Kieran’s Cover Is Blown
Dune: Prophecy's penultimate episode ends with massive reveals that set up the events of its much-anticipated finale.
After finding out that Keiran is a traitor, Constantine wastes no time sharing the news with his father, and this revelation allows Valya's plan to come to fruition after the Emperor eventually assigns him as the commander of his fleet.
While being heartbroken over Kieran's betrayal, Ynez uses her truth-sayer abilities to ask him if he cares for her. After confirming that he does, it seems that this sets the stage for Ynez to save Kieran in the finale.
Back in Wallach IX, Tula uses Desmond's blood sample to learn more about his origins, and the shocking results reveal that he is both an Atreides and a Harkonnen.
In the palace, Empress Natalya gets intimate with Desmond. He also indirectly reveals that his mother was a former member of the Sisterhood which makes the Empress utter the words, "Let us rid the Imperium of these witches forever," before the screen cuts to black.
It seems that an all-out clash filled with betrayals and unexpected alliances are set to come forth in the final episode.
The finale of Dune: Prophecy will premiere on Max on Sunday, December 22 at 10 p.m. ET.
