From the first moments the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood appears on-screen in the science fiction series Dune: Prophecy, the image viewers get is one of conformity. Every woman wears the same uniform, studies the same texts and techniques, and works towards the same goals.

Beneath this veneer of perfect order, however, the members of Dune: Prophecy's Bene Gesserit are truly torn. They must decide between conforming to the Sisterhood's ideals or maintaining their own identity, feelings, and goals.

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Sister Jen Is An Individualistic Free Thinker

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One of the Sisterhood acolytes who receives focus during the first season of Dune: Prophecy is Sister Jen, played by Faoileann Cunningham. Jen is a strong, confident individual thinker; while she has some loyalty to the Order, she doesn't want to blindly conform. This shows throughout the series, as she is one of the few voices opposing young Sister Lila (Chloe Lea) undergoing a potentially dangerous ritual and she is the most resistant when the acolytes are struck down by nightmares of the sandworms of Arrakis.

Faioleann Cunningham spoke to Game Rant about how she developed Jen's individuality and made the character stand out from the conformity of the Bene Gesserit. Though Jen looks, dresses, and sometimes speaks like the other Sisters, her headstrong nature and opinionated attitude are consistently emphasized in all the character's scenes. Her strategy, Cunningham explained, lay primarily in working with her day-to-day feelings and letting them show when the cameras were rolling:

"I think I liberated myself in every scene, to really have the thoughts I was thinking. I remember one particular day when something was taking a long time to film. I was a bit bored, and then I was like - follow that thought."

Other Bene Gesserit Choose "Sisterhood Above All"

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Sister Emeline, portrayed by Aoife Hinds, is in many ways Jen's opposite. Pious and fanatical, Emeline embraces the "Sisterhood above all" motto of the Bene Gesserit and encourages Lila to undertake the dangerous Agony ritual. Emeline has a fascination with martyrdom and, due to her family's experience in the Butlerian Jihad, believes that "to sacrifice her life for the greater good" is the greatest possible thing a person can do. Hinds compared the character to Joan of Arc, who she studied in depth while preparing for the role.

Valya, the Reverend Mother of the Sisterhood, undergoes a conflict in her youth between her dual identities as a Bene Gesserit and as a member of House Harkonnen. Ultimately, Valya chooses "sisterhood above all" in the episode of the same name too, becoming a Reverend Mother and learning of the Kwisatz Haderach breeding program. When asked if Valya would identify herself as a Sister or a Harkonnen, Emily Watson said that she would respond with a political, carefully thought-out answer: "I am the head of a Sisterhood, and we discern truth from lies. That is our function."

Ultimately, the question of sisterhood versus individuality will plague the Bene Gesserit throughout its existence. Lady Jessica of the original Dune novels lived ten thousand years after the free-thinking Jen, but she made a similar decision to prioritize her own identity by having a son rather than the daughter the breeding program demanded. Dune: Prophecy does an excellent job of showing that, from its earliest days, the Bene Gesserit asked the question of all who would join its ranks: Are they individuals who will do what is best for themselves, or are they Sisters who will put the needs of the Bene Gesserit above all else?

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Dune: Prophecy
Release Date
November 17, 2024
Showrunner
Alison Schapker
Directors
Anna Foerster
  • instar49962898.jpg
    Emily Watson
    Mother Superior Valya Harkonnen
  • instar53278224.jpg
    Olivia Williams
    Reverend Mother Tula Harkonnen

WHERE TO WATCH

Streaming

Writers
Diane Ademu-John, Kevin J. Anderson, Brian Herbert, Frank Herbert
Franchise(s)
Dune
Main Genre
Sci-Fi
Seasons
1
Character(s)
Mother Superior Valya Harkonnen, Reverend Mother Tula Harkonnen, Empress Natalya Arat, Desmond Hart, Emperor Javicco Corrino, Sister Theodosia, Keiran Atreides, Princess Ynez Corrino, Mikaela, Sister Jen, Sister Emeline, Sister Lila, Constantine Corrino, Harrow Harkonnen, Sister Francesca, Young Kasha
Streaming Service(s)
MAX
Creator(s)
Diane Ademu-John, Alison Schapker