Dune: How a forbidden romance set the stage for the Harkonnen-Atreides conflict? Explained
Episode 3 of Dune: Prophecy, released on December 1, 2024, explored various facets of some of the show's key characters, particularly Tula Harkonnen. It transported viewers to Tula and Valya Harkonnen's ancestral home while also delving into their past, including their romances and grievances, which were, through the course of the episode, revealed to be pivotal moments in the Harkonnen-Atreides conflict.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for Dune: Prophecy. Readers' discretion is advised.
In the episode, the audience was given an in-depth look at the forbidden romance between Tula Harkonnen and Orry Atreides, a relationship that faced immense challenges as tensions escalated between their two houses following the murder of Griffin Harkonnen by Vorian Atreides.
The tragic event deeply affected the Harkonnens, eliciting different responses from Valya and Tula. While Valya chose to join the Sisterhood, Tula remained with her lover Orry and his family. Their love seemed to transcend their families' hatred for one another, but in a shocking twist at the end, Tula poisoned all but one of Orry's family members, including him, thereby, seeking revenge for her brother's death.
Tula Harkonnen and Orry Atreides's romance set the stage for the enduring hostility between their families in the Dune universe
The Harkonnens and the Atreides' were already fighting before Tula and Orry established a relationship with one another. However, their association triggered the war between them even more. As previously stated, after Griffin was killed, while Valya went her own way, Tula went with the Atreides to be with Orry.
While she was with him, everything seemed normal and the two seemed to be in love. Orry even proposed to Tula which she accepted. However, in the last few moments of the scene, it was revealed that Tula had poisoned all the members of the Atreides family. When Orry found out about the same, he tried confronting her, however, before he could do so, Tula poisoned him as well, leading to his demise.
Tula however, did not kill the youngest of the Atreides kin, Albert, and given that the Harkonnen-Atreides conflict persisted way beyond this incident, it means that he or/and the others in his family made sure that the war between the two houses was kept alive over the years.
Speaking on Tula's decision to keep Albert alive after the massacre incident, Emma Canning who plays young Tula on Dune: Prophecy said to Business Insider:
"We had done this scene where she gets to kind of see herself in him. He is the youngest member of the Atreides. He is passed over, brushed into the corner, and develops a relationship with Tula that I think echoes her relationship with Lila later on, in Tula being the older sister that she always wanted and didn't get. I think by the end of the massacre, when Albert appears, she's forgotten that he's there."
Canning also spoke about what could have gone in Tula's mind when she decided to kill Orry, the man he loved but let go of Albert. She said:
"To be honest, I think that the decision to inject Orry is one of self-protection and survival. I think she's very fearful of her own safety once he sees what she's done. And I think Albert doesn't pose a threat. It's kind of, "So long as I survive, you don't hurt me, you can go."
When does the next episode of Dune: Prophecy air?
The next episode of Dune: Prophecy, titled Twice Born, airs on HBO on December 8, 2024. Additionally, the episode will also be available for streaming on Max, HBO's official streaming partner.
Besides these two, depending on their locations, interested viewers can also watch Dune: Prophecy on Hulu, YouTube, Sling TV, The Roku Channel, Amazon Prime Video, and YouTube TV.
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