From the first moments the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood appears on-screen in the science fiction seriesDune: 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 ofDune: Prophecy’sBene Gesserit are truly torn. They must decide between conforming to the Sisterhood’s ideals or maintaining their own identity, feelings, and goals.
Sister Jen Is An Individualistic Free Thinker
One of the Sisterhood acolytes who receives focus during the first season ofDune: Prophecyis 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 thesandworms 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 theBene 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”
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 theButlerian 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 theKwisatz Haderachbreeding 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 originalDunenovels 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: Prophecydoes an excellent job of showing that,from its earliest days, the Bene Gesserit asked the questionof 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?
