One of the most intriguing elements of the vast Dune universe has always been the Bene Gesserit, a secretive order of women who serve as the "power behind the throne" to many ruling houses while they secretly enact a vast plan of genetic manipulation to bring about the fated Kwisatz Haderach. HBO's new series, Dune: Prophecy, tells the story of the Bene Gesserit order in its early years, rather than the well-developed monolith of later novels and films. This allows Dune: Prophecy to tell the story of women fighting for power and status in a universe seemingly determined to oppose them at every turn.