Dune: Prophecy Review – The HBO Prequel Series Values Drama Over Action

The Bene Gesserit serve a critical role in Dune, with Lady Jessica influencing a number of pivotal turning points in the story. Dune: Prophecy takes it back a few years – 10,000 to be precise – to see how this powerful sisterhood formed and who are the key players. In this instance, it’s two Harkonnen sisters – Valya (Emily Watson) and Tula (Olivia Williams) – at the center of events. Not only does the series dive deep into the origins of the Bene Gesserit and their involvement in it, but it also looks at why House Harkonnen is seen in such a negative light.

Taking a page out of Game of Thrones‘ playbook, Dune: Prophecy shows how each main character sees their point of view as the right one and the only way forward. No one views themself as the villain here – rather as the savior. They believe their methods to be for the greater good, even if they’re blinded by their own ambition or pride. And again, like the series based on A Song of Fire and Ice, those who get ahead are the ones with uncanny abilities to deceive and peddle rumors as facts.

Dune: Prophecy focuses on politics and power

Dune: Prophecy paints a picture of a fractured Imperium. Too much happens in the shadows as people conspire and clamber for power. Mark Strong’s Emperor Javicco Corrino doesn’t appear to be a bad man or harsh ruler – in fact, he resembles the positive traits of Oscar Isaac’s Duke Leto Atreides – but it’s clear there are others around who see him as a pawn or means to an end. However, Emperor Corrino is no fool to what happens around him. Much like the leaders of other powerful houses, he relies heavily on Truthsayers from the sisterhood to help him identify people’s true intentions.

As advisers to the powerful, it’s easy to see the influence that the sisterhood possesses on the Houses. They hold the ability to forge or destroy alliances, while accumulating their own knowledge about the political climate around them. In this world, information is power, and the sisterhood is like a supercomputer of data.

Dune: Prophecy‘s first four episodes waste no time in setting the scene of what’s to come. Volatility and uncertainty linger, as characters walk blurry moral lines. Don’t ever believe someone is the way they present themselves here, because everyone has skeletons in the closet.

This isn’t the Dune story expected

Those who have read the Dune novels understand there’s a lot of lore to unpack. However, fans of Denis Villeneuve‘s movies may find themselves puzzled by the direction of Dune: Prophecy. Ironically, it’s the antithesis of Villeneuve’s films. As the filmmaker told Variety: “Frankly, I hate dialogue. Dialogue is for theater and television. I don’t remember movies because of a good line, I remember movies because of a strong image. I’m not interested in dialogue at all.”

Dune: Prophecy scales back on the grandeur, turning the attention to dialogue-driven drama, especially in terms of what’s said and left unsaid. The show pays tribute to the visual language and aesthetics of Villeneuve’s movies, but this is about the happenings indoors rather than the sands of Arrakis. (On a side note, there’s also a neat nod to Villeneuve’s Blade Runner 2049 in certain scenes.)

Resultantly, the action remains on the low end of the scale. That said, it must be noted only four episodes were provided for review and the trailers hint at more battles to come. It’s possible the showrunners used the Game of Thrones formula here too, building up the tension to the inevitable tipping point where blood will be spilled on the battlefield in the latter parts of the story.

Is Dune: Prophecy worth watching?

Dune: Prophecy emphasizes character development over spectacle. While the environments and costumes look fantastic, this isn’t the hook – it’s the characters. Travis Fimmel’s Desmond Hart, Emily Watson’s Valya Harkonnen, and Mark Strong’s Emperor Corrino captivate for different reasons, whipping up devilishly delightful performances that will keep the audience pondering about their motivations. The show promises to explore the origins of Dune, and so far it lives up to its end of the bargain. Long may it continue.

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Dune: Prophecy airs on 18 November on Showmax.