Dune Prophecy review: Seismic HBO sci-fi has just enough spice for fans

Inspired by Brian Herbert and Kevin J Anderson’s prequel novel Sisterhood of Dune, Dune: Prophecy is set over 10,000 years before the events of director Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part One and very quickly throws the audience into the mythology of the Duniverse.

The status quo of the Imperium that rules the known universe comes about following a Great War where humanity succeeded in defeating the threat of 'Thinking Machines'. From the ashes of this conflict is a strict new order beneath the rule of Padishah Emperor of House Corrino, but alongside this also comes a Sisterhood of sorceresses that will eventually be known as the legendary Bene Gesserit who balance religion and political influence.

Of course, of the Dune films will already be familiar with these enigmatic and influential female figures, most memorably through Rebecca Ferguson's Lady Jessica. Here, we see the group’s origins and how they come to be lead by the ruthless and resourceful Mother Superior Valya Harkonnen, portrayed in her youth by the charismatic Jessica Barden and then for the majority of the story by the ever magnificent Emily Watson.

The factionalism and differences within the Sisterhood form much of the drama in the story, but the true conflict emerges when Emperor Javicco Corrino (played by an on-form and solid Mark Strong) crosses paths with the mysterious and otherworldly soldier Desmond Hart (Vikings’ Travis Fimmell being thoroughly creepy), a survivor of conflict on the desert planet of Arrakis – the home of Spice and the great sandworm, Shai-Halud.

Yet, the truth of the matter is that this premise in and of itself is rather scattered and does not feel immediately rooted in character. Unlike the immediately likeable House Atreides and servants, it's hard to feel too attached to anyone. Valya Harkonnen is certainly a fascinating character but it takes multiple episode until we really dig into who she is and why we should find ourselves willing her to succeed, despite Watson’s magnetic turn in the role.

It’s a shame we aren’t treated to the character’s development from excellent scenes featuring Barden in the role earlier.

The other standout performances include Olivia Williams as Valya’s maternal and haunted sister, Reverend Mother Tula Harkonnen, who once again we don’t begin to feel too attached to until quite late in the day. The series' strongest relationship is undoubtedly that of the two sisters but the show takes a while to scratch the surface between the very different women.

The same can be said of the friendships and rivalries of the acolytes within the Sisterhood, as many feel thinly drawn and their connections to each other not fully fleshed out.

There are no shortage of plot twists, gruesome moments, mysteries and some titular prophecies, but that central thing that Dune: Prophecy lacks are strong character relationships for us to buy into and care about from right out the gate. The scale and plot density of Game of Thrones and other HBO dynastic dramas are there but we need to buy into the relationships very early to feel fully invested and the show is slow to warm up with these.

Conversely, Dune: Prophecy still manage to tackle some of the strong themes found in Denis Villeneuve's films and Frank Herbert’s, namely a sense of morality versus family loyalty and the interweaving of politics and religion. It is in these scenes that Dune: Prophecy is at its strongest and it would be wise to spend more time here.

The feud between House Harkonnen and their old enemies House Atreides is cracked open from one point of view here, but it feels hesitant in the first four episode to explore this clash of bloodlines from the other side and to hit home some of the messaging of the original text: these warring nobles are not so different.

Meanwhile, while we are treated to some fresh mythology and information drops about the warring political factions of the Imperium and the various noble houses, what feels missing are some of the rich themes of the original Dune, such as themes of colonialism and the exploitation of natural resources for financial profit – which made the books and films feel so prescient and vital at its core.

Additionally, the series is also lacking the directorial flare of the genius Denis Villeneuve – not to mention Hans Zimmer’s ethereal score – but it does not waste its sense of scale with dynamic vistas of planets such as the rocky terrains of Wallach IX where the Sisterhood trains or the illustrious Salusa Secundus, the intergalactic hub and home of the ruling House Corrino. The realisations of these settings will no doubt satiate the hardcore Herbert acolytes.

Troublingly, one's biggest concern moving forward with the show will be if it can land the intergalactic spaceship after it takes off with heaps of questions, mystery and unnerving turns of plot. Having seen four out of six episodes for this season, there is very little that has been given away about the true conflict to come and while one may be seated for the climax of these shifting plot threads, one cannot be certain it will satisfy.

Ultimately, Dune fans have enough spice to chew on with this seismic sci-fi series, but it remains to be seen if this is a classic in the making from the opening four episodes.

Dune: Prophecy comes to Sky and NOW on Monday 18th November 2024.

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