“Dune: Prophecy” (2024) takes place over 10,000 years before the birth of Paul Atreides in a setting fans of “Dune: Part One” (2021) and “Dune: Part Two” (2024) are familiar with, but feature characters they haven’t seen on the big screen.
It follows in the same vein as “The Penguin” (2024), another recent HBO series, and both spin-offs focus on characters that are not exactly fan favorites. “Dune: Prophecy” accomplishes being something new and does not rely on Denis Villeneuve’s two science fiction epics to gain attention with its first two episodes.
Episode 1: “The Hidden Hand”
The first episode dives into the lives of sisters Valya (Jessica Barden) and Tula Harkonnen (Emma Canning) as they join the Sisterhood, an order of women who are trained to serve the Great Houses of the Imperium as Truthsayers. The Truthsayers are women who can detect whether someone is lying or not based on their examination of said person.
Three decades later, Valya (now played by Emily Watson) is Mother Superior of the Sisterhood and arranges the marriage between Princess Ynez (Sarah-Sofie Boussnina), daughter of Emperor Javicco Corrino (Mark Strong) and 9-year-old Pruwet Richese (Charlie Hodson-Prior). The marriage was arranged to stabilize the Corrino bloodline and strengthen their control of the desert planet Arrakis and its invaluable spice production.
However, things take a dark turn with the arrival of a mysterious man named Desmond Hart (Travis Fimmel). Dead bodies begin to pile up after his arrival, and the fate of the Imperium and those who inhabit it are at stake.
The entire world and design of “Dune” are fascinating to witness on screen, and HBO had a lot of confidence in making this show. All the locations and set design are perfect and reflect the world-building already established by Villeneuve’s films. Not once will viewers think they are seeing a different science fiction film or television show. The characters also feel natural and fit well with their location, wardrobe and their interaction with others.
The two standout actors are Strong and Watson. Valya is played by two different actresses, yet they both do an amazing job conveying Valya when she is young and when she is older. Watson’s Yalya comes across as demure and soft-spoken to those who don’t know her truly. When she unleashes her darker side, it is a sight to witness.
Strong has also been appearing in more recent films and television, and it is nice to see. He plays Emperor Javicco with certainty, and he is a man who shows great displeasure with the marriage. The audience does not know what he’s thinking or wants to happen with the Imperium. When things start to slip out of his hands, he has to make a choice that will benefit his family and the Imperium as a whole.
The first episode is a good example of establishing a pilot with all of the characters and their motivations and what will come in the following episodes.
Episode 2: “Two Wolves”
The second episode of “Dune: Prophecy” picks up with the characters in a state of extreme panic. No one knows who or what is responsible for the deaths that happened in Episode One, which makes Valya use her protégée, Lila (Chloe Lea), to contact her great great grandmother Raquella (Cathy Tyson) through the Agony ritual.
In the first episode, Valya was with Raquella to comfort her when she was young before she died. Raquella’s last words were of a future reckoning she envisioned, which she dubbed the “Burning Truth.” Valya has Tula watch after Lila as she travels to the Imperium.
The mysterious man Desmond Hart is questioned by Emperor Javicco and his wife Natalya-Arat (Jodhi May). After finding out his true intentions, he is locked away and hidden like a secret weapon.
Drama and tension between all the characters begin to add up in “Two Wolves.” What separates “Dune: Prophecy” from more contemporary sci-fi stories is that its point of action lies in the turmoil within each character instead of battles or combats.
There are some moments when the show seems slow with its pacing. However, the intrigue of the unknown supernatural elements, such as Lila utilizing her Other Memory and contacting Raquella in a nightmare realm, brings the audience’s attention back.
Another unknown element is Desmond Hart, who is played excellently by Fimmel. His performance sticks out in the second episode. When viewers first meet the character, they will not know what to expect. After the events in Episode 2, viewers still will not know what to expect regarding how far he’s willing to go with his mission.
Only more chaos is on the way for those in the Sisterhood and those in the Imperium in the remaining four episodes of “Dune: Prophecy.”
