Perhaps the most surprising thing aboutDune : Prophecyis that itdoesn’twant to be likeDenis Villeneuve‘sDune : Part OneorPart Two . It , instead , seems far more interested in following in the footstep of another gamey - profile HBO genre series , Game of Thrones . The novel show , a spinoff set 10,000 days before the event of both Frank Herbert ’s originalDunenovel and Villeneuve ’s two - part adaptation of it , lack many of its dealership ’s winder and most well - known elements . Unlike Herbert ’s original creation , its story is not a comment on the danger of the Chosen One trope often find in sci - fi and fantasy plots , and it largely avoids visitingDune‘s most iconic location , the desert satellite of Arrakis .
That ’s becauseDune : Prophecyis less concerned with affair of messiahs and spice and more with exploring the feudal terrain of Herbert ’s interstellar future . It is a dramatic play comprise of majestic infighting , behind - the - conniption machinations , decades - old cross - family contention , and political assassinations . InDune , the tangled political entanglement of the Known Universe ( or the Imperium , as it ’s often referred to inProphecy ) is an engine to drive forward Paul Atreides ’ rise from a paying attention prince to a reckless , revengeful christ . It is the table on which Herbert ’s story is serve . But inDune : Prophecy , it ’s the whole repast , and the series is the lesser for it .
grow for television by Diane Ademu - John and Alison Schapker ( Altered Carbon),Dune : Prophecyis broadly barrack by the Great Schools of Dune book trilogy penned in the former and mid-2010s by Kevin J. Anderson and Frank Herbert ’s boy , Brian . It follows two sisters , Valya ( Emily Watson ) and Tula Harkonnen ( Olivia Williams ) , as they seek to use their minds and political cunning to not only strengthen the growing hold their fabled sisterhood of Truthsayers / royal advisers known as the Bene Gesserit has over the Imperium , but also undertake the sect ’s continued influence through its private , cautiously overseen breeding program .
Just when it seems like they are on the verge of accomplish their greatest political victory to date , though , Valya and Tula fulfil resistance in the shape of Desmond Hart ( Travis Fimmel ) , an enigmatic soldier with a terrifying power and a zealous , if justified mistrust of the Bene Gesserit and its many sisters . A state of war of political moves quick commences between Desmond and Valya over who fetch to resist by the side of the Imperium ’s Emperor , Javicco Corrino ( Mark Strong ) and , therefore , play the biggest persona in shaping the macrocosm ’s future . Their contention of necessity catch the attention of those around them , including Javicco ’s headstrong married woman , Natalya ( Jodhi May , and their girl , Ynez ( Sarah - Sofie Boussnina ) , whose blind consignment to the Bene Gesserit Valya is desperate to protect .
While Valya and Desmond ’s political war pay on , Tula is forced to oversee the continue statement of the Bene Gesserit ’s young acolytes at a time when the organization is being viewed — from both outside and within its fort ’ rampart — more skeptically than ever . Before long , Tula recover herself fighting to keep swallow up the Bene Gesserit ’s large secrets , nearly all of which are discover to viewers inDune : Prophecy‘s clunky prologue . This thread has the potential to generate compelling dramatic event and machination , and the same is true of many ofDune : Prophecy‘s storylines . The series ’ characters are , however , too loosely sketched to guarantee the kind of excited investment thatDune : Prophecy‘s political fight demand .
To watchDune : Prophecy‘s first four episode is to watch Emily Watson and Olivia Williams judge with all their might to elevate stuff that never seems desirable of them or HBO . Watson is soft - spoken and yet cutting as Valya , butDune : Prophecynever fills out her motivations and just carry looker to find her vague desire for more business leader and control riveting enough . It cook a similarly decisive error with Williams ’ Tula , whose big desire and decisions are often explained in bunglesome expo dumps becauseDune : Prophecyhas little clip for factual character exploitation . Even Fimmel , who tries to fill in the vacuous shell of Desmond Hart with an idiosyncratic performance that bringsProphecyslightly closer to equate the lovable weirdness of Frank Herbert ’s original Dune novels , is left grasping air while playing a persona whose devotion to Strong ’s Javicco and distrust of the Bene Gesserit are never explained .
Denis Villeneuve ’s Dune films puzzle out because of how thoroughly they immerse viewer in Paul Atreides ’ riotous , pained emotions . Every fiery set piece Villeneuve microscope stage connects back to his agonist ’s personal battles with guilt , fear , enticement , and rage . depend at how much workGame of Thronesput in across its first six seasons to uprise its characters and encourage viewers ’ investment in them . That HBO serial makes sure that even early moments like untried Bran Stark getting bear on out of a window country with maximum emotional shock . sand dune : Prophecytries to deliver moments of a alike caliber in its early episode , but its most brutal twists all involve characters whom the hearing is given minuscule - to - no reason to care about , and that robs them of whatever weight they ’re supposed to have .
Dune : Prophecywas never go to match the see-through cinematic nobility of their Villeneuve - directed sister films . It had to find another way to hook viewers into its world , and creating a chronicle where numberless fictitious character contend for power in an empire where control is constantly agitate seems on paper to be as surefire a direction of assure that final result as any other . ButDune : Prophecygets lost in its own intricate web of lore early , and it never finds its way out . Its reference suffer as a result , and its play is mostly rendered lifeless and irksome .
The serial invigorate neither the wide - eyed fear of Villeneuve ’s Dune films , nor the clenched fist - clenching rage and binge - rush grief ofGame of Thrones . Like many of its character , it lacks a impregnable and compelling individuality . It feels bland and generic , and those are two thing that no show set in the same unknown sci - fi universe as Herbert’sDuneshould be .
sand dune : Prophecypremieres Sunday , November 17 on HBO and Max . Digital Trends was given former admission to its first four installments .
