Dune Prophecy(2024) Spoiler Free Review

Dune Prophecy will premiere on HBO on November 17, 2024. It is a prequel series that follows the origin of the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood. The series is based on Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson’s book, which tells the story of approximately 10,000 years before the original Dune.

The series has star-studded cast members that include Emily Watson, Oscar winner Olivia Williams, Jodhi May, and Sarah-Sofie Boussnina. This sci-fi TV explores the characters Valya and Tula Harkonnen played by Emily Watson and Olivia Williams.

Valya Harkonnen is an ambitious acolyte who is on a journey to gain power and her desire to reverse her family’s disgrace as her family is claimed as ‘Cowards’ during the Butlerian Jihad. In this pursuit, she gets embroiled in the political intricacies and personal demons.

Dune Prophecy has two different timelines that explore Valya’s past and present showing us the evolution of a fierce woman she is turning into. With her mother’s support, she deals with the internal conflicts in the sisterhood and deals with external threats from the political players and rivals. In the show, issues of ambition, treachery, and the battle for control of the precious spice —which is still essential to the Dune universe—are explored.

Dune Prophecy

This is a slow-paced drama that explores the human side of characters, lets us into the world of space politics, and slowly reveals all the information of the world. But the show follows the cinematic footsteps of Denis Villeneuve’s films. The series looks beautiful and enticing with its impressive visual and production designs. 

Similarly, the star-filled cast shines and becomes the stand-out part of the series as the writers bring depth and emotion to the characters that will manipulate you as an audience. But there are all of the characters’ introductions and overwhelming characters that are very underdeveloped and feel one-dimensional. 

Moreover, the pacing of this Sci-fi epic is oddly uneven, and early episodes do not serve a purpose to the overall story of the show rather develop characters hurryingly and try to explore characters as soon as possible.  It is understood that the creator tried to create a complex political drama like Game of Thrones but sadly, the writer lost focus midway as the plot lacked coherence.

Lastly, the series shies away from the philosophical themes of Frank Herbert’s work and opts to give a straightforward exploration. So, the series doesn’t put a lasting impression on me but it is safe to say that it was a decent watch that further explores the world of spice and the history of the Dune universe. 

Overall, Dune Prophecy is a visually pleasing series that explores the world of Dune and its complicated politics and drama. It gives us all the information about the Sisterhood and their power struggle and their journey into the main politics. However, due to the uneven pacing and lack of character depth, the series falls short and becomes an average show that you can watch from November 17.

This show has moments of brilliance and potential to be one of the finest shows but it struggles to find a balance between the plot and character study. The Dune fan and Frank’s work admirer can enjoy this exploration much more than casual viewers.