Dune: Prophecy is definitely the worst live-action adaptation of any Dune property – worse than David Lynch’s oddball marvel, worse than the Sci-Fi miniseries of the 2000s. It misunderstands not simply the central attraction of Herbert’s work, but in addition the attraction of Game of Thrones and different TV epics that HBO clearly needs to copy.
Showrunners Diane Ademu-John and Alison Schapker, the previous wrote the premiere “The Hidden Hand” and Anna Foerster directs, don’t make issues simple on themselves, selecting to construct off a little-loved trio of books (written by Frank Herbert’s son Brian Herbert and co-author Kevin J. Anderson) set greater than 10,000 years sooner or later however greater than 10,000 years earlier than the occasions of Villenueve’s Dune films.
“The Hidden Hand” largely considerations sisters Valya and Tula Harkonnen (Emily Watson and Olivia Williams, respectively), organic sisters and leaders of a spiritual order known as the Sisterhood, forerunners of the Bene Gesserit seen in Dune. The extra enterprising of the duo, Valya needs to proceed her mentor’s need to place a puppet ruler on the Emperor’s throne, giving the Sisterhood somebody they will management.
Valya sees her alternative throughout the reign of Emperor Javicco Corrino (Mark Strong), a comparatively weak ruler who struggles to maintain up with the varied energy performs in his courtroom. These performs embrace not solely the machinations of Valya, but in addition his spouse Natalya (Jodhi May), his daughter Ynez (Sarah-Sofie Boussnina), and Harrow Harkonnen (Edward Davis), the final of whom arranges a wedding to Ynez to his very younger son, in hopes of securing spice circulate from Arrakis. And then there’s soldier Desmond Hart (Travis Fimmel), who appears to be enjoying his personal recreation, and Javicco’s son Constantine (Josh Heuston), who appears largely involved with being good-looking, however may additionally produce other motivations.
Complicating issues for Valya are the fissures inside the Sisterhood, which we solely start to glimpse within the pilot. We’re launched to a variety of Sisters who kind of declare their character descriptions after which transfer on, together with Aoife Hinds because the religious Emeline, Chloe Lea as youthful Lila, Jade Anouka because the mercurial Theodosia, and Jihae because the politically-minded Kasha Jinjo.
To its credit score, Prophecy appears to anticipate viewers confusion. To its nice demerit, Prophecy addresses the issue by lowering virtually all dialogue to exposition, full with voice over narration from Valya for the primary ten minutes or so of the episode, referencing a warfare in opposition to “thinking machines” and components that viewers may know from the films. Even after the voice-over stops, most of “The Hidden Hand” consists of actors studying the Dune fandom wiki to 1 one other in darkened hallways.
