The two-part cinematic epic Dune followed Timothée Chalamet’s Paul Atreides as he embraced his destiny by joining a ragtag group of rebels fighting to free the people of Arrakis, the desert planet rich in highly valuable Spice. Between the occasional giant Sandworm and the beginnings of a holy war, you probably didn’t spend much time wondering how Paul’s mum Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) could see the future or control people with her voice – but HBO’s new prequel series Dune: Prophecy is going to tell you anyway.
It takes just 15 minutes for that particular backstory to be explained. Turns out, Jessica’s Bene Gesserit cult emerged from The Sisterhood, an ancient organisation that studied both magic and science. Set up 10,000 years before the events of Dune following a devastating war between man and Terminator-like “thinking machines”, this noble order of “women unafraid of their power” set out to advise the great houses of the universe. But, as we’ve seen so many times before, the people in power weren’t really interested in peace when there was money to be made. So Mother Superior Raquella (Cathy Tyson) set up a genetic library to help create political leaders who were more willing to listen to reason. It eventually leads to Paul being championed as a messiah during Dune: Part Two but there are more immediate repercussions.
After that intense burst of exposition, we jump forward 30 years as new Mother Superior Valya Harkonnen (Emily Watson) tries to strengthen The Sisterhood after getting a deathbed warning about great danger. Her sister Tula (Olivia Williams) helps teach the next generation, which will include the feisty Princess Ynez (Sarah-Sofie Boussnina) just as soon as a wedding to firm up her dad’s (Mark Strong) position as Emperor is agreed via a deal that includes ownership of the spicy planet of Arrakis. Well, it wouldn’t be Dune without its intergalactic cash cow.
Everything is going fine and dandy until celebrated soldier Desmond Hart (Travis Fimmel) returns from war a changed man and all those carefully arranged plans are thrown into violent disarray. He isn’t afraid of getting his hands dirty…even if he doesn’t need them to get the job done thanks to a horrifying new skillset.
There were complaints from some fans that Dune meandered a little but Prophecy has the opposite problem. Each episode is packed with scheming, betrayal and bloody power grabs. There are violent confrontations but plenty of the action happens in the shadows as well, echoing the best moments of Games Of Thrones. We also get a good amount of sex, drugs and opulence, which rapidly expands the scope of the Dune universe. Every episode feels like a lot.
It’s the more mystical side of things where Dune: Prophecy really shines though. Taking loose inspiration from the Great Schools Of Dune trilogy (one of the many prequel stories written by creator Frank Herbert’s son Brian and collaborator Kevin J. Anderson) dead characters take their revenge from beyond the grave, enemies are dispatched with mind control and nightmarish visions give the whole tale a terrifying edge.
It’s nice to see a show about magic actually solve problems with magic, while the fear felt by students at The Sisterhood as things start to dissolve into chaos should hopefully inspire the upcoming Harry Potter remake. The glimpse of the Great Machine War also tees up a prequel to the prequel if things go well and you don’t need to be Bene Gesserit to see more Dune spin-offs in HBO’s future.
‘Dune: Prophecy’ is available to watch November 18 via Sky Atlantic and NOW