Dune: Prophecy season 1

Having really enjoyed both of Denis Villeneuve's Dune films and having also recently read the first novel in Frank Herbert's series, I was happy sit tight for the third film while making time to read the rest of the novels but HBO had other plans. Following the success of both films, a new TV series was on the horizon, Dune: Prophecy, but this felt a little too much like cashing-in on the back of Villeneuve's work. And with the release so close, it would risk either looking like a pale imitation on a smaller screen or veer so far off that is feels detached from the films making audiences wonder if this is all meant to align somehow. 

The series takes place 10,000 years before the 2021 Dune film and 80 years after humans defeated thinking machines in what was known as the Butlerian Jihad. The show even provides interesting glimpses to this war, that looks like something out of Terminator, and its during this conflict that the Harkonnen family came to blows with the Atreides which saw the former shamed and outcasted following the human victory. 80 years later and Valya Harkonnen, along with her sister, are part of the Sisterhood and plan to use their powers to take influence over the galactic politics as they lay the foundations for what will become the deadly Bene Gesserit. 

For me, Villeneuve's direction perfectly introduced the world of Dune without ever overwhelming me with too much information that could spoil the overall narrative. It was a difficult task but he really succeeded and that's where this show gets off to a very rough start with many dense scenes of conversations about matters the audience have little incentive to engage with all the while set in a world so far away from the world of Paul Atreides.

Anyone expecting the thrills and action of Villeneuve's films will be left sorely disappointed for much of the six episodes as we are left with characters plotting and discussing, and plotting again. There are some glimpses early on when the drama finds some momentum but these moments are too few and most audiences will likely tune out from the slow pacing before the final third of the season when things start to pick-up.

However, when the various strings of narrative do come together, I found myself starting to enjoy this series and could see some potential. It's also in the final few episodes when the visuals really do shine and there are some engaging plot points that will satisfy fans in search of a good sci-fi show, something we have been missing from a prestige showrunner such as HBO until now.

I will be returning for the announced second season as I am curious to see where this story will go but the show will need to hit the ground running if it wants to keep audiences tuning in. I would give this a cautious recommendation for fans of the films and books with the encouragement to see it through to the end of this season but I fear there is little here for any newcomers to the franchise.