The world of Dune is vast and filled to the brim with stories, side-stories, characters, and anything else under the sun of Arrakis. So, naturally, a TV series based on that lore makes all the sense in the world. The Bene Gesserit controls from the sidelines and darkness of this world. With the two Dune movies that Denis Villeneuve made all the rage, it makes sense for HBO to head to that well. The thing that stands out the most about Dune: Prophecy is that it looks like a high-budget adaptation of this world. The corridors, costumes, effects, and even robots of this world are all fully formed, fleshed out, and look like a million bucks. However, the storyline and pacing of this first episode are lacking.

Dune: Prophecy tells the story of two Harkonnen sisters, 10,000 years before the rise of Paul Atreides. The sisters combat forces that threaten the future of humankind and establish the beginnings of what we now know as the Bene Gesserit. It stars Emily Watson, Olivia Williams, Travis Fimmel, Jodhi May, Mark Strong, Sarah-Sofie Boussnina, Josh Heuston, Chloe Lea, Jade Anouka, Faoileann Cunningham, Aoife Hinds, Chris Mason, Shalom Brune-Franklin, Edward Davis, Jihae, Tabu, Jessica Barden, and Emma Canning. 

The first episode starts out incredibly strong with a recap of how humanity got to the point of being on Arrakis and the uprising against robotic beings. It’s fascinating to see and these early scenes somewhat made me want to see a series about that. The sisterhood that ends up becoming the Bene Gesserit is also a focal point and one that gets lost a bit during the first episode.

That beauty of the settings, costumes, and surroundings gets lost as your eyes glaze over a bit from the pacing of the premiere. The show spins a tale of an arranged marriage that would unify and help House Corrino on Arrakis. That being said, several performances like Mark Strong, Sarah-Sofie Boussnina, Travis Fimmel, and Olivia Williams make Dune: Prophecy worth a watch. Strong is his usual self, providing a leader that is flawed, but noble. Fimmel’s character Desmond Hart in particular is a mystery and one that demands exploration.

The entirety of the first episode of Dune: Prophecy leaves you feeling like you want more. There are inklings of something special here that combines with visuals that look movie quality. For those reasons, patience should be practiced with the rest of the series to see just where it goes.

Dune: Prophecy releases on HBO on November 17th.

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