Dune: Prophecy

The final episode of Dune: Prophecy was released on Max this weekend. The episode takes place 10,000 years before the birth of Paul Atredis and follows the Bene Gesserit as they attempt to assert control of the empire. I liked the Dune movies and was excited to get another chance to go back to that world. 

Overall, this show was a bit disappointing. There were some strong moments. I liked all the world-building that was going on. We get to see some of the family dynamics between the different houses as well as get to see more of how the Bene Gesserit operates. The show goes deep into their ranks as we know how the future sisters are trained. I also thought that the scale of the show was very impressive. Everything here is so cinematic and it is so cool that these studios can put out TV shows at film level quality. The show has a bit of a Game of Thrones vibe going on with all the intrigue and conniving between houses and the sisterhood. The line between good and bad is a bit murky in the show which makes for more of an enticing conflict. I thought that the show managed to find its footing in the last episode. There was some action and a lot of twists, turns, and reveals that elevated the show. 

While there were some good moments, there was a lot about the show that didn’t work for me. I thought the show was incredibly slow in its first 5 episodes. It felt like there was about 3 episodes of material stretched into 6. I also thought that most of the characters were pretty unlikable. I dislike the Bene Gesserit in the Dune movies, finding them arrogant and pretentious, so it was hard for me to like their characters when they were doing the same pretentious things. Finally, I thought the timing of the show was a bit arbitrary. It could have taken place 100 years before Dune or 1 million years before Dune, I just thought it was odd that the society in his show does not change for the next 10,000 years with the same houses being in power and having the same conflicts with the Fremen and the Spice. 

Overall, while this show does have some promise, it was way too slow until the final episode. I’m hoping it finds its footing and works a little better in the second season. 

Grade: B- Score: 6.5/10

Recommendation: Skip it for now, but wait and see if the second season is any better