Dune: Prophecy

Within those first four episodes Dune: Prophecy establishes itself as an exciting, spectacle-heavy series driven by dramatic developments and intriguing secrets but also one with a deep distrust of power, those who wield it, and the belief systems in which religious devotion and political manipulation start to blur.

No, “Dune: Prophecy” may not quite match the visual spectacle of Villeneuve’s films, but it makes up for it with smart world-building and a sense of magnitude that draws you in. The storytelling, complex characters, and ambitious power plays make this a must-watch and might be more “Game Of Thrones” than the recent ‘GOT’ spin-off.

Dune: Prophecy makes great use of sweeping locales, offering a refreshing reprieve from CGI-heavy programs that don’t ever quite feel authentic. Here, things feel real, from the stakes to the warm-lit halls and even the mysterious power of the Sisterhood

Only four of Prophecy's episodes were available at time of review, so it remains unclear if the series will be able to stick the landing and deliver a rewarding conclusion to its many mysteries. But, regardless of who makes it out alive, one thing is for certain: Prophecy is a solid foray into the farther reaches of the Dune universe. Long may the Bene Gesserit reign.

Dune: Prophecy feels a lot more thoughtful and inventive than most fantasy fare, and with women placed at the centre.

Gorgeous production values and a focus on the stranger, even scary elements of the Herbert’s world offer a different path into the Dune universe that more than justifies this series’ existence. This is more than just a mere money-grabbing spinoff.

A little romping is welcome within a story this dark and serious, and across the board the performances sell it. Such detours are part of the production’s meticulous efforts to grab and keep our attention, rewarding us for watching closely.

Emily Watson’s imposing performance as a vengeful and cunning schemer makes it an engrossing stand-alone saga of loyalty, treachery, ambition, and avarice.

It is certainly beautiful to look at and features the franchise’s signature asymmetrical spaceships and top-drawer costuming. But this is very much its own show and can be enjoyed even if you’re only vaguely familiar with the source material.

Sure, some of the writing can be clunky at times, and there’s not enough runway for all of its characters, but it succeeds in placing us in a far-flung world of false saviors and near-intractable systems of power. It’s messy, it’s weird, and that’s all very Dune.

It has all the intricate plotting and gossip-worthy soap opera one could want from a tale of the Atreides or Harkonnen clans - or one about the Targaryens and Lannisters. There may not be an original thought in this “Dune” product’s Spice-soaked head, but it is one professionally put-together piece of this sort of entertainment.

“Prophecy” is well-positioned to work as a bridge for those intrigued by the tentpoles, but not committed enough to delve deep into the Herberts’ archive. Though no feast for the senses, it could be fuel for a rekindled audience’s growing interest.

Dune: Prophecy has more than enough, between all the scheming between houses and the performances of Watson and Williams, to recommend it, but we just wish it had taken a different tack on the story of Bene Gesserit than the one it chose.

A good deal of “Dune: Prophecy” is soap opera, the younger characters engaging in both sex and power games and negotiating a traffic jam of storylines. The prophecy here, which requires no insight at all, is that the series has a future.

It's hard to feel bad for any of the Harkonnens by the time of Dune and Dune: Part Two, but Prophecy offers a more nuanced look at this much-maligned house, one that manages to paint them in an intriguing light beyond just sadistic and despotic rulers.