If you’re unfamiliar with Arrakis and the glorious story that is Dune, you are in for a treat. All of the Dune movies are available on Max, including the original 1984 release, the 2021 reboot, and the 2024 sequel, but Max has taken a step further and delivered the epic space drama from over 10,000 years in the past. A prequel to the events of the novel, Dune Prophecy begins laying the groundwork for what would take place in the movie franchise. We finally get around to looking at Dune: Prophecy!
1-1 “The Hidden Hand”
“Victory is celebrated in the light, but it is won in darkness.”
One of the first things to learn about the world of Dune is the Great Houses of the Imperium. There are several of them, but the important thing to know is that the Atreides and Harkonnen Houses hate each other. It is true during the films, and it’s true now over 10,000 years before Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) would lead his revolution. In the war against the thinking machines, the Atreides call out the Harkonnen as cowards, and the notion spreads. The family fell from grace, though not all of them want to stay there…
Young Valya Harkonnen (Jessica Barden, pictured) doesn’t believe her family deserves to stay in this position, but she’s also not much attached to her family. She leaves to attend the Bene Gesserit, a school that helps young ladies enhance their abilities to become human lie detectors. Beyond that, the school has grand designs across the Imperium. Providing their skills to the great houses, they become imperative and in positions of authority and power. What better way to shape the galaxies to your desires than to have someone in every house? But it’s even more than that. They want a sister on the throne of the Imperium. Not every sister is committed to this cause, and fractures arise. Sister Dorotea (Camilla Beeput) is the granddaughter of the Reverend Mother Raquella (Cathy Tyson), who is dying and wishes for those who follow to continue her great work. And while Valya is committed, Dorotea is not. When the two clash, blood is spilled, and you have the sense this will come back to haunt them.
“Adversity always lies in the path of advancement. Most would run from it. I walk through it.”
30 years have passed, and Mother Superior Valya (Emily Watson) is facilitating the marriage of two Great houses, one being that of the emperor Javicco Corrino (Mark Strong). His daughter Ynez (Sarah-Sofie Boussnina) is not resistant to the arranged match because she’s getting what she wants as well. Since the boy (Charlie Hodson-Prior) is too young, the marriage will be a formality for a decade. She will train to be a sister, and then after ten years, she’ll join him on the throne, thus giving her and the sisterhood everything they’ve desired. But a bad dream is a wake-up call for one of Valya’s closest friends, Kasha (Jihae). She’s also closest to the emperor, a key position in the galaxies. 
But at the celebration, the young boy reveals a thinking machine, something making waves through the party. The empress Natalya (Jodhi May) urges force. This is unacceptable. However, the emperor is weak and unsure of his position. He cautions leniency, and I just know that going against her will be his undoing. A new arrival at the palace, Desmond Hart (Travis Fimmel), assists with the machine and offers himself as assistance to the emperor. A casual slip of the tongue means death by fire for the boy, while Ynez grows closer to her weapons master (Chris Mason) with a last name starting with an A… But the little boy isn’t the only one to burn. Returned to the sisterhood to urge caution following her dream, Kasha perishes by fire as well, leading Valya to the burning truth Mother Raquella promised her all those years ago. The show is quite complex, stick with it.
1-2 “Two Wolves”
The autopsy of Kasha reveals an internal heat source. Questions are starting to arise, not only for the higher-ups but the acolytes as well. Some girls trend towards following the path, while others are asking questions. Which girls will ultimately be truly devoted to the sisterhood? It’s a test of time but also faith. It’s important to keep emotions separate. Valya counsels her sister Tula (Olivia Williams) that emotions cloud judgment. She’s not wrong, but are your own actions not clouded by emotion as well? Just perhaps, hubris instead of fear? Time will tell for you both, Harkonnen sisters.
Meanwhile, the empress is smoothing things over regarding the boy’s death as the emperor is nowhere to be found. The family is angry, and that’s fair, but she points out that he also had an illegal machine. Perhaps the machine did it? Implying the machine couldn’t means familiarity with the machines which would be the cause to end the marriage and punish the Richese family for treason. So for now, the family must play along with the obvious ruse. Desmond Hart informs the emperor of his actions, much to the emperor’s surprise and annoyance. I’m sorry, but you made it blatantly clear that if something happened, you’d be pleased. That’s how these types of politics work. It’s all innuendos and slang in case anyone could possibly be recording you and get you straight saying you want the boy murdered. Hart took your implied word and went with it, you can’t take backsies now. The man was swallowed by a sandworm and came out with new powers. Do you want to be on his bad side?
Also at the emperor’s house, his son (Josh Heuston) is doing the dirty with the Richese daughter, letting loose physically and most especially verbally. You don’t really know her, and you don’t know how fast she’ll turn this over to daddy…probably before you even showered, Constantine. But it’s a question of punishment. Will Desmond be in trouble? He goes toe-to-toe with Valya. Quite a brilliant scene. The casting of the series has been utterly fantastic, especially seeing Watson and Fimmel head-to-head. Very well done.
In the end, it’s all about sacrifices. Ynez knows her family has been sacrificed to politics. Acolyte Lila (Chloe Lea) has been sacrificed for the greater hopes of the sisterhood. Certain weapons masters could end up sacrificing themselves for rebellion, and even yet, we still see the reach of the sisterhood. I cannot wait to see more. Especially as I am reading Dune myself, and it’s fun to fully immerse myself in all aspects.
