The HBO/Max, six-part prequel, Dune: Prophesy (derived from Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson's Sisterhood of Dune) has begun, with preordained regal house against regal house, and though it's too soon for me to judge the conflict on the whole, I can still offer my forefront acknowledgments and views.
The first acknowledgment is the series' vast cast, which is worthy of Dune's erudite heritage: Emily Watson, Olivia Williams, Jodhi May, Sarah-Sofi Bossnina, Shalom Brune-Franklin, Aoife Hinds, Jade Anouka and among these talented ladies, Travis (Vikings/Warcraft) Fimmel and Mark (The Penguin/Shazam!) Strong.
The second acknowledgment is the opening's verbosity. With this said, heavy exposition (in this case, of an anti-machine, feminist movement that wishes to birth a JFK knockoff) isn't necessarily a bad thing. For example, Heretic is verbose, and because of it, its story is damn riveting. Prophesy's introduction, however, seems more like a university seminar, detailing a spiritual experience that, because of its immense weight, makes its mysticism secular.
On this basis, I feel compelled to liken the new Dune to Syfy's Krypton: a lavish series, jammed with historic, DC details and motivating philosophies, but with little to have kicked it into high, pre-Kal El gear.
I'm not saying for certain that this Dune prequel will suffer Krypton's short-lived, history-anchored fate. And Prophesy more than deserves a shot, and it may yet deliver the long-haul goods, even enough to get fans pumped for that next, theatrical chapter.
Then again, even if it should click by season's end, sometimes too good a thing can hinder what ensues. For example, some have said that Star Trek: The Next Generation blunted the anticipatory thunder of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, and that Freddy's Nightmares had sucked the frightful surrealism well in advance of A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child. (I suppose, one could apply the same view to The Penguin, but that track holds a more independent structure to its platform: connected, yes, but still a clear-cut bridge all unto itself.)
We'll see if Prophesy causes friction or cohesion for Dune's filmed continuation. For now, I (along with other interested parties) will keep viewing, and when the time comes, reflect on the season's accumulation.
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