Dune: Prophecy

I've been looking forward to Dune: Prophecy ever since I first heard about it. Then I saw the trailers and my excitement grew even more. Well, after seeing it I can say that it without a doubt lived up to my expectations. Your expectations have to be realistic though, if you're expecting something as perfect as the Dennis Villenueve directed films then you're going to be disappointed, but if you go into it just expecting a perfectly paced, fascinating series that will keep you thoroughly invested every episode then you'll love it. The world building that takes place and the attention to every detail is as good as it gets for a tv show. This series is best watched binged because I can promise when you finish an episode you can't wait to start the next. You're not going to want to wait a week between episodes, it's that good.

I had seen and heard a few lukewarm reviews of this show so I didn't have high expectations coming in, and then was pleasantly surprised! It starts off a bit slow and I think I breathed a sigh of relief when Travis Fimmel entered the frame because I knew he would spice things up (no pun intended). But then the other characters/actors started to develop as well and by the third episode I was definitely into it and enjoying the narrative.

I wasn't sure about Emily Watson as one of the leads at first but grew to enjoy her performance, and the actress that plays the young version of her (Jessica Barden) does a great job as well.

It seems a bit odd that it's supposedly 10,000 years prior to the Dune movies and yet it's not all that different. They make a point of showing some precursor technology to things we've seen in Dune but overall the tech seems about the same, and so does the look and feel of the backdrops. Perhaps that's appropriate if there was never any AI to advance technology more fully but it seems more like 100 years before than 10K.

It's a fun prequel telling the story of the Bene Gesserit in their earlier years with a mystery antagonist. Worth the watch, looking forward to season 2!

Dune: Prophecy is an okay series that delivers solid performances and impressive visuals, offering useful context to the Dune cinematic universe. As a prequel, it enriches the lore and sets the stage for the political and religious dynamics of the Bene Gesserit.

But despite its strengths, something feels missing. The show struggles to fully hook you. Emotional engagement is low, and aside from Tula, who stands out with depth and presence, the rest of the characters fall into forgettable, formulaic roles. The world is grand, but the storytelling doesn't quite rise to meet its potential.

If there's a future season, there's hope the series can grow into something more gripping. For now, it's visually rich but narratively underwhelming. Worth a watch for Dune fans, but don't expect to be swept away.

Good production values, generally good acting, often nice to look at. I found the premise interesting.

Somehow the pacing and structure was off. I'm fairly sure it's about the script and direction rather than actors. The last episode of the first season was the worst in this regard. I also didn't particularly like some of the extended flashback sections - you'd get the point across with much less dwelling in the past.

Might or might not watch more. It's not an instant classic, but it's good background entertainment.

Dune: Prophecy is everything i hoped it would be and more. It's a great spin-off from a beloved movie franchise. I have to start by saying I've never read the source material or saw the original movie. My experience of Dune is predicated on the two Dune movies that have come out the last few years starring Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya. Those two movies (especially Dune: Part Two) are two of my favorite movies I've seen over the last few years. I absolutely love both of them so I had high expectations for this series. Dune: Prophecy is a series that takes place 10,000 years before the Dune movies start and about how the Harkonnen sisters started the Bene Gesserit as they fight off forces that threaten the future of mankind. The show may feel more like Game of Thrones than Dune but either way...it's very entertaining. The most important thing about this show is it does exactly what it set out to do in the fact that it deepens our understanding of the Bene Gesserit. You don't have to have watched the two Dune movies to enjoy this but you'll definitely enjoy it more if you have.