DUNE :THE PROPHECY, A SPOILER FREE REVIEW

 Hello readers! In this post, I shall review the first season of the TV show Dune: The Prophecy.  This is an American TV show developed by women (Diane Ademu-John and Alison Schapker), directed mostly by a woman (Anna Foerster)  and focusing on women, more precisely on the origins of secretive The Bene Gessirit all female group, also known as - The Sisterhood.  Originally created by Frank Herbert's and featured in Dune (the best selling science fiction novel of all times),  the sisterhood has continued to fascinate both readers of the books and viewers of the adaptations.

This review will be encompassing, explaining not only the world of series but the literary inspirations behind it. Regular readers of my blog know how detailed my reviews are, i.e.,  the in-depth reviewing you might might expect from a seasoned teacher and blogger. As an artist, I couldn't resist reaching for my original art and using it with images from the show.  For the purpose of this review, I created different collages and designs inspired by this series. Moreover, in this review you'll find depth of information about the series. However, there shall be no spoilers! I've done extensive reading and review for the purposes of this article. I've also meticulously edited this post to make sure there are no spoilers, excluding them from interviews I referenced. Speaking of the interviews, I loved how enthusiastic the female actors are about acting and participating in this show. A series made by women for women, one could say.

 With its first episode released in November 2024, this show premiered to generally positive reviews. The first season is composed of six episodes.  I've been planning to write this review for a long time, but as I wanted it to be a detailed review, I needed to wait for the opportunity. Finally, the opportunity has presented itself and I have found enough time to write a detailed review of this at times surprisingly violent but at the same time quite profound TV series. So, let's get started. 

THIS TV SERIES FOCUSES ON THE SISTERHOOD, BUT DON'T EXPECT IT TO BE DIRECTLY TIED TO DUNE FILM (OR ANY OF THE ADAPTATIONS)

First introduced in the world of Dune, the Sisterhood are a politically powerful organization composed entirely of women. Don't expect too many direct parallels and links to the recently adaptations of Dune, as this series is set ten thousand years before the events recounted in the Dune movies.  Is this TV series Dune: the Prophecies independent from the recent Dune adaptations ?  Yes, it is. The characters are all different.  The director is different. Originally it was supposed to be directed by Villeneuve but due to his engangement on Dune, he had to step down. According to wikipedia he "was set to direct and produce the series' pilot with Jon Spaihts writing the screenplay. Both would serve as executive producers alongside Byron Merritt, Kim Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson, and Herbert's son, Brian.^[32][33] Villeneuve said, "The Bene Gesserit have always been fascinating to me. Focusing a series around that powerful order of women seemed not only relevant and inspiring but a dynamic setting for the television series."^[34] Shortly after its announcement, the project received criticism for its lack of female creatives except for Herbert's granddaughter, Kim Herbert.^[35][36] Dana Calvo was hired in July 2019 to serve as showrunner alongside Spaihts.^[37][38] In November 2019, Spaihts left the series to focus on Dune: Part Two (2024).^[39][40] The Hollywood Reporter reported that Legendary Television was "not happy" with Spaihts's early work as showrunner and opted to remove him.^[39] Diane Ademu-John had been hired as the new showrunner by July 2021.^[41][42] As production of Dune: Part Two progressed, Villeneuve was no longer able to direct and was replaced by Johan Renck as director for the first two episodes in April 2022.^[43] Shortly after production began, Diane Ademu-John had exited the project as co-showrunner but remained the executive producer; this left Alison Schapker as the sole showrunner.^[44] In February 2023, Renck also exited the project, resulting in the project being on hiatus.^[5] He was replaced that June by Anna Foerster, who would direct multiple episodes, including the pilot.^[45] In November 2023, the series was retitled Dune: Prophecy and set to release on Warner Bros. Discovery's streaming service, Max.^[46][47] In November 2024, Schapker explained that the series would explore multiple time periods, with the characters' pasts adapted from the Great Schools of Dune novel trilogy, and the present timeline original to the television series.^[48] "

What exactly is the connection between the TV series and the recent Dune movie?

Well, it's still the same Dune Universe, populated by the same ever struggling and conflicting power groups, but the perspective is different. It's an almost entirely female perspective! Being fully focused on the Sisterhood, this TV series is the origin story of the Sisterhood. I'm using the term 'origin story' on purpose, because this show seems to fit the definition in many ways. 

The definition of origin story is basically this: a background story revealing how an individual or a group became protagonist(s)/antagonist(s) and how they acquired their (superpowers). Well, the female protagonists of this series have superpowers, and I don't mean that in the metaphorical sense. They posses powers beyond the ordinary human ones and achieve immense things through mind control. 

THIS TV SERIES OFFERS A ORIGIN STORY TOLD FROM A FEMALE PERSPECTIVE

I think hiring two successful female writers to do this adaptation was a wise choice. Of course there were a couple of writers involved, but Schapker led the way it seems. Writing is very important in a show like this one, and the writing from the female perspective is everything. Not that men can't write strong female characters, as they absolutely can and some of my favourite female characters are written by men but it's great to see women producing and writing a series that is about women. So, HBO scored by hiring women writers! Alison Schapker did the most writing in this series, with Diane Ademu-John stepping down soon after the start due  to previous engagements. Schapker is a seasoned television writer and producer, with experience in working on espionage and science fiction series (such as Alias, Fringe, Altered Carbon, Brothers & Sisters, Westworld and Flash). Shapker seems to have drawn on that experience because Dune: the Prophecy often feels like an espionage science fiction.  Diane also put in considerable work, remaining the executive producer and writing the first episode and that set the tone for the series The Hidden Hand. According to Dune Wiki: "Diane Ademu-John is a co-creator, writer and executive producer of Dune: Prophecy. She served as a co-showrunner alongside Alison Schapker before departing to focus on other commitments.^[1] 

AS YOU MIGHT EXPECT, THE SISTERHOOD IS PULLING THE STRINGS IN THIS SHOW

You might expect The Sisterhood to be the protagonist in a show that is basically about the Sisterhood. However, the sisterhood is still very young and vulnerable at this stage. So, this adds to the drama. As the viewer, you definitely get the feeling that all might go amiss any second and that any of the sisters might be killed or lost in some way. Dune canon reveals to us that the sisterhood as a school survives, but we don't know how and with what cost. This is still the origins story, and it's not always pretty. 

 As you dive in the series, you might be surprised to find there doesn't seem to be a single male character who's really pulling the strings. Now, this is also the case in Dune the novel. As you progress with the original novel (and some adaptation), you get to see how many strings the Sisterhood are pulling and how much political power they're yielding. 

THE SHOW SEEMS TO DRAW MORE FROM FRANK HERBERT THAN FROM BRIAN HERBERT

One thing that I noticed is that this show seems to have drawn more from Frank Herbert's than from Brian Herbert's writing. Did the writers planning to do so, or was their own inspiration that coincided more with Frank Herbert's version, I can't tell. 

Frank Herbert saw women as very powerful, and wrote political female characters beyond the Dune Universe. Herbert's female characters often rule from the shadows, and while it might seem that the men are in power, often it's just an illusion. This series actually captures that aspect of Frank Herbert's writing perfectly. This is something the producers, directors and writers of this Dune: Prophecy either took from his writing, or developed on their own. I don't know whether the writers are really fans of Herbert's writing, but I think they really captured something of his style.

Wait Ivana, isn't this series actually based on the writing of Brian Herbert- that is Frank Herbert's son? As you might know, following Frank Herbert's death, his son in collaboration with another writer Kevin J. Anderson continued writing in the Dune Universe, publishing a number of prequels and some sequels. Their writing has been somewhat controversial, since it is not well liked by most Dune fans. 

Having read both the father and the son, I can say their writing is completely different in a number of ways. It's so different I don't really see Brian Herbert's writing as belonging to the same Universe. Not saying that I completely disliked it. Brian Herbert's and Kevin J. Anderson's novels are entertaining, and some of them are not even that shallow. Still, they pale in comparison to the original.

Now, I haven't read all of the novels published by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, rather I have read four of them, and I have enjoyed them to some extent. They are space soap operas, basically. Action packed and easy to read, the Brian Herbert's Dune novels are page turners. However, I can tell you they completely lack the complexity of the original. They are not philosophical in any shape, way or form. So, if you've enjoyed the original Dune for its philosophical aspect, you might be disappointed with the prequels and sequels published by Brian Herbert. On the other hand, if you're a fan of Dune Universe and you want more even if not of the same quality, you might enjoy Brian Herbert's works. 

IS THE SERIES BASED ON BRIAN HERBERT'S WRITING OR NOT? 

Yes and no. It is definitely based on Herbert's novels but it's not a clear adaptations as some events are changed. The events of the series are not a clear adaptation. In a way it is not that directly linked to any of Brian Herbert's prequel novels. I would say that it's loosely based on Brian Herbert's writing and that it draws on Herbert's writing a lot in terms of storytelling, but the writers and producers are still doing their own thing. 

I actually love that the writers came up with their own original story in a way. While this TV series is based on Brian Herbert's books that tell about the origins of different schools from the Dune Universe, it is not a direct retelling of the books. Rather, Dune: The Prophecy covers events not captured or described in any of  the books published. Some events that do happen are mentioned in the Brian Herbert's books, but they are not described in detail.

READING THE SYNOPIS OF BRIAN HERBERT'S BOOKS WILL ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE ABOUT THE EXTENT OF THE INSPIRATION, BUT BEWARE SPOILERS

 If you read the synopsis of the TV show and the synopsis of Brian Herbert's books, you'll see they don't exactly cover the same events. Also, there are some changes. The characters don't do exactly the same things. You can easily find and read the synopsis of both the books and the episodes online. However, if you do that, off course there will be spoilers. Moreover, it might spoil the season two for you. Now, I'm not sure what directions will the writer(s) take from the second series, but it might be different from the books. You never know. 

Back to the topic of the Dune 2024 TV show! 

MY REVIEW SHALL BE A GENERALLY POSITIVE ONE AS  I'M FAMOUSLY PICKY WHEN IT COMES TO TV SERIES

I watched this series during the winter break, while I was feeling more than a little under the weather. I was sick, and I needed to lie down, so this series presented itself as a perfect opportunity to join rest and entertainment. However, I'm not keen on that expression entertainment. I like to watch things that make me think. Perhaps in this time and age, I think of entertainment as something less structured. Not that there's anything wrong with the word or expression. It's certainly suitable to use it for a TV series.

I don't watch a lot of TV series these days. If you're a regular reader of my blog, perhaps you'll conclude that is because I tend to read more than watch. That might be true, but there are other factors. TV series seem to require a larger time investment than a film. It's not that I'm opposed to them, but I'm not likely to watch something that requires a time commitment.

Not that I shy down from turning off a movie if I just don't feel it, like I recently did with Beetlejuice. I tried to watch it twice and despite the impressive cast, I simply couldn't get into it. Normally, I like Tim Burton, and I really wanted to see it, but the movie just felt forced and I gave up twice. The same goes for the second season of the House of Dragon. I didn't give up but I pressed the fast forward button during each and every episode as the second season really drags on. 

HAS THERE BEEN ANY CRITICISM OF THE DUNE TV SERIES?

From what I read around, there has been some criticism about the series being 'woke', and by that I presume they mean either 'diverse casting' or 'almost all female cast'. Now, neither of these complaints doesn't make any sense. As explained, The Sisterhood is a powerful all female organization in the Dune Universe, so it's only natural for a series focusing on it to be almost all female in terms of both cast and perspective. Moreover, the diversity is also canon. If anything, the adaptations so far failed to bring forward the diversity that the books implied. Even the recent movie Dune adaptations (detailed review here) failed in assuring a diverse cast, as there were no significant Middle Eastern actors. In a movie that is based on a book that clearly implies all the Fremen characters are Middle Eastern, it's might be a miss in casting- or not. After all, they are all fictional characters and this happens in far away future. There is no definite description of anyone as having distinct ethnic features. Dune is set in far future. To be fair, any kind of casting could make sense. Moreover, every adaptation is different and comes with a different cast. So, if the casting was less diverse, it would still possibly make sense. However, the diversity in my opinion only adds to the appeal of the show. 

THE WOKE CRITICISM IS IN MY OPINION COMPLETELY MISPLACED

The Universe of Herbert's creation is a pretty diverse one. There's a very clear mentioning of distinctly different religious and racial groups surviving into the future. In the Dune Universe, many ethnic groups, societies and beliefs present onto our planet preserve (at times a bit changed) into the future. Middle Eastern (Arabic, Jewish and Persian) and African ethnicities are implied to be present, as well as different Asian ethnicities. So, criticizing this series as being 'woke' because it has a diverse cast is nonsense. 

THE UNIVERSE THAT FRANK HERBERT CREATED AND HIS SON CONTINUED IS A DIVERSE ONE

In Frank Herbert's case, diversity is absolutely canon. As I said, and might repeat again, I don't know how familiar the writers are with Frank Herbert, but they seem to be on the same page when it comes to many things. I think Frank Herbert would like the look of the cast. 

ANOTHER COMPLAINT I CAME ACCROSS ONLINE IS THE SLOW PACE, BUT I ACTUALLY DISAGREE

I disagree with who ever complained that the series is slow paced. The only episode that was a bit slow paced was the first one, but I felt it was necessary to have some sort of introduction. I actually didn't watch the episodes chronologically. I started with the third episodes, and the I watched the second and the first. It was only after that that I watched them all. As I already implied, I quite enjoyed this show. The pacing was solid throughout the series. There was hardly a dull moment. Even when it seemed there isn't much going on or that the Sisterhood was struggling on the surface, you could see interesting inner struggles and conflicts as well as subtle manipulations played out. 

LET'S START OUR REVIEW WITH TALK OF THE VISUALS!

THE PHOTOGRAPHY IS MINIMALISTIC WITH FANTASTIC LIGHTING 

The world presented through photography is all about neutral tones. The lighting is often used fabulously. The design of the sets is stunning. The actors  have spoken in various interviews about how much they enjoyed working on that set. The use of CGI felt minimal honestly. When the camera cuts off to space and space ships, it very much feels like the Dune Universe of Villeneuve and that makes perfect sense.   The director of Dune: the Prophecy Anna Foerster spoke in a interview about the terrible pressure she felt, bringing this world to life. 

THERE'S DEFINITELY A VISUAL CONNECTION TO THE RECENT VILLENEUVE ADAPTATION

In my review of the two recent Denis Villeneuve Dune adaptations, I often stressed how visually stunning the movie is. Reading Anna Foester interview, I can see that she as a director wanted to stay true to both the novels and the Villeneuve films. Still, Anna Foester stresses that as a director and a team- they were finding their own place. 

 "It was very clear to us in the very beginning, with Alison our show runner and with the rest of the team that we do want to respect the source material very much," Foerster admits about staying true to the novels, the Oscar-winning Denis Villeneuve films, and of course the fans' high expectations. "We want to make sure that we live in that same universe that Villeneuve unlocked. That said, we still tell a different story. We still live on different planets. We had a universe that was existing for us, but where we are finding our place within it."

I think it's the right way to go for sure. As a viewer you do feel this visual connection to the Villeneuve's Dune, but at the same time you feel like it's a new and different story. At the same time, the show references the novels as well. It's an interesting mix and I think choosing to write their own story, and not being bound by the novels was the right way to go. As I explained, a lot of fans of Frank Herbert dislike the novels written by his son a lot. I personally don't, I see Brian Herbert's novels as innocent fun. However, I can see how sticking to the Brian Herbert's version literally would have perhaps divided the fans. I think that as a team they were aware that Villeneuve's Dune has been a success that has opened doors to new fans for this Dune Universe, and they want to build on that. Seeing that Villeneuve was a part of the project in the initial planning stages, it makes sense for the director to reference him. Nevertheless, I love that as a director she's doing her own thing. 

THE COSTUMES BY BOJANA NIKITOVIC WERE FANTASTIC AND DESERVED TO WIN PRIZES

Bojana Nikitovic dressed the royal family in rich textiles and elaborative, while keeping the Sisterhood dressed in minimalistic tones and cuts. I really like how she created these flowing robes for them that looked like dresses but were in fact wide trousers. 

The table below  is cited from wikipedia: 

Costume Designers Guild Awards

Excellence in Sci-Fi/Fantasy Television

Bojana Nikitovic (for "The Hidden Hand")

Won

Cited from  Bojana Nikitovic official site: "Nikitovic’s extensive wardrobe design work for the live performing arts includes the ballets, The Fire Bird, Romeo And Julietand, Majerling. Her Opera work includes that of assistant costume design on Luc Bondy’s Tosca at the Metropolitan in New York. However, most of her work has been in theatre and includes many Shakespeare productions: Romeo And Juliet; Measure For Measure; Hamlet; Troilus And Cressida; A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Other work includes: Dostojevski’s Crime And Punishment and The Kiss Of The Spider Woman; Dickens’ Oliver Twist; Moliere’s The Hypochondriac, School For Women and The Misantrop. Nikitovic also designed costume for Le Nozze De Figarofor the National Theatre in Belgrade in 2010."

DESIGNER BOJANA USES MOSTLY MUTED AND NEUTRAL TONES, HOWEVER SHE DRESSES BOTH THE EMPRESS AND THE PRINCESS IN RED DRESSES FOR THE PRE-WEDDING CEREMONY

I found the usage of red in costume design interesting, because red is such a symbolic colour. Traditionally, red was the colour of wedding dresses. Even in European folklore, you will find red wedding dresses because red was the symbol of love. 

However, the tones of red are different. The empress wears a dark red, while the princess wears bold red. This is perhaps an indication that the empresses love has diminished. It's no longer bright red, as she perhaps doesn't love the emperor anymore.

Young Inez, however, is seen in bold red perhaps representing that she's ready for love. The same could be the case for sister Mikaela, although the sisters, like the Jedi knights they inspired are not really supposed to fall in love. Romantic love is banned by the Sisterhood, as they should be only loyal to one another.

The only other character I spotted wearing red was sister Mihaela. She's an undercover sister, so she doesn't wear the muted neutral outfits of the sisterhood. 

THE GOLD COLOUR IS USED FOR THE ATTIRE OF THE ROYAL FAMILY

There is a lot of gold used for costumes worn by the royal family. This makes sense as it literally represents - the Golden Lion throne. Interestingly, one does not see princess Ynez wearing that much gold outside formal occasions, perhaps indicating her interest and loyalty to the Sisterhood.

Desmon Hart on the other hand wears colours that make us think of the sands of Arrakis that is Dune. Who is he loyal to? Some mythical religion found on Arrrakis? There's interesting symbols to be found there.

THE SETS AND THE LOCATIONS WERE DESIGNED WITH CARE

 The effects and the locations feel natural, keeping the focus on the characters. I really like how district the planets looked. The sets also helped with the feel of different locations. A solid work for sure. The actors even referenced the sets in their interviews, saying how they helped them get into the roles. 

So, yes, the lighting, the costumes and the set- it all worked. This series was a massive project and it looks expensive. However, all that being said, what made this series come alive for me was definitely the actors, the acting, the writing and the casting. The setting and the photography is quite minimalistic, and it's great in the sense that it doesn't get into way of the story. The costumes and the sets do help tell the story, but it is always very subtle. Actors carried this show.

LET'S NOW DICUSS THE CASTING, THE ACTING AND THE CHARACTERS!

THE HARKONNEN SISTERS-  VALYA AND TULA ARE THE PROTAGONISTS OF THE SERIES

The two Harkonen sisters are the definite protagonist of the series. I wouldn't call them heroes, as they are definitely morally gray characters, but they are very strong and powerful characters. 

Showrunner Alison Schapker said, "Valya Harkonnen and Tula Harkonnen share a past and certain trauma, and have a dynamic that's very specific to that family. And there is a bit of an older sibling, younger sibling dynamic. There is a bit of that relatable older sibling driving things overtly, and younger sibling feeling maybe a bit diminished or in the shadow of."

Moreover, the sisters are played by younger actresses in episodes focusing on their youth, adding to the complexity of their portrayal.

The younger and older sister dynamic is also a very interesting one. 

Watson explained, "They both have secrets that they are bound together by their past and things that are really deeply, deeply and profoundly shocking that other people don't necessarily know about them. But also, Valya has always been the leader, she's always been the eldest who's brought Tula along with her."^[12] She said, "What was really delicious to me as an actor about coming into this world was that these women are from a truly, truly, recognizably messed-up family. They've had an awful childhood and it's sort of propelled them away. And nothing, nothing in this world is good and bad; everything is compromised and strange, and yet what Valya Harkonnen sets her sights on is really determining the right path for humankind. That's her ambition."^[8]

MEMORABLE QUOTES FROM DUNE: PROPHECY by Valya Harkonnen

Valya introduces us to the Sisterhood, explains how Truthsayers are used to find out the truth, but also to use it as a tool. With power comes a price and a danger to the Sisterhood. Those in power have to defend that power even when acting from the shadows.

'The Imperium is fragile.' ‘Ten thousand years before the birth of Paul Atreides, before the universe would know us as the Bene Gesserit, we founded a sisterhood, assigned to the Great Houses to help them sift truth from lies. We created a network of influence throughout the Imperium. But power comes with a price.’

Valya explains that: 'The Sisterhood draws women from many worlds to advance our species and govern the future.'

 Valya often repeats: ‘Sisterhood above all.’ 

A funny moment in the series is when with perfect seriousness, Valya says: 'I run a school for young women. We're not a threat to anyone.'  As proven by this next quote, the Sisterhood are very much a treat: 'A Sister on the throne, that’s what we agreed.'

VALYA HARKONNEN IS ONE OF THE MOST FASCINATING CHARACTERS IN THIS SERIES

Valya is very much the leader in this series, the mother superior who always has something up her sleeve. However, her early personal story is one of loss and trauma. Opting for two actress to play the young and the mother superior Valya was a wise choice. It really shows the difficulties and trauma young Valya had to overcome. Without that, the mother superior Valya would seem almost like an emotionless manipulator. However, as the series progresses the viewers will see there are many sides to Valya. The Harkonnens of Dune are negative characters, but the story is more complicated when it comes to prequels, and this series in particular. According to the prequels, it was an Atreides that was in the wrong, not  a Harkonnen. In fact, a Harkonnen was a war hero, but an Atraides painted him in a bad light, and the whole family has falled from grace.  As a literary character, Valya first appears in Brian Herber's prequels. However, it is in this series that she comes to life. " Julio Bardini of Collider described Valya as "one of the most fascinating characters in the Dune continuity",^[20] and Bisma Fida of Game Rant called the character "arguably the most notable early figure in the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood."^[21] Valya singlehandedly ignites the Harkonnen-Atreides feud and mobilizes her siblings to the cause, while taking control of the fledgling Bene Gesserit and shaping it to her will as a formidable force in the universe.^[20][21]"

THE MATURE VALYA HARKONNEN (MOTHER SUPERIOR VALYA) 

I think the producers did a great job casting Emily Watson as the mature Mother Superior Valya Harkonnen. Emily Watson is a critically acclaimed English actress of rich experience, a fantastic choice for such a demanding role. I would say that the mature Valya's role is the most taxing one in this series, simply because she is the leader of the sisterhood, the one that makes all the difficult choices. Considering that the choices she has to make are often quite brutal, it was important that she was played by an actress that could bring emotion and complexity to the role. According toi the interviews she gave, I think Watson really thought a great deal about the right way to play Valya.  It seems Watson understood the potential this role had. Her acting performance was certainly impressive, but I was also impressed to read Watson's interviews and what she had to say of Valya: 

Watson described Valya as powerful and talented, yet damaged, traumatized and "driven by vengeance ... a properly messed up, complicated character".^[12] Valya leaves her family for the Sisterhood, and Watson explains: It's there that there's a charismatic leader who sees her and goes, "I see you, you are special." And being told you're special when you're a young person is a very, very powerful thing to do to somebody, and it gives her a sense of passion and really a sense of a vision and a mission ... she believes that her mission is more important than what we would naturally assume is the moral compass that we would recognize ... She's kind of a puppetmaster, manipulating the balance of power in the human world across the universe. She's dictating the path that humanity is taking. And they have this program of what, basically it's really kind of eugenics about making sure the right people breed with the right people to get the best leaders the right path ahead.^[12]

THE YOUNG VALYA HARKONNEN

The young Valya is played by Jessica Barden and she really stole the show for me. It was her performance that convinced me to see this series through. Barden's acting was top notch, and it conveyed the most complicated and complex of human emotions. Watson and Barden did an amazing job of humanizing Valya Harkonnen and portraying her as a complex character. They both showed her at both her most vulnerable and her most strong. I was not surprised to read that the actresses worked together to create her person. 

Young Valya is described as "ambitious, stubborn and forceful".^[7] Watson and Barden discussed their shared character before filming. Watson said of Barden, "She's a real firebrand and just her actual nature, Jessica's nature, was very inspiring to me. She's just incredibly forthright. And we spoke really about the anger, the absolutely uncontrolled sort of powerful anger inside (Valya), which she later in life learns to channel into the ways of the Sisterhood ... It was a really important moment for me talking to her, [learning] her understanding of what this character was like as a young woman."^[12]

THE YOUNGER HARKONNEN SISTER IS EQUALLY FASCINATING- BOTH AS A YOUNG LADY AND A REVEREND MOTHER

THE MATURE TULA

The mature Tula is portrayed by Olivia Williams, a rather well known British actress who does wonders in showing all the nuances of her character. Tula is a complex character, and it was her character arc that impressed me the most. There's a touch of vulnerability in Tula, but every now and then she dazzles the viewer with the brutality of her actions. She doesn't shy away from difficult choices and she refuses to be a victim. Williams plays Tula with much elegance. She creates this  maternal figure, almost an empathy, who then surprises us by being just as strong-willed as her older sister.

THE YOUNG TULA 

The young Tula is played by Emma Canning, an Irish actress that does just as good of a job as Williams in showing the complexity of this character. Her young Tula is feminine and tender, but highly resourceful and capable of almost unthinkable acts of violence. I personally found her to be the most fascinating character on the show, alongside her older sister. There's so much complexity to her, and both the mature and the younger actresses played their parts wonderfully. 

In Canning's interview with Winter is Coming, she says that she very much based her performance on Williams'. So, not only the actresses who worked on Valya were acting in unison, so did the actresses working on Tula. I think it really shows in the series. I was wondering at how natural the transition between the young and mature characters and actresses was, and then when I read the interviews, it all made sense. These talented women really put in work into these roles and they deserve recognition for it. 

Here is an excerpt from the interview in question when Emma says she absolutely had Olivia in her mind in terms of acting. 

WiC: in terms of your acting, were you pitching your performance to resemble Olivia Williams' at all? Or are you just kind of doing your own approach to it?

Emma: "No, I utterly had Olivia in mind. Obviously I'm Irish, so I'm not using my own accent. That was really useful actually because she gave me a very specific template then to base the voice off — not THE voice, but mine. So that was kind of already a change I had to make, and calibrate towards Olivia. She obviously had extremely difficult imaginative work to do, because she wasn't playing these scenes at the Atreides camp, but she wasn't any kind of lived memory of that. So she had to build all of that for herself, and obviously then also track how the aftershock of that might tremor through the rest of Tula's life [and] shape her as a person.

"Olivia had begun work first, she'd started shooting first. So she'd kind of gotten some brush strokes down, let's say. And the production gave me a scene packet just to see some of the work that she'd been doing, and that was really useful in kind of an osmosis sense, like I didn't watch it looking out for anything specifically; it gave me a really good grounding in both the tone of the world of Dune, but also the tone that Olivia was creating, and also a shape of Tula that if I ever felt a little stuck or maybe a little lost, I would think of and try and [say]. 'Okay, on this take, I'm just going to remember this thing that I had noticed?'"

WiC: Did you meet with Olivia to talk about it or just get the packet?

Emma: "Yeah, we got to meet...We did have kind of a concentrated and intentional meeting at the studio. And we just spoke about Tula and family dynamics, and she was incredibly generous in how she spoke about Tula with me. She really shared her with me. It wasn't Tula as seen by Olivia. Tula was on the table for the pair of us to just kind of talk about in circle." (source HERE).

THE CASTING FOR THE SISTERS OF THE SISTERHOOD WAS WELL DONE!

The dynamics between Tula and Valya was fascinating to watch. There's lot of history between them. These two are different but they are also similar- something the show draws often from. They are often contrasted in the show, and sometimes there's also some conflict, but there's always this respect between them. As Tula takes over and shows more initiative and emotion, Valya sort of falls into the background in terms of emotional scope and I felt it was a sort of a missed opportunity. However, I think this will change in the next season when Valya takes front stage again. 

SISTER FRANCESCA 

Sister Francesca is, like Harkonnen sisters, also played by two actresses, one playing the younger and the other older Francesca. The mature Francesca is played by Bollywood veteran actress Tabu and she does a phenomenal job. I found Francesca to be an absolutely fascinating character. As a young sister, she is played by Charitha Chandran, a Scottish actress who also did a lovely job with the little space she was given. Both the young and the mature Francesca convey a character of a gentle and elegant woman who possesses great empathy and emotional range, but at the same time remains loyal to the sisterhood because she believes it is the force for the good. There's hurt in her eyes behind her loyalty to the Sisterhood. She's a tortured sister. Casting Tabu as Sister Francesca was a great choice as you really needed an experienced actress for this role. Her role is not only an important but a complex and conflicting one. She's the emperor former love, the mother of his illegitimate son and obviously her position is a conflicted one. She seems to be completely loyal to the Sisterhood, but she infuses much tenderness in her scenes with the emperor and her son. It's clear they are not just pawns to her. She obviously also loves them.

Tabu described the casting process as enjoyable in an interview with Variety and you get this feeling she really loved playing this role. Moreover, Tabu also confirms she collaborated with the actress playing the young Francesca: 

"I just got an email one day from my agents and my managers telling me that Alison and Anna were the showrunners and the directors on the show wanted to cast me for this particular role,” Tabu tells Variety. After reviewing two scenes from the script, she participated in a Zoom meeting the following day where the creative team detailed her character’s involvement in the final two episodes. “I just loved the character and the potential of this character. I knew that this is my world, and this I would enjoy doing.” Shot in Budapest, the project represented several firsts for the actor. “I think it’s the first time ever in my career, or at least in the past 20 years or so, that I was working with people who I never met before, who have never worked with before, [in] a place that I’ve never been to before,” Tabu says."

The character of Sister Francesca exists in two time periods, with Charithra Chandran (“Bridgerton”) playing the younger version. “Allison, Anna and everyone of the crew were very particular about her meeting me so that she could imbibe something,” Tabu says. “You never know what comes out of it, that meeting where you feed off each other because you are playing the same person.” “It was really nice to have that meeting, and because she’s also familiar with my work, and because she is originally born to an Indian family, she has that kind of introduction. So it was not difficult. And I think the transition feels believable,” she adds.

SISTER THEODOSIA 

The character of Sister Theodosia was very impressive as well. She is supposed to have special talents and this gives her an aura of mystery. At the same time, you can see the conflict in her from the start. This young apprentice has her doubts about the sisterhood it seems but she also has her own secrets. I loved the dynamics between her, Lila and the Harkonnen sisters. Sister Theodosia was played by Jade Anouka and she delivered a powerful performance. I think she was really cast right as she's extremely convincing as Sister Theodosia. 

SISTER JEN

I also approve of casting Faoileann Cunningham as Sister Jen. She played that part to perfection. Sister Jen is this sort of very closed but strong young lady who has her doubts about her sisterhood. She is described as a fierce but unpredictable acolyte. Her emotions do come out when it is revealed how protective she is of sister Lila. Sister Jen hides her emotions and perhaps even suppresses them. Cunningham played of an emotionally closed young acolyte well.  In an interview with Space.com, Cunningham admits to the complexity of Sister Jen's journey in "Dune: Prophecy," something that required her to inhabit the role with facets of her own personality.

She also said, she really enjoyed herself on the set. "It was very fun," Cunningham tells Space.com. "Obviously they're challenging scenes but working with those guys was so fun and we'd obviously built up a good rapport across the whole series. To be honest, sometimes those things are easier than the big set pieces where there’s a million people on set for a day, so you can just connect to the other actor and do what you need to do. I really enjoyed it, and it was nice that we shot those scenes in sequence which made it a lot easier. Chloe and I are very good friends, and the same with Olivia. So it was very joyful. A lot is happening so you have to reset and go, 'Okay, I didn’t know that five seconds ago.'"

SISTER LILA

Sister Lila is the youngest acolyte, but she has an important role to play. Casting Chloe Lea as Sister Lila was a great choice as this young actress plays "the youngest acolyte" with much tenderness. As I implied, sister Lila is an important character, described as someone tender, innocent and empathic. It seems everyone has a soft spot for her in the Sisterhood, she is seen as someone truly genuine, a sort of 'baby of the family'. I suppose that can be both a strength and a weakness. I don't want to reveal too much because she is such a key character, but I will say I think the actress did a fabulous job. Another example of great casting. In an interview with Nerdist, actress Chole Lea revealed that she became a Dune nerd. She also shared some interesting thoughts, that I'm going to share with you: 

Sister Lila is not a character from Dune‘s lore, but did you look to the lore at all as you were sort of preparing to be her? I did. I looked at the lore of the Sisterhood and just what it meant to train to be a sister, and that was basically all I did for my character. The rest of what I looked at was kind of just out of my own personal interest. I was really interested in the Orange Catholic Bible and the Butlerian Jihad and all of that. I mean, I just found that all very fascinating. But yeah, that was for my own personal curiosity once I got sucked into this world.

And what do you think Sister Lila’s main motivation is as a character? She just wants to find out who she is. She wants to figure out who she is, which, I think, is quite a relatable thing, especially for a teenager. I also feel like she wants to find her purpose in the Sisterhood. I think she really cares about the order, and she believes that it can do good things.

Finally, how did you first get introduced to the world of Dune? It was through the audition for this role, which is insane because it feels like I knew nothing about Dune‘s universe, and now I know far too much; I’m trying to learn more. So I think I was introduced through getting the role, and I’m so grateful that I was because I’m so happy to be a part of something so immense.

THE RELIGIOUS SISTERS: SISTER EMELINE AND REVEREND MOTHER DOROTEA

There are basically two fractions in the sisterhood. One fraction is a religious one, with a strong belief and bias against the thinking machines. Sister Emeline belongs to that fraction and Aoife Hinds plays her with much conviction. Sister Emeline is supposedly descended from a long line of martyrs and she brings her religion to  the sisterhood. At this point in time, the Sisterhood didn't adopt their famously ironic view of religion. Many of the sisters are quite religious. More back in time, we came across Reverend Mother Dorotea played by Camilla Beeput. Reverend Mother Dorotea has an important role to play as she is actually  Raquella's granddaughter.

Reverend Mother Kasha Jinjo

OTHER NOTABLE SISTERS THAT MAKE APPEARANCES: REVEREND MOTHER KASHA JINJO, THE ORIGINAL MOTHER SUPERIOR RAQUAELLA BERTO-ANIRUL AND SISTER NAZIR

Speaking of casting for other notable sisters, there's Jihae, a South Korean actress, model and singer who was casted as Reverend Mother Kasha Jinjo, the Emperor's Truthsayer. Her role seems to be quite important as she holds power over both the emperor and his daughter. It seems that Jinjo is something like a second mother to princess Ynez, preparing her for the training of the Sisterhood, and even teaching her how to tell the truth from lies. Truthsayers are basically what the Sisterhood is focusing on at this period of time. To play her younger counterpart, Yerin Ha was casted. She plays Kasha with some conviction.  However, she doesn't appear that much. 

There's also a matter of casting for the original Mother Superior. Casting Cathy Tyson as Mother Superior Raquella was the right move, as the actress pours a lot of emotion into her portrayal.

She's very convincing in this role as the original leader of the sisterhood. Her moments with young Valya  are especially well played out. s

Sister Nazir was also such a well played role. She's a Suk doctor and she played that part with all the empathy and compassion I always associated with Suk doctors. 

Flora Montgomery as Reverend Mother Vera, Truthsayer of House Richese has a brief but memorable moment that adds to this feeling of the Sisterhood truly acting as one.

NOW, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE CASTING FOR THE ROYAL FAMILY!

EMPRESS NATALYA-ARAT 

There are two monarchs in this series, the emperor and the empress. The empress Natalya-Arat is much more interesting of the two, a powerful royal who supposedly 'united a thousand worlds together in her marriage to emperor Corrino' and secured a successor to the golden throne through her daughter Ynez. Natalya is played by Jodhi May, another well know actress. I've read a couple of interviews with May and she seemed to really enjoy the opportunity to play empress Natalya. She said how her classical theater training and acting experience helped her portray the royal character, and how it made her partner Mark Strong who is also classically trained look more convincing. I do agree about that and I also think it's great that the show has others actors who have this kind of classical theatre experience and who have done Shakespeare because Frank Herbert actually drew a lot from Shakespeare's tragedies. May mentions one Greek tragedy that I thought of immediately when watching her play- Medea. 

From Jodhi May's interview with Winter is Coming, I can see she also thought a great deal about the character she's playing. She definitely brings royal energy to every scene and plays Natalya in a mysterious way. There isn't that much we know about Natalya. She's clearly not happy in her marriage and with her position and there's bitterness. She understand that it's sisterhood that it is pulling the strings- and she resents it, as she is not a part of the sisterhood. I can't really imagine anyone else in this role at this point. However, I wish she added allowed some human touch in her portrayal of this character, maybe a lovesick glance or something like that. May said in an interview she believes that the empress originally loved the emperor: 

Jodhi May: "I think there absolutely has been real love in that relationship, yeah. And I think without it there wouldn't be the sense of absolute disillusionment and disappointment for Natalya. So I think it's a relationship that you was founded on real feeling. But I think for Natalya, what's happened is that she really feels that the his over-reliance on the Sisterhood has destroyed their marriage, and it's destroyed her husband and his capacity to be a leader, and to secure the future of his daughter. So that's really where they clash; Natalya doesn't want to see her daughter defined or destroyed in the same way that her husband has been defined by the Sisterhood.

What I hope for the future is that May will bring a little bit more subtle emotion to her acting. Natalya never smiles it seems, she never does anything humane in the show. The only emotions one can see on her face are negative or manipulative ones. I would like to see her care for someone or something in this show. I understand the actors choice to play her in this mysterious and cold way, but it would be nice to see she's still human.

PRINCESS INEZ 

Another fascinating and strong female character was Bene Gessirit sympathizer Princess Ynez-Arat. The actresses casted to play her Sarah-Sofie Boussnina and she seems a solid choice for  the heir to the Golden Lion throne. I was surprised to hear that she's in her thirties, she looks like she's in her twenties. I'm not sure how old the princess is supposed to be, but I'm assuming she's supposed to be younger than thirty, with her marriage alliance just forming and all. I think Inez is actually a well rounded character. She cannot really trust either of her parents, it seems, as they both have their own agenda going on. She respects her family and the throne, but  she doesn't seem close to either her dad or her mom. There's a person she seems to be close with and that's her brother. I found this interesting as you can see this exact same situation with Valya and Tula who are distanced from their parents. Valya and Tula are both extremely close to their brother and his death nearly drives them mad. The same seems to be case with Inez, who is close to her baster brother.   In an interview, the actress said a few words about that:

" But I also think that Ynez really loves her brother, and they've been through so much together. She knows that he has never gotten the recognition that he's been wanting his whole life from his father. He's always been treated like nothing. Ynez has always seen [Constantine] for who he really is, and she really believes in him. "

Long story short, I think casting for Inez was well done and that she delivered well as a strong heir to the throne. Her affiliation with The Sisterhood makes perfect sense, considering her estrangement from her parents and their plans. Still, I felt like the mirroring of their life story made the Harkonnen sister seem a bit less manipulative. It is like there is a sort of genuine connection between them and Ynez, Ynez if she doesn't know their story. It is true that Bene Gessirit want to rule trough Ynez. However, Ynez is also fiercely drawn to them. She wants to know the truth. She wants the training. One has a feeling she's not only a pawn. That's the way the actresses plays her as well. You can see her at both her vulnerable and strong moments. She's a formidable character, not a spoiled princess as she is supposedly implied to be in the books. 

PADISHAK EMPEROR JAVICCO CORRINO

 THE OFTEN CONFUSED RULER TRYING TO KEEP A COMPLEX EMPEROR TOGETHER

One of the key roles in the series, Mark Strong is extremely convincing as Padishah Emperor Javicco Corrino.  His costar May, who plays empress Natalya, implied that their common background in theatre helped them to play the royal characters well. She might be right. Speaking of May's statements, she's hardly the only actor with threatre background in this cast. Actresses that play the sister Harkonnen as Reverent mothers have that same experience. I think it comes forward in their scenes together.

Saying that Javicco is a bit over his head as character is not a spoiler. It's something evident from the first episode and his confusion echoes through every trailer. I think Mark Strong played the character well. The romantic side to the emperor was very emotionally played. There was certainly a lot of emotion in his eyes whenever he would glance at sister Francesca. 

THE EMPEROR ALSO HAS AN ILLIGIMATE SON CONSTATINE CORRINO 

The emperor's son is an interesting role to play. In a way he echoes Paul and even princess Irulan, in the way it is obvious he seeks or longs for his father's approval and cares about his family.  Josh Heuston plays  Constantine Corrino with determination. The young Corriono is clearly more than a little lost. Josh Heuston portrayed his mixed emotions well, the longing for a family. Bollywood veteran that played his mother also assisted him wonderfully in the few scenes they had together. 

OF COURSE, THE LIST OF CHARACTERS DOESN'T END HERE, OTHER NOTABLE CHARACTERS ARE: 

DESMOND HART, THE MYSTERIOUS SOLDIER AND POSSIBLE ARCH-ENEMY OF THE SISTEHOOD

Portrayed by Travis Fimmel, a known Australian actor, Desmond brings unpredictability and the intrigue to the series. 

THE REBELS KEIRAN ATREIDES AND SISTER MIKAELA 

In this series there are also the rebels. They are fighting against the emperor basically- to bring forward a more just world. They possible links to the Sisterhood remain mysterious at first. The Sisterhood is loyal to the Emperor, it seems, but soon is becomes clear they are loyal to their own cause. The rebels seem a bit lost in all of this. They want a just world, but it doesn't seem they have a clear idea of what this might mean. One of the rebels is an Atreides, who is obviously a hidden element, serving as a sword master. He's also a possible love interest of the princess Ynez. I will not reveal whether something happens out of that initial attraction presented in the very first episode, because I want to avoid spoilers, but yes- it creates addition interest for his character. 

 Chris Mason, an English actor was casted as Keiran Atreides. I think he make a pretty good choice for the Swordmaster of House Corrino. His acting is solid, but I didn't find his role to be that interesting. Sisters Harkonnen and the young Lila stole the show for me honestly. Still, the rebel part of the story was quite interesting as well. Another rebel Keiran interacts with is Mikaela, who is a Fremen and might also have ties to the Sisterhood. Mikaela and Keiran have quite a few scenes together, that's why I wrote about them as a sort of part of the same fraction. Mikaela disapproves when she sees Keiran hanging out with princess Ynez. Could it be jealousy? Does she care about Keiran getting in trouble for the sake of him, their friendship or is it just about the cause? In a show where so many women are so devoted to some cause, it was interesting to see this human side to Mikaela. This is also evident when she demonstrated her feeling for Fremen, and she's actually Fremen herself. Casting Shalom Brune-Franklin as Mikaela made sense as well for she is definitely convincing as a strong willed Fremen woman. 

LET'S NOW DICUSS  ALL THE EPISODES OF DUNE: PROPHECY AND DON'T YOU WORRY, IT'S ALL SPOILER FREE!

THE HIDDEN HAND, THE FIRST EPISODE IS A BIT SLOW BUT IT INTRODUCES ALL THE PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS WELL

The first episode in the series, it introduces the young sisters Valya and Tula Harkonnen. Set in a the time period ten thousand years before the events of Dune, this episode introduces us to the Sisterhood, as created by Mother Superior Raquella, a veteran of the Thinking Machine war. It is important to note that this world is still under the shadow of that great war, with a lot of strong and often religious hatred towards technology. The introduction part in this first episode is a bit slow, but bear with it. Once the action starts happening, the series gets a lot better. After the introduction to young Harkonnen sister, the series jumps thirsty years to the future and we meet the royal family. The young princess Ynez is being engaged to a child, a political marriage that she doesn't seem to mind. However, the ceremony gets interrupted and we see trouble in the royal family. A mysterious solder Desmond Hart appears, played by the Viking star. There's immediate sense of conflict between him and the sisters, starting with sister Keisha. 

TWO WOLVES, THE SECOND EPISODE IS FAST PACED AND EVENTFUL BUT ALSO INTRIQUING WITH AN INTERESTING GLIMPSE INTO THE ROYAL FAMILY DYNAMICS

The second episode is actually directed by John Cameron and written by Elizabeth Padden and Kor Adana, that might explain why it might feel a little bit different. There's a lot going on in the second episode, but since I'm avoiding spoilers, I cannot specify much. I can say that Valya and Tula have some difficult choices to make. I wonder if the title refers to that. Desmond Hart sets things in motion and Valya seems ready to respond to his manevours. There's a feeling of divisions in the Sisterhood, and trouble events put everyone under pressure. Valya emerges as a leader that doesn't second guess her decisions. In this episode, we also learn a lot about the royal family, especially the children. 

SISTERHOOD ABOVE ALL, THE THIRD EPISODE IS SO VIOLENT AND TRAGIC, IT FEELS LIKE AN ANCIENT GREEK TRAGEDY

If the appearances of the Game of Thrones actors don't bring the sense of the past, the locations certainly do. The third episode takes us into the harsh natural locations and landscapes. Moreover, things get quite medieval. Directed by Richard J. Lewis, the third episode feels different from the first two. It really takes us into the pasts of Valya and Tula, telling their origin story that is perhaps also the origin story of the Sisterhood. What would the Sisterhood be without Valya and Tula? This episode also features the original Mother Superior Raquella and elaborates on her relationship with Valya. The title could mean two things- the sisterhood of the Bene Gessirit, that is the organization and the actual sisterhood between Valya and Tula who are biological sisters. What is more important? What lengths would you go for a sibling? What would you do for your family? This series asks some interesting questions. Personally, I thought that the third episode was the best one. It was the first one I saw and I was simply hooked on it. The young Valya and young Tula are so convincing and real in this episode. You can see a wide range of emotions and emotional states on their face: from depression, to trauma, to pride, to complex feelings of loss and anger. Honesty, I don't know when I have seen such fantastic acting. The whole episode made me think of Greek tragedies. 

TWICE BORN, THE FOURTH EPISODE IN THE SERIES IS QUITE EVENTFUL,  BUT IT ASKS MORE QUESTIONS THAN IT ANSWERS

Directed by Richard J. Lewis again, this fourth episode is quite eventful and fast paced. Jen has an important role to play in this one. There's some dramatic action. Still, this episode asks more questions than it answers. Everything is very much shrouded in mystery. New dangers appear for the Sisterhood. The Harkonnen sisters must act quickly. Less emotional than the third episode, it still has some nice emotional scenes, especially the last one. 

IN BLOOD, TRUTH,  THE FIFTH EPISODE IN THE SERIES FEATURES SOME STELLAR PERFORMANCES AND SATISFYING ANSWERS

Directed by Anna again, this episode answers all the questions presented in the fourth episode and then some. Written by Carlito Rodriguez and  Leah Benavides Rodriguez, this is the episode that reveals a lot about all the principal characters, leading towards the finale, that is episode six. There are some really great acting performances in this one. Tula reveals a new face to her and we her as equally striong willed as her sister. Generally speaking, the story makes sense and the sets feel very convincible. There might be a few slow moments, but all in all it's a great episode. 

THE HIGH-HANDED ENEMY, THE SIXTH EPISODE IS A WORTHY AND SATISFYING FINALE TO THE FIRST SEASON OF DUNE: PROPHECY SERIES

The final episode is again directed by Anna, with Elizabeth Padden and  Suzanne Wrubel being in charge of writing. There never is a dull moment in this final episode and a lot is going on. This final episode is also quite violent in terms of on screen murders. There's a lot of killing taking place here. Think James Bond meets Game of Thrones in space- that sort of thing. In case you haven't figured it out by now, this is not a kid friendly show. 

 I wondered if maybe there were some missed opportunities to dwell more on some interesting characters, but will only six episodes, it's hard to make room for all of the characters to shine. Perhaps less characters would have given more screen time to notable characters, but then again, it would perhaps take something away from the implied complexity of this Universe. This show does show a world where a sort of deadly chess match is being played by multiple players, some of them hiding in the shadows. So, reducing the number of characters might have taken some of that complexity out. Still, I wonder if there wasn't a way of humanizing some of the principal characters more. The series did end on a very human note and emotion, but maybe the last episode could have benefit from a bit more humanness in general. I don't want to reveal too much to avoid spoilers, but I'd have liked to see the inner struggle and thoughts of the principal characters more.

WHAT KIND OF SHOW IS DUNE: PROPHECY? IS THERE EVEN A PLACE FOR LOVE IN IT? 

In terms of the story line, it's very much a plot driven show. 

It isn't romantic. There are a few spicy moments, but there doesn't seem any emphasis on the romance in this series. No great love stories, just occasional bitterness and sorrow. 

There's however such a thing as family love or sibling love. The themes of parenthood, mentorship, family and sibling dynamics are all examined in this show.

Love in Dune: Prophecy is not in the foreground, but when it is we see mostly family love, the kind of love that we feel toward family members and the kind that sometimes brings out the best in us. 

FINAL THOUGHTS ON DUNE: PROPHECY THE HBO SERIES

Where House of Dragon failed (especially with its second season), Dune: Prophecy didn't. It delivered a convincing epic story that didn't drag and it didn't skip over the most interesting bits. Even without the actors from the Game of Thrones or other epic dramas (such as Vikings), this series would have an epic fantasy feel to it. Seeing the same faces though, made the comparisons all the more poignant. Game of Throne famously flopped in the last seasons but impressed in the first. Let's hope this series won't follow its fate, now that is off to the same promising start.

Dune: Prophecy at its core remains a human and convincing story with a mix of aristocratic and work class characters. The series asks all the big questions about the power and identity, but the characters feel very real and morally complex. This is not just a series about what it means to rule, or an adventure spy drama set in space. Dune: Prophecy is a story of strong women making at times desperate choices and living with the consequences. It's a series about a group of women battling themselves and each other, but remaining a sort of sisters at heart. The series mixes fantasy with science fiction and if you have read Frank Herbert or watched any of Dune movies, it will make sense to you. Herbert famously created a science fiction world where technology is banned and that is ruled by an emperor and a group of great houses- old aristocratic families.

There's this definite feeling of the big houses fighting for the power, even for the throne. It's games of thrones quite literally at times. The world of Dune is medieval in many ways. Religion is strong and the Bene Gessirit are divided in their view and approach to it. The Sisterhood is terribly young. The horror of the Machine Wars lingers in the air. It's a fragile piece this world is set in. In this series you can feel the religious fear and mysticism every step of the way. You can see it in empress Natalya horrified reaction to an AI toy. You can see it in princess Ynez cold scolding of the boy she was about to marry and was determined to be sweet to. Initially Ynez acts very friendly towards the boy, but even she is angry when he pulls out that toy. She knows it might mean death for him- and perhaps for them all. 

The sisters are aware of this fear- many of them share it. There's this lingering terror of it. This fear of technology is something that feels very relevant with the rise of AI controversy and mistakes in modern times. We live in a time where people trust a lot in AI, unaware that the AI often produces results and answers that are statistically wrong. Blind trust in technology could cost us dearly. So, with the all the recent polemics about artificial intelligence and modern life, the questions this series asks about the usage of technology feel not only relevant but at times also urgent. 

Should we use technology and to what extent? Where is the line we shouldn't cross? We're all witnesses to what our use of technology has done to our modern minds. Human literacy is at an all time low in many developed countries. Human brain is getting lazy, some claim. You will see technology used in this series, and some of you might be confused by that- but you must understand that in Dune Universe only very elementary technology is used. All the calculations, navigations and everything is done by people. Developed computers and relying on AI are a big no in this Universe where humankind barely survived the machine wars. 

 If we cannot rely on technology, should be train ourselves to be more like computers? That's basically the reasoning behind these schools of Dune. Humankind has pulled a break in its use of technology, sort of stopped relying on it completely and is trying to develop its brains and bodies instead.

What that means specifically for this series is that you'll see a group of women who are pushing themselves physically and intellectually, undergoing strict training and risking their lives to become a part of the Sisterhood. All these women are fighting their battles in many ways, but most often they're fighting within and with their minds- and that's inspiring. 

Seeing a series about a group of extremely brave and highly intelligent but morally gray women fighting for a birth of a Sisterhood composed of equally determined women is certainly exciting on its own accord. To see that this series also managed to create this high fantasy feel and stayed true to its science fiction rules is an additional plus, but to see these complex female characters portrayed by wonderful actors is really the highlight for me. It's what I loved about the series the most and what makes me recommend it so warmly. 

Thank you for reading and visiting!