‘Dune: Prophecy’ - Episode 1 Is Off to a Slow Start but Promises Intrigue
Set 10,000 years before the birth of Paul Atreides, HBO's Dune: Prophecy tells the story of the rise of the Bene Gesserit sisterhood and the breeding programs they established for the purpose of eventually bringing a super-powered messianic figure like Paul Atriedes into existence. So far, however, the only visions granted to the proto-sisterhood are extremely vague, and the only goal of the breeding program is to create rulers who are more adept at ruling and more likely to listen to the advice of their counselors.
Presumably, later in the series, the visions will crystallize into something more tangible, and the messianic term ‘Kwisatz Haderach’ will begin to be whispered in secret councils.
In the lead-up to Dune: Prophecy's release, there was some cause for concern that the series would be just another man-trashing, girl-power travesty, á la Amazon's Wheel of Time and The Rings of Power, but if the first episode is any indication, Dune: Prophecy will treat its male characters with more respect. Travis Fimmel (Vikings, Warcraft) and Mark Strong (Shazam!, Kingsman: The Secret Service) put in particularly good performances, while Chris Mason and Josh Heuston play the role of heartthrobs that could have stepped right out of The Vampire Diaries or Shadowhunters.
According to literary critic The Dark Herald, “This is definitely a show for women, but unlike anything by Disney since 2019, this one was made for women with two X chromosomes.”
There is one scene in which a theme is introduced, which presents a vast departure from the original novels, a scene in which the concept of a “higher power”―presumably God―is contemplated in seriousness. In the original novels, “old-timey” religious concepts such as God or the devil only exist for propaganda purposes, to manipulate the unwashed masses. In the books, the religion of the upper classes is very man-centric―only man is sacred, and the only prohibition is against building robots to replace man.
Except for some tidbits in the prologue, the show has given very little indication that it draws much inspiration from the ill-conceived prequel novels co-authored by Kevin J. Anderson and the original writer's son. The story appears to be an original conception firmly set within the lore of Frank Herbert's original Dune novels. Travis Fimmel’s character seems bizarrely overpowered for this era in the Dune timeline, but an explanation will probably follow in later episodes. Odds are that he is connected somehow to the repulsive Bene Tleilax, the ancient enemies of the Bene Gesserit.
While fans of Tolkien's Middle Earth despise any and all attempts to add to the lore, the world of Dune is much more open to expansion. Fans of Dune are much less likely to pitch a fit if things are added, modified, or retconned, especially if these changes are done without malice. The world of Dune is a supremely utilitarian one, after all---the chief end of man here being simply survival.
There is a fundamental contradiction at the heart of the Dune universe, which is that Frank Herbert intended the story to be a portrait of how power corrupts, but within the story's own context, Paul Atriedes had no choice but to seize power so as to ensure the survival of the human race. When the original source contains contradictory themes such as these, no one will care if HBO takes some liberties.
Herein lies a supreme irony, in that less creative license appears to have been taken with Frank Herbert's lore than with Tolkien's. Amazon’s intention with The Rings of Power is manifestly to destroy Tolkien's legacy, while HBO is simply using Dune as a springboard to provide intriguing, big-budget entertainment. So far, HBO is delivering.
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