Admittedly, this is part of the appeal of the prequel: a chance to spend more time in Denis Villeneuve's gorgeous, icy visualization of Frank Herbert's spice-obsessed universe. On that score, "Prophecy" absolutely delivers. The production design remains on point, and the (clearly expensive) aesthetics offer the same chilly iconography as the films, up to and including the spaceship designs. There's an emperor (Mark Strong) struggling to maintain his control of Arrakis, with its all important, unimaginably valuable spice; there are the maneuverings of powerful individuals striving for control while unable to resist their own human desires; and there's the Bene Gesserit, an organization of women lurking behind the scenes, determined to organize the chaos of society to achieve their own ends.
The deep dive into Bene Gesserit history and culture is the best hook the series has to offer for long-time "Dune" fans and newcomers alike, offering a glimpse behind the curtain at one of the original novel's most compelling mysteries. Led by Vayla Harkonnen (Emily Watson) and her sister Tula (Olivia Williams), the Gesserit have devoted themselves to manipulating bloodlines in pursuit of an ideal to prevent an apocalypse - the irony being that their efforts (particularly Vayla's) may inadvertently lead to the exact outcome they've given their lives to prevent.
It's not a bad setup for a prequel, and Watson makes the most of it, giving Vayla the fixed passion of the true zealot while offering occasional glimpses of the humanity that makes her decisions all the more tragic. The most effective element of the series, at least in the four episodes screened for critics, is the constant tension of watching smart, determined people continue to commit themselves to the wrong causes, even as it's unclear exactly what causes could possibly be better. The series offers plenty of time for us to understand what drives Vayla (and her sister) to do the unthinkable, including multiple flashbacks showing a history of rage and an inability to compromise, a need to achieve the impossible that is at once doomed and easy to sympathize with.
This, in a post-"Game of Thrones" world, is what prestige drama has become: powerful individuals in exotic settings pushed into committing unthinkable acts. And yes, despite its nominal origins in science fiction, "Dune: Prophecy" is very much determined to capture some of the glory of its more fantasy-focused predecessor. (Mark Addy, the ill-fated Robert Baratheon on "Thrones," is even on hand, in case anyone doubted the new show's bona fides.) The dominant presence of the Bene Gesserit helps to ensure "Prophecy" allows more roles for women than being victims or villains, though, and the more focused narrative helps to keep events more directly connected, while still allowing for epic scale.
The biggest problem is the problem that plagues seemingly all prequels: the fact that no matter how far back in the past the story might go, imaginations can only stretch so far. Once again there is a conflict between the Harkonnen and the Atreides families (the novelty here being the Harkonnens get more screentime), and once again, everyone is fixated on who controls Arrakis and its all-powerful spice. There's a nod toward a human and machine war that ended with the banning of all "thinking machines" in the universe, but while the additional faction is welcome for muddying the waters, the series can't help providing regular reminders that no one involved has forgotten sand worms or the eventual coming of Maud'Dib.
Slick, well-acted, and confidently produced, "Prophecy" should scratch the itch for "Dune" fans on the hunt for more content. Still, it's impossible to shake the impression that all of this has been done before, and will be done again. While there are surprises in the first four episodes, there are no true shocks, as the show settles into a comfortable groove with little variation from the past. A collection of compelling individual scenes and a grab-bag of dysfunctional family life and cosmic terrors do not necessarily make for a whole greater than the sum of their parts. But there's something to be said for the reliable competence on display here, and genre enthusiasts should be intrigued. Anyone looking for a new iteration on a familiar wireframe would do well to check this one out.
DUNE: PROPHECY
Starring: Emily Watson, Olivia Williams, Mark Strong