TV Review: ‘Dune Prophecy’ Episode 2 Has Layers Of Political Intrigue
by Frank Martin
Dune Prophecy consists of a lot of various moving parts. At its core, it’s a story of science fiction fantasy, but it’s so wide in scope that it encompasses many different elements. This week’s episode showcased aspects of romance, expansive set pieces and costume designs, and some impressive fight choreography. But the most prominent factor in the Dune universe is politics. The scheming and manipulations of the universe’s ruling class are always in motion. That was clearly evident in the second installment as a lot was revealed, and yet more questions arose in the process.
The story begins in the aftermath of two murders. Desmond Hart (Travis Fimmel), an imperial soldier from Arrakis, confessed to having murdered the son of Duke Richese (Brendan Cowell). He did it at the service of Emperor Javicco Corrino (Mark Strong), who was so shocked at the confession that he had the soldier locked up. The Emperor’s truthsayer was also killed, and Mother Superior (Emily Watson) arrived on the Emperor’s planet to interrogate the prisoner. She met a man in defiance of her powers and with startling secrets she was scared to uncover. With tensions between the Emperor and the Duke rising, the Emperor decided to use Desmond to kill the Duke, thus pushing the Bene Gesserit further away from power.
After seeing political thrillers like Game of Thrones and House of Cards, it’s interesting to see the same kind of dynamics at work in Dune Prophecy. Besides having supernatural abilities, the Bene Gesserit are extremely proficient at political maneuvering. Viewers got to see some of that in the Dune films, but the show really expands on their capabilities as they plan revolutions alongside arranged marriages. As all of these pieces are moved around the board, the show does have a bit of slow pacing, but it’s a spectacle to behold nonetheless.
Dune Prophecy streams Sundays on Max.
