TV Review: ‘Dune: Prophecy’ Episode 4 Examines Humble Beginnings
by Frank Martin
Several episodes in and Dune: Prophecy has begun exploring the politics that it promised. Granted, with the expansive gap in time between the show and the films, there needed to be an evolution of the families. It was hard to see this evolution in the first few episodes given the similarities in technology and culture. Last episode — which was primarily a flashback — went so far in the other direction that it felt like an old school fantasy story. This week’s installment found a nice balance between the two as audiences were given its first glimpse of how House Harkonnen would grow into the financial powerhouse controlling Arrakis during the movies.
After being removed as the emperor’s truthsayer, Valya Harkonnen (Emily Watson) returns home to help her family reclaim power. She wants to get her nephew, Harrow (Edward Davis), on the council, but in order to do that, he has to accuse Emperor Javicco Corrino (Mark Strong) of killing the boy who was going to marry his daughter, Princess Ynez (Sarah-Sofie Boussnina). However, Desmond Hart (Travis Fimmel) admits what he did and turns the situation to his advantage by saying the boy deserved it. With the emperor’s blessing, he uses his powers to kill everyone conspiring against him. Meanwhile, Tula (Olivia Williams) continues to struggle against the impending visions of a giant sandworm, which plague the sisters
It’s hard not to think of Baron Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård) from the Dune films during this episode. As a brutal, ruthless, and larger-than-life man, he commands an almost unthinkable fortune. And yet, the Harkonnens in Dune: Prophecy barely have any power at all. In fact, Harrow is a shy and unimposing man, completely different from his distant descendant. Seeing Valya come to his aid and set this noble house upon a path that will eventually dominate the galaxy is an interesting aspect of the show. Watching her utilize the Sisterhood to put her own plans in motion is very entertaining. The time frame is still puzzling as it’s hard to imagine the Sisterhood still operating in the same manner ten thousand years later, but the show is an enjoyable spectacle nonetheless.
Dune: Prophecy stream Sundays on Max.
