‘Dune: Prophecy’ episode 1 – ‘The Hidden Hand’: Will Valya’s Sisterhood shape the flow of galactic power?

Let’s be clear, Frank Herbert’s “Dune”-iverse has never been one of cuddly kittens and bright shiny rainbows, so it’s not exactly an eye-opening revelation that “Dune: Prophecy,” HBO/Max’s expansive new “Dune” spinoff prequel series that takes flight on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024 is somewhat of a dark and somber affair.

Adapted from the 2012 novel “Sisterhood of Dune” by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, executive producers Alison Schapker (“Fringe”) and Diane Ademu-John have done an impressive job translating this backstory explaining how the gene-manipulating Bene Gesserit sect was formed 10,000 before Paul Atreides’ birth.

This gorgeously rendered yet slightly dreary six-episode series stars Emily Watson, Olivia Williams, Travis Fimmel, Jodhi May, and Mark Strong in a political sci-fi drama (think “Game of Thrones” in space) revolving around two powerful Harkonnen sisters, Valya and Tula, as they battle external forces that threaten humankind’s fate and establish the legendary supernatural cult while restoring their family name.

Mild spoilers for “Dune: Prophecy” episode 1 ahead! 

Screenwriters Schapker and Ademu-John keep a tight rein on the series’ dour tone and bleak visuals that do present flashes of pure sci-fi geekiness, like the premiere episode’s Butlerian Jihad clash with the thinking machines paired with Valya’s passionate voice-over of how the Harkonnens were branded cowards and banished. 

In a long setup, Valya explains how she broke free of her family’s troubled past and joined a Sisterhood on Wallach IX where women of like-minded abilities could be trained to wield their paranormal skills to separate truth from lies while assigned to the Great Houses of the Imperium. This led to a program where a vast genetic index was established to control breeding of rulers. 

But during a deathbed scene, Valya’s Mother Superior has a vision and entrusts her with the future of the Sisterhood. It’s determined that getting one of their own on the throne is the only way to ensure protection, and that’s the genesis of House Harkonnen regaining all they’d lost.

A shocking murder scene early on where young Valya unleashes a new skill she’s developed called The Voice to protect the genetic bank against destruction concludes the 15-minute setup. From there we jump forward 30 years where an older Mother Superior Valya contends with political machinations while overseeing her exclusive school for prodigal “witches” like Sister Emeline (Aoife Hinds), Sister Jen (Faoileann Cunningham), Sister Theodosia (Jade Anouka), and Sister Lila (Chloe Lea).

“Prophecy” is intriguing yet can be a bit stifling and ponderous at times, especially when providing large exposition dumps to lay out the Imperium’s political maneuverings and foundational struggles to control spice. The visual effects of planetary vistas and sleek starships are exemplary, but most interesting are discussions on the idea that lying is among the most sophisticated tasks a human brain can perform, acting as a necessary evil for survival, and the role of women in positions of power serving as behind-the-scenes orchestrators of galactic destiny.

Over on Salusa Secundus, homeworld of the Imperial House, Emperor Javicco Corrino’s (Mark Strong) daughter, Princess Ynez (Sarah-Sofie Boussnina), prepares to travel to Wallach IX to be instructed by Valya and Tula in the Sisterhood’s ways of lie-detecting. She’s smitten with her swordmaster Keiran Atreides (Chris Mason), but when the duplicitous Desmond Hart (Travis Fimmel), the sole survivor of a spice harvesting attack on Arrakis, appears at the palace, it upsets all order so carefully put in place with the Sisterhood by her brother Constantine (Josh Heuston).

An engagement ceremony finalizing the arranged marriage between little Lord Pruitt Richese, the 9-year-old heir to House Richese, and House Corrino’s Princess Ynez is well staged and delivers an elegant touch of cosmic royalty to the entire production.

Far more formalized than David Lynch’s colorful, over-the-top “Dune” adaptation from 1984 and more akin to the emotionally sterile renditions from director Denis Villeneuve, “Dune: Prophecy’s” launch pilot remains a captivating watch defined by its fantastic cast performances, impressive costumes, and lush sets as the myriad betrayals, marriages, and alliances between familial factions are set in motion.

As Valya and Tula, Watson and Williams make for a formidable duo that anchors the show with prestige and a high caliber of acting prowess, especially with Strong’s regal Imperial charisma on display as the conflicted Emperor dodging the vipers.

“The Hidden Hand” is a provocative beginning to HBO’s costly “Dune” experiment in another attractive prequel spinoff similar to “Game of Thrones'” “House of the Dragon,” and one we’ll be following at Space.com with rapt attention as it unfolds.

Things truly heat up at the episode’s horrifying conclusion when soldier Desmond Hart performs a heinous act of homicide. Will this royal genetic match chosen by the Sisterhood truly stabilize the Corrino line for centuries, or will their elaborate plan collapse to cause the exact thing the scheming sorceress clan strives to prevent?  

“Dune: Prophecy” airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on HBO and streams on Max.