Dune: Prophecy, created by Diane Ademu-John and Alison Schapker, serves as a prequel to Denis Villeneuve’s Dune film series. The show stands on its own, requiring no prior knowledge of the films. As revealed in Episode 1, the story takes place over 10,000 years before we meet Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya’s characters on Arrakis, focusing on the Bene-Gesserit Sisterhood
Episode 1 has a lot of heavy lifting to do in terms of setting the stage. It's set a century after humanity defeated the "thinking machines," and we meet Valya Harkonnen (Jessica Barden), who joins the Bene-Gesserit Sisterhood—an order of women who aren’t afraid to wield their power. The Sisters serve as truthsayers for powerful houses, and Valya quickly becomes a favorite of Mother Superior Raquella (Cathy Tyson). Before she dies, Raquella shares a vision that sparks something in Valya. Determined to secure their future, Valya convinces the Sisterhood that they need to place one of their own on the throne for protection.
After the heavy exposition, the premiere settles into a more straightforward story. Thirty years later, Valya (Emily Watson) is leading the Sisters as they prepare for a crucial marriage alliance that’s key to Raquella’s bigger plan. Ynez Corrino (Sarah-Sofie Boussnina) is going to marry Pruwet Richese (Charlie Hodson-Prior), a nine-year-old boy, and then spend the next ten years with the Sisters while he grows up. But when Sister Kasha (Jihae) has a disturbing vision, she starts to worry that this match could bring about the very destruction the Sisters are trying to prevent.
The episode title (The Hidden Hand) points to the Sisterhood as a whole, but it also really highlights Valya, who’s quickly shown to be a total control freak. As a young woman, she was driven by a fierce, almost blind purpose. As an adult, she comes across like someone who could snap at any moment and order someone to slit their throat without blinking. Valya’s treatment of Kasha makes it clear she has no patience for anyone who won’t stick to her exact plans.
The episode gets into a good rhythm once it’s underway. Emily Watson and Olivia Williams provide a strong core for the Sisterhood and the series as a whole. That final sequence leaves us with a major cliffhanger that’ll have viewers coming back next week. Something’s off in the Imperium, and it’s not just the Bene-Gesserit pulling strings behind the scenes.
