18/22
Two Harkonnen sisters battle forces that threaten the future of humanity and found the legendary sect that would become known as the Bene Gesserit. Whether exploring the stars, escaping dystopias, or making the world a better place, these women are what science fiction is all about. This series draws on material from the Great Schools of Dune trilogy by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. A prequel to the original Dune, it tells the story of how the Sisterhood of Rossak evolved into the Bene Gesserit. The incident with Valya Harkonnen using the voice is from one called “Mentats of Dune.” All three books weave together the development of the Sisterhood, the Mentats, the Navigators, and the Suk Doctors. The New Normal (2020). I wanted to keep it short and to the point, but I felt compelled to expand on my thoughts. So here it is. There was a time when writers knew how to weave exposition into the narrative without it feeling forced and contrived. I understand it’s a first episode, but they have to explain everything as if it wasn’t already known, Watson (Valya), Mark Strong (Emperor), Travis Fimmel (Hart), and Sarah-Sofie Boussnina (Princess) give good performances. I feel like the show is in good hands. The rest of the characters left me uninterested. They move the story along, but they’re forgettable. I guess we’ll see how it develops, I had a hard time staying focused on the first episode. It felt like it was part of a whole that couldn’t be divided. I’ll wait for the entire season before consuming any more episodes. They did a wonderful job on the visuals. The CGI is high quality, the costumes are perfect, the tone from Villeneuve’s vision is maintained and expanded from. The art department should get awards for how beautiful it looks.
