* This review contains spoilers.
I didn’t watch the first season of Dune: Prophecy (2024) when it was released last year. I assumed that it was a cash grab following the success of the two Dune movies, which I enjoyed watching very much, and hence didn’t give it the time of day. By the time I started the sixth episode, I couldn’t believe this was the season finale. I was completely invested and ready for a full 10-13 episode season.
This is the show Blood of the Dragon wishes it was, a perfect blend of the mystical and realpolitik, except here it is set in a sci-fi fantasy rather than a medieval setting. It provides an interesting and mostly convincing background story about the mysterious order of the Bene Gesserit which fleshes out the Dune universe more fully and certainly complements the recent movies. While the writing is solid and the show boasts the same stunning visuals of the Villeneuve movies, it is in assembling a near perfect cast that the show really excels.
Travis Fimmel’s Desmond Hart, reminiscent of Rasputin in the role that he plays in the show and also in his appearance, is brilliant. It is difficult to see Fimmel as anyone other than Ragnar Lothbrok, a memorable role he played so, so well. I was expecting to root for him here as well, until it becomes clear that here Fimmel is clearly playing something of a villain, and doing so quite convincingly.
But the show really belongs to Jessica Barden (Valya) and Emma Canning (Tula) who play the young Harkonnen sisters. Such is their impact that even when they are not in the scene, their performances lend significant depth and weight to the show, especially scenes featuring their older counterparts played by Emily Watson and Olivia Williams. Other roles are worth mentioning as well. Tabu’s Francesca is a welcome counterpoint to Mark Strong’s emperor, who otherwise appears off balance until her appearance in the story. Mark Addy as an aging Harkonnen patriarch is also moving, and a proper contrast to his heir.
The build-up to the season finale of what is practically a mini-series is exciting and has a mysterious quality worthy of the order which is at the center of this story. Much is left to be resolved in future episodes, and I’m looking forward to the next season.
Daniyal Khan 