This prequel to the blockbuster films centers on a mysterious organization called the Sisterhood.

Emily Watson and Olivia Williams in Dune: Prophecy. Attila Szvacsek/Courtesy of HBO
The fantastical world of Dune, created by Frank Herbert, has the potential for a vast amount of stories, spanning hundreds of years of fictional history in the sci-fi universe. Denis Villeneuve’s film franchise, which so far comprises two impressive blockbusters, only scratches the surface of what could be depicted onscreen. It’s with that potential that the six-episode prequel Dune: Prophecy arrives. Inspired by 2012 novel Sisterhood of Dune, a continuation of the series’ lore from Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, the prequel centers on a mysterious organization called the Sisterhood (which will eventually become the Bene Gesserit). But although Dune: Prophecy makes the women of the Sisterhood its protagonists, it also expands outward into the Imperium, including the emperor and his family.

The series opens more than 10,000 years before the events of Dune, which focused on the rise of Paul Atreides, and quickly introduces an array of characters and circumstances, much in the style of HBO’s immensely popular Game of Thrones. The Sisterhood is led by Valya Harkonnen (Emily Watson), a powerful schemer who clawed her way to the top of the order through manipulative, violent means. Her sister Tula (Olivia Williams) stands alongside her, instructing their young recruits in the art of truth-saying and physical and mental control. Beyond the walls of their sect, members of the Sisterhood are placed with all of the great houses, including that of Emperor Javicco Corrino (Mark Strong) and Empress Natalya (Jodhi May).
Jodhi May and Mark Strong in Dune: Prophecy. Attila Szvacsek/Courtesy of HBO

Valya’s devious plans begin to fray on the eve of a royal wedding between Princess Ynez (Sarah-Sofie Boussnina) and a much younger son of an ally house. The young groom is discovered to be keeping machine technology, now forbidden in the Imperium, and one of the emperor’s soldiers, Desmond Hart (Travis Fimmel), who has recently arrived from Arrakis, destroys the boy in a fiery blaze. Needless to say, the Imperium is shaken and the machinations of the great houses become a subplot in an already-dense story. There’s a rebellion brewing, but the biggest threat is from Desmond, who seems to have acquired mysterious powers from one of the sandworms, much to the upset of Valya, who can’t control him with the so-called Voice.

It’s to be expected if you’re unable to follow all of this, although the series does a solid job of laying everything out in a way that’s not overwrought or overly complicated. Watching Dune: Prophecy doesn’t require a knowledge of the films or the novels, which is to showrunner Alison Schapker’s credit. It certainly helps to understand what the Sisterhood becomes and what powers they wield, but it’s absolutely possible to join the Dune party with this prequel. Schapker also smartly offers some important backstory on Valya and Tula, who is capable of more than she initially seems, a few episodes into the series. It’s one of the show’s most compelling chapters, showcasing the skill of Jessica Barden as young Valya and Emma Canning as young Tula and revealing a side of the Harkonnen family we haven’t seen in the Dune films.

Chloe Lea in Dune: Prophecy. Attila Szvacsek/Courtesy of HBO
The cast is, of course, impressive. Watson and Williams are an ideal match (somehow they haven’t previously collaborated) and the novice members of the Sisterhood are comprise of some memorable young talent, including Chloe Lea, Aoife Hinds and Faoileann Cunningham. The production and costume design is immersive, with a sense of world-building that extends beyond Villeneuve’s movies but also feels like a continuation of what his team created. Thematically, it hits deeply after the presidential election. No matter what type of world we live in, no matter what types of powers we possess, it’s clear men will continue to hold thrones and wage wars while women are forced to find their voices behind closed doors. It’s also a poignant reminder that it takes a sci-fi series to give female characters this much agency and control.