36/31
Two Harkonnen sisters battle forces that threaten the future of humanity and form 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 the epitome of science fiction. This series draws on the material from the Great Schools of Dune trilogy by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. A prequel to the original Dune, which tells the story of how Sister Rossak evolved into the Bene Gesserit. The incident using Valya Harkonnen’s voice comes from an event called “Mentats of Dune.” All three books weave together the evolution of the Sisterhood, the Mentats, the Navigators, and the Suk Doctors. Reference in AniMat’s Crazy Cartoon Cast: The New Normal (2020). I wanted to keep it short and to the point, but I was forced to expand on my thoughts. So there you have it. There was a time when the writers knew how to weave exposition into the narrative without it feeling forced or contrived. I get that this is the first episode, but they have to write everything as if it weren’t common knowledge. 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 cast didn’t interest me. They move the story along, but they’re forgettable. I guess we’ll see how it goes. I had a hard time focusing on the first episode. It felt like it was one whole that couldn’t be broken down. I’ll wait until the full season before consuming any more episodes. They did a wonderful job on the visuals. The CGI is top-notch, the costumes are perfect, and the tone that came from Villeneuve’s vision is maintained and expanded upon. The art department should get an award for how beautiful it looks.
