The following assessment incorporates spoilers for the fifth episode of Dune Prophecy, “The High-Handed Enemy”
Much like all that’s come earlier than in Dune: Prophecy, there are quite a lot of good concepts within the finale of the primary season, “The High-Handed Enemy.” From Tula’s confrontation along with her son Desmond and Valya’s revelation of their relationship, to all of it resulting in the autumn of Javvico, there’s a good skeleton of drama there. But for each step ahead, Prophecy at all times appears to take two steps again. As a fan of the books and films, it’s nearly extra irritating after they do succeed, when in the long run the entire turns into lower than the sum of its components. The story being advised simply by no means finds a method to steadiness the tempo of the sequence with all that wants explaining and expounding upon. And on high of that, “The High-Handed Enemy” leaves Prophecy with nearly each plotline up within the air, wanting in direction of its lately introduced second season for any kind of decision; that causes it to fail on the promise of the premiere, which laid out the assorted mysteries of the sequence.
In quite a lot of methods, Prophecy does the perfect it may well with the time it’s given. This entire first season has bounced forwards and backwards, alternating between feeling too sluggish and too shortly paced for its personal good. “The High-Handed Enemy” falls into the latter camp, feeling rushed to get all the things out regardless of the additional 20-ish minutes it’s given on high of the common hour-long runtime. And it manages to do some good work with Tula’s confrontation of Desmond Hart, Valya’s realization of their relation, and the Emperor’s finish, however there’s simply an amazing sense that issues have been minimize down for time. Constantine (Josh Heuston) doesn’t even present up within the finale, and whereas there are comparatively good story causes offered for him to not be round, it looks like he was unceremoniously shoved out of the story to make room for the others. Just when he was getting attention-grabbing, too.
There simply wasn’t sufficient time to totally expound on the concepts of Prophecy in six episodes. By the tip, most of the youthful Sisters really feel underbaked, and with their worlds rocked by the revelations of Mother Dorothea, we don’t actually get to see how they react to the knowledge. We’re simply left hanging. Even a couple of of the primary solid, from Desmond Hart to Javvico and Natalya, don’t really feel as totally fleshed out as they wanted to be to understand their motivations or join with them in any significant manner. It’s one of many many the explanation why the royal storyline usually feels flat and unexciting.
What makes it worse is that a lot of the episode is setup for the following season. I’m not cliffhanger-shaming right here – each season finale, if the writers know they’re going to get one other season or are a minimum of assured they may, goes to tease one thing to return sooner or later to go away us wanting extra. But often there’s nonetheless some significant decision to the primary plotlines and character arcs which were the main focus of this season (Ned Stark’s story in season 1 of Game of Thrones being the traditional instance) and “The High-Handed Enemy” affords little or no in that regard. The return of Mother Dorotea and her affect over the younger sisters as she reveals to them the literal skeletons within the closet of the Sisterhood – left for subsequent season. The destiny of Tula and Desmond as the ability over the Imperium shifts resulting from Javvico’s dying – left for subsequent season. And whereas it is sensible to go away Valya’s quest to save lots of Ynez and convey her to Arrakis open, the character arcs of Valya, Ynez, and Keiran have all been left unresolved, leaving them for subsequent season as nicely. It all compounds into an episode – and by extension, a complete season – that feels unfinished.
The one space it does depart with some sense of conclusion is in perhaps probably the most final type of it: dying. Javvico’s destiny, in addition to Francesca’s, is dealt with comparatively nicely, with some correct feelings from the 2 of them in addition to Natalya. But like I discussed earlier, it’s simply arduous to attach with these characters once we’ve been given so little perception into their motivations – it simply looks like there was a lot extra to be stated that the shorter season order simply couldn’t permit for.
The most egregious aspect of its routine non-resolution, although, is these “high-handed enemies” themselves. The thriller of the origin and actuality behind Desmond Hart’s talents are constructed up all through the season, solely to disclose that that total plotline leads in direction of a solution that raises extra questions than it solutions. That could be a good factor when completed proper, as Lost proved time and time once more, however it doesn’t work when it’s the vast majority of plot strains being left behind. Who implanted the pretend eye and recollections into Desmond’s head, as an illustration? And why him? Rather than fastidiously planting these concepts in our minds over the course of the sequence and having a giant revelation on the finish to entice us into season 2, these questions are introduced up and left unanswered multi functional breath, taking the joy out of the second and leaving us unhappy.
It all comes again, once more, to the too-short season, which had no room to suit one other storyline to comply with this mysterious new faction, whomever they is perhaps (Tap to Reveal), and have the reveal really feel extra grounded in issues we already knew. Now, we’re simply left with a stage of anticipation for solutions that’s aggravating greater than it’s thrilling.
