I enjoyed this first episode. It seems like it is setting up a rivalry between the Ix (which is my guess who that guy that murdered the kid represents) and Bene Gesserit. I liked the look of it but the again I liked the look of the Dune movies also. Did anyone else watch?
I thought it was OK. It’s apparently based on the prequel books written by Brian Herbert, which I think are terrible, but I’m really trying to watch with an open mind. The feel and atmosphere was mostly OK, though having the prince & princess snorting coke off their knuckles on the way to a bar was pretty out of place. The plot was pretty good, but I’m not sure the political machinations hold up to close inspection - why did the princess have to get married in order to be able to study at the sisterhood?
I don’t think Desmond is Ixian - the Ix were pro-technology, right? It doesn’t make sense that he’d have psychic/pyrokinesis powers, or that he’d murder someone who is also pro-tech. At first I though they were setting him up to be the founder of the Sardaukar when they were talking about what an amazing soldier he was, but that seems unlikely. He could always be Tleilaxu, and not even actually be the original Desmond.
The Sisterhood scenes were by far the best part. I’m glad they didn’t fall down the pit the writers of Rings of Power did, and try to mix 5 unrelated plot lines plus have tons of fan service. Having an Atreides swordmaster was the closest they came to that, and that made reasonable in-universe sense.
You are right. The Tleilaxu makes even more sense. My understanding is only the story that happens when they are children was based on a specific prequel book (Sisterhood of Dune) but the stuff that happens when they are adults is original and not based on anything.
I also agree the bar scene seemed tired. It seems like every Sci Fi franchise needs a Space Club scene these days.
As far as why they want her to marry: they needed those two to breed as part of their breeding project (which we know is to create the Kwisatz Haderach but I am not sure they even know that yet).
Right, that makes perfect sense, but they were also saying that the marriage somehow allowed her to attend the BG school, that’s the part that doesn’t make sense.
I missed that detail. I was under the impression they talked the Emperor into sending her there so they can better control her.
I don’t know. I’m kind of sick of these fantasy worlds where everything is the same millennia after millennia. 10,000 years and it’s the same families with the same political entities on the same planets wearing the same clothes, using the same tech.
It seems out of place in the Dune universe (at least to me) because I can’t ever recall ever seeing any aspect of the Dune universe where characters are not either at war, training and preparing for war, or having serious conversations about politics or war. There’s not a lot of detail about people doing “normal shit” like drinking Space Coffee in Space Diners or partying in Space Clubs to blow off steam from their tedious Space Job (made more tedious due to a lack of automation).
And getting back to my original point, 10,000 years is a hell of a long time. Their civilization could have gone from swords and space shields to Butlerian Jihad a half a dozen times between now and when Paul Atreides is born.
I agree. 400-500 generations is a very long time for nothing to change in their languages, cultures, or technologies. Especially for one spread over multiple planetary systems. I guess that the banning of thinking machines could have something to do with it; however, I find it hard to believe that one of the houses would not develop weapons using forbidden technology to wipe out one of their rivals.
It is definitely weird that stuff is so similar to the Novel era but this type of society isn’t really designed to advance; it’s designed to keep its aristocracy on top at all costs. Any major changes would probably be looked at as a threat to order and quashed. Add that to their (understandable) taboos against technology and it isn’t impossible to see things not chancye that much for thousands of years.
So, I’ve watched the first episode, and… I kind of don’t care. It’s not bad, it’s not good, it’s just “meh.” I’m willing to keep on watching to see how things turn out, but so far I’m just not giving a shit about any of the characters or their relationships or the intrigue. They’re so concerned with world-building, they forgot to populate it with actual people.
That was my experience too. I set it up for failure by reading an article just beforehand where the show runners seemed to emphasize its connection to the recent movies, or at least their world building. Going in with a “more Denis Villeneuve please” attitude left me very underwhelmed.
It’s a generic HBO “set piece” show. Competently made, not unattractive looking, but ultimately there’s a “sameness” to this and Westworld, etc. that I found hard to ignore. The world is a little flat, it feels the need to draw attention to its “ooh isn’t this pretty” set pieces, and the characters are maybe one small step up from a daytime soap opera. And OMG… So. Much. Exposition. I didn’t hate it, but it’s not even playing in the same ZIP code, let alone field, as the movies.
Agreed.
The acting also? I am imagining the Emperor with some of Jeff Goldblum’s Zeus in Kaos as something that would add a lot. This emperor just seems befuddled. It makes the character uninteresting. Desmond is interesting but the dynamic between him and those around him is well not dynamic.
I’ve no objection to seeing naked attractive members of the opposite sex but the sex scenes are boringly gratuitous.
I’ll give it another week or so I guess.
Glad I gave it another week!!!
I only just realized that this is only six episodes long. After watching episode 4, I am not sure how they are going to wrap up the season.
I was away a few weeks and just caught. I’m enjoying it. I have no idea what Hart is but it was cool to see a Face dancer even if Valya forces her to use an ability she clearly didn’t want to just assuage some of her bad feelings.
So after episode 5, I’m disappointed again - it seems like it was written by people who just wanted to pick bits and pieces from the Dune lore, but not actually follow the spirit of the source material. My grievances:
Everyone reverently refers to sandworms as Shai-Hulud. But no one but Fremen is supposed to know there’s anything particularly special about sandworms - to everyone else, they’re just pests that interfere with spice harvesting.
Fremen never, ever leave Arrakis. They certainly don’t travel to the original Imperial homeworld and open a bar.
People snorting drugs off their hand like Chevy Chase in Caddyshack.
The suspension cells are just stupid. What’s the point of floating them in the air, in a place where anyone can drop by for a chat, and possible rescue attempt?
And biggest of all - a Harkonnen gets knocked up by an Atreides and it’s a proto-Kwisatz Haderach, but with even more terrifying powers than Muad-Dib? It took thousands of years of careful breeding to get a Kwisatz Haderach, one really shouldn’t have shown up randomly a hundred years into breeding.
I think that’s a misdirect. “Scavengers” made him into the weapon I think. Who they are is another reveal to come.
Well, it just means something like “old man (or eternal) man of the desert”. Not necessarily related to spice production, but they are terrifyingly large and dangerous beasts. Also, the BG had a strong influence in shaping the religion of Arrakis and this may be a foreshadowing of that.
Oh, and Desmond Hart is totally Tula’s kid (and Valya’s nephew). Something I think he knows, but Tula just found out (and Valya has no clue or at best a suspicion). I also won’t be surprised to see that Valya had a hand in his abandonment while Tula was kept ignorant.
I think the life cycle of spice and where it comes from was well understood even then. They literally call the Sandworms “Makers”.
The Fremen did. No one else did. In the book there’s the whole story where Pardot Kynes, the first Imperial Planetologist of Arrakis snd Liet Kynes father, connects with the Fremen and “discovers” the whole life cycle of sandtrout sandworms and spice