The next assessment incorporates spoilers for the fifth episode of Dune Prophecy, “The Excessive-Handed Enemy”
Very similar to all that’s come earlier than in Dune: Prophecy, there are numerous good concepts within the finale of the primary season, “The Excessive-Handed Enemy.” From Tula’s confrontation together 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. However 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 elements. The story being advised simply by no means finds a method to stability the tempo of the collection with all that wants explaining and expounding upon. And on high of that, “The Excessive-Handed Enemy” leaves Prophecy with nearly each plotline up within the air, trying in the direction of its lately introduced second season for any type of decision; that causes it to fail on the promise of the premiere, which laid out the varied mysteries of the collection.
In numerous methods, Prophecy does the very best it may possibly with the time it’s given. This complete first season has bounced backwards and forwards, alternating between feeling too sluggish and too shortly paced for its personal good. “The Excessive-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 awesome sense that issues had been reduce 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. Simply when he was getting fascinating, 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 Mom Dorothea, we don’t actually get to see how they react to the knowledge. We’re simply left hanging. Even just a few of the principle forged, from Desmond Hart to Javvico and Natalya, don’t really feel as absolutely fleshed out as they wanted to be to know their motivations or join with them in any significant approach. It’s one of many many 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 at the very least assured they’ll, goes to tease one thing to come back sooner or later to go away us wanting extra. However often there may be nonetheless some significant decision to the principle plotlines and character arcs which have been the main focus of this season (Ned Stark’s story in season 1 of Sport of Thrones being the traditional instance) and “The Excessive-Handed Enemy” gives little or no in that regard. The return of Mom 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 loss of life – left for subsequent season. And whereas it is sensible to go away Valya’s quest to save lots of Ynez and produce her to Arrakis open, the character arcs of Valya, Ynez, and Keiran have all been left unresolved, leaving them for subsequent season as effectively. All of it compounds into an episode – and by extension, a complete season – that feels unfinished.
The one space it does go away with some sense of conclusion is in perhaps essentially the most final type of it: loss of life. Javvico’s destiny, in addition to Francesca’s, is dealt with comparatively effectively, with some correct feelings from the 2 of them in addition to Natalya. However like I discussed earlier, it’s simply exhausting 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 mentioned that the shorter season order simply couldn’t permit for.
Essentially the most egregious ingredient of its recurring 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 complete plotline leads in the direction of a solution that raises extra questions than it solutions. That may be a great factor when accomplished proper, as Misplaced 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 faux eye and reminiscences into Desmond’s head, as an example? And why him? Reasonably than rigorously planting these concepts in our minds over the course of the collection and having a giant revelation on the finish to entice us into season 2, these questions are introduced up and left unanswered multi function breath, taking the thrill out of the second and leaving us unhappy.
All of it 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 likely to be (Faucet to Reveal), and have the reveal really feel extra grounded in issues we already knew. Now, we’re simply left with a degree of anticipation for solutions that’s aggravating greater than it’s thrilling.
