As a die-hard fan of the Dune universe who has spent countless hours immersed in Frank Herbert’s intricate lore and Denis Villeneuve’s breathtaking cinematic adaptations, I must say that the premiere of Dune: Prophecy on HBO Max left me scratching my head. The lack of technological advancement over a 10,000-year span between this series and the movies feels like a giant plot hole to me, one that’s as wide as a sandworm’s mouth!
The television series titled “Dune: Prophecy” has debuted on HBO and Max, sparking discussions among viewers regarding their opinions on this spinoff show. However, one significant query arises concerning the sequence of events in the series, considering the latest “Dune” films directed by Denis Villeneuve have recently been released.
The primary observation made by many viewers regarding the debut episode of Dune: Prophecy is that its visual aesthetic appears to have remained largely unchanged in terms of technological advancements and fashion trends over an extended period.
In “Dune: Prophecy,” the story unfolds 10,000 years prior to Paul Atreides (played by Timothée Chalamet) being born, more than a century following the Human-Machine War. However, many viewers have pointed out an interesting discrepancy: the technology showcased in the first episode of “Dune: Prophecy” appears strikingly similar to the technology depicted in both “Dune” and “Dune: Part Two.
10,000 years without significant advancements in technology and fashion feels almost unbelievable to Dune enthusiasts, as they struggle to reconcile this timeline with the show’s depiction. This point is emphasized particularly effectively in a scene where Princess Ynez (Sarah-Sofie Boussnina) and swordmaster Keiran Atreides (Chris Mason) engage in a sword-fighting practice that uses the exact same shield technology as seen in Villeneuve’s films, rather than a more primitive or evolved version of the technology. This could be seen as an intentional nod to the “blocky” shields used in David Lynch’s iconic Dune film by some fans.
So is Dune: Prophecy creating a major plothole with this lack of technological advancement?
Dune: Prophecy – Why Is Technology the Same as In the Movies?
The creators of the series “Dune: Prophecy” aim for a visual style similar to the Denis Villeneuve “Dune” films, using technology as a visual cue to indicate that the story takes place in the same universe. However, this visual choice might be causing some issues, as one of the main criticisms about the show is its perceived lack of technological advancement. It’s also possible that some fans may not fully grasp yet that technology – or the absence of it – is crucial to the “Dune” storyline.
In the initial scenes of “Dune: Prophecy,” we delve into the lore established by Frank Herbert’s Dune series, where humanity engaged in a fierce struggle against intelligent machines for dominance. Despite House Harkonnen distancing itself from the human alliance, great houses like Atreides stood firm and contributed to humanity’s triumph. Following this war, the use of thinking machines, encompassing computers, robots, and artificial intelligence, was made illegal across the empire. The premiere episode underscores this fear of machinery and technology when young Pruwet (Charlie Hodson-Prior), son of Duke Ferdinand Richese (Brendan Cowell), is discovered with an advanced robotic toy during his engagement celebration, causing significant disruption. This scene also hints at why the technological progression in this series may seem slower compared to the Dune movies.
Dune Is About Human Advancement
In contrast to Herbert’s original Dune novels, the films merely hint at the complexities of Paul Atreides as “the chosen one.” While the movies, particularly Part Two, delve into the implications of this prophecy for the Fremen of Arrakis, they largely relegate the Bene Gesserit’s centuries-long breeding program to create the Kwisatz Haderach to a secondary plot. The novels, however, detail the lineage leading up to Paul Atreides, a lineage that encompasses various forms of human enhancement, each developed into distinct guilds or clans within the Dune Universe. This includes the Navigators, who possess the ability to instantly guide ships through space, and the Mentats, living calculators who eliminate the need for mechanical computations. Additionally, the films only touch upon the Bene Gesserit’s pursuit of truthsaying and socio-political genetic manipulation, which they use to create superior leaders for the empire and ensure their own survival.
In the initial scene of Episode 1, a young Valya Harkonnen, portrayed by Jessica Barden, demonstrates “the Voice” for what appears to be the first time, fatally using it against her sister rival in the order, Dorotea, who intended to leave the breeding program. This implies that the skills typical of the Bene Gesserit, as depicted in Dune, are still evolving during the era of Dune: Prophecy. Therefore, we might infer that other human advancements such as the Navigators Guild or Mentats are also developing at this stage of their history.
That’s all to say: looking at technology as the telltale sign of “advancement” or “progression” in Dune may be the wrong perspective. After all, if you draw a line at no advanced computing or robotics being allowed, technology can only progress so far. What will instead change in 10,000 is the kind of machine-like abilities humans will develop and master as a replacement for machines. In the case of the Space Guild and the Navigators, consuming Spice for so long will eventually cause them to physically evolve into big-brained creatures that aren’t even recognizably human anymore.
As a gamer, I’m eagerly anticipating that Dune: Prophecy will flesh out the vast world Herbert imagined in the coming weeks, making it more tangible and understandable. This should help silence some of the criticism, allowing us to immerse ourselves fully in this epic saga, available for streaming on Max.
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2024-11-19 03:42