Right now you can watch Dune: Prophecy in Australia on Foxtel Now and HBO Max, and in the US on HBO Max Amazon Channel and YouTube TV — and it goes further with its ideas than most genre entertainment bothers to. Every one of its 2 seasons holds up. A 7/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Emily Watson leads a cast that never lets the concept overwhelm the characters. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Foxtel Now.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, Dune: Prophecy is worth clearing space for. The world-building is meticulous, but it is the characters who carry Dune: Prophecy through its more ambitious moments. Ten thousand years before the ascension of Paul Atreides, sisters Valya and Tula Harkonnen establish the fabled sect and female order that would become known as the Bene Gesserit to control the future of humankind. The human element stays intact thanks to Emily Watson and Olivia Williams, who anchor every scene. Across 2 seasons from 2024, it never lost the thread that made it worth starting. The world-building is meticulous enough to sustain multiple rewatches, with details early on that only make sense later. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

Viewers burned by ambitious sci-fi that could not sustain its premise should give Dune: Prophecy a chance. Fans of The Boys will recognise the sensibility here immediately. The complete run is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. Emily Watson anchors it with a performance that makes the more abstract moments feel personal. If you have been burned by ambitious sci-fi before, this is the exception.

Dune: Prophecy is currently airing new episodes, created by Diane Ademu-John and Alison Schapker — so there's no better time to catch up before the story moves forward. Find exactly where it's streaming below, and TV Butler Pro makes it effortless to track your progress as you go. Just search the name, and Butler finds it instantly, tells you which service has it, and remembers exactly where you left off.