Two of HBO’s Biggest 2024 Shows Share Striking Thematic Similarities

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In the last few months of 2024, HBO introduced two of its parent company’s most successful intellectual properties from the big screen to television: “The Penguin” premiered in September and “Dune: Prophecy” in November. These shows under Warner Bros Discovery garnered mixed reviews from critics but were highly popular with audiences, often leading the most-watched series on the network and its streaming partner Max. Interestingly, despite the apparent differences between a gritty crime drama based on a comic book and an epic space opera fantasy, both series unexpectedly have a common theme: the influence of storytelling.

In the wrecked Gotham City belonging to The Penguin, and Dune’s distant imperial society, stories abound: tales told by characters about their lives, and narratives spun by others about them. In many aspects, these stories have surpassed the significance of truth, and whoever masters the tale has the ability to rewrite their fate. It’s a common saying that history is penned by the victors, and both of these series delve into this concept in unique manners.

‘The Penguin’ — Story Is Destiny

Note: the following contains spoilers for The Penguin

In this tale, the central figures are Oswald “Oz” Cobb (portrayed by Colin Farrell) and Sofia Falcone (played by Cristin Milioti). For Oz, shaping his narrative becomes a means to transform his fate, as he aims to alter how his community perceives him. In the opening scene, Oz narrates a story about a gangster from his past who cared for the less fortunate in his neighborhood, earning him a heroic status instead of a criminal one, to the unfortunate Alberto Falcone. However, Alberto scoffs at Oz’s ambition for such recognition, and this exchange triggers a chain reaction that sets the plot in motion, as Oz ends up killing Alberto.

Oz aspires for something greater than being a small-time criminal, aiming to elevate his image beyond that of a hoodlum through legends. Briefly, he accomplishes this by establishing his drug business beneath his former community, hiring some locals and contributing to the area – left neglected following the lethal scheme of the Riddler in “The Batman”. However, his brief spell of glory is cut short when Sofia destroys his operation, causing even more harm to the neighborhood.

Sofia finds herself grappling with a past not of her making, a past that ultimately molds her future. As part of the Falcone crime clan, Sofia initially attempts to employ her wealth for positive change, advocating for missing and slain women. However, when a journalist presents proof implicating her father, Carmine, as the “Hangman,” a suspected serial killer responsible for multiple female murders, her family concocts a deception to shield him. They falsely accuse Sofia of being the murderer herself and manage to get her committed to Arkham Asylum.

Starting from this pivotal moment, Sofia’s transformation into the notorious “Hangman” villain seems unavoidable, as she finds herself bound to the storyline. Consequently, her slide into criminality appears inevitable, leaving no room for alternative narratives. In a thought-provoking manner, The Penguin explores how self-created and externally imposed mythologies can significantly shape an individual’s destiny, using these two distinct characters as examples.

‘Dune: Prophecy’ — Correcting the Legend

Note: the following contains spoilers for Dune: Prophecy season one

10,000 years prior to Paul Atreides’ birth, which marks the commencement of the Dune saga, the story of Dune: Prophecy unfolds some time after the end of the Butlerian Jihad – a war between humans and intelligent machines that once held them as slaves. Humans emerged victorious from this conflict, shaping their own destinies. Families such as the Atreides rose to power due to their bravery on the battlefield, while others like the Harkonnens were exiled for their cowardice.

In a distant, freezing world named Lankiveil, sisters Young Valya and Tula Harkonnen (Jessica Barden and Emma Canning) were brought up under exile, struggling to survive at society’s edges. Their family was labeled cowards by association due to their circumstances. Although their mother Sonia (Polly Walker) and Uncle Evgeny (Mark Addy) hinted that the story might not be completely accurate, it didn’t change the fact that their family’s reputation suffered. The series doesn’t delve deeply into how this tale could have been influenced, but it significantly impacted the younger Harkonnens – driving Valya and Tula to take drastic steps throughout their adulthood to rebuild their family’s honor within the Order of Truthsayers (portrayed by Emily Watson and Olivia Williams).

The ambition to dictate events extends not only to outsiders but also within the Sisterhood itself. Following the demise of Reverend Mother Raquella, a power struggle erupts over the Sisterhood’s future. Dorotea, Raquella’s daughter (portrayed by Camilla Beeput), seeks to maintain the Sisterhood’s honorable intentions by discontinuing Raquella’s contentious breeding program, which secretly produces future leaders to safeguard the Sisterhood. Instead of allowing Dorotea to undo the Reverend Mother’s work, Valya employs her powers to make Dorotea take her own life, presenting it as a suicide and compelling the other sisters to either submit to her rule or face death.

For three decades, they upheld this pretense until the essence of Dorotea found its way back to the world of the living through Sister Lila (Chloe Lea), thereby exposing that the acolytes’ faith was built upon a deception. It remains uncertain what impact this disclosure will have on the Sisterhood, but it seems a resistance movement may be taking shape.

In a similar vein, it’s clear that tales such as “The Penguin” and “Dune: Prophecy” underscore the influence stories wield in molding our perceptions about ourselves and our surroundings. The true might resides in the storytellers themselves. Once all those who witnessed the truth have passed, only the narrative persists, making its accurate portrayal perhaps the most crucial matter of all. Catch both on Max.

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2025-01-12 18:01