The following review contains spoilers for the fourth episode of Dune Prophecy, Twice Born.Split in two once again, Twice Born returns Dune: Prophecy to its familiar fronts: Valyas visit to the royal capital to fix the Sisterhoods relationship with the Imperium, and Tulas attempts to wrangle the younger sisters as they spiral out of control with the stress of mysterious omens and Lilas death. Now that the backstory and setup is out of the way, things begin to ramp up in episode 4, but it doesn't always feel as exciting as it should. With a few exceptions, Twice Born is a prime example of whats not working in this series.Whats been obvious from the start but most evident this week is that Dune: Prophecy is attempting to be HBOs next Game of Thrones. (Despite, you know, HBO already having one of those.) At its heart, its a political drama full of noble families with their many issues, one king to rule them all, and everyone vying for the throne. But this half of the story has never been the highlight of the show. That remains true in Twice Born, with the Emperors insecurity driving him into Desmond Harts arms and the plot to bomb the Landsraad never able to evoke the right emotions.Sadly, the lack of drama comes from some stilted acting though, in all fairness, the cast isn't given much to work with. Many of the younger actors in the series struggle to bring out the emotion of whats happening in their performances. Ive said it in previous reviews, but Travis Fimmel also has a hard time making Desmond Hart feel more than wacky. The one standout in Twice Born is Edward Davis, who absolutely nails the squirmy young Baron Harrow Harkonnen, trying his best to feign confidence and regality in front of the Great Houses. Its pitch perfect stuff, making Harrows presence a delight.The other half of Twice Born, as the name implies, is about Tulas dealings on Wallach IX as the omen of Tiran-Arafel slowly consumes the Sisterhood. A shared dream and a creepy arts and crafts sance spin the younger sisters into a frenzy, and Tula being interim Mother Superior while Valya is away means she has to deal with the chaos. Its another showcase of how Dune: Prophecy has good ideas, but ultimately fails to execute them. Despite Olivia Williams portrayal of Tula being as thoughtful as ever, she isnt able to elevate the storyline past its basic level. Its at its most interesting when we see the emotional effects of this collective fear growing within the Sisterhood, like when Emeline is so engulfed in the dream that she almost kills herself (and Jens ability to drown out the noise and stop that from happening). But we only get snippets of the younger sisters, as the focus remains on Tula for most of the time spent on Wallach IX.Dune: Prophecy Episode 4 GalleryIts obvious now that her storyline is leading toward the creation of the Litany Against Fear, the self-affirmation used by Lady Jessica in the books and movies. (Say it with me now: I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. And so on.) This is Dune: Prophecy falling into the prequel trap yet again, one more chance for a previously untold story to live up to (or not live up to) the way weve previously imagined it. So far, the show hasnt convinced me that it wont suck all the mystique out of the Litany Against Fear by showing us how it took root. And with only two episodes left to develop the Litany, it doesnt feel like enough time to flesh it out and make it feel like a rite that will last another 10,000 years.