I like The Rings of Power. I appreciate it’s not to everyone’s taste, especially long-time The Lord of the Rings fans who felt it betrayed J.R.R. Tolkien’s legendary literary works. Some of the criticism leveled at The Rings of Power season 1 was valid, but I maintain that it’s a good show; one that, without the weight of expectation that Tolkien’s source material brings with it, would have been judged more kindly.
You can replace ‘good’ with ‘great’ in my eyes now, because The Rings of Power season 2 is even better than its predecessor. A few issues linger from the high-fantasy show’s first season, but overall I believe the hit Prime Video series strikes a largely pleasing balance between Tolkien’s literature and its new material as it forges its own path through Middle-earth’s Second Age.
And in the darkness, bind them
Season 2 finds Middle-earth’s races still reeling from events in The Rings of Power season 1 episode 6 and its season 1 finale. In Lindon, the elves not only quarrel over what to do with the three rings that were forged last season, but also Sauron’s (Charlie Vickers) return, which Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) unintentionally aided and abetted. Over in Khazad-dûm, the superstitious dwarves contend with a potentially calamitous earthquake – generated by Mount Doom’s creation in season 1 – and the familial fallout between King Durin (Peter Mullen) and his son Durin IV (Owain Arthur).
Things aren’t good in Númenor, either, with a civil war brewing after Queen Regent Míriel’s (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) fateful decision to aid the Southlanders in their fight against the orcs resulted in many Númenóreans’ deaths. The triumphant orcs now reside in the newly-formed Mordor under Lord-Father Adar (Sam Hazeldine), but their existence continues to be threatened by outside forces. Oh, and let’s not forget about The Stranger (Daniel Weyman) and Nori (Markella Kavenagh), who are heading to the mysterious lands of Rhûn in search of answers about the former’s past.
Sauron is the centrepiece around which The Rings of Power’s second season is built
Directly or not, season 2’s various storylines are bound by a common thread: Sauron. Just as Galadriel was positioned as the protagonist of season 1’s expansive ensemble, The Lord of the Rings‘ iconic foe is the centrepiece around which the show’s second season is built. Hey, its creators couldn’t say season 2 is “all about the villains” and not install Sauron as its new primary character.
To that end, like Galadriel in season 1’s opening sequence, Sauron is the beneficiary of a trauma-laced backstory this time around, albeit one that’s creepier, more blood-soaked, and more supernatural than his cohort’s was. It’s a prelude that adds a rudimentary flavor to Sauron’s motivation to ‘heal’ (read: tyrannically rule) Middle-earth, and purposefully amplifies his tragic-villain status.
The outset of Sauron and Celebrimbor’s dynamic… has the makings of a magnetic character pairing
Armed with a new strategy – one centered on creating a new alias, Annatar, to dupe the elves into crafting more rings for dwarves and men, and perhaps the One Ring itself, so that he can enslave Middle-earth – the ever-cunning Sauron becomes the grand orchestrator of season 2’s events. It’s a role Vickers inhabits with aplomb, too; the actor grabbing proceedings by the scruff of the neck and driving the plot forward through the Dark Lord’s skilled sense of manipulation and sorcery, which he portrays with captivating subtlety and extravagant theatrics.
For said plan to come to fruition, Sauron needs help from Eregion’s master elven-smith Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards). After meeting and forging the three elven rings together in season 1, the duo’s reunion is tackled in a wholly original way in Amazon‘s TV adaptation; one of numerous creative diversions from the source material that diehard fans will likely be vexed by again this season.
Nonetheless, their dynamic, one which initially sees Sauron prey on Celebrimbor’s weaknesses before evolving into an engrossing power struggle, has the makings of a magnetic character pairing. Vickers’ deceit-filled performance notwithstanding, I can’t recall seeing a more enthralling, multifaceted acting performance so early in a season than Edwards’, who seamlessly moves between joy, wistfulness, exasperation, curiosity, and being awestruck in season 2’s three-episode premiere. If this is what their two-hander stage play-like scenes, which see them locked in a whirlwind of metallurgic creativity and emotional exploitation, starts out as, I can’t wait to see more as the season progresses.
Empires always fall
There’s plenty of spicy melodrama developing outside of Eregion’s walls, too. The straining of Elrond (Robert Aramayo) and Galadriel’s friendship, born out of their disagreement over the elven rings and Galadriel’s erroneous decision not to tell Elrond about Sauron, is not only a core element of their character arcs, but also speaks to division sown within elven ranks by the rings’ existence. Whether it’s the dramatic one-upmanship they engage in, or High king Gil-galad’s (Benjamin Walker) yo-yoing allegiance between them, the discourse is well executed.
Similar praise can be lavished on the disunity between other races and pairings. From the edginess of Durin IV’s relationships with his father and wife Disa (Sophia Nomvete), which may become more fraught by the dwarf rings’ crafting, to the collapse of Arondir’s (Ismael Cruz-Cordova) surrogate dad-son bond with Theo (Tyroe Muhafadin) for reasons I won’t spoil, there’s reams of ripe character-driven spectacle to become immersed in.
There’s plenty of spicy melodrama developing outside of Eregion’s walls
The assassination of Míriel’s character as the scheming Pharazon (Trystan Gravelle) makes a play for Númenor’s throne could be season 2’s narrative joker in the pack, however. Okay, it has the makings of being a vanilla-lite Game of Thrones, but there’s a potency to the island kingdom’s royal and political upheaval that has the potential to metaphorically catch fire if it effectively executes its civil war storyline.
Indeed, the unexpected aid Pharazon receives from characters like Eärien (Ema Horvath), whose actions may be well-intentioned in her eyes, makes me eager to see what her father and staunch Faithful-ist Elendil (Lloyd Owen) makes of her betrayal, especially as the duo continue to try and navigate their grief over Isildur’s (Maxim Baldry) apparent death. That dynamic, coupled with the war of wills between Míriel and Pharazon, and the tribal conflict that’ll erupt between The Faithful and The King’s Men, could be season 2’s most explosive and dramatic narrative.
The drawback to Númenórean events, as well as those involving Arondir, Theo, newcomer Estrid (Nia Towle), and the not-so-dead Isildur in Pelargir, is that The Rings of Power 2‘s early episodes favor certain storylines over others. Indeed, these plots don’t debut until episode 3 and, by proxy, feel comparatively underused compared to events transpiring in Lindon, Mordor, Khazad-dûm, and Eregion. I suspect they’ll become more prominent in subsequent episodes, especially when their storylines converge with others.
The Stranger and Nori’s Rhûn-based adventure is season 2’s weakest storyline
Of all of season 2’s plots, though, I’d wager The Stranger and Nori’s Rhûn-based adventure is its weakest. Given the spellbinding mysteries at play in this storyline, I agree that’s a head-scratching statement to make, but it’s one I’ll steadfastly defend.
For all of the mystique surrounding The Stranger’s identity, the enigma that is Ciaran Hinds’ Dark Wizard (someone I still believe to be a young Saruman), the unexpected but delightful addition of a fan-favorite Lord of the Rings character in Tom Bombadil (Rory Kinnear), and exploration of Rhûn’s mysterious lands, it should be one of season 2’s most riveting storylines. And yet, thanks to its inhibitory plot exposition, the unearned reunion between Nori and Poppy (Megan Richards) so soon after their teary farewell in season 1’s finale, and aimless narrative direction, this storyline’s occasional whimsy or salutary “we’re going round in circles” reference to The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers‘ live-action movie did little to assuage the issues I had with it.
Lore of the Rings
That isn’t the only call-back to Peter Jackson’s adaptation of Tolkien’s beloved works or the legendary author’s fantastical universe. From paying tribute to The Fellowship of the Ring film as precisely as possible, to dovetailing literary accounts and franchise lore mentioned in The Lord of the Rings books, appendices, and legendarium, season 2 endavors to forge closer ties to Tolkien’s novels and other texts, which should win over some alienated fans.
There’s a satisfying expansion of The Lord of the Rings’ mythology
There’s a satisfying expansion of The Lord of the Rings‘ mythology, too, with new locations – ones created by Tolkien, such as the Grey Havens, and original settings like Rhûn’s Caras Gaer – taking center stage. Newly created individuals – Estrid, Celebrimbor’s elven-smith protégé Mirdania (Amelia Kenworthy), and Damord the Hill-troll (voiced by Benjamin Walker) to name just three – equally help to flesh things out in intriguing fashion.
The introduction of legacy characters like Círdan (Ben Daniels) and Narvi (Kevin Eldon), the latter being a specific character that Edwards exclusively told me he wanted to see in season 2, are also fulfilling additions. I found a particular richness to the scenes shared between Círdan and Elrond, and I would have loved more interactions between them in season 2, if not for the direction that the latter’s coming-of-age arc (Isildur embarks on a similar character-defining story) seems set to follow post-episode 3.
The Rings of Power season 2 also takes atmospheric cues from Tolkien’s literary material, not least in its horror-genre leanings. The Sauron flashback sequence in episode 1 is but a taste of the body horror, Lovecraftian frights, and psychological thriller vibes that one of the best Prime Video shows confidently captures. Galadriel’s terror-fuelled premonition sequence in episode 2, complete with demonic lighting and classic Dutch tilt camera angles, might be my favorite so far, but Isildur’s creepy and claustrophobic showdown with a young Shelob (as teased in season 2’s official trailer), plus the haunted-mansion tonality – in Celebrimbor’s forge room – that pre-empts Annatar’s reveal run it close.
The Rings of Power 2, though, wouldn’t be fully representative of Tolkien’s thematically rich works if it didn’t find rays of light amid the encroaching darkness. Such moments are few and far between in a season described as the show’s take on The Empire Strikes Back, but there are moments of joy to be had, which I won’t ruin here. They may have only raised a smile as I watched them play out, but they’re nonetheless beautiful moments to behold, and gratifyingly convey the hope that Tolkien infused his writings with.
My verdict
The Rings of Power season 2 feels more in line with the high-fantasy series we were promised of its forebear’s release. As I admitted earlier, I enjoyed what its swing-for-the-fences first season offered, but even I’ll concede that its deviations from Tolkien’s body of work were occasionally jarring and redundant.
Its sophomore outing isn’t perfect, either. It’s light on action – it’ll rectify this oversight with the brutal Siege of Eregion in its final few episodes, mind you – and feels labored in some storytelling and visual aspects (don’t get me started on those extraneous jump-cuts and scene transitions). As a darker and more dangerous installment that’s far more faithful to its literary inspiration, however, The Rings of Power 2 continues to prove that Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings prequel series is a well-oiled, character-driven slice of prestige TV. Simply put: it’s the one Prime Video show to rule them all.
The Rings of Power season 2 debuts with a three-episode premiere on August 29. New episodes air weekly exclusively on Prime Video until the finale on October 3.
