When Amazon Studios released Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 1 onto the streaming platform in 2022, it was met with massive online criticisms. Some criticisms were fair, but most were just an echo chamber revolving around the show’s apparent “woke agenda” from casting POC actors in leading roles like Princess Disa (played by Sophia Nomvete) or Arondir (played by Ismael Cruz Córdova). Ironically, they both ended up being the literal best parts of the first season. Other Tolkien purists were also unhappy with the focus of Galadriel (played by Myford Clark) as a main character throughout the first season.
We at Knight Edge Media were given early access to The Rings of Power season 2, and this review will contain minor spoilers. Now, whether by design or due to the backlash, Galadriel has taken a small step back from the series’ focus. The second season is entirely about the second rise of Sauron. It is honestly more of a “part two” to the previously established storylines from season 1 than an actual second season. We follow Sauron as Adar (now played by Sam Hazeldine) originally betrays him following the fall of Morgoth and his eventual resurrection as the human Halbrand before the events of season 1. Then, the series kicks his storyline fully into overdrive as Halbrand’s human persona is quickly dropped for Annatar, Lord of Gifts (played once again by Charlie Vickers). Annatar becomes desperate to create the remaining Rings of Power of the Dwarves and the free people of Men. These new Rings of Power are created due to natural disasters that have befallen each kingdom, much like the tree of Lindon in season 1. At least that’s Annatar’s catalyst to convince the Elven Smith Lord Celebrimbor that their mission is just.
The series is becoming its own in picking up the pace during these interweaving storylines. A major complaint was the almost snail’s pace of season 1, which was deliberate. It was also criticized for the “fast travel” characters seeming to move between multiple locations throughout Middle Earth at breakneck speed. However, it should be noted that season 1 still needed to show some world-building of this version of Middle Earth thousands of years before The War of the Ring.
Finally, another major complaint is that the action of season 1 seems pretty small-scale, considering the amount of money Amazon has funneled into the series. The finale of season 1 focuses on Adar’s forces taking over a small village of the Southlands before the big twist occurs with the eruption of Mt. Doom. This season has fully embraced the grand scale during the Siege of Ereigion. The action has vastly improved over the first season to match their original Peter Jackson films.
4.5 out of 5.0 stars
All-in-all, Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 has vastly improved over the concerns of season 1. From improved storylines (specifically Saurons) and the action sequences of the finale. Unfortunately, the writing is still at the same level as the first season from showrunners J.D Payne & Patrick McKay. There aren’t many changes here, but that is due to the logistics of the season being written before the first season was even released. Hopefully, moving into season 3, the showrunners can improve on their writing and move away from emulating Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Phillipa Boyen’s writing of the original films. While still making The Rings of Power entirely their own and in the spirit of Tolkien.