This article contains spoilers for season 2 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
Season 2 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power began streaming the first three episodes on Prime Video on August 29 — and feelings are already swirling about the long-awaited JRR Tolkien prequel.
Given the harsh criticism of Season 1 – and the nearly two years the series has marinated in that criticism – expectations are high for this latest foray into the Second Age of Middle-earth, the remaining five episodes of which will stream weekly.
The trailers gave glimpses of epic battles, the growing power of the Dark Lord Sauron, the collapse of empires like the dwarven kingdom of Khazad-dûm and the introduction of long-awaited characters like the “mysterious” Tom Bombadil – but have the first episodes lived up to expectations?
To get a deeper look at what Season 2 has done well (and not so well) so far, Yahoo Entertainment listened to what critics and fans are saying and spoke to two Tolkien experts to guide us through the latest installment of the series. Lord of the Rings precursor.
What critics say
With a 92% “fresh” rating so far on Rotten Tomatoes, Season 2 looks to be off to a strong start with critics. (Season 1 earned an 87% “fresh” rating.)
Kaiya Shunyata, writing for RogerEbert.com, called the series the “most outstanding fantasy series of the year” and said that Season 2 has taken a huge leap forward. She praised the series as “magnificent.”
“Season two,” they added, “expands on everything that made season one so promising, tightening up the story and creating a viewing experience that is more entertaining and rewarding than season one.”
However, Shunyata admits that fans of the book will still have issues with the showrunners’ changes.
“While it is indeed an adaptation of Tolkien’s extensive work, there are creative liberties involved in adapting something like this,” they wrote.
Despite giving Season 2 a “fresh” rating, some critics expressed reservations about the show – such as NPR’s Glen Weldon, who called the season “fun but frustrating.”
“Some storylines surge forward with powerful purpose, but others crawl or, worse, move in lazy circles as characters make odd choices designed to keep them in a state of stasis until Season 3. There’s more spectacle — battle scenes, magic, action sequences — than in Season 1, but much of that action feels familiar.”
But season 2 was not rated ‘fresh’ by all critics.
Nick Hilton of the Independent, who gave the series a “rotten” review, wrote that the storylines are overcrowded, full of fan service and devoid of humour.
“The result is like riding a roller coaster with no fun at all: You’re thrown around, turned upside down, but you’re always wondering when the fun will start again,” Hilton wrote.
What fans say
Season 2 of The Rings of Power is scoring well with fans on Rotten Tomatoes. Compared to season 1’s 38% “fresh” rating (with over 25,000 reviews), the first three episodes currently hold a 66% “fresh” rating (with over 1,000 reviews).
“An unreal improvement over season 1. A totally different feel to the series, even more mature,” wrote Jack J, who gave the first three episodes five stars.
However, not every viewer was a fan. “After the first season, I didn’t think it could get any more boring and detached from Tolkien’s work and lore. I was wrong,” wrote Giampiero R, who gave the episodes one star.
What Tolkien Experts Say
To delve deeper into season 2 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of PowerYahoo Entertainment spoke with William Smith (known online as VarkingRunesong), host of the Green Lanterns podcast and moderator of the subreddit r/LOTR_on_Prime, and Daniel Natzke (known online as HiddenVale), an administrator at One Wiki to Rule Them All.
“My favorite thing about the show in general is the Dwarves,” Smith told Yahoo Entertainment. “The relationships between Durin IV, Durin III, and Disa are the highlight of the show for me. They’re well written [and] “The acting was great.”
Another highlight for Smith was the growing storyline between Sauron and Three Rings forger Celebrimbor, brought to life by actors Charlie Vickers and Charles Edwards. “Vickers and Edwards [have] absolutely did a great job. … The dialogue, the reactions, the mannerisms in their faces at different times. … This is when it’s fun to be a fan of the show.”
For Natzke, a favorite moment was the opening flashback sequence of Episode 1, “Elven Kings Under the Sky,” depicting Sauron’s call to the Orcs in Forodwaith.
“This is consistent with some implications in [the Tolkien collection] The Fall of Númenor “that Sauron did not always dominate the Orcs he wanted to use by force at the beginning of the Second Age,” Natzke explained. “The Elves’ tense dilemma over whether to use the Three Rings or destroy them was also compelling.”
For Smith, who prefers the show to try to be its own creation without referencing previous Tolkien adaptations, there are some parallels to be drawn between The Rings of Power and Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy was not well received.
“This season had a scene that reminded me of Frodo and Sam being followed by Gollum, where they set up a trap to capture the creature that was following them,” Smith said. “Here in The rings of power, it’s the stranger and Nori [a Harfoot hobbit] They set up a trap and it turns out the character they catch is Poppy.”
Natzke had trouble with some of the plot twists, which he felt showed a kind of immaturity in the storytelling. “I was bothered by the moment when Gil-galad dropped the two rings when Elrond shouted ‘No!’, which coincidentally caused Nenya to roll down in front of Galadriel.”
As for deviations from Tolkien tradition that fans might take issue with this season, Smith didn’t notice any notable changes in the first three episodes.
“Lore purists are always going to find something to bitch and moan about when it comes to an adaptation,” Smith said. “The larger lore issue might be something that remains, depending on what the Stranger ends up being. Is he a Blue Wizard in the Second Age? I think most people would be OK with that. If he turns out to be, say, Gandalf or Saruman, there are definitely going to be people who disagree.”
According to Natzke, some of the changes in Tolkien’s plot came about out of necessity, as the Tolkien estate only gave Amazon the rights to The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King, The Appendices And The Hobbit.
“Fans are having a hard time with … deviations that shouldn’t be necessary given the texts the series has acquired rights to — such as the major reordering and downsizing of the Second Age,” Natzke said.
As for whether the showrunners appear to be taking critics’ feedback into account, Smith said the first three episodes seem to fix many of the issues fans had with Season 1.
“[Season 1] “It was a season of buildup, and people wanted more action and moments. Season 2 starts right away with action in multiple storylines,” Smith said. “There’s been a big fight that’s been going on for episodes that were announced all midseason while the show was away, and I think how much people enjoy this season will depend on how those episodes are handled.”
Both Natzke and Smith are looking forward to continuing to watch. “I can’t wait to see it all unfold, but only because I’m fascinated by the choices the writers have made in the significant [liberties] “They take,” Natzke said.
For Smith, it’s the dwarves that have him excited for Season 2, particularly the potential creation of the Doors of Durin. [the western entrance of Khazad-dûm]and also Dwarves in battle. “That would be the icing on the cake!”
He added that it’s particularly satisfying as a fan to feel emotionally connected to the unfolding story.
The tension [between the Elves and Dwarves] is scaling up, and I feel it as a viewer. It’s nice to feel involved.”
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is now available to stream on Prime Video.
