This article contains spoilers for season 2 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
With only two episodes left, The Rings of Power Season 2 on Prime Video is quickly approaching its thrilling conclusion — and the situation in Middle-earth is spiraling into chaos.
In last week’s episode 6 — “Where Is He?” — elven warrior Arondir discovered a map that led the orcs into battle, while Celebrimbor’s deteriorating state caused chaos among the elves.
Elves Adar and Galadriel explored their troubling similarities during a tense feast, and Númenoran sea captain Elendil faced a chilling trial for treason, ultimately proving his innocence through the selfless act of former Queen Regent Miriel. Meanwhile, the Dwarves struggled with internal turmoil as Annatar’s manipulations deepened, setting the stage for looming war as Adar’s forces unleashed chaos.
To find out how Rings of Power Season 2 is a hit with viewers — and why JRR Tolkien’s epic high fantasy still resonates with fans after all these years — Yahoo Entertainment spoke with Tolkien expert William Smith, host of the Green Lanterns podcast and moderator of the subreddit r/LOTR_on_Prime.
This interview has been shortened and clarified.
Rings of Power Season 1 had a bit of a hard time with fans. Why do you think that is?
“There were casting decisions that angered a subset of users on the internet. There were changes in the lore that angered other people. Some people didn’t seem to like the writing. There’s just a huge amount of expectation that comes with the Lord of the Rings brand, and if you don’t immediately reach the heights of the books or the original films, you’re going to let people down.”
How does season 2 compare to that?
“Season 2, from what I’m seeing on Reddit and in my social feeds, is being portrayed in a much better light. I think a lot of that has to do with the overall pacing. In Season 1, there was a lot of intent, I think, to [faster] pace in future seasons. But many viewers want action now. I think season 2 delivered much more [that]and so overall it seems much more positive than last season.”
Are people too critical of the series, or do you think their criticism is justified?
“I don’t think people are being too hard on the show. And just because their criticisms don’t match mine, I don’t think their opinions are any less valid. We all want the show to be great. We all have different opinions about what good entertainment is.”
If you compare the series with that of Peter Jackson Lord of the Rings films, what are some of the key differences in approach to Tolkien’s work?
“From a narrative standpoint, the show attempts to condense and reframe events that have occurred over thousands of years to make it more digestible for viewers. The movie had a fleshed-out story of [Tolkien] narrate [and] …to tell probably the most iconic fantasy story of all time. The show tells a story that is considerably less known.”
What works and doesn’t work for you Rings of Power?
“The thing that I personally find difficult about the show is balancing the storylines. Sometimes you see the Dwarves in an episode and then you don’t see them for an episode or two. Sometimes a story really gets going and I’m like, ‘Oh man, I can’t wait to get back into it in a week,’ and then they’re not in the next episode, so I wait two or three weeks. I know you have to weave all the plots together, but once a plot really gets going, I don’t want it to go away.
“What works for me, and I say this every now and then, is that this is the best representation of dwarves in a film. They give you action, they give you dialogue. They’re stern, but they can also be humorous. They can make you laugh, but they can also make you cry a little bit. And they’re not just there to be a joke all the time. It seems like in other shows, movies, etc., when you have a dwarf on screen, you know that they’re going to be a supporting character for the most part and they’re there to lighten the mood.”
Rings of Power is being called Amazon Prime’s answer to HBO’s Game of Thrones precursor House of the DragonHow do you think it compares to the rest?
“I also help moderate r/HouseOfTheDragon, so I try to avoid comparisons between the two, but I know everyone wants to compare them. To me, they’re shows on opposite ends of the spectrum. House of the Dragon is really a show where almost everyone is a character you can hate. They all turn on each other. They all do horrible things. The Rings of Power is a show that is aimed at a different audience. They want to show happy moments. They want to show adventure. There are a lot of cute little moments that happen. Part of the appeal of [House of the Dragon] is that in almost every scene you watch, you’re kind of waiting for something bad to happen. It can be bleak.”
What is it about Tolkien’s work that appeals to you and generations of fans?
“I think Tolkien did a fantastic job of giving us a great history for this world that he created, while also giving us a lot of heroes to cheer for and villains to cheer against. Furthermore, despite how much he fleshed out this world, there are so many gaps in the history where you can imagine what happened during that time. Virtually anyone, anywhere, can identify with at least some part of the story told within its pages.”
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is now available to stream on Prime Video.
