Television will never be the same after The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. That isn't an exaggeration; the series' symbolic shoulders are simply bearing that much weight. The fact that Jeff Bezos of Amazon spent roughly $1 billion on the first season alone has received a lot of attention.
The first two episodes display every penny that Amazon has invested. The story being recounted is so massive that the word "epic" doesn't do it credit. The First Age of Middle-earth, when the Elves fought the formidable foe Morgoth and his greatest lieutenant, Sauron, is where we begin. The encounter is described in a prologue, with the fighting and weeping montage recalling The Fellowship of the Ring adaptation by Peter Jackson.
The Rings of Power uses the same dynamic cinematic language as The Fellowship of the Ring, with sweeping panoramas of New Zealand landscapes, a massive orchestral score, and a vibrant world. Despite the absence of Bilbo, Frodo, Aragorn, and Gandalf. There are a few other well-known figures. In contrast to Cate Blanchett's more ethereal, menacing persona in Jackson's films, Morfydd Clark's youthful Galadriel is a straight-talking Elven warrior.
The two episodes follow Galadriel, who is clearly the series' main character, as she searches for Sauron in various locations, including the Elven realm of Lindon and later on. In the first episode, her character experiences a brief arc that feels finished, but the second episode establishes her as the series' main protagonist.
There is more than just one character to follow here. We also encounter the Harfoots, who share the Hobbits' tendency for haphazardly getting into mischief. Lenny Henry's mysterious soothsayer Sadoc Burrows adds mystery to this light-hearted story, which soon takes a more serious turn as the Harfoots are dragged into the world of Big People.
Markella Kavenagh's Nori is as bothersome and humorous as either Merry or Pippin. These characters were developed by the showrunners Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne. They are as Tolkien-like as anyone Jackson produced for his adaptations—possibly even more so.
Arondir, the Elven guard played by Ismael Cruz Cordova, and Bronwyn, the human lover played by Nazanin Boniad, have strong chemistry on screen. The two Dwarves, Owain Arthur as Durin IV and Sophia Nomvete as Disa, are possibly the best new cast members, and they are introduced in the second episode. Like Gimli or the Dwarves in The Hobbit, they are both comic figures, while turmoil is building in Khazad-dûm, a place we know will degenerate.
As you can in just two episodes, there is already a lot going on. Every scene feels as dense as one from a movie, and there is hardly any time for the scripts to catch their breath as we move from scene to scene. The Rings of Power delves deeply into Middle-earth lore, allowing Elrond and Galadriel to catch up while also bringing context to the characters' lives and developing them. When this happens, The Rings of Power revels in the fact that it is a television series rather than a film rushing to the next action scene.
Due to the complex nature of the two episodes, a lot of new theories are being produced. There are new characters and their own storylines to follow. This show has been long anticipated and has a lot of promise. It’ll be interesting to see where this season is going. The acting already feels strong and visually this show looks incredible. The true story has barely started. You’ll want to rush to the next episode to see what is going to happen next.
Performance | 4.7/5 |
Enjoyment | 4.8/5 |
Overall Rating | 4.7/5 |