The Rings of Power have a fast pace, thus the story never stops moving.
Whereas the first episode introduced a bewildering array of characters, led magnificently by Morfydd Clark's Galadriel who kills trolls. The second episode broadened things even further, with the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm making a stunning and immediate impression. Once more, when we enter the prosperous realm of Nmenor, Tolkien's universe expands quickly once again.
The third episode is largely dominated by Galadriel and her stranded companion, Halbrand. There is some initial hostility between Galadriel and her captors because of the troubled past between the Elves and Nmenóreans. As it is revealed, there are certain people in Nmenor who are friends with the Elves.
She even meets Elendil, who is portrayed by Lloyd Owen, who pulls off an intense performance. However, despite spending more time on screen with Galadriel, Elendil's tale has more of a focus because of how little is shown about his relationship with his soon-to-be-famous son Isildur, who is played by Maxim Baldry.
By the conclusion of this episode, Galadriel understands that the mark Sauron left on her dying brother is more than just branding; it is also a blueprint of Mordor. The future home of the Dark Lord's armies following the demise of Morgoth. Galadriel now has the evidence she needs to persuade her kind that evil is indeed thriving in Middle-earth. Additionally, she is aware of the one Southlander who is capable of organising the armies of men to support her effort.
There is a considerable amount of large-scale plotting to unwind, and because The Rings of Power moves quickly, there is rarely a chance to do so. The design of Nmenor is truly amazing; it matches the opulence of Gil-Lindon galad's and is stunningly created. The issue is that because we're in yet another gorgeous new setting, we have to fall in love with yet another set of important characters right away.
As the monarchs of Nmenor, Tar-Mriel played by Cynthia Addai-Robinson and Pharazôn by Trystan Gravelle have little lasting influence. Though book readers will be aware that Nmenor is a doomed place, we are only briefly given a reason to care about their realm's problems.
The Second Age will come to an end when Isildur slashes Sauron's hand off. He gives another plot thread to watch out for because he is a daydreamer with issues in this instance. The actress who plays his sister, Ema Horvath, gets lost in the sea of fresh faces.
With so many unfamiliar names, I noticed that I was carefully clinging to recognisable faces. Charlie Vickers chaotic Halbrand is an intriguing force to be reckoned with, despite the fact that he only made a brief appearance in last week's episodes. He breaks arms in a way that is shockingly cruel for Lord of the Rings; it may be the most blood we've seen in a Tolkien adaptation thus far. This reveals a lot about his character.
There have been a lot of theories floating around the internet that Halbrand is actually Sauron. Galadriel's revelation that he is very much human and the heir to a throne may have dampened some of these theories. Although, there is much more to Halbrand than meets the eye. Maybe, he will eventually join Sauron's side, possibly as one of the nine Nazgûl.
Speaking of evil, Ismael Cruz Córdova's stoic Arondir has been taken prisoner by Orcs and imprisoned in a slave camp back in Middle-earth. The most exciting parts of the episode involve some exciting action as the Elves fight back. Also, Joseph Mawle's mystery villain Adar, who has the appearance of an elf and goes by the nickname Oren, has all the makings of a powerful foe.
The Harfoots are starting to move again on the continent as well. An unexpectedly depressing group is led by Lenny Henry's Sadoc, who remembers everyone who has passed away on their numerous adventures. Naturally, Nori is causing some difficulty, and the tribe quickly encounters The Stranger who descended from the skies. The plot is moving along beautifully, and the Harfoots, like the Hobbits before them, are elevating Middle-earth.
The fact that each of these seemingly unrelated narratives feels tonally consistent with the others is almost remarkable. I simply want to spend more time with the characters we've already met going forward. I don't need another episode when five more characters are introduced because I already care about these Harfoots, Wizards, and Elves. Just take a look at Bibo's company and Frodo's fellowship to see how many major characters there are in Tolkien's writings. Yet, before they were divided, the groups went on separate travels.
The Rings of Power adopts the opposite strategy, offering plotlines that are only tenuously related to one another, if at all. It's a lot of spinning plates, and it remains to be seen if the showrunners can prevent them all from collapsing. However, it is a true pleasure to visit all these locations in Tolkien's world of Middle-earth. Simply slowing down the overall plot would allow us to spend more time with these people. Then it would be easier to remember them and create more of a connection with them. At the moment, there are a lot of faces to remember and a lot of stories to keep a hold of as well.
Performance | 4.1/5 |
Enjoyment | 4/5 |
Overall Rating | 4/5 |