Amazon needs to let Tolkien’s Story magic do the work

Warning: This review contains spoilers for the Season 2 finale of The Rings of PowerThe rings of power is playing the long game. That much has been clear since reports first emerged about creators Patrick McKay and JD Payne’s five-season, billion-dollar plan for JRR Tolkien’s masterpiece. To tell a story at this scale with this level of production value, planning is vital. However, part of what makes television so great is improvisation. Sure, it can lead to less-than-stellar results. But improvisation, or lack of a detailed map, has led to some of the best television ever created.

The Lord of the Rings: The rings of power He was somewhere between these two extremes, for better and for worse. The first episode of Season 1 and the eventual reveal of the creation of Mordor was riveting television. The rings of power Season 2 started off similarly strong, with an extended sequence revealing how Sauron became Halfrand, but it struggled to maintain the momentum.

The Rings of Power Season 2 goes through the motions until the end

It struggles to tell compelling stories on a smaller scale

All of the events of season 2 culminated in the two-part Siege of Eregion, a key moment in Sauron’s rise to power. The show plays it as such, although some changes have been made. Sauron isn’t leading the charge for one. Instead, Adar is at the forefront of the battle, which begins in the penultimate episode and concludes in the finale. It’s a stunning sequence, one that brings almost all of the show’s major players together, but the show doesn’t seem to know where to put its focus.

Sauron’s deception of Celebrimbor is key to the siege. Charles Edwards was one of the strongest players this season, his sparring with Charlie Vickers’ deliciously seductive Annathar a delight to watch. There is a lack of intrigue to the other elements of the show. Arondir, Galadriel, Elrond and the rest of the elves are fighting to save their species, but the stakes somehow feel hollow, undermining the impact of a battle we already know the outcome of.

It’s clear why the stories are woven into the narrative: Payne and McKay need to integrate Tolkien’s broad strokes with intimate stakes. The problem is the series struggles to make the stories compelling. Even Sauron’s fateful rematch with Galadriel feels underwhelming as the Siege of Eregion draws to a close. It could be that The rings of power Relying too heavily on prior knowledge, playing it safe when it should be taking risks.

It’s not hard to see why Payne and McKay might be afraid to take risks. Tolkien’s mythology is dear to countless people around the world and the author’s estate. However, the risks that are taken – Adre’s story, a kiss between Galadriel and Elrond – do not feel organic. It’s a shame considering the sheer spectacle that is the Siege of Eregion.

Other Middle-earth stories game catch-up

Major revelations yield mixed results

One of the biggest reveals in The rings of power The season 2 finale is that the stranger is actually Gandalf, something that has long been theorized since his introduction. It’s one that falls flat, if only because, so far, the story of The Stranger has felt extraneous to the events of the series. Now that we know he’s Gandalf, that changes everything. But why don’t you tell us from the beginning that we are watching the origin story of ​​one of lord of the rings Most iconic characters?

Holding back this information until now is a confounding choice, one that encapsulates everything that feels off about The rings of power. In an effort to maintain mystery, the series can forget the pure wonder that Tolkien’s original texts and Jackson’s films can make us feel. There are flashes of this this season – I rejoiced when the series showed Elrond, Galadriel and their elven company’s journey in wide shots as they traversed the landscape of Middle-earth – but the series can be bogged down by its desire to Surprise.

The tragedy of Khazad-Dam is The rings of power Season 2’s most straightforward storytelling and the most effective. Sophia Nomvete and Owain Arthur as Disa and Prince Durin IV serve as fittingly doomed figures, destined to watch their home destroyed by the ambition of his king. Nomvete and Arthur, as well as Peter Mullan as Durin III, give strong and effective performances that ground the story of Khazad-dûm with real emotion.

It’s a testament to Tolkien’s stories that, no matter the medium, they carry an emotional weight that can be deeply affecting when done right. The rings of power Does many things in this way. But when it gets lost in trying to follow the conventions of modern television, it sounds hollow, almost as if the text itself resists interpretation.

often enough, The rings of power Shows flashes of brilliance, so much so that I still have faith in the series. It is beautifully done and well-acted, telling a story of good versus evil that is timeless. It just needs to shake off external pressure and exist as it is, let the magic of the story do its work.

All episodes of The rings of power Season 2 is now streaming on Prime Video.