tv show The Rings of Power | Prime Video | Season Finale: 'Shadow and Flame' | LotR Prequel

[Dylangaga]

Yaaaaaaaas Gandalf

 

[Hector]

First 3 episodes were strong,  the visual effects are absolutely incredible

[Jotham]

I just finished the first episode and I forgot how much Nori looks like Katy

[flower moon]

pretty strong first ep imo. the visuals are so good

[Phaunzie]

The way I am stuck in computer lab, inputting my data for my thesis when I should be home getting my life with Gandalf. I'm so jealous of y'all who got to watch the first three episodes (;~;) .

Edited August 30 by Phaunzie

[Brooklyn Baby]

The Sauron actor is saur hot whew 

[Drowned8World]

loving it so far. Even though i couldn't care less for the humans and harfoots. Give me more elves, orcs and daddy Sauron

[Drowned8World]

18 hours ago, narid said:

Season 2 is off to a really strong start. Currently 92% on RT and certified fresh, which has the whole anti-woke Tolkien fanatic brigade absolutely enraged. 

lol you have no idea how hard it's avoiding them on twitter because once you read one of their tweets, my whole TL becomes a miserable place. Feels nice watching the show without having to read their daily bs. Highly recommended 

Edited August 30 by Drowned8World

[Europe]

That extremely brief moment of the orc dad checking in on his baby was so sweet

[Drowned8World]

25 minutes ago, AbeHicks said:

That extremely brief moment of the orc dad checking in on his baby was so sweet

the book purists were fuming with that scene lol

[Dylangaga]

Those 3 episode were really good! Episode 3 with the horse had me EMOTIONAL! can't wait to see the next episode!

[Elusive Chanteuse]

I loved all the episodes so far. Sauron is a God correct? Like his spirit can't die?

[Eóghan]

 

finally got around watch the premiere, i really enjoyed these 3 episodes. the Annatar stuff is what I was expecting S1 to be. i think they've nailed depicting his deceptions as credible/persuasive without making the elves look dumb. but I get what they were trying to do with season 1, as a set up and origin story to whole lot of characters/locations before the truly canon stuff kicks into gear with season 2 onward.

anyway so far so good, you get the high drama with the elves, the salty heart of the dwarves, folksy charm with the harfoots and the evil with Adar and Sauron. and it all still looks stunning.

 

based on locations I'd rank it: Mordor/Sauron/Adar > Lindon/Elves > Eregion/Annatar > Kazad Dum/Dwarves > Southlander/Isildur > Rhun/Harfoots > Numenor

 

 

 

On 8/31/2024 at 2:11 AM, Elusive Chanteuse said:

I loved all the episodes so far. Sauron is a God correct? Like his spirit can't die?

 

yeah you nailed it, his spirit pretty much can't die, even at the end of the LOTR trilogy he's technically not dead dead, he's just being reduced to a spirit that is so diminished that he can't ever come back into anything. the one ring made him powerful but that was also his biggest demise because he put so much of himself into it, if someone destroyed it he wouldn't have the power to reincarnate.

 

I advise you to watch the Screencrush every week like they did for season 1; they really good and short breakdown (except this week because its 3 episodes). 

they explain at the beginning of the video what kind of being Sauron is

 

 

 

[welham]

I love the second season so far, but I have to admit that my interest dwindles whenever the focus shifts to Númenor. I just don't have it in me to be interested in it for whatever reason, and I always have the urge to just skip its scenes.

[orange22]

S2 isn't catching my attention as much as S1 yet but I'm seated 

[Drowned8World]

episode 4 was boring tbh.

[Brooklyn Baby]

I really want to like this show but it's so poorly written. Galadriel is so insufferable and that's not the actress' fault, it's the writing.

 

It sucks because the sets and the cinematography are amazing and some the casting is truly amazing. But the writing is just so mid 

[Feanor]

I'm liking S2 so far.

[bluceleste]

'Shouldn't We Be Having More Fun in Middle Earth?' - Vulture

 

Indeed. I watched the first two episodes and I found myself zoning out at times. They didn't learn a thing from season one. 

 

Prime truly messed up a surefire hit. 

 

They pissed off the fanbase by not staying true to Tolkien's work. 

 

The GP might be more forgiving, but they couldn't even come up with a half decent script.

 

If the show gets renewed (the ratings are apparently not great), hire a new team. 

 

————————————

 

"A Dreadful, Jumbled Mockery Of Tolkien's 'The Lord Of The Rings' - Forbes

 

'Lord of the Rings' series 'The Rings of Power' is beautiful but empty in Season 2' - USA Today

 

'The Rings of Power' Makes 'Lord of the Rings' a Boring Slog in a Lifeless Season 2' - Variety

 

'Shouldn't We Be Having More Fun in Middle Earth?' - Vulture

 

'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' Season 2 Review: TV's Most Expensive Series Remains Stunningly Boring' - TheWrap

 

'Garish and disrespectful towards JRR Tolkien's writing, the second season of Prime Video's Lord of the Rings prequel will leave fans cold' - Telegraph

 

'The Prime Video series lacks the instantly likeable and sympathetic characters, all perfectly cast, of Peter Jackson's movie trilogy' - Independent

 

————————————

Edited September 10 by bluceleste

[Hector]

Global ratings smasha:

 

 

[flower moon]

19 hours ago, bluceleste said:

'Shouldn't We Be Having More Fun in Middle Earth?' - Vulture

 

Indeed. I watched the first two episodes and I found myself zoning out at times. They didn't learn a thing from season one. 

 

Prime truly messed up a surefire hit. 

 

They pissed off the fanbase by not staying true to Tolkien's work. 

 

The GP might be more forgiving, but they couldn't even come up with a half decent script.

 

If the show gets renewed (the ratings are apparently not great), hire a new team. 

 

————————————

 

"A Dreadful, Jumbled Mockery Of Tolkien's 'The Lord Of The Rings' - Forbes

 

'Lord of the Rings' series 'The Rings of Power' is beautiful but empty in Season 2' - USA Today

 

'The Rings of Power' Makes 'Lord of the Rings' a Boring Slog in a Lifeless Season 2' - Variety

 

'Shouldn't We Be Having More Fun in Middle Earth?' - Vulture

 

'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' Season 2 Review: TV's Most Expensive Series Remains Stunningly Boring' - TheWrap

 

'Garish and disrespectful towards JRR Tolkien's writing, the second season of Prime Video's Lord of the Rings prequel will leave fans cold' - Telegraph

 

'The Prime Video series lacks the instantly likeable and sympathetic characters, all perfectly cast, of Peter Jackson's movie trilogy' - Independent

 

————————————

you lot are so draining.  
 

[Eóghan]

 

 

episode 4 'Eldest'

that's the most tolkienian episode so far, I really liked that they found time and space for this kind of whimsical episode, although it was the slowest/weakest for me so far. it was very different and it reminded me of reading Tolkien for the first time (which is not everyone's cup of tea), the adventurous feeling is definitely there. Tom Bombadil, the entwives, another ancestor of the hobbits (the stoors), the barrow-wights ... ect they really said: we gonna give you everything that was cut from previous adaptations. 

Spoiler

i will say as much as i enjoyed the harfoots in season 1, i wouldn't have minded if they took a backseat this season and that's because i didn't understand the point, but the whole "suzat" (shire) prophecy really sold me on that story now. i like the idea of the 'stoors' looking for a green paradise and they kept wandering completely lost for centuries until they became 'harfoots'. now i lowkey want the 'fallohides' to show up next season.

obsessed with the Bombadil song  bear never misses

 

 

 

episode 5 'Halls of Stone'

we back in business. my favorite ep of the entire show so far? maybe.  loved all the dwarf stuff, although it hit a little too close to home, watching prince Durin completely helpless to his father acting opposite to what he was preaching so far was really giving your grandparents fallin into dementia/alzheimer. also i felt bad for my queen Disa, she's out of a job, a centuries old tradition that gave her people purpose. like she said the rings are basically cheating, a shortcut, but at what cost? still my favorite non-canon character, she's a delight when she's on screen.

Spoiler

seeing the rings in action is just fascinating as a whole anyway, and why the idea of this show felt so interesting in the first place. it was nice to see the first glimpse of the unseen world (the wraith-world in lotr trilogy) through the ring-making for men in this episode. of course the highlight of this episode Annatar gaslighting celebrimbor and his crew, the way he sows self doubt and confusion to get what he wants in the forge is really well done. numenor is gettin better, it's the least interesting plotline of all because of how removed it is from middle-earth but at least now we finally have someone despicable enough to root against. it helps that kemen has that perfect punchable face

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On 9/10/2024 at 4:03 AM, Forever Winter said:

I really want to like this show but it's so poorly written. Galadriel is so insufferable and that's not the actress' fault, it's the writing.

 

 

 

I like her writing to be honest, she's meant to be this way. i get why people would find her insufferable and prideful but it makes her interesting. she has flaws, she has an arc to get to where the character is supposed to be in the end. so far in this show, and I believe in the Legendarium as well, galadriel's true fight is not against sauron contrary to what everyone believes, but herself; her fear is not of darkness, but of the darkness in her, or what she has or could become. she has to master her fear of succumbing, and, by doing so, master herself. and I think she will make the "mirror of galadriel" (that we see in Lotr trilogy) to remind herself of that past and her flaws, and it will be where her arc eventually concludes when she passes the test of the One Ring with frodo in LotR, well beyond the scope of this show.

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

i love this scene in episode 2 where she begs Elrond to come to Eregion with her because she needs him to keep her in check in case she succumbs to her darkness

 

 

 

[Phaunzie]

Not that bastard giving Cali magical Alzheimer's. Nasty work, truly some vile acts. 

[DevilsRollTheDice]

Ugh, I am so split on this show.

 

I think some of the alterations were unnecessary and staying closer to the lore would've made for a better story.

 

I actually like adding context for Gandalf's fondness for Hobbits, but I think that story is just executed poorly. Including Tom Bombadil is blatant fan service, but it made me smile — even if he isn't nearly jolly or musical enough. I also think having Gandalf defeat a (presumably) evil blue wizard is a weird choice as you'd think that information would've come up in LOTR when Saruman betrays the White Council. Maybe he'll restore him to the righteous path instead of conquering him. 

 

I think Galadriel's character as written by Tolkien is such a great example of how not every strong female character needs to be Katniss Everdeen. Unfortunately, Amazon's show runners seem to disagree. They also peddle this bizarre trend (that I think started with the later seasons of GoT) that strong women can't also be likable. 

 

With that said, I really enjoy the other elvish plots. I think Sauron is exceptionally well done in this season. They've done a great job showcasing him as a master manipulator. Annatar reveal was great and I've really enjoyed the forging scenes. Also LOVE the messy elf representation! These bitties were not the perfect angels portrayed in PJ's trilogy. I love Elrond's character, actor, and storyline. The dwarf plot is solid, too. Disa is a fantastic addition from the show runners. 

 

Númenor is the most uneven plot for me. Sometimes it feels rushed, sometimes it feels like it's dragging. I think the writing is weaker here, too. Arondir and Theo's plot is also just sorta there. I enjoyed seeing the Ents again, but I thought some of their dialogue was straight up cringe fan-fiction. "Hast thou ever touched axe to wooded life?" I would've written this when I was 12 and thought I did something . To me, this is probably the show's biggest issue. They're constantly trying to evoke Tolkien in the dialogue and just fall...very short.

 

I'd say a 6/10. As a lifelong fan, I'm enjoying it and I think some people are doing too much. However, I think modern media criticism demands that we either viciously hate or defend something and I feel somewhere in-between. 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 20 by DevilsRollTheDice

[Dekkan]

I'm really enjoying this season tbh and I think they're doing a fantastic job with Sauron's portrayal. The Numenor plot I find the weakest.