‘Rings Of Power’ Season 2 TV Review: Blasphemous For Tolkien Purists

Lord Of The Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 has been released in full on Prime Video.

The Season 1 finale unmasked Sauron. If you remember anything beyond that, congratulations. If you’re like me before a chaotic rewatch that relied heavily on the fast-forward key: Sauron tricked Elven smith Celebrimbor into creating the first three Rings of Power; an army from idyllic Númenor sailed to Middle Earth and lost a battle to defend the Southlands, which was seized by Orcs; a halfling discovered a mysterious man known only as “The Stranger”; the Dwarves discovered the mystical ore mithril.

Season 2 begins shortly after these events. The three Elven rings create conflict among the Elves. Meanwhile, Sauron returns to Celebrimbor with plans to make more rings. Political unrest stirs as Númenorians mourn their losses from their battle in Middle Earth. The survivors of the battle navigate the ravaged lands.  

Keeping in mind that this show is not attempting to mimic and, therefore, Nerd disclaimer: I grew up on Peter Jackson’s classic Lord of the Rings films and the source material. Tolkien purists and fans of Jackson’s films have been largely unsatisfied with The Rings of Power in comparison. After Season 1, I realized that considering Amazon’s adaptation against the iconic franchise is not the recipe for a good time. As such, I recommend viewers interested in Season 2 keep in mind that this show is not attempting to mimic and, therefore, can’t really be compared to Jackson’s work.

That said, for viewers who want to be angry, I highly recommend the The Making of “The Lord of the Rings” to raise the bar for what can be accomplished without Amazon money. 

This season took some brave steps in terms of depicting Tolkien’s world cinematically. Tom Bombadil, notably missing from Peter Jackson’s trilogy, makes a bold entrance portrayed by Rory Kinnear (with a line famously borrowed by Treebeard in Jackson’s The Two Towers, for anyone who cares). We’re also graced with the presence of an Entwife. Though Kinnear gave a likable performance and the design for the Entwife was pretty cool, both characters were ultimately underwhelming.

The narrative arc is essentially a long walk toward the creation of sixteen more rings of power. I haven’t been able to pin down my favorite characters (Galadriel, portrayed by Morfydd Clark, is especially difficult to get behind), and that lack of emotional investment in the protagonists puts a lot on the shoulders of the plot, which bends under the weight. Sauron, in his new form, is an interesting addition, giving an absolute masterclass in gaslighting, but aside from that, Season 2 isn’t exceptionally meaningful.

Did I see where they were going with The Stranger’s identity by the end of Season 1? Yes. Did I get a little excited when it was revealed in the Season 2 finale? Of course. There are fun elements here, but the story doesn’t have much going for it beyond mild reveals and (admittedly gorgeous) Middle Earth settings and battle sequences. Sauron can trick Celebrimbor into making cursed jewelry, but he can’t gaslight me into investing in a narrative that doesn’t hold up with or without the source material. 

As a Lord of the Rings show, it ignored the elements of Second Age lore that I would have liked to see. (Can we send a search party out for Celeborn, or did the writers take him to a farm upstate?) As a fantasy show, it’s messy and diluted. Aesthetically, it’s satisfying, and Season 2 delivers some exciting action sequences, particularly in the finale (which I don’t take lightly after spending eight episodes of House of the Dragon with honestly way too much faith that something would pay off). Though Rings of Power is borderline blasphemous for Tolkien purists, it’s a fine watch for viewers content to spend some time in Middle Earth.