The Rings of Power Season 2 review - Hit and miss, but still more than entertaining

Given the love for Peter Jackson’s trilogy of The Lord of the Rings, I feel like I should make some kind of statement about those films at the start of this review for season two of Amazon and MGM’s The Rings of Power. This is perhaps in reaction to some of the views I’ve seen regarding the first three episodes which have already aired.

You see, The Rings of Power finds itself between a rock and a hard place. On one side you’ve got the original Tolkien novels, the bestsellers that established and defined a genre, adored by generations; on the other, you have a trilogy of films many consider a perfect adaptation and masterpieces in their own right.

I will freely admit that I have never read the books, despite being a huge fantasy fan, and while I adore the films of Peter Jackson, they don’t hold a special place in my heart. So, when The Rings of Power debuted with season one, I was excited. I wanted a great fantasy show based loosely on something I respect and enjoy and that’s what I got, in most regards.

The Rings of Power - Amazon MGM Studios

However, there’s a secret third rock that The Rings of Power is up against and that’s the expectation of a prequel. We’ve seen how prequels can mire things if we look sideways to another pop culture legend, so how do you handle this amount of pressure?

Where The Rings of Power fails is exactly where it fell down in the first season. There’s an overuse of flowery ‘profound’ dialogue spoken while gazing into the middle distance, some CGI elements don’t quite line up with the otherwise spectacular practical effects and costumes, and the stories being told, while supported by terrific acting and characterisation, are too disparate in telling a cohesive story.

But that’s not to say that season two is a failure because its high points very much outweigh its lows. As I said above, the show and its creators are not in an enviable position. After all, how do you tell the story of Middle-Earth without pulling in so many characters, with eight episodes only giving them a short time to shine?

Admittedly, shine they do, when they’re on screen. The story of Durin and his battles against his father, Galadriel and her pursuit of Sauron, and the journey of the Harfoots and the Stranger, these are all huge stories. These are set to a background of men warring over a throne, the wants of Adar and the Uruk, and of course, the growing tension of Sauron constructing the rings of power with Celebrimbor

The Rings of Power - Amazon MGM Studios

This is a lot to cram in and while each hour, though usually a bit longer, does a good job of making each story hold gravitas, tying them together in one place feels too stretched. It also doesn’t help that the dialogue is all over the place - one line had me cringing - with some scenes sounding like they’re borne of Tolkien’s tongue and others cracked from a fortune cookie.

It makes for a bunch of messy parts, though I would be remiss to ignore the full picture which still entertains. Each of those previously mentioned storylines moves with great pace bringing their own levels of excitement, intrigue, and emotions. This is, in large part, thanks to the actors who play their roles brilliantly.

Charlie Vickers positively simmers as Sauron, who we see in his gift-giving form. One that flip-flops between rage and despair. I was always scared of how Vickers would portray the Dark Lord because really, Sauron is an entity of evil, how would a human perform this? Bringing some level of humanity to Sauron might not be for everyone, but Vickers commands the screen with every subtle move of his face whether in joy or sneering at those he finds ‘beneath’ him.

Sharing the screen with him is Charles Edwards who steals the show as Celebrimbor. While his casual arrogance is a wonder in the first few episodes, he goes full bore into his emotional bag as the season moves on and in the last two episodes delivers a performance that had me riveted and heartbroken.

Each moving part of the ensemble has a moment to shine, whether it’s Morfydd Clark in her desperate pleas to the Elves, or Ismael Cruz Córdova as the back-flipping, sword-wielding Arondir. And, while I found it the weakest part of the show, Daniel Weyman and Markella Kavenagh do their very best with the journey of Nori and the Stranger.

The Rings of Power - Amazon MGM Studios

It’s perhaps the weakest part because it is, in essence, one of the biggest parts of the show and needs more space to breathe. The audience is on tenterhooks because we all desperately want to know who the Stranger is and much of their appearance is, much like their journey, plodding and slow. It simply can’t keep up with the burning action in other parts of Middle-Earth.

Of course, in this review, I’m beholden to spoilers and, frustratingly, it’s those parts I wish to talk about the most. Not because I wish to ruin the show for you, but because I want to sing many praises. The last four episodes barely take any breaths, it is suspense and action all the way, with some emotive moments that will take a character you merely liked and elevate them to favourite status.

The scope of this show finally comes into its own. This is a story about the rings of power, something that was missing from the first season. And where that season fell down, because it had no real dramatic drive in its lack of villain, this season more than makes up for it. This is Sauron at his most manipulative and while he’s affecting characters, he’s doing the same to the viewer.

The tension I felt during some scenes in the latter half of the season was palpable. I went through every shade of hating Sauron, while also kind of loving the fact that he’s an utter bastard. His reach begins to slowly creep out, infecting every part of the world because of the rings and finally, there is a real threat.

While yes, there are some missteps here and there, some storylines that won’t always thrill but might come into their own, there’s no denying the scope of this show. There’s an underlying passion that can be felt in the bones of everything you see whether that’s in the sublime practical effects and makeup, the sumptuous wardrobes, the heartfelt turns before the camera, or the sweeping vistas once only imagined.

I wanted a fantasy show I could enjoy, one that I could invest in, and I found it. The Rings of Power season two has done its job, not only did it entertain, but it planted a seed in me. As soon as I finished watching episode eight I bought the Peter Jackson trilogy on 4K Blu-ray, downloaded the Andy Serkis audiobooks, and opened up The Lord of the Rings wiki to read more about characters I loved. I’m more of a fan than ever.