The Rings of Power Season Two Early Review

Four our review of the last episode of The Rings of Power, click here.

The first season of Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power brought viewers into the world of Middle Earth in grand fashion as seemingly no expense was spared in bringing that world to life. Largely unparalleled on a technical level, the season also had a lot going on but through all that ambition, trying to set up its characters and world, it arguably took on far too much. This could be felt most in the pacing. While the series definitely looked the part, its accompanying narrative was not as strong, That being said, it was not without its bright spots, the biggest of those being Morfydd Clark who single-handedly carried the season as a younger Galadriel. Charlie Vickers’ Hallbrand (a.k.a. Sauron), on the other hand, came out of the season as a nice surprise as an uber-charming and uber-devious villain. Focusing almost exclusively on set up, the newest season of The Rings of Power has benefitted from that work, stepping up and delivering a better-paced and far more engaging narrative that is less about showing off and more about characters. Clark and Vickers shine once again, while others step up as well.

Much of the first season focused on Galadriel’s journey to stomp put the evil that had been spreading across Middle Earth but that journey proved to be a failure. This new season saw Sauron, exert their cunning and power of deception to further grow their power to enact their master plan, putting the chess pieces in place in order to pave the way and rule all of Middle Earth. Not wasting any time, Sauron meeting Galadriel was not a chance encounter as it was all part of his plan. Just a man (or an entity masquerading as a man), he had power but he had no army so he would have to play a long game. In fact, the key to stopping Sauron may very well be the three Elven rings, however, not everyone was on the same page with that plan. Still contemplating their role moving forward, while powerful, Elrond did not trust the rings and the unintended circumstances of their use.

Warning the rest of their kingdom about Hallbrand/Sauron, Lord Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) of Eregion, a foremost Elven smith, did not heed that warning, falling under his spell soon after he showed up at his doorstep. As those working under Celebrimbor grew suspicious of Hallbrand/Sauron and his motives, they quickly found themselves also falling under Sauron’s charm (or spell), just like Celebrimbor did. Eregion would prove to play a vital role in season two as Celebrimbor and their powerful forge was yet the next part of Sauron’s plan. Keeping true to the title, that next step was to craft more rings for other races to put his thumb on the scales. Though it wasn’t a mystery to everyone where Sauron was hiding, getting there and stopping him had the makings to be the biggest challenge of them all.

Númenór became a much different place since Queen Regent Míriel and captain Elendil came back from the Southlands following the death of her father. Looking for any way to wrestle power from her, Miriel’s politician cousin Pharazôn (Trystan Gravelle) used it as an opportunity to accelerate his master plan to turn public favor against her. Scheming in the shadows since the moment he first appeared, doing what he felt was right for his people, it certainly did not appear that way. Believing her brother Isildur to be dead, in her grief and maybe out of resentment of her father, Eärien (Ema Horvath) joined Pharazôn’s cause. However, that cause was still a controversial one as it went against many of Númenór’s norms and traditions. On top of the drama within Elendil’s family, his relationship with Miriel was also put to the test as his loyalty to her made him a target. Little did they know, Isildur survived the volcano and was very much alive albeit alone in the Southlands. Joining up with the other survivors, he and Theo formed a strong bond. Overcoming adversity, he, Isildur, and Arondir made quite the team but as far as the latter was concerned, he still sought revenge against Adar (now Sam Hazeldine). 

Adar fended off Sauron once before to assume control of the orcs, though rumblings of his return left him a little shaken. Learning of his return, to sure up his grip on power, he also got his forces to gear up for Eregion just as the Elves were doing, led by Galadriel and Elrond. However, dissention grew among the ranks as the fear of Sauron drove some of the orcs away. Between the Elves and the Orcs, having a common enemy would suggest a team-up at some point but that notion was never going to be in the cards. Another potential ally for the Elves was of the course the Dwarves, Prince Durin, had plenty of struggles of his own as his relationship with his father remained strained. Trying to bridge that gap at the behest of Desa, who was not ready to give up, King Durin wearing one of seven additional rings crafted for each of the Dwarvish complicated that process. 

The Stranger and Nori continued their journey east through the mysterious desert lands of Rhûn to find their purpose for what was to come. However, they were not alone as they were being followed by the forces of a being known as the Dark Wizard (Ciarán Hinds). Knowing a lot about the Stranger, suggesting a past relationship, he took a keen interest in his developments in the hopes of him not reaching his true potential, figuring out his name, and fulfilling his destiny, things that should come as a surprise to no one. Exploring some unchartered territory, this subplot brought upon some interesting discoveries, culminating in the introduction of a famed part of the lore of The Lord of the Rings in Tom Bombadil (Rory Kinnear). Simply bringing out of him what was already there, The Stranger and the wise immortal were an absolute delight to watch together thanks to the chemistry of Kinnear and David Weyman.

The story of Eregion was a saga in and of itself. Sauron’s fight to maintain control of the hijacked forge and the back and forth between he and Celebrimbor, as he systematically pushed him out of command, was troubling at the start but became increasingly tense as the spell over him began to fade once war inched closer to the gates. As mentioned, all roads lead to Eregion. Acting like he had the situation under control, Sauron showed little concern over what was happening. The battle for Eregion between the Elves and the Orcs delivered in terms of pure scale and excitement, leaving an impact while jumping between the battles inside and outside the walls. Following Adar’s forces to Eregion, Arondir joined the battle. Taking a loss, it was only the beginning of the fight against Sauron and as far as the Elves were concerned, they were in it for the long haul.

On a technical level, The Rings of Power remains virtually unparalleled. The cinematography throughout is absolutely breathtaking, capturing moments both big and small, using the UK as the backdrop for the second season (after using New Zealand for season one). From the production and set design, to the costumes and VFX, one can’t help but commend the work behind such an undertaking as another season of a series of this size and scope. Recreating much of that same epic feel as the film series, Bear McCreary’s score is again what ties it all together. With a better-paced narrative, the writing has more of a chance to stand out and also, the characters as the season spent more time diving into them. In terms of performances, the cast all delivered, with Clark and Vickers leading the way as Galadriel and Hallbrand/Sauron. However, a few more cast members emerged. David Weyman, Rory Kinnear, Sam Hazeldine, Charles Edwards, and Robert Aramayo, as Elrond, were also standouts.

At the end of the day, the latest season of The Rings of Power is an improvement over the first, stepping up in size and scale while accompanying it with a more engaging narrative.

still courtesy of Prime Video

If you liked this, please read our other reviews here and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter or Instagram or like us on Facebook.

Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.