The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power - Review Season One
With unparalleled scale and scope for television, “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” offers another journey into Middle-earth. Unfortunately, the series tries too hard and ends up being pompous and boring.
Given the legacy of J.R.R. Tolkien's literature and Peter Jackson's iconic first trilogy movies, expectations for the series were high. Regardless, I tried to judge Amazon Prime Video's “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” on its own merits, without comparison.
The Rings of Power summary
The first season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power sets the stage for what’s coming in future seasons. Set in a time of peace, Middle-earth’s Second Age, the show introduces a diverse cast of familiar and new characters. Showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay tell the story of how the various forces' quest for power brings war to Middle-earth.
The show begins with a young Galadriel (Amelie Child Villiers) speaking with her brother Finrod (Will Fletcher) in Valinor—the sacred, eternal realm where elves journey after their time in Middle-earth ends. We’re then introduced to the devastating events set in motion by Melkor, later known as Morgoth. He was the first Dark Lord who rose from the ranks of the Valar, a powerful pantheon of deities. Melkor plunged Middle-earth into a long and brutal war, which ultimately ended with his defeat and the close of the First Age.
In the aftermath, Finrod falls in battle against the growing threat of Morgoth’s successor: the warlock and rising Dark Lord, Sauron. Following Finrod’s death, the adult Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) assumes the mantle of his crusade against evil to uphold her brother’s legacy.
Striking visuals, struggling storytelling
The show has amazing visuals and lots of whimsical fantasy elements. Meticulously crafted sets and costumes, combined with seamless special effects, bring the majestic elven cities and towering statues of ancient kings to life.
Opening with a childhood scene was a gamble, and it flopped. The initial episodes of any series are important. They need to hook viewers, establish the series’ premise, and introduce compelling characters, all while keeping a sense of intrigue. Unfortunately, the writers gained no momentum at all. The show never finds its rhythm and ends up both rushed and boring.
In addition, its heavily contrived mysteries and so-called surprise twists often fall flat. Tolkien fans already know Isildur’s fate, thus the volcano scene’s cliffhanger lacks suspense. One has to question the writers’ choices and their understanding of what the audience expects.
A crowded cast with little charisma
Besides the nonsensical, predictable plot, the series has too many characters. I’m more worried about the lack of character development than about the race of the actors.
Rather than developing characters, the narrative relies too much on endless arguments. From the strained father-son relationship between Isildur (Max Baldry) and Elendil (Lloyd Owen) over the disagreements between Elrond (Robert Aramayo) and Durin (Owain Arthur) to Nori (Markella Kavenagh) and the village elders—all the characters are constantly bickering. Galadriel is the worst; she fights with nearly everyone.
Galadriel comes across as a young, strict, and irritable bully, who lacks wisdom and constantly ignores advice. This depiction is baffling and frustrating; it's unlike the wise, calm person we know. Yes, there is a significant time gap between the show and the movies. Still, the sheer lack of depth and character development is truly astonishing. Even as a completely original elf character, her behavior would still seem inappropriate and illogical.
Here's another questionable example of storytelling: Adar (Joseph Mawle) was an intriguing antagonist, but his character lost its allure when he let Arondir (Ismael Cruz Córdova) go “to deliver a message to the humans”. This decision kills the suspense and conflict the writers planned. To make things even worse, Arondir saves Theo (Tyroe Muhafidin), and they run into Bronwyn (Nazanin Boniadi) in the woods. Together, the trio evades many orcs, whose competence with arrows appears to match my own.
And what about the Harfoots? I was looking forward to seeing the ancestors of hobbits. What charmed me first was their nomadic lifestyle and tight-knit community. Their “No one walks alone!” motto mirrored the spirit we know from Samwise Gamgee. Yet, why then do they leave behind their elderly, sick, and maimed to suffer and die?
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House of the Dragon – Review Season One
The grandeur and scale of Game of Thrones revolutionized long-form storytelling. While comparisons to the original are inevitable, I evaluated House of the Dragon on its own merit.
Putting profit before story
While visually stunning, The Rings of Power lacks strong storytelling. The story drags, lacking a clear direction and an overarching plot. Things happen without consequences, and characters don’t grow.
I think the slow pace isn’t about the story, it's about milking it for more seasons and money.
Even as a standalone fantasy series, The Rings of Power would fall short. It relies too heavily on generic tropes and melodrama rather than forging new ground. The one-dimensional, stereotypical characters are ultimately unimpressive and leave no positive lasting memory.
The season finale promised to answer the question at the heart of the first season: who is Sauron? Sadly, the revelation was underwhelming. It's hard to get invested, fan or not. I won't spoil his identity. If you watched the show, you know who it is. If you didn’t watch, you don’t care, anyway. In my case, I watched but still don't care. And how sad is that for a Lord of the Ring show?
