Online Series: Rings of Power season 2 (August 29)

[NyQuil]

I’ll admit that hearing the actors say “Celebrimbor” forty times an episode is a big draw for me.

 

[NyQuil]

In all seriousness, I've enjoyed this season.

They've shed light on Sauron's influence on the forging of the rings, and presented an interesting take on how the rings had impact on the physical worlds around them, both in terms of the elves and the dwarves.

 

[Holden Caulfield]

In all seriousness, I've enjoyed this season.

They've shed light on Sauron's influence on the forging of the rings, and presented an interesting take on how the rings had impact on the physical worlds around them, both in terms of the elves and the dwarves.

I've been enjoying it. Particularly the dwarf/elf storylines have been great, IMO. DIsa (Sophia Nomvete) and Prince Durin IV (Owain Arthur) have great chemistry. They are standouts. Personally I've also really liked Elrond (Robert Aramayo) as well. The storylines involving them have been well done and thought out with some excellent acting, IMO. Of course Sauron/Annatar (Charlie Vickers) and Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) have the been the standouts of this season as Sauron masterfully deceives and manipulates Celebrimbor. Those storylines are working well as we lead into Siege of Eregion here.

I'm still unsure of the addition of Adar (Joseph Mawle) to the story. This whole storyline of the Orcs being against Sauron is still just meh, IMO. But we are about to see it kick off here and I'm guessing it'll come back into place soon. And unfortunately I'm just not a fan of how they are portraying Galadriel (Morfydd Clark). I'm not a Tolkien expert and have tried and failed to get through the Silmarillion a few times but Galadriel just seems off. Her being in camp with the Orcs isn't helping.

The Numenor storyline feels like it's just a little underbaked. I get that it takes a back seat to the main storyline in Eregion right now, but it needs/needed a little more time to breath, IMO. But the acting has been real solid with Trystan Gravelle's Pharazon as the standout.

My biggest problems are with The Stranger storyline. Why is this even a thing right now? Not that it's bad, but it's like the 3rd/4th storyline right now and just feels superfluous, particularly when you know in the source material the Wizards don't appear until the 3rd age. So what part do they have to play in this show that won't break canon?

And it seems like they completely don't know what to do with Arondir/Theo/Isildur right now. Obviously we know Isildur has a huge part to play later, and I think I know what they are setting up for Theo (might he be getting a ring soon to have?) but they clearly are just killing time with these characters unfortunately.

Overall though I do feel this show is starting to hit it's stride. Supposedly the last two episode really starts to hit it off so I am excited. Unfortunately the long wait between Season 1 and Season along with the lukewarm at best reception of Season 1 has likely doomed this show. Cause I still think it could be great and it is getting alot better all the time. But even if they nail the next two episodes if they wait another 2 years for Season 3...it's just too long.

 

[Blender]

Latest episode was...not good.

Can't believe how badly they butchered Tom Bombadil after a strong debut a few episodes ago.

 

[Very Stable Genius]

Okay, its starting to finally pay off now.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Only through 3 episodes this season. Kind of eh, characters seem off and shit is moving kind of slow.

Not awful though expect for the Numenor stuff in episode 3. Thought all of that was really bad. Queen actress plays an awful blind person. Probably shouldn't have made her blind.

 

[Hivemind]

I have lots of opinions on the most recent episode and the season as a whole, but I'm going to save most of them for an overall review after next week's finale.

That being said, it was nice to see Gil-Galad finally do, well, anything at all. Even if his screen time was still far too brief.

 

[Bounces R Way]

Least that last episode resembled Jackson's Lord of the Rings. Really not a ton going on with these characters to make them likeable or even all that sympathetic save for the Disa and Durin. I do think this season is better than the 1st now that all the plotlines are in full swing, but still not hitting all its marks.

The guy playing Sauron is soft carrying this series.

 

[Blender]

Stopping the cavalry charge like that might be the dumbest thing they have done in the series so far.

Sauron carrying season 2. Did they intend for him to be the protagonist?

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

Stopping the cavalry charge like that might be the dumbest thing they have done in the series so far.

Sauron carrying season 2. Did they intent for him to be the protagonist?

Gonna find out he was mistreated and misunderstood that leads to a wrong perception of him as a bad guy, just like Elphaba in Wicked.

Seriously though, we’re in a very antihero era, where the “protagonist” has mixed motivations and the “antagonist” becomes almost sympathetic. It would not surprise me that this is purposeful.

 

[Blender]

Gonna find out he was mistreated and misunderstood that leads to a wrong perception of him as a bad guy, just like Elphaba in Wicked.

Seriously though, we’re in a very antihero era, where the “protagonist” has mixed motivations and the “antagonist” becomes almost sympathetic. It would not surprise me that this is purposeful.

Sauron is a narcissist and cruel manipulator, but he's carrying the show so hard right now and is somehow more likeable than most of the "hero" characters.

Overall a good episode, but the plot is still a mess.

 

[The Marquis]

I think I liked that less than most but it was still good. The music at the end needs to be edited out in all future releases. It killed the finish of that otherwise good episode. What the hell was that? Let’s just throw some modern metal music in a music without anything modern otherwise. Terrible choice to end such a pivotal episode

 

[Emperoreddy]

Through 6 episodes and they should have stuck to the lore closer but kept it from Sauron's POV.

Him gaslighting Celebrimbor has been the best thing either season of this show has done by a country mile.

Easily could have been all of season 1.

 

[4thline]

Through 6 episodes and they should have stuck to the lore closer but kept it from Sauron's POV.

Him gaslighting Celebrimbor has been the best thing either season of this show has done by a country mile.

Easily could have been all of season 1.

Season 1-Forging of the Rings
Prelude- Coming of Men - Numenoreans establishing Pelargir/Umbar
Primary plot- Anatar/Celebrimbor and the forging
Elves/Men/Dwarves as friends
Episode 7- Sack of Eregion and Sealing of Khazad-dum
Episode 8- Numenorean Deux ex machina, close with capture of Sauron

Season 2- Poison of the Rings
Captured Sauron poisons Pharazon against the elves, young Elendil the elf-friend fights the good fight (Isildur & Anarion as children)- keep the elves involved in this until a mid-season exile/ Sauron lives reveal)
Ring corrupts Durin III
Episode 7- the great Armament / Awakening of the Balrog
Episode 8 - Fall of Numenor / Exodus of the Faithful / Founding of Gondor


Season 3 Part 1- Rise of Gondor/ Return of the Ring
Season 3 Part 2- The Last Alliance

 

[hotcabbagesoup]

Season 1-Forging of the Rings
Prelude- Coming of Men - Numenoreans establishing Pelargir/Umbar
Primary plot- Anatar/Celebrimbor and the forging
Elves/Men/Dwarves as friends
Episode 7- Sack of Eregion and Sealing of Khazad-dum
Episode 8- Numenorean Deux ex machina, close with capture of Sauron

Season 2- Poison of the Rings
Captured Sauron poisons Pharazon against the elves, young Elendil the elf-friend fights the good fight (Isildur & Anarion as children)- keep the elves involved in this until a mid-season exile/ Sauron lives reveal)
Ring corrupts Durin III
Episode 7- the great Armament / Awakening of the Balrog
Episode 8 - Fall of Numenor / Exodus of the Faithful / Founding of Gondor


Season 3 Part 1- Rise of Gondor/ Return of the Ring
Season 3 Part 2- The Last Alliance

Where does my favorite character, Warrior-Princess Commander Galadriel fit into this timeline? Does she fall for any bad boys? Will she kiss anyone important? And tell me, where is Celeborn, for I very much wish to see Galadriel kiss him.