Udûn

I can see many fans believe this is the best episode so far and I can understand why. It is more action packed, more focused and the ending is powerful, unexpected and intriguing. But the main reason why this episode "feels" better is simply because it is so action oriented, it is not hindered by the shortcomings of the horrendous writing. Ironically, since the story is practically non-existant and there is less dialogue, the episode turns out to be slightly better. There is one thing I really dislike about it though and it's not the first time it happens. This episode makes Middle Earth feel so small compared to the books and the LotR trilogy. The sense of wonder and huge scope is totally gone. Armies can cross lands and countries in what seems to be hours. In a previous episode we saw a character getting lost in the middle of the ocean, deciding to swim back to land (!!) and encountering two ships in a short time. That was preposterous, but seeing an army cross hundreds of miles in a matter of hours is not much better. Also, we are supposed to be watching the biggest TV production ever, but battles feel small and restrained compared to what we saw in the films. I can't hate Rings of Power like some people do, it has some good things, but it is always underwhelming and even its best moments feel bland and half baked to me.

Amazing episode. Yes there are still a lot of conveniences and characters are protected with plot armor, but this episode was just thrilling from start to finish with the ending image quite a sight to see. Some serious tension throughout but also still found so much time for levity with the villagers. Adar has been so cliched so far but this episode gave him some fascinating development. The real star though was the directing from Charlotte Brandstrom. Really felt like out of all the directors so far, she replicates Peter Jackson style in the best ways: the sweeping shots of the armies and horse riding, the almost slasher body horror of war, but also real moments of emotion. I kinda squealed when Isildur got that side hug from daddy. This is fun TV!

After a lot of set-up and introduction to characters, motivations, goals and different locations we finally get an episode where it feels like there is a plot and story moving forward!!

The production value really shows! Everything looked great in this episode! Great direction and visuals! This was the first episode that bad me on the edge at some parts! The show felt boring at times doing some of the previous episodes, but this was the first episode that i enjoyed from beginning to end!

Overall i feel like we are closing in on the ACTUAL show and story! The last 5min blew me Away! I have not read the source material but i think i know what it means!

This episode was the closest to Peter jacksons movies!

I haven't minded the series up until now, but I have been yearning for a great fight scene/battle. In this episode we get that and more. I was honestly on the edge of my seat and when I checked the run time expecting the episode to finish there was still 25 minutes left of the episode. The story is still quite messy, with a few plot lines not making much sense and alot of things happen by chance. But Im willing to ignore these negatives with the fight scenses in this episode and some of the choreography. The music was brilliant this episode, it really captured the lord of the rings feelings that the series has missed. The ending was fantastic too, I honestly can't wait until the next episode. 9/10, I hope the next two episodes are as action packed as this one.

I try not to use the rating 10/10 too often, in order to keep it for more special occasions. This is definitely one of them!

The episode is action packed and spectacular - we get a lot of really great scenes that makes you unable to sit still while watching, because it's so intense or just from pure hype. But it's not all just plotless action, as we also get a lot of answers to many questions in this episode and the dialog between characters is meaningful and well written.

Many elements in the previous episodes has built up to this and now we're finally here. I can't wait to see where this show takes us next!