Elven Kings Under the Sky

Audience want war, brutal fighting scenes and bla bla bla. This is so absurd that some people just without any reason bomb review some seasons. Last season was Okay. Neither good nor bad. I know its highly controversial but showrunner tried their best. Except last 2 epsiodes of S1, season was good. Okay, so S2E1 was great. There are fighting scenes, music is amazing and costume/set designs are all pretty good. Now as show is progressing, we're going to upcoming war. So, obviously there is plenty of need for politics. Yeah, its was quite boaring as in this particular episode, all discussion doesn't bring anything to table. But yeah, its important. I hope all other episodes would be great and watch it by yourself and then judge.

A surprisingly very good start. Was actually extremely interested the whole episode. Last season was slow but understandable for a 5 season shows first season. Started very well here, besides what everyone says about what's true to books what's now. I'm an avid Tolkien book reader & devoted to the films. But this show for me is all about entertainment. We've had the books which is the most entertaining of all then we had the best movies of our generation. Let's not get greedy, let's just try to enjoy more LOTR & this could be a very nice season! Very good scene with the elves putting the 3 rings on & got me excited for the season!

This is a show that will probably never gain the admiration of the entire fanbase, but no matter what anybody tries to say, it is a show that displays the full soul of Tolkien's work. Is it word-for-word from the page of his works, no; but the great thing about this universe is that it can expand and become something else all the time. The first season largely worked for me and is still one of the most spectacular visual things I've seen on television. And the second season continues in a similar fashion: incredible production value and a premise that lays some great groundwork.

The scope of this show is very broad, and this season is going very far in bringing forward a story that will encapsulate everyone and everything in Middle-earth as a part of this growing conflict. At the heart of it all is Sauron, who revealed himself in the previous season's finale and is very much the central character of this first episode. The opening minutes feature an origin of how he became the Halbrand version that we know him as and it's very intriguing. A unique take on why he went into hiding and why he is so hellbent on revenge against the ones who betrayed him. But like with everything, it's a big game that he plays and will have everybody doing his bidding in no time. The Elves are uniting under a new symbol of the three rings, which can be a very dangerous road forward, but becomes one of the show's most beautiful scenes which showcases the absolutely stunning visuals of this show. There's not a lot like it on television at the moment when it comes to the visuals. There are a lot of teases throughout the episode and the Stranger plot still seems to be plotting forward a lot, which can easily become tiresome if it doesn't get a bit of context very soon. It's still fascinating to watch, but it can easily become boring if not treated right. And the teaser for the rest of the season was epic and makes me want to continue watching it all immediately.

"Elven Kings Under the Sky" brings the story forward with a big focus on Sauron, setting him up as the central character of the season. The episode features a lot of setup and it can be tiresome at certain points, but the beauty of the visuals and the dedication from the crew keeps it flowing.

Amazing start of season 2.

All the plots are interesting now, even the harfoot's one. Very excited to know what exactly happens with the rings of power and how Sauron manipulates everyone in his way to bring his plan forward.

Acting is OK, obviously not Leo DiCaprio level, but completely acceptable for a TV show.

Visuals are amazing as usual, music is also very good, always making you remember what you are watching.

I also read every book, and as usual you cant ever compare movies to books as it "always" falls short. I believe in that case LOTR was a standout as the movies are in my opinion even better than the books.

I urge the haters to stop watching this show, as it is actually depressing having to look at your pointless critics now. If Season 1 was so bad, why did you watch until the end and why are you watching now season 2? Dont you have anything better to waste your time on?

Critics like the elves are terrible when they are clearly way prettier and knowledgeable than the other races as they should be. Critics like their ears are to big. Completely laughable.

If you are so puritan that you can not enjoy this TV show, please do not watch it and stick to the books. Do us all a favor including yourself and waste your time on something better.

It's clear to me that the show runners have taken on board at least some of the criticism of season 1.

They've launched into some genuinely exciting action to kick things off after the glacially slow pace of the previous series. They've ditched some of the cumbersome dialog which made the first series feel a bit too serious and laughable at times (though some dialogue is on the nose, particularly the intro for Cirdan).

They've also given some characters genuinely interesting things to do - looking forward to the continuation of the series provided the mix of action and drama continues. Optimistic for the rest of the episodes after a lacklustre season 1.