The Eagle and the Sceptre

I find it odd that with such an astronomical budget, and fantastic source-material, they fail to make a show that really sparks ones interest.

This season will have 8 episodes, andnow after 3, nearly halfway, «nothing» has happened.

I fear it might rhyme with Game of Thrones, where they end up in a position having to bulk all the epic events into an all too short timeframe.

The trailer for Season 2 looks great, but I assume that 90% of the epic scenes are from the very last episode.

All in all the character development is somewhat lackluster, I personally don't feel anything for any of them, not even if I try, cause I genuinly WANT this show to succeed, but with the B-movie acting and writing, one starts to wonder where all the money went.. Hats off to the CGI and scenery, the show looks fantastic, but the people and conversations pale in comparison.

Elves are supposed to be behaved, conservative and wise, but at times this show displays them as reckless teenage human beings, which is a little disappointing.

I believe Tolkien himself had a clear image if the elves as far superior to humans and their moody nature.

Sauron, arugably the most powerfull entity in Middle-Earth at that moment in time, crawls his way to power through a path of weakness and inferiority.

He doesnt feel like the threat he is supposed to be.

These are only a few things to point out from a personal point of view, from a wide array of matters that fall too short to be worth the title of Lord of the Rings.

• Cheap character development
• Too slow build-up compared to the screentime
• Characters differ too much from source-material
• Writes/directors taking too many liberties to make this material their own.

The source-material is there, and it is fantastic The resources are there, and they are astronomical.

If you can't use the budget of a small country, to make a good show of a source-material that is already written for you, in great depth and detail, you are not good enough.

I want the show to succeed, I will watch the full season, but I am hoping to be positively surprised in the next episode, else I hope the owners will hire a new crew at the head of this show.

While season 2 is definitely an upgrade compared to season 1, there are some things that just don't sit well with me.

The creaters of the show MUST understand: Orcs are beings of evil, they don't have families they want to protect and care for. This is a fantasy world, it's not real life. There ARE pure evil beings in fantasy worlds. You may believe it is not the case for people in the real world and I respect that, but that does NOT reflect the work of Tolkien. This is simply disrespectful at this point.

On a positive note: the Annatar arc is going well, albeit some cheesy deceit lines he delivers. Music is great, set design and costumes are perfect. Acting is also fine (no Galadriel scene automatically upgrades the acting quality of an episode).

Don't try to change the original narrative, expand on it. You don't understand Tolkien's work better than Tolkien himself. Stop trying to insert real life into fantasy worlds.

I won't go into great detail, as others have already covered the various issues with this show.

The original story is undeniably fantastic, and the scenery is visually stunning. Unfortunately, that's where the praise ends. The show has a superficial tone that undermines the depth and mystique I was expecting as a fan. It attempts to deliver a serious, dramatic atmosphere but ultimately falls short.

Good acting should be seamless, where you forget you're watching a performance. Here, it's painfully evident that the characters are acting, which detracts from the immersion. Rather than feeling like I'm watching a high-budget production, it often feels like a staged theatre play - though without the charm and nuance that such a setting can provide.

The dialogue is another weak point, often coming across as superficial or nonsensical, with the wrong tone for the scenes. The characters strive to appear deadly, mysterious, or emotionally complex, but they fail to convey these qualities convincingly.

While I can't pinpoint the main flaw that makes the show fall flat, the overall execution just doesn't work.

Such a shame! Episode 1&2 were so much more exciting and entertaining than all of last season, really made me think they've learnt from their mistakes. Then this episode came on, started good but then just more and more and more boring talking scenes with the humans. And I enjoy good acting and dialogue, unfortunately this is more of the boring nonsense from Season 1. This show should do itself a favour and just focus on the characters that are actually working and driving the story forward as episode 3 really left me thinking "I may stop watching this show" being bored for an hour is not what entertainment is about. And to have such an amazing source material of stories and characters to use, and then present it in such a dull boring manner is a real shame to all Tolkien fans.

With Sauron now out in the open in Eregion, we see some great character work with Charlie Vickers and Charles Edwards, who begin to lay the foundations for one of the most pivotal periods in the history of Middle-earth and the Second Age. We also revisit the Numenor plotline, with Isildur beginning to grow as a character as he fights his way out of a nightmarish situation. Back on Numenor itself, Miriel wrestles with a turbulent political situation as the Numenorians aren't impressed with the way she handled the expedition to Middle-earth. Pharazon also becomes more sinister, and the climax of the episode with Miriel's coronation is quite an emotonal gutpunch. The season continues to be more impressive than Season 1 and is paced much better, particularly in this episode.