The Eagle and the Sceptre

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.

Like others, I thought the first series dragged, but I stuck with it. Then the first two episodes of season 2 dropped, and I thought things were looking up. Could it be that the showrunners, writers, and directors actually listened to all the criticism of the first season and injected some much-needed life into what should be a bit of an epic? Err... apparently not.

The overall impression from watching episode 3 of season 2 is that this has turned into a run-of-the-mill soap, complete with all the well-worn tropes and characters. It is simply set in a fantasy world. The writers are obviously more at home with daytime TV than adapting the masterpiece that is Tolkien's writing. They have taken the template of a soap and shoehorned Tolkien's world into it.

There are some flashes of good acting here, but they are few and far between. Although, I think a lot of the blame falls on the director. Even the best actors can appear wooden if the directing is wrong.

Of course, I will watch the rest of the season, but I am expecting the worst and hoping for the best. And what a sorry thing that is to say about a show based on the work of Tolkien.

Maybe too many plots to follow as Sauron weaves his trap. The storyis slow moving and the script seems dull lacking wit. The sets, costumes and cinematography are amazing, stunning and beautiful. But perhaps the different plays within a play gets tedious no single protagonist emerges but many to follow Luke in game if thrones.. Tolkien's kingdoms that of the elves, the humans ,the demons all struggle for supremacy. The actors seem to struggle with the boredom unlike Jackson's Lord of the Rings which was beautiful , fun and intriguing perhaps this one is hard to follow the success of that trilogy. The rings still hold the illusion and desires of the people. The war between good and evil continues Sauron fools everyone testing their desire for power.

The Rings of Power, without a doubt, is made by people who fundamentally do not understand either the work or the message of Professor Tolkien. It's at best a fan fiction of Peter Jackson's movies (they shamelessly copy scenes and dialogue) but, unlike the original trilogy, this series lacks good writing, terrible acting, and appalling direction. The only thing I can rescue is the photography, but that's not enough. Friends, I'm a fan of Tolkien's work, but not a fundamentalist. I'm not offended when they change the race, color, or appearance of the characters as long as they do what they're supposed to do according to the original work. The Rings of Power borrows character names from Professor's legendary work to tell a kind of low-quality afternoon soap opera. I don't know who's to blame for such a calamity, but already into the third episode of the second season, things are getting worse and it's becoming increasingly boring.

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.