Eldest

After a strong start, episode 4 of *The Rings of Power* season 2 feels like a step backward. Familiar elements from *The Lord of the Rings* films are recycled without offering much new. Galadriel's combat scenes come across as overly choreographed and lack the intensity they promise. The orcs, though well-designed, seem less menacing, losing their impact. The shift away from key characters like Sauron and Númenor introduces familiar figures from Tolkien's lore, but their inclusion feels more like fan service than essential plot development. While the episode has potential, it feels more like filler than an engaging continuation.

I liked a few things in the newest episode of The Rings of Power, but mostly I was bored. This was a dull one, ladies and gentlemen.

One of the problems with The Rings of Power is that many of the plotlines are isolated from each other, and some are more entertaining than others. My favorite characters are the dwarves. They seem more human than everyone else, including the humans. They fight, make up, snipe, joke, work and laugh. I'm invested emotionally in them. I've also been Celebrimbor's time with Sauron, who is manipulating the craftsman elf into making rings of power. Now that we know that Sauron is Sauron, we can enjoy his turn into over-the-top villainy.

I think the show should have just been about the dwarves and the harfoots and it should have been called Wee The People. Because they're wee little folk? You get it.

I'm enjoying this season quite a bit despite all the negative reviews.

But one thing bothers me above all else. Too many of the scenes taking place in a dark area are just too dark for me to see anything.

It's really difficult to make out what's happening in too many of the scenes for the whole series.

All you see are darker blobs and hear noises, but you can't make out anything else. No plot, no nothing. It's like watching a show blind.

Some scenes are actually lit properly, despite being at night, but others are just flat and overall disappointing.

I wish they didn't do this. But they're not the only show with this issue. Between the lack of visualization and when the music is so loud but the actors' voices are so quiet, you're constantly turning the volume up and down. It sucks that it's so prevalent in most TV shows nowadays.

I love the show. I love the Sauron storyline. I love the dwarves. I love the special effects and Galadriel. The stranger storyline and the harfoots is great! There is so much to like!

Please stop the Isildur meets girl storyline. It's BAD. It felt like watching Slater and Jesse from saved by the bell. How can a show with such amazing special effects and concepts have such bad writing at times. I don't mind the writing, just certain scenes flat out don't work. It was actually cringy, and I love this show. Just kill the storyline and add more of everything else. Easy to fix.

Ultimately my love for this show allows me to forgive any flaws.

They have definitely evolved the show from season one. The pacing the dialogue the action, everything is just better. But they haven't applied this to all the characters, I am finding the human characters just so awkward, clunky and boring to follow. The shows direction and realism isn't always amazing, there are definitely flaws, but they really don't matter too much when you are following Galadriel, Sauron or The Stranger as their characters, acting and story are all awesome and elevates the whole show to it's Tolkien esque brilliance! But, Isildur and friends just does not have that magic, and you can feel it. The show slows right down whenever they're on screen for too long. I don't know what it is exactly but something's just not working with those characters and the flow comes to a halt. But I have been loving everything else and the new characters we meet in this episode are fantastic!