Halls of Stone

A television show about the Second Age of the Middle-earth probably shines the most if it gets into details the manipulation and corruption that took place in this particular era of Tolkien's world. From Numenor to Eregion, this episode really hit that spot. While some things feel rushed, such as the the conflict between The Faithful and The King's Men and the creation of the Doors of Durin, plenty of air is also given to Vickers and Edwards who shine brighly as Annatar and Celebrimbor respectively. Two great actors predictably shine brightly when they interact, and in this episode the tension between the two was palpable. Peter Mullens as Durin III also does a great job of demonstrating the impact of the rings on the Dwarves, even if their effects appear quicker due to the condensing of time in the series. One particular scene in Numenor felt appropiately dark and really hammered home how quickly things have gone south on the island. Overall, this is probably my favorite episode from the series along with Episode 6 from Season 1.

This episode really gave the series some momentum going forward now with some of the action and thrill of the characters becoming more serious to the reality of what's happening with the rings. Took a season and a half to get us here but fingers crossed the show kicks on now and shows its true potential.

Hoping that the remainder of the season will show some clever decisions from our lead characters in order to work together to fight against Sauron and not to be mislead over and over (Calabrimbor).. hoping the High King will listen to his council and send Aid to the ones who will need the help of the elves.

The biggest complaint I have with the show is the pacing and the way it balances the multiple storylines in each episode.

However, this episode was mostly engaging from start to finish, focusing on what's important, THE RINGS OF POWER themselves. This is an episode that doesn't have any action, mostly just dialogue, but the conversations between Annatar and Celebrimbor are absolutely riveting, seeing Sauron being all smirky is also entertaining in a way, the scenes with the Dwarves are also really good, giving more stakes because of the rings themselves.

The only thing that slowed down the episode a bit was the Numenor plot, but still not as slow as the Nori, Theo and Wizard scenes

So overall, that is why I think this episode was the best of the entire show so far and I have many reasons to believe the next 3 episodes can easily top it *wink* (battle for eregion)

For me, this is the best episode of the season. Darkness thickens in the hearts of the races of Middle-earth. And we already see how the rings of power begin to work for their creator, the Lord of the Ring. This episode is a masterfully created drama by the actors, composers, and scriptwriters.

As a reader of Tolkien's legendarium, I am impressed by this titanic work of show-crafting that we can see in this fantastic, enjoyable TV series. The depth of character development, the attention to detail in every scene, and the sheer artistry involved have elevated this adaptation. It is a tribute to Tolkien's genius, combining awe-inspiring visuals and good performances that leave a lasting emotional impact.

Each episode feels like a journey into Middle-earth itself, a testament to the creators' passion and respect for the source material that gives us more reflection and thinking about ourselves and the nature of how to live during uneasy times (like Gandalf said one time).

Halls of Stone is a marked improvement on the previous episode, with some stunning sequences and captivating scenes, but can't quite fully escape the weaker points of the Rings of Power.

It was always going to be a challenge to condense source material which takes place over hundreds of years into a short timescale, and I would have preferred the show to take place over a much longer timescale to give us a much stronger feeling of the immortality of elves and differing lifetimes of Dwarves and men (including those from Numenor), but this episode does a much better job of condensing events in a coherent way than Rings of Power has done previously.

There's far fewer line lifts from elsewhere given to characters here and fewer out of place Easter eggs. I appreciated that. There's a stronger feeling of it's own identity here, and I think the show is stronger for it.