Halls of Stone

The fifth episode of the second season of *The Rings of Power* was absolutely incredible. And I say that as someone who has been a fan of Tolkien's work for a long time, who grew up immersed in the richness of Middle Earth. Yes, I recognize the series' mistakes and flaws - because, like any fan, I'm demanding. But it's undeniable that this episode brought something great. The creation of the Rings of Men was approached in a profound and visually spectacular way, as few could do.

Now, what really bothers me is the number of people who keep complaining that the series "doesn't follow the books". Really? Since when did the movies do that? *The Rings of Power never promised to be an exact copy of Tolkien's works, and for anyone who knows anything about adaptations, that's obvious. If you want something faithful to the books, then go and re-read them. What the series is doing is taking the essence of Tolkien and transforming it into something visually and narratively great.

The second season, for me, is far superior to the first. I'm the first to admit that the series had problems at the beginning, but what we're seeing now is a clear evolution. This fifth episode was a masterpiece in every sense: the dialog, the narrative, the visuals. Of course, there are things I wish were different - like any fan, I have my preferences. But to say that the series is bad, as some do? That's short-sighted.

I'm extremely curious to see how this season will end. If it continues at this pace, the finale has everything it takes to be epic. Anyone who can't see the greatness of this episode, or of the whole series, is probably stuck with unrealistic expectations and can't appreciate an adaptation for what it is.

This episode shows what the show could have been if it had ditched the ridiculous Harfoot storyline. Once it can focus on the stories of Elvendom, Sauron and Numenor - the epic stories - it unfolds its full potential. I really wish the showrunners had not intertwined so many different storylines instead of concentrating on a few like they did in this episode. I feel like they felt the fans would miss the Hobbits too much, so they included the abomination that is the Harfoots. Its a shame because the set design and acting are amazing and my biggest fear is going back to the Harfoots and pseudo-Gandalf in the next episode.

I know the series will never be 100% true to the lore, which disappoints many fans. For me, I am happy to see more of this world and hope it can deliver without butchering it like Disney did with most of their star wars spinoffs.

To me, the storyline is more captivating and enjoyable without tracking the harfoots which seems very unimportant other than explaining Gandalf's fondness to Hobbits.

I would still like some more character development and respect for characters like Galadriel. Also Valandils relation to Elendil seemed very suddenly "close" without any hints of so previously. Other than that I liked it alot.

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 show juggles a lot of different plotlines, and is at its worst when it centers on those, that are boring and brings out zero investment on my behalf!

However this episode, actually had some plotlines that had me invested! I felt like the plotlines bounced of each other nicely rather than 3 different things that had nothing to do with each other!

As other have pointed out, it felt like we were getting closer to the Meat and the entire reason for why this show exists! Show me the influence of the rings, as well as Saurons influence and manipulation! I enjoyed that we finally got to see what the rings do!

The themes of greed were handled well in all 3 storylines! Giving us that cohesive experience, which I think is what elevates this episode!

I hope the episodes following this, continues the trend of a more focused storyline!