Doomed to Die

This is, so far, probably the best episode of Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power that we've seen, but it still exemplifies a lot of what's "off" about the adaptation at large.

It isn't completely inexplicable to me that Season 1 had fans, but I am prepared to argue that almost none of them would exist if it simply wasn't set in Middle Earth; if it was largely the same, only the characters and locations were named something else. If people weren't being reminded of other, less bland movies and books while watching this one, nobody would be telling themselves this is great -- beyond the people who pretend to enjoy it because it annoys "M-SHE-U" YouTubers.

The mere fact that this is Lord of the Rings is enough for some fans; it's about fealty to a brand. The mindset of the creators may have been something similar: "Should we give viewers a reason to care about or want to follow these particular characters? No need, it's Lord of the Rings! Should we try to live up to the production design and art direction of the films, to make this show stick out just a little bit from other generic straight-to-streaming Fantasy shows? No need, it's Lord of the Rings! Could we at least try to mimic the prose of Tolkien? No need, we already copy-pasted bits of it!"

Season 2 is not as lifeless as its predecessor and sometimes its effects are impressive, especially during the battle in this episode. But its characters are still frightfully boring -- even if you don't know how awesome and majestic they're canonically "supposed" to be (I know little of Celebrimbor but I know I wouldn't have cast someone who gives the impression of a younger Michael Palin) -- and its attempts at subverting expectations are facile. This modish deconstruction might have a valid point about the values of Tolkien's time but plays like an attempt at rage-baiting on Amazon's part or, at best, a fatuous attempt at complexity from one of the writers. ("What if orcs had a family" has about the same ring to it as "What if Cruella DeVil was just misunderstood" and neither question led to a particularly clever work of art.)

Oh but they also do a version of the "help is coming" moments from the battles of Helm's Deep and the Pelennor fields except this time it's a fakeout and it turns out nobody's coming. Aren't we just so ironic and subversive?

See how things improve when you cut out the harfoots and numenor?

This show can actually be good when meaningless threads are removed and they prioritize one story arc.

This episode was refreshing because it was literally the first time I've the series was fully focused on what works.

The harfoot and numenor storylines are both the weakest and most unnecessary links in the series. Harfoots being blatant og trilogy fan service / rip off, while Numenor seems to exist in its own show while still constantly inventing new ways to convolute itself.

Thai episode is a straightforward battle episode, where the core characters choices and motivations are all in clash with each other in an appropriately climactic explosion. Also things actually happen, which if you've watched the show you'll probably find refreshing.

Series still mid, but this episode is a fun peak into a universe where it could've been good.

I have no understood a lot of the hate for this season. There is a lot of stories and moving parts that must be told and spread out for purposes of continuity and the story making sense. So therefore like the wonderful films there will be a lot of dialogue and non action episodes. I think they have done a great job mixing in enough adventure with the "slower" more dialogue driven scenes and episodes.

This episode pays off for the people complaining they are not seeing a battle in every episode. The rings are all but made and Sauron's plan is working. The battle commenced and the orcs are laying siege. As with all battles in LOTR the formula is the same. The battle for good and evil. Evil is winning but ultimately good prevails, or does it ? The Orc father's intentions are not totally clear and what he wants from Galatria and the elves is certainly not good for all. Some more answers to the story progress without giving any spoilers. The dwarfs story also progresses with the king being enslaved by the ring . It all comes together in a great battle. This will drag into the finale I'm sure for a great finish to the season. The creators have done a great job at keeping the show as close to the quality of the movies. The visual effects and how they created middle earth is visually stunning. I have loved both seasons so far and think they have done a fantastic job . Great episode.

The episode strikes an impressive balance between character-driven drama and large-scale action. The depth of the individual stories adds emotional weight to the conflict, a significant improvement over the lackluster pacing and dull subplots that plagued much of season one. Gone are the meandering dialogues and colorless characters-this episode is all about power, chaos, and the looming shadow of war in Middle-earth.

This episode finally delivers the kind of grandeur and intensity that fans of *The Lord of the Rings* have long awaited. This episode feels like a direct homage to the original trilogy, and that's a high compliment. Visually, the episode hits epic heights, reminiscent of the sweeping battles and mystical landscapes that defined Peter Jackson's films. The tension is palpable as the characters, particularly Celebrimbor and Sauron, are drawn deeper into the growing conflict over the Rings.

The battles are brutal, the stakes are high, and the production design is stunning. This episode marks a turning point, as the series approaches the epic finale with all the momentum it needs. The hunger for power is palpable, and the stage is set for a thrilling conclusion.

The episode was okay, but I didn't feel fully connected to it. While it focused heavily on war and fighting, I never felt genuinely worried about what would happen to my favorite characters. The action scenes were visually impressive, but the tension just wasn't there. There were also some plot issues that didn't make sense-like, why would two enemies suddenly want to negotiate in the middle of a war? It seemed out of place and made me wonder what the writers were thinking.

Sauron's power was displayed well, but at times he came across as more foolish than intimidating in this episode. The death scene of a supporting character at the start was well done, but since I didn't even know her name, it lacked emotional impact for me.

The episode really needed to develop its characters more, especially the supporting ones. For instance, when women and children were running for cover and being attacked by fireballs, the scenes were intense, but I wish they had shown more of their fear and struggles. It could have really increased the tension if their stories were explored further.

Overall, it was a good episode and definitely exciting leading up to the finale. This season has been much better compared to the last one, and the recent episodes have shown significant improvement. I'm looking forward to seeing how it all concludes in the finale.