Will Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 reconcile Tolkien fans with the series?

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Beginning in a time of relative peace, the series follows an ensemble of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the re-emergence of evil in Middle-earth.

From the darkest depths of the Misty Mountains, to the majestic forests of the Elven capital of Lyndon, to the picturesque island kingdom of Númenor, and to the farthest reaches of the world, these kingdoms and peoples will build legends that will last forever. after their death.

who is he with

The main character of this new season is undoubtedly Sauron. Once again played by Charlie Vickers, the future big villain of the Lord of the Rings trilogy was disguised as a man, Halbrand, in the first season. In this Season 2, the latter returns as Elf Annatari, Lord of the Gifts.

Introduced in season 1 but relegated to a supporting role, blacksmith Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) is also placed at the center of intrigue in these new episodes. After creating three rings of elf power, the latter will now attack the seven dwarf rings, then the nine men rings. Then there will be one ring left, which Sauron will create in the greatest of mysteries…

Other iconic characters return, starting with Galadriel, played by Morfydd Clarke. More than ever on Sauron’s trail, he must bear the guilt of allowing the latter to gain his trust through the cloak of the Halbrand. The appearance of the elf rings and their use will also pit him against Elrond (Robert Aramaio).

While the identity of The Stranger (Daniel Wayman) has yet to be revealed, keep in mind that new characters will be appearing in Season 2. These include Tom Bombadil (Rory Kinnear), J.R. A novel featuring Tolkien’s main characters, but which had not previously appeared in any of his book adaptations.

Is it worth seeing?

After a two-year wait, the Lord of the Rings series returns. The most expensive television production of all time (with a reported budget of $500 million per season) set several millennia before the adventures of The Fellowship of the Ring, the origin of the Rings of Power.

Despite a staggering budget, the first season failed to convince. Blame it for a story full of inconsistencies and a cast of characters too large to really relate to. Admirers of Tolkien’s works also criticized the liberties taken with the novels’ chronology.

Season 2 surprises us

So this new season was expected but without any real excitement. Many are still hoping that the disappointment caused by Season 1 will be washed away by a better quality Season 2, and thus the pressure is on to bring the series back to Prime Video. No less than three episodes also offer the platform from August 29.

An observation that emerges from watching these new episodes is that the big budget of the series is visible on the screen. If House of the Dragon Season 2 managed to surprise us with its dragon battles, The Rings of Power impresses with its meaningful settings, mostly natural ones that pay homage to JRR Tolkien’s imagined Middle Earth.

The strength of the series is to rely on practical special effects (makeup, etc.) as much as possible. Barring some botched digital tricks, Rings of Power Season 2 is visually flawless and proves its status as a “cinematic” series.

Improving writing, but…

It appears that a change has been made to the program entry. The first season had to introduce the main characters, and the transitions from one corner of the map to another greatly affected the pace of the story. In this Season 2, the plot seems to have tightened up around a smaller number of characters.

Creating rings of power also makes it possible to add connections between the various peoples featured in the series. Only the Men of Numenor play a separate role in the plot, but that’s a necessary evil, as fans of the novels know the essential role they will play in the end.

Unfortunately, the writing of this season 2 is not without errors of taste. The series is particularly bad at writing dialogues, most of which are hollow and without real resonance. We can also criticize the screenwriters for drawing the dialogues of the Lord of the Rings trilogy with joy, a lack of creativity, which also creates problems of chronological inconsistencies.

The dialogues obviously do not put the actors in the best mood, but we must also point out the interpretation of certain actors in the series. While some are perfectly comfortable in their roles, others have all the trouble in the world convincing us. An observation that refers specifically to Benjamin Walker (Gil-Galad), Rory Kinnear (Tom Bombadil) Or Morfid Clarke (Galadriel).

Will fans of Tolkien’s novels enjoy this Season 2?

The more mature tone of this season and its more graphic content set it completely apart from the more mainstream approach of Peter Jackson’s films. Perhaps its dark atmosphere will allow it to be judged – or even judged – as a TV series in its own right, rather than compared to previous feature films.

We can’t really say that this season 2 is a failure and things are looking pretty good. But Tolkien fans will certainly have a lot to say about these new episodes, which continue their course to awkwardly fill the void left by the English writer in his vast literary output.

It would be a shame if the series isn’t renewed for a 3rd season. Its XXL budget will no doubt allow it to honor the big moments that must come towards the end of its story. Discovering these sequences that have delighted readers on the television screen is definitely worth a look.

The Lord of the Rings: The Lord of the Rings Season 2 is available every week exclusively on Prime Video.

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