As a lifelong fan of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth saga, I must confess that my initial excitement for Amazon’s “The Rings of Power” was quickly tempered by the show’s overly serious tone and lack of the playful spirit that characterized both Tolkien’s works and HBO’s “Game of Thrones.”
In the second season of Amazon’s expensive production of “The Rings of Power,” it’s challenging to discover a moment that doesn’t flip expectations. For instance, the seemingly perfect Aragorn-like character Halbrand, who assisted Galadriel in the first season? Turns out, he was Sauron disguised. The settlements in the Southlands that were hard to locate on a map of Middle Earth later on? They eventually become Mordor. The enigmatic “Stranger” who collapsed among a group of pre-Hobbit people with no idea of his own identity? By the start of season two, the show continues to keep his identity a secret, though it’s almost certain that he will transform into a well-known wizard from Tolkien’s fantasy tales.
In “The Rings of Power,” there’s a strong feeling that events are destined to unfold. This sense of inevitability seems to be a deliberate aspect of the series. Created by Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne, using supplementary materials from “The Lord of the Rings,” the show follows the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron and the final alliance between elves and men during the end of the Second Age in Middle Earth. Although you may not recognize all the names, you likely pick up on the fact that a lot of boxes are being checked: We need to understand Sauron’s character, learn about his deception of the elves, witness the creation of the Rings of Power, and establish the current situations of the various elves and men. (And since every “Lord of the Rings” spin-off needs some familiar faces, we also catch up with the pre-Hobbit Harfoots.)
McKay and Payne delve deeply into Tolkien’s rich background stories, offering viewers an enjoyable experience as they piece together the grand scheme of the series. For example, they’ve cleverly connected the universe’s valuable metal Mithril, the Silmarils (a topic from The Silmarillion, a work Amazon humorously doesn’t hold the rights to and can only vaguely reference), and the dwarves’ destructive greed that ultimately caused their downfall. However, since much of the show’s plot is revealed early on, McKay and Payne also engage in narrative tricks with their main characters to buy time. The first season started strong with a visually impressive blast and ambitious large cast, but the momentum quickly slowed. The show struggled to maintain interest, for instance, by hiding Charlie Vickers’ Halbrand as Sauron past the point when the twist became obvious. In the second season, Sauron reappears disguised as the elven Annatar “lord of gifts” with a rather poor wig. Vickers delivers a subtly captivating performance, like a trapped weasel, but the storyline relies on contrived circumstances reminiscent of Frasier to keep him unrecognized by elves who should be able to identify him.
From a thousand feet away, “The Rings of Power” appears poised to deliver an engaging epic adventure. However, on an individual scene level, the series tends to be careful and formulaic, with humor rarely present. The dwarves come closest, as Owain Arthur’s Prince Durin playfully banters with Robert Aramayo’s Elrond, reminiscent of Niles from “Frasier” – but their dialogue often becomes overly elaborate and heavy. This style aligns with Tolkien’s own writing, yet it’s disappointing given the wit and whimsy displayed in Peter Jackson’s trilogy, where humor enriched the universe without diminishing its grandeur. For instance, small, quirky moments like Pippin knocking over a skull in Moria or Denethor eating a tomato allowed viewers to connect with the eldritch or tragically grand. The arrival of the Balrog or Gondor’s stand in Osgiliath were made more impactful because of these humanizing touches. Samwise Gamgee’s speech about goodness at the end of “The Two Towers” resonated due to his love for “po-tay-toes.” In a second season episode, “Rings of Power” attempts to replicate this moment using a montage device, but without well-developed characters – the Harfoots receive some of the series’ most generic writing – the emotional impact is lost.
As a follower, I find myself often yearning for more intimate, character-driven moments in “The Rings of Power”. While there are certainly stunning, sweeping vistas that satisfy my inner geek, these moments can sometimes feel overly emphasized by Bear McCrearey’s grand yet persistent score. The series seems to seek balance through even the most hackneyed dialogue, such as: “Wow, what a brilliant tree you have there.”
In contrast to Rings of Power, much of the dialogue in Tolkien’s works is rich in metaphor, lore, and references to other epics. His world was a labor of love for languages, with songs sung around campfires and stories woven into the fabric of his tales. However, the directness of lines like “Mithril production up 30 percent, let’s hope we don’t make the mountain mad;” “hahaha of course I’m not Sauron, look at my beautiful blond hair;“; and “oh boy I hope nobody tampered with my secret ring-making process” falls short in conveying how these characters perceive themselves as part of Middle Earth’s grand mythology and legends.
The second season of “The Rings of Power” gains momentum as it unfolds, with intertwining plots leading to an anticipated climax where characters previously unconnected meet. Although I’m asked not to delve into specifics, let me just say that the series’ grand scale is evident in its elaborate battle scenes and a captivating duel between Galadriel and Sauron. However, the show struggles to move past its tendency for lengthy monologues and predictable character development moments, which can feel heavy-handed and repetitive at times. The disappointment lies in these elements taking up valuable screen time that could be devoted to exploring the rich lore of Middle Earth, such as the daily lives in the Atlantis-like Númenor or its potential local customs and theater scene.
The Rings of Power feels rather routine and uninspired, lacking depth and creativity. Its narrative parallels the demise of one of its key characters, Celebrimbor the Elf artisan, who in the series, forges the Rings of Power from Mithril to imitate the brilliance of the Silmarils, which themselves hold a piece of the light of Valinor, the elf homeland. This is like a mirror image of a mirror image, a copy of a copy, a creation so dependent on replication it’s devoid of originality – a task so self-referential that it’s doomed from the outset.
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2024-08-30 02:54