What a missed opportunity. Last week's episode had its flaws but was overall brilliant. This week's episode is completely different and is incredibly slow with some awful dialogue. The harfoots need to just hurry up and be written off the show. They constantly contradict each other, saying how they stick by each other but in reality they leave their own behind if their not quick enough to die. There is no action what so ever in this episode. Boring scenes of people just walking. It has to be said that galadriel really is the worst leading character in recent memory. So unlikeable. Things happen in this show with no explanation. The three witches finally get some screen time and they really do come off as an off brand ring wraiths rip off. It's just such a pity that the penultimate episode is such a let down. It is the first time in recent memory that a huge TV show like this one uses its penultimate episode as a filler episode. I can't believe a billion dollars has been spent on this writing. The fact that I'm a huge LOTR fan is keeping me interest ed but this episode falls flat and kills all sense of excitement. Very dissapointing. I'm praying that next week makes up for this week.
61 Reviews
Underwhelming.
W011y4m57 October 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Yet again, after the narrative momentum finally picked up in "The Rings of Power" last week, today's episode grinds to another painful halt & begins trudging along at such a slow pace, it's astonishing to see a show of this grandeur & cost succeed only in being boring, especially considering how momentous the event it continues on from (the long awaited eruption of Mount Doom) is supposedly meant to be within the lore of Tolkien's fantasy.
Additionally, when the previous installment ended with such a game changing plot twist... For the impact of this explosion depicted on screen to be fairly insignificant does unintentionally undermine the stakes of its own storytelling, since characters elsewhere are basically unaffected; this is the formation of Mordor... And taking in to account just how important that's been hyped up to be thus far, the immediate ramifications of this development are surprisingly trivial - thus, hindering the audience's emotional investment as there seems to be very little risk posed to our ensemble of characters, irrespective of how the landscape / power dynamics shifts.
Granted, the cinematography was admittedly beautiful in the sequences set within the smoky confines of the burning village but besides that, I can't help but feel as though it's culminated to form another missed opportunity. Plus, I was willing to suspend my disbelief & buy in to the concept of an elf surviving the temperatures of a pyroclastic flow - but an entire town of humans too? Nah. They'd be dead.
Additionally, when the previous installment ended with such a game changing plot twist... For the impact of this explosion depicted on screen to be fairly insignificant does unintentionally undermine the stakes of its own storytelling, since characters elsewhere are basically unaffected; this is the formation of Mordor... And taking in to account just how important that's been hyped up to be thus far, the immediate ramifications of this development are surprisingly trivial - thus, hindering the audience's emotional investment as there seems to be very little risk posed to our ensemble of characters, irrespective of how the landscape / power dynamics shifts.
Granted, the cinematography was admittedly beautiful in the sequences set within the smoky confines of the burning village but besides that, I can't help but feel as though it's culminated to form another missed opportunity. Plus, I was willing to suspend my disbelief & buy in to the concept of an elf surviving the temperatures of a pyroclastic flow - but an entire town of humans too? Nah. They'd be dead.
The episode came to extinguish the glare of the previous episode. new failure.
AtlanticPirateK7 October 2022
I think after the episode full of excitement and action and the details of the amazing battle, we returned again to the slowness of the events and the disjointed and dispersed situations.
One of the strangest things is that no famous leader or hero died after the catastrophe. He returned completely, complete, and happy in the end.
Unfortunately, the episode, instead of building on the distinction of the previous episode, came back to bury the achievement that happened and once again revealed to us how bad the story is.
I'm going to give this episode a 6/10, which I think is the most well-deserved rating.
One of the strangest things is that no famous leader or hero died after the catastrophe. He returned completely, complete, and happy in the end.
Unfortunately, the episode, instead of building on the distinction of the previous episode, came back to bury the achievement that happened and once again revealed to us how bad the story is.
I'm going to give this episode a 6/10, which I think is the most well-deserved rating.
Wow, that was slow, that was emotional.
lkacz19 October 2022
I loved this slow-paced episode. After the fast-paced previous episode, we saw slow progress in the story, but some key concepts were introduced. This episode had a striking look. This episode was necessary to conclude the previous one and set a new stage for the upcoming events.
Many people got used to complaining about how poor this series is. But let them not distract you from the really intriguing story that this is becoming. There was a clumsy beginning with lots of plot threads and many characters. Still, it seems that the viewer already has a decent recognition of who is who and what they are up to.
This is a promising series. The last two episodes were top of the class. No wonder why the studio ordered the second season.
Many people got used to complaining about how poor this series is. But let them not distract you from the really intriguing story that this is becoming. There was a clumsy beginning with lots of plot threads and many characters. Still, it seems that the viewer already has a decent recognition of who is who and what they are up to.
This is a promising series. The last two episodes were top of the class. No wonder why the studio ordered the second season.
Solid character episode that lays foundations
snoozejonc1 May 2023
The aftermath of Mount Doom's eruption and Durin IV is conflicted.
For me the best moments take place at Khazad-dûm. The likes of Owain Aurthur, Peter Mullin, Robert Aramayo, and Sophia Nomvete do great work and make them memorable. The reveal involving the floating leaf is particularly cinematic.
Complaints about the pace of the plot are arguably justified in this episode, but for me it depends on how much you like spending time with Tolkien's characters conversing. I think it's difficult when you know the fate of so many, such as Isildur and Galadriel, to get invested in certain arcs, but I am hoping it is all part of laying foundations to portray the impact of the rings and the dark times ahead for the characters involved.
The Harfoot scenes are pretty good, but the mystery surrounding the identity of the certain individuals needs to be revealed soon as the intrigue it has run its course. I enjoy the performances of Lenny Henry, Markella Kavenagh, and Dylan Smith, who bring the characters to life.
As in the previous episodes the production values and visuals are incredibly good.
For me it's a 7.5/10 but I round upwards.
For me the best moments take place at Khazad-dûm. The likes of Owain Aurthur, Peter Mullin, Robert Aramayo, and Sophia Nomvete do great work and make them memorable. The reveal involving the floating leaf is particularly cinematic.
Complaints about the pace of the plot are arguably justified in this episode, but for me it depends on how much you like spending time with Tolkien's characters conversing. I think it's difficult when you know the fate of so many, such as Isildur and Galadriel, to get invested in certain arcs, but I am hoping it is all part of laying foundations to portray the impact of the rings and the dark times ahead for the characters involved.
The Harfoot scenes are pretty good, but the mystery surrounding the identity of the certain individuals needs to be revealed soon as the intrigue it has run its course. I enjoy the performances of Lenny Henry, Markella Kavenagh, and Dylan Smith, who bring the characters to life.
As in the previous episodes the production values and visuals are incredibly good.
For me it's a 7.5/10 but I round upwards.
The Most Unexciting Penultimate Episode Ever.
alasdairboswell7 October 2022
Let me start by saying, I have enjoyed this show, which is why this episode pains me to no end. I thought everything that built up to episode six largely paid off after seeing the creation of Mordor and the battle of the Southlands. This episode picks up where the last left off, and doesn't even attempt to keep the momentum of its predecessor.
Instead of revealing more of the shows mysteries, it meanders from scene to scene, conversation to conversation. Some of the dialogue is good and I found of few of said conversations to be emotional, especially the ones with Durin and Elrond.
We finally get a good look at the Mystics, and before we know it they're gone! We learn nothing about them, we learn nothing about the Stranger's identity, and nothing about who Sauron is. To make matters worse, the promotional images and videos for the episode actually teased that more would happen. "Evil Finally Reveals Itself'' , "The Time Has Come'' , and "More Will Be Revealed''. They literally lied to us when teasing this episode, which is why I'm more upset than I otherwise would be.
In conclusion, this is my least favorite episode. This is coming from someone who has liked the series for the most part, however this as a penultimate episode doesn't do it's job. Instead of building upon the previous episode and mounting momentum, it drags its feet and goes almost nowhere with the plot. There were enough nice scenes between characters for me to sit through it, but thanks to some terrible marketing for the episode, I was left feeling a sense of longing for more.
Instead of revealing more of the shows mysteries, it meanders from scene to scene, conversation to conversation. Some of the dialogue is good and I found of few of said conversations to be emotional, especially the ones with Durin and Elrond.
We finally get a good look at the Mystics, and before we know it they're gone! We learn nothing about them, we learn nothing about the Stranger's identity, and nothing about who Sauron is. To make matters worse, the promotional images and videos for the episode actually teased that more would happen. "Evil Finally Reveals Itself'' , "The Time Has Come'' , and "More Will Be Revealed''. They literally lied to us when teasing this episode, which is why I'm more upset than I otherwise would be.
In conclusion, this is my least favorite episode. This is coming from someone who has liked the series for the most part, however this as a penultimate episode doesn't do it's job. Instead of building upon the previous episode and mounting momentum, it drags its feet and goes almost nowhere with the plot. There were enough nice scenes between characters for me to sit through it, but thanks to some terrible marketing for the episode, I was left feeling a sense of longing for more.
Zero tension, nothing happened.
quengoldo8 October 2022
Do I worry if any character will survive in this show?
Absolutely not. Not only they make almost everyone except maybe Durin so unlikeable to the core, what they are doing to the characters is so cliché, I just know some of them will be just fine.
The entire episode could be reduced to ten minutes instead of seventy, and frankly you can skip it without missing much stuff, and it would probably be better because hopefully some dumb dialogues wouldn't have happened. The characters are either contradicting themselves or what's established in previous episodes, or say something so dumb you wonder if they are trolling.
The writers simply aren't capable of giving the characters believable motives for things they are doing.
Absolutely not. Not only they make almost everyone except maybe Durin so unlikeable to the core, what they are doing to the characters is so cliché, I just know some of them will be just fine.
The entire episode could be reduced to ten minutes instead of seventy, and frankly you can skip it without missing much stuff, and it would probably be better because hopefully some dumb dialogues wouldn't have happened. The characters are either contradicting themselves or what's established in previous episodes, or say something so dumb you wonder if they are trolling.
The writers simply aren't capable of giving the characters believable motives for things they are doing.
Beware of haters from Mordor!
Excalibur1007 October 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Epidsode 8 - The Eye does not disappoint
In "Rings of Power", just the way they captured the life and times of disparate races - Elves, Dwarves, Humans, Orcs - and creatures galore from Tolkien's literary Second Age of Middle-Earth was a testament to the screenplay writers' sheer determination to make this series a resounding success.
I loved every frame, and am now surprisingly confused about which scene I should start praising. As with most breathtaking undertakings of this kind, I shall endeavor to start at the very beginning. The creation myth Tolkien crafted in his book "The Silmarillion" found admirable translation in "Rings of Power".
Episodes 1 and 2, namely "A Shadow of the Past" and "Adrift" respectively, were directed by J. A. Bayona, who brought excellence to bear on each frame. Writers J. D. Payne, Patrick McKay, and Gennifer Hutchison did superb work scripting the magnificence I saw on screen this night.
Bear McCreary's musical scoring was stirring, warm, chilling, and brilliant. He captured the soul of this franchise and that's saying something after what Howard Shore did with the original trilogy, and "The Hobbit" movies that came after.
Aaron Morton, Alex Disenhof, and Oscar Faura created enormously high standards for cinematography with their work in "Rings of Power" - such sweeping panoramas and intimate close-ups. The production design and editing teams deserve their weight in gold for their work in helping bring this story to life. The art direction and set decoration teams did superb work. Hair-makeup, sound effects, and stunts were outstanding. Kate Hawley's costume design was exemplary - every stitch and hem was on point.
As for the CGI and VFX teams, they were the de facto hobbits from the Aragorn-crowned scene in "Return of the King". According to Variety, they used "20 VFX studios, nearly 10,000 VFX shots to revive Middle-earth". This crew certainly bows to no-one but we shall bow to them.
Galadriel, played by Morfydd Clark, was outstanding - her performance redefined so much about this iconic and inspiring character. In just two episodes, Clark proved to be the Wonder Woman of the Tolkien-verse. Her acting also paid due homage to Cate Blanchett's take on the character.
As for Sauron, he is a particularly significant character in the Tolkien-verse. In connection to him, we are yet to see what actor Bridie Sisson will be bringing to the series. Perhaps some sort of religious devotee or ritual summoner? Sisson lived up to that 'aura', as witnessed in the trailer. Future epis may reveal Sauron's true identity.
Poppy Proudfellow, played by Megan Richards, was remarkable. Elanor "Nori" Brandyfoot, played by Markella Kavenagh, was great. Some 'new Frodo and Sam' vibes with those two, only Harfoots instead of Hobbits.
The stranger, potentially Gandalf (!), played by Daniel Weyman, was intriguing - his performance was rife with mystery and magic. Fans know the true origins of Gandalf, and wizards like him. They are not exactly human. Future epis will reveal more, I'm sure.
Celebrimbor, played by Charles Edwards, was good. Theo, played by Tyroe Muhafidin, was also good. Elrond, played by Robert Aramayo, was superb - so many subtle and skillful throwbacks to Hugo Weaving's acting in the original trilogy. Arondir, played by Ismael Cruz Cordova, was amazing. Bronwyn, played by Nazanin Boniadi, was good. Thondir, played by Fabian McCallum, was also good. Halbrand, played by Charlie Vickers, was noteworthy.
Sadoc Burrows, played by Lenny Henry, was memorable. Malva, played by Thusitha Jayasundera, was quite good. Marigold Brandyfoot, played by Sara Zwangobani, was great. Rowan, played by Ian Blackburn, was notable. High King Gil-galad, played by Benjamin Walker, was quite good. Princess Disa, played by Sophia Nomvete, was superb. Prince Durin IV, played by Owain Arthur, was exceptional - his 16-piece beard transformation was itself a lesson in hair-makeup excellence.
We saw what turmoil the villain at the start of this epic, namely Morgoth, brought to bear. We also saw how his tyranny and power-lust influenced and inspired the rise of his devoted servant, the sorcerer Sauron, he who was responsible for later forging the One Ring, which mastered the titular rings of power smithed by Celebrimbor.
All other cast and crew did enchanting work in "LOTR: Rings Of Power"
In "Rings of Power", just the way they captured the life and times of disparate races - Elves, Dwarves, Humans, Orcs - and creatures galore from Tolkien's literary Second Age of Middle-Earth was a testament to the screenplay writers' sheer determination to make this series a resounding success.
I loved every frame, and am now surprisingly confused about which scene I should start praising. As with most breathtaking undertakings of this kind, I shall endeavor to start at the very beginning. The creation myth Tolkien crafted in his book "The Silmarillion" found admirable translation in "Rings of Power".
Episodes 1 and 2, namely "A Shadow of the Past" and "Adrift" respectively, were directed by J. A. Bayona, who brought excellence to bear on each frame. Writers J. D. Payne, Patrick McKay, and Gennifer Hutchison did superb work scripting the magnificence I saw on screen this night.
Bear McCreary's musical scoring was stirring, warm, chilling, and brilliant. He captured the soul of this franchise and that's saying something after what Howard Shore did with the original trilogy, and "The Hobbit" movies that came after.
Aaron Morton, Alex Disenhof, and Oscar Faura created enormously high standards for cinematography with their work in "Rings of Power" - such sweeping panoramas and intimate close-ups. The production design and editing teams deserve their weight in gold for their work in helping bring this story to life. The art direction and set decoration teams did superb work. Hair-makeup, sound effects, and stunts were outstanding. Kate Hawley's costume design was exemplary - every stitch and hem was on point.
As for the CGI and VFX teams, they were the de facto hobbits from the Aragorn-crowned scene in "Return of the King". According to Variety, they used "20 VFX studios, nearly 10,000 VFX shots to revive Middle-earth". This crew certainly bows to no-one but we shall bow to them.
Galadriel, played by Morfydd Clark, was outstanding - her performance redefined so much about this iconic and inspiring character. In just two episodes, Clark proved to be the Wonder Woman of the Tolkien-verse. Her acting also paid due homage to Cate Blanchett's take on the character.
As for Sauron, he is a particularly significant character in the Tolkien-verse. In connection to him, we are yet to see what actor Bridie Sisson will be bringing to the series. Perhaps some sort of religious devotee or ritual summoner? Sisson lived up to that 'aura', as witnessed in the trailer. Future epis may reveal Sauron's true identity.
Poppy Proudfellow, played by Megan Richards, was remarkable. Elanor "Nori" Brandyfoot, played by Markella Kavenagh, was great. Some 'new Frodo and Sam' vibes with those two, only Harfoots instead of Hobbits.
The stranger, potentially Gandalf (!), played by Daniel Weyman, was intriguing - his performance was rife with mystery and magic. Fans know the true origins of Gandalf, and wizards like him. They are not exactly human. Future epis will reveal more, I'm sure.
Celebrimbor, played by Charles Edwards, was good. Theo, played by Tyroe Muhafidin, was also good. Elrond, played by Robert Aramayo, was superb - so many subtle and skillful throwbacks to Hugo Weaving's acting in the original trilogy. Arondir, played by Ismael Cruz Cordova, was amazing. Bronwyn, played by Nazanin Boniadi, was good. Thondir, played by Fabian McCallum, was also good. Halbrand, played by Charlie Vickers, was noteworthy.
Sadoc Burrows, played by Lenny Henry, was memorable. Malva, played by Thusitha Jayasundera, was quite good. Marigold Brandyfoot, played by Sara Zwangobani, was great. Rowan, played by Ian Blackburn, was notable. High King Gil-galad, played by Benjamin Walker, was quite good. Princess Disa, played by Sophia Nomvete, was superb. Prince Durin IV, played by Owain Arthur, was exceptional - his 16-piece beard transformation was itself a lesson in hair-makeup excellence.
We saw what turmoil the villain at the start of this epic, namely Morgoth, brought to bear. We also saw how his tyranny and power-lust influenced and inspired the rise of his devoted servant, the sorcerer Sauron, he who was responsible for later forging the One Ring, which mastered the titular rings of power smithed by Celebrimbor.
All other cast and crew did enchanting work in "LOTR: Rings Of Power"
For me a really interesting twist
ha77y73ad972 November 2022
So much of this series has been setting up the next series. The first half has definitely been a slow but world building start. So many viewers now of any series are expecting such a grand start that has to be in the story right from the off but this episode is yet again proof of the old school style of story telling and details that are being laid per episode.
The way that the last episode ended was just epic on a middle earth scale along with the Strangers story and then Mount Doom finally being shown just aims us 3 to 4 series down the line where we are seeing the final alliance of middle earth.
Theres the other side of Galadriel of the caring nature after the explosion. Which can only grow in the 1000 years to when she finally meets Frodo. So much of the story isnt true to Tolkien's works but is certainly filling in the gaps of the missing years. I cant deny that i want to know more, this is amazons target to fight Star wars and Game of thrones with their own prequel filling series.
Overall story is being laid for greater thing, never a bad thing but can understand where so many reviews are coming from lead to people switching off until it gets epic, for me its already epic.
The way that the last episode ended was just epic on a middle earth scale along with the Strangers story and then Mount Doom finally being shown just aims us 3 to 4 series down the line where we are seeing the final alliance of middle earth.
Theres the other side of Galadriel of the caring nature after the explosion. Which can only grow in the 1000 years to when she finally meets Frodo. So much of the story isnt true to Tolkien's works but is certainly filling in the gaps of the missing years. I cant deny that i want to know more, this is amazons target to fight Star wars and Game of thrones with their own prequel filling series.
Overall story is being laid for greater thing, never a bad thing but can understand where so many reviews are coming from lead to people switching off until it gets epic, for me its already epic.
So confusingly bad.
mac-2157 October 2022
I've really tried to like this show. It looks incredible and has some great actors, but oh my goodness the writing and plot are just unspeakably terrible.
Characters change fundamentally from one minute to the next, say and do things which are not only objectively ridiculous, but flatly contradict what they were saying or doing a few minutes ago.
Nobody talks, they just speech at each other. Their lines don't flow one to the next, they fight for attention. No one seems comfortable with the dialogue, with the exception of Durin, Disa and Elrond.
It's still possible to enjoy it for being a depiction of something almost but not quite entirely unlike Tolkien, and ultimately I will of course watch every episode because I am enthralled by the power of the ring just like everyone else, but I will probably turn into a wraith as a result.
Best hope is that Amazon hear and listen. The writing needs to improve.
Characters change fundamentally from one minute to the next, say and do things which are not only objectively ridiculous, but flatly contradict what they were saying or doing a few minutes ago.
Nobody talks, they just speech at each other. Their lines don't flow one to the next, they fight for attention. No one seems comfortable with the dialogue, with the exception of Durin, Disa and Elrond.
It's still possible to enjoy it for being a depiction of something almost but not quite entirely unlike Tolkien, and ultimately I will of course watch every episode because I am enthralled by the power of the ring just like everyone else, but I will probably turn into a wraith as a result.
Best hope is that Amazon hear and listen. The writing needs to improve.
The calm after the storm
jemimahammarlund8 October 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I like the more calmer episode 7 after the action filled episode 6. It was very emotional, especially the Elrond-Durin scenes and the Galadriel-Theo scenes.
I was a bit disappointed that nobody "important" died in the volcano, because the grief would have felt more real. But over all the loss of their home and their world as they knew it hit hard.
The mithril-heals-sickness plot is a bit weird, I had thought it a lie planted by Sauron, but the healed leaf proves me wrong. Unless the sickness is specifically created by Sauron to be healed that way? I mean, as a way to trick the elves to forge mithril Rings. I still have hope!
It was great to have Celeborn name dropped at last! I wonder where he is. (He can't be dead because we know he's alive in the Lord of the Rings) Maybe Halbrand and Galadriel will pass through what's going to be Lothlórien and find him there with Amdír and the others? But then why haven't he looked for Galadriel in all these years? Very intriguing.
Lastly, the Harfoots. Is the Stranger going to meet Oropher and Thranduil? They talked about Greenwood the Great. Unless Nori and Poppy catch up with him first. Looking forward to see it all tie together, but I expect new characters like Thranduil won't appear until season 2.
All in all a great episode, full of build up to the finale. I hope for many answers, and am a bit worried too lol. Please don't mess this up, writers!
I was a bit disappointed that nobody "important" died in the volcano, because the grief would have felt more real. But over all the loss of their home and their world as they knew it hit hard.
The mithril-heals-sickness plot is a bit weird, I had thought it a lie planted by Sauron, but the healed leaf proves me wrong. Unless the sickness is specifically created by Sauron to be healed that way? I mean, as a way to trick the elves to forge mithril Rings. I still have hope!
It was great to have Celeborn name dropped at last! I wonder where he is. (He can't be dead because we know he's alive in the Lord of the Rings) Maybe Halbrand and Galadriel will pass through what's going to be Lothlórien and find him there with Amdír and the others? But then why haven't he looked for Galadriel in all these years? Very intriguing.
Lastly, the Harfoots. Is the Stranger going to meet Oropher and Thranduil? They talked about Greenwood the Great. Unless Nori and Poppy catch up with him first. Looking forward to see it all tie together, but I expect new characters like Thranduil won't appear until season 2.
All in all a great episode, full of build up to the finale. I hope for many answers, and am a bit worried too lol. Please don't mess this up, writers!
Review
milicapetrovic-3232330 November 2022
The series is excellent, it really has a lot of quality, a lot of attention was paid to the details, some scenes and scenes leave you speechless, magical, when you only compare it with other series of this genre, which rarely can boast of such scenes and such music. In general, we immediately set high expectations, because this is a famous trilogy that is loved by the whole world, and with which many grew up, but we should have understanding, and give space to these people, it is impossible to surpass Tolkien. The plot has to go slower than others' expectations in order to leave space and material for the development of all the characters, and to somehow get that budget back (lol). A lot of criticisms related to episode 7 are correct, it says that realistically this episode was worse than the others, you can't in the penultimate episode not make any plot, you always need something that will make people look forward to the next episode, this (episode 7 ) leaves indifference, but certainly one should not write off or reduce the value of the series because of one bad episode.
Time Is Precious
mjallen-8762711 October 2022
Warning: Spoilers
People are busy, life is hard. So to produce something where nothing happens in an hour is quite frankly really astounding to me.
I don't understand why the only people feared dead are the people we know CANNOT be dead because they are in Lord of The Rings.
I was excited for this show for years, ever since it was announced. I would search for titbits online throughout the years to see what was going on because I was so excited for more Middle Earth content. To be honest, what we have given just makes me sad. You can seriously tell that not a single person on the writing team cares about the story or the world.
Visual effects are faultless (apart from the silly font change for Morder) I mean seriously? It looked like a power point presentation. "and now on the next slide, you will see ladies and gentlemen that it is in fact Morder," DUN DUN DUNNN!
Durin wanted to dig for Mithril, his dad said no, he dug anyway, his dad caught him, his dad said no, he dug again, his dad caught him again. 58 million dollars..... 58....million.... dollars.
Galadriel is clearly suffering from dual personality disorder because in the previous episode she was a raging racist genocidal maniac and in this episode she's telling Theo not to talk about wanting to kill orcs.
The writing is so lazy you can see it on screen which is a first for me. They needed Halbrand to go with Galadriel so he was "mortally wounded" and only Elvish medicine would make him better. So we see him walking to his horse for a long ride perfectly fine! He could have just slept it off!
How about Halbrand agrees to tell his tale to Gil Galad because the king has lost faith in Galadriel, boom, better reason, took me 30 seconds to think of.
There is a real problem here, this show is forgettable. Its going to take another 2 years for series 2. Who the hell is going to care. I don't care about any of these characters now, let alone in 2 years time!
This episode sucked hard, this whole show sucks hard. The characters are weak.
Anyway, enough ranting.
As a super Tolkien fan I am BEGGING you Amazon. Please fix series 2. Just sort it out. Everyone would respect you so much more for just fixing this disaster.
Get Peter Jackson. If it isn't broke, don't try to fix it. Look at the original films and just get Peter Jackson to pull you out of this massive pit you have dug yourself into.
I don't understand why the only people feared dead are the people we know CANNOT be dead because they are in Lord of The Rings.
I was excited for this show for years, ever since it was announced. I would search for titbits online throughout the years to see what was going on because I was so excited for more Middle Earth content. To be honest, what we have given just makes me sad. You can seriously tell that not a single person on the writing team cares about the story or the world.
Visual effects are faultless (apart from the silly font change for Morder) I mean seriously? It looked like a power point presentation. "and now on the next slide, you will see ladies and gentlemen that it is in fact Morder," DUN DUN DUNNN!
Durin wanted to dig for Mithril, his dad said no, he dug anyway, his dad caught him, his dad said no, he dug again, his dad caught him again. 58 million dollars..... 58....million.... dollars.
Galadriel is clearly suffering from dual personality disorder because in the previous episode she was a raging racist genocidal maniac and in this episode she's telling Theo not to talk about wanting to kill orcs.
The writing is so lazy you can see it on screen which is a first for me. They needed Halbrand to go with Galadriel so he was "mortally wounded" and only Elvish medicine would make him better. So we see him walking to his horse for a long ride perfectly fine! He could have just slept it off!
How about Halbrand agrees to tell his tale to Gil Galad because the king has lost faith in Galadriel, boom, better reason, took me 30 seconds to think of.
There is a real problem here, this show is forgettable. Its going to take another 2 years for series 2. Who the hell is going to care. I don't care about any of these characters now, let alone in 2 years time!
This episode sucked hard, this whole show sucks hard. The characters are weak.
Anyway, enough ranting.
As a super Tolkien fan I am BEGGING you Amazon. Please fix series 2. Just sort it out. Everyone would respect you so much more for just fixing this disaster.
Get Peter Jackson. If it isn't broke, don't try to fix it. Look at the original films and just get Peter Jackson to pull you out of this massive pit you have dug yourself into.
Dark. I love it
moviesknight7 October 2022
Aftermath of the wonderful last episode. So the tone had to be darker. Burden is too much to handle on ones shoulder. Galadriel is showing a lot of promise. The high men are lost of moral. But they make do and kept going. For the harfoots, it shows Nori has a good heart. Even when they were left out of food, she offered an apple to the stanger. Says a lot about her. Even though we never doubted her. When she loses hope it is good to see harfoots showing their character. Stranger is getting interesting day by day. Also three evil characters, we have to keep an eye on them. For the front of dwarves, it is good to see prince Durin finally standing up to his father. The interesting charcters at the start have kept remaining interesting. Disa steals every scene she is in. My queen. Prince durin is filling the shoes of his name. Elrond is going steadfast. He sees way beyond. Finally the reveal at the end was worth it. Finally seeing him. Worth for the wait. Good going. Mordor is here.
Incredible episode, I actually clapped.
nathanielswmorgan8 October 2022
The last two episodes have been sublime.
Last week showed us they could do incredible stakes and not shy away from showing real darkness.
This week was a master class of moving character scenes that had been built on the foundations laid over the rest of the season. There were about 5 scenes it could have ended on, and still been a great episode, but they kept coming!
The scenes with Durin and his father, and Durin and Elrond, were particularly moving.
I just adore the Harfoots too. I was really skeptical of having "Hobbit's in the show, but they showed them in all the glorious courage and innocence that Tolkien invested them with.
It's looking to be my favourite show since the Battlestar Galactica reboot all those years ago, and potentially ecipse the Peter Jackson movies.
I have read LotR, the Silmirillion, and some of the history of Middle Earth books since I was a a teenager in the 90's, and I love the way they are developing this mythos. I like how it is not slavish to what little is known of the Second Age, and has included new aspects and real suprprises that fit in with the spirit of Tolkien's work. I want to be suprised by fiction, not see exactly what I alread know.
Last week showed us they could do incredible stakes and not shy away from showing real darkness.
This week was a master class of moving character scenes that had been built on the foundations laid over the rest of the season. There were about 5 scenes it could have ended on, and still been a great episode, but they kept coming!
The scenes with Durin and his father, and Durin and Elrond, were particularly moving.
I just adore the Harfoots too. I was really skeptical of having "Hobbit's in the show, but they showed them in all the glorious courage and innocence that Tolkien invested them with.
It's looking to be my favourite show since the Battlestar Galactica reboot all those years ago, and potentially ecipse the Peter Jackson movies.
I have read LotR, the Silmirillion, and some of the history of Middle Earth books since I was a a teenager in the 90's, and I love the way they are developing this mythos. I like how it is not slavish to what little is known of the Second Age, and has included new aspects and real suprprises that fit in with the spirit of Tolkien's work. I want to be suprised by fiction, not see exactly what I alread know.
I actually bursted out laughing
tommy-977617 October 2022
Ok, let me get this right. You get left behind to fend for yoursel by the others because of an accidental injury and yet you choose to speak of being faithful (or whatever his speech was, I watched it dubbed to our language). This episode is either boring or eyrollingly melodramatic. There is no deus ex machina to save the villagers, they just do. Although the explosion was powerful enough to destroy buildings, whatever, ok... Galadriel finally shows some humility and is remotely likeable. Nori's feelings towards the MeteorMan are on a rollercoaster. I still don't care who he is. They make Elendil look weak, they make Disa look greedy. Does anyone actually proofread these scripts? I expect Ashton Kutcher to show up in the next one to tell us we've been punked.
Story is slow but
brawlmedia7 October 2022
Warning: Spoilers
After the storm in last episode, this episode is relatively very calm. But lot of happenings.
Firstly stranger leaves the harfoots, who was chased by annatar and 2 others. The storyline of dwarf kingdom was excellent. Feeling sad that a prosperous dwarves kingdom will become ruins once balrog is out. I was surprised that dwarves kingdom was so much prosperous before the events of lord of the rings. The southlands is converted to mordor and became home of orcs. Now we can see orcs gaining strength, which were weaker in earlier episodes. The massive orcs we saw in lord of the rings are about to come. I like adar as a whole, he has typical villain attitude, he helped to fill the gap till sauron makes entry officially. But I want adar to continue.
Story is going at a steady pace. Sad that only one episode is remaining.
Finally halbrand is more of looking like sauron.
Firstly stranger leaves the harfoots, who was chased by annatar and 2 others. The storyline of dwarf kingdom was excellent. Feeling sad that a prosperous dwarves kingdom will become ruins once balrog is out. I was surprised that dwarves kingdom was so much prosperous before the events of lord of the rings. The southlands is converted to mordor and became home of orcs. Now we can see orcs gaining strength, which were weaker in earlier episodes. The massive orcs we saw in lord of the rings are about to come. I like adar as a whole, he has typical villain attitude, he helped to fill the gap till sauron makes entry officially. But I want adar to continue.
Story is going at a steady pace. Sad that only one episode is remaining.
Finally halbrand is more of looking like sauron.
Just Trash
ahmetkaankocabas7 October 2022
Please stop the logic behind this series. This is just meaningless. There is no logic behind the story or between the scenes. We cannot understand what are you trying to do. This is like just cheap netflix teenage series. Do not do this to Middle Earth. Please change the directors, writers and maybe some of the cast. Wholes season is just nothing. We thought Amazon got its lesson after The Wheel of Tim, but obviously still same mistakes. We do not care about the messages the directors try to give us or we do not care about their vision the only thing we care is middle earth and Tolkien's heritage.
An actually good episode
mariamer7 October 2022
Warning: Spoilers
So far it's the lowest rated episode, and I really can't see why. Till now the show has suffered from
1) too many storylines - slow pace
2) weird dialog
3) butchered lore
While the third problem is indeed still a problem, we have more storylines that are converging, and the dialog is definitely better than the "stones look down" Finrod thing. Also, Adar calling out Galadriel must have shook her as she finally appears to be closer to the wise being we knew, and the harfoots thankfully stop abandoning people to just die. For me at least there have not been painful to watch moments (painful as in "what were they thinking when they wrote this bit?" in this episode, which might actually be a first in the show.
What a bunch of filler
joelferguson987 October 2022
Warning: Spoilers
This episode felt unnecessary. So much of it could've been left out. There's so much unnecessary written in drama and bad acting. Like why do they all get split up when the volcano ash comes down? That doesn't make any sense. There's so many of them and they just happen to pop up every now and then. Like you don't see Halbrand till the final 5 minutes. Also what happened to Isildur... he just disappears from the episode and no one tries to find him. Then you see Adar and the orcs are walking about where Isildur would've been.
Nori and the wizard still continues to be boring and we're 1 episode from the finale... there's like no character development in any of them. The wizard has awful writing thus far. He shows glimpses of magic now and again and then wonders off.
Some of the chanting dialogue just feels so forced. Are we meant to feel sorry for the queen of Numenor who just became blind?
Nori and the wizard still continues to be boring and we're 1 episode from the finale... there's like no character development in any of them. The wizard has awful writing thus far. He shows glimpses of magic now and again and then wonders off.
Some of the chanting dialogue just feels so forced. Are we meant to feel sorry for the queen of Numenor who just became blind?
The Aftermath
Rainey-Dawn7 October 2022
Warning: Spoilers
In the aftermath of the volcano erupting the survivors are looking for the missing and dead. Some are trapped while others lay in eternal rest. The Harfoots make it to their next destination with some devastating surprises. The cult in white are still on the trail of The Stranger. Durin IV and Elrond are out to convince Durin III that the elves need the mithral desperately.
Good episode overall. I don't have many complaints with what has happened nor what was said. I only have one gripe: Why did Galadriel made us think that Celeborn was dead? I can only assume she'll be surprised later in the series that he's alive.
Anyway, I am pleased with the episode in spite of my one complaint.
9/10.
Good episode overall. I don't have many complaints with what has happened nor what was said. I only have one gripe: Why did Galadriel made us think that Celeborn was dead? I can only assume she'll be surprised later in the series that he's alive.
Anyway, I am pleased with the episode in spite of my one complaint.
9/10.
Eps 8 - The Eye does not dissapoint
meydiana-6524211 November 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Beware of haters from Mordor!
In "Rings of Power", just the way they captured the life and times of disparate races - Elves, Dwarves, Humans, Orcs - and creatures galore from Tolkien's literary Second Age of Middle-Earth was a testament to the screenplay writers' sheer determination to make this series a resounding success.
I loved every frame, and am now surprisingly confused about which scene I should start praising. As with most breathtaking undertakings of this kind, I shall endeavor to start at the very beginning. The creation myth Tolkien crafted in his book "The Silmarillion" found admirable translation in "Rings of Power".
Episodes 1 and 2, namely "A Shadow of the Past" and "Adrift" respectively, were directed by J. A. Bayona, who brought excellence to bear on each frame. Writers J. D. Payne, Patrick McKay, and Gennifer Hutchison did superb work scripting the magnificence I saw on screen this night.
Bear McCreary's musical scoring was stirring, warm, chilling, and brilliant. He captured the soul of this franchise and that's saying something after what Howard Shore did with the original trilogy, and "The Hobbit" movies that came after.
Aaron Morton, Alex Disenhof, and Oscar Faura created enormously high standards for cinematography with their work in "Rings of Power" - such sweeping panoramas and intimate close-ups. The production design and editing teams deserve their weight in gold for their work in helping bring this story to life. The art direction and set decoration teams did superb work. Hair-makeup, sound effects, and stunts were outstanding. Kate Hawley's costume design was exemplary - every stitch and hem was on point.
As for the CGI and VFX teams, they were the de facto hobbits from the Aragorn-crowned scene in "Return of the King". According to Variety, they used "20 VFX studios, nearly 10,000 VFX shots to revive Middle-earth". This crew certainly bows to no-one but we shall bow to them.
Galadriel, played by Morfydd Clark, was outstanding - her performance redefined so much about this iconic and inspiring character. In just two episodes, Clark proved to be the Wonder Woman of the Tolkien-verse. Her acting also paid due homage to Cate Blanchett's take on the character.
As for Sauron, he is a particularly significant character in the Tolkien-verse. In connection to him, we are yet to see what actor Bridie Sisson will be bringing to the series. Perhaps some sort of religious devotee or ritual summoner? Sisson lived up to that 'aura', as witnessed in the trailer. Future epis may reveal Sauron's true identity.
Poppy Proudfellow, played by Megan Richards, was remarkable. Elanor "Nori" Brandyfoot, played by Markella Kavenagh, was great. Some 'new Frodo and Sam' vibes with those two, only Harfoots instead of Hobbits.
The stranger, potentially Gandalf (!), played by Daniel Weyman, was intriguing - his performance was rife with mystery and magic. Fans know the true origins of Gandalf, and wizards like him. They are not exactly human. Future epis will reveal more, I'm sure.
Celebrimbor, played by Charles Edwards, was good. Theo, played by Tyroe Muhafidin, was also good. Elrond, played by Robert Aramayo, was superb - so many subtle and skillful throwbacks to Hugo Weaving's acting in the original trilogy. Arondir, played by Ismael Cruz Cordova, was amazing. Bronwyn, played by Nazanin Boniadi, was good. Thondir, played by Fabian McCallum, was also good. Halbrand, played by Charlie Vickers, was noteworthy.
Sadoc Burrows, played by Lenny Henry, was memorable. Malva, played by Thusitha Jayasundera, was quite good. Marigold Brandyfoot, played by Sara Zwangobani, was great. Rowan, played by Ian Blackburn, was notable. High King Gil-galad, played by Benjamin Walker, was quite good. Princess Disa, played by Sophia Nomvete, was superb. Prince Durin IV, played by Owain Arthur, was exceptional - his 16-piece beard transformation was itself a lesson in hair-makeup excellence.
We saw what turmoil the villain at the start of this epic, namely Morgoth, brought to bear. We also saw how his tyranny and power-lust influenced and inspired the rise of his devoted servant, the sorcerer Sauron, he who was responsible for later forging the One Ring, which mastered the titular rings of power smithed by Celebrimbor.
All other cast and crew did enchanting work in "LOTR: Rings Of Power"
In "Rings of Power", just the way they captured the life and times of disparate races - Elves, Dwarves, Humans, Orcs - and creatures galore from Tolkien's literary Second Age of Middle-Earth was a testament to the screenplay writers' sheer determination to make this series a resounding success.
I loved every frame, and am now surprisingly confused about which scene I should start praising. As with most breathtaking undertakings of this kind, I shall endeavor to start at the very beginning. The creation myth Tolkien crafted in his book "The Silmarillion" found admirable translation in "Rings of Power".
Episodes 1 and 2, namely "A Shadow of the Past" and "Adrift" respectively, were directed by J. A. Bayona, who brought excellence to bear on each frame. Writers J. D. Payne, Patrick McKay, and Gennifer Hutchison did superb work scripting the magnificence I saw on screen this night.
Bear McCreary's musical scoring was stirring, warm, chilling, and brilliant. He captured the soul of this franchise and that's saying something after what Howard Shore did with the original trilogy, and "The Hobbit" movies that came after.
Aaron Morton, Alex Disenhof, and Oscar Faura created enormously high standards for cinematography with their work in "Rings of Power" - such sweeping panoramas and intimate close-ups. The production design and editing teams deserve their weight in gold for their work in helping bring this story to life. The art direction and set decoration teams did superb work. Hair-makeup, sound effects, and stunts were outstanding. Kate Hawley's costume design was exemplary - every stitch and hem was on point.
As for the CGI and VFX teams, they were the de facto hobbits from the Aragorn-crowned scene in "Return of the King". According to Variety, they used "20 VFX studios, nearly 10,000 VFX shots to revive Middle-earth". This crew certainly bows to no-one but we shall bow to them.
Galadriel, played by Morfydd Clark, was outstanding - her performance redefined so much about this iconic and inspiring character. In just two episodes, Clark proved to be the Wonder Woman of the Tolkien-verse. Her acting also paid due homage to Cate Blanchett's take on the character.
As for Sauron, he is a particularly significant character in the Tolkien-verse. In connection to him, we are yet to see what actor Bridie Sisson will be bringing to the series. Perhaps some sort of religious devotee or ritual summoner? Sisson lived up to that 'aura', as witnessed in the trailer. Future epis may reveal Sauron's true identity.
Poppy Proudfellow, played by Megan Richards, was remarkable. Elanor "Nori" Brandyfoot, played by Markella Kavenagh, was great. Some 'new Frodo and Sam' vibes with those two, only Harfoots instead of Hobbits.
The stranger, potentially Gandalf (!), played by Daniel Weyman, was intriguing - his performance was rife with mystery and magic. Fans know the true origins of Gandalf, and wizards like him. They are not exactly human. Future epis will reveal more, I'm sure.
Celebrimbor, played by Charles Edwards, was good. Theo, played by Tyroe Muhafidin, was also good. Elrond, played by Robert Aramayo, was superb - so many subtle and skillful throwbacks to Hugo Weaving's acting in the original trilogy. Arondir, played by Ismael Cruz Cordova, was amazing. Bronwyn, played by Nazanin Boniadi, was good. Thondir, played by Fabian McCallum, was also good. Halbrand, played by Charlie Vickers, was noteworthy.
Sadoc Burrows, played by Lenny Henry, was memorable. Malva, played by Thusitha Jayasundera, was quite good. Marigold Brandyfoot, played by Sara Zwangobani, was great. Rowan, played by Ian Blackburn, was notable. High King Gil-galad, played by Benjamin Walker, was quite good. Princess Disa, played by Sophia Nomvete, was superb. Prince Durin IV, played by Owain Arthur, was exceptional - his 16-piece beard transformation was itself a lesson in hair-makeup excellence.
We saw what turmoil the villain at the start of this epic, namely Morgoth, brought to bear. We also saw how his tyranny and power-lust influenced and inspired the rise of his devoted servant, the sorcerer Sauron, he who was responsible for later forging the One Ring, which mastered the titular rings of power smithed by Celebrimbor.
All other cast and crew did enchanting work in "LOTR: Rings Of Power"
Badly written scenes
vinclause1 November 2022
1-how everyboy survived from volcanic eruption, we saw literally everyting was burning, houses, grounds barn, everything. But people survived?
2-Why galadriel and Teo immediately left the town without helping the others 3-Why miriel told to elendil 'nobody should see that i am blind' because after few scenes, she wraped a bandage to her eyes so everybody can see that she is blind.
4-How halbrand got up? He was dying in his bad, he was so bad that he needs elf medicine even but suddenly he got up ride horse, probably like 2 weeks maybe more? How?
5-Again Nearly all the lines was very bad written, i believe writers thought that they were cool :D
6-Again there is no time feeling in this serial, how many day weeks past or hour past.
2-Why galadriel and Teo immediately left the town without helping the others 3-Why miriel told to elendil 'nobody should see that i am blind' because after few scenes, she wraped a bandage to her eyes so everybody can see that she is blind.
4-How halbrand got up? He was dying in his bad, he was so bad that he needs elf medicine even but suddenly he got up ride horse, probably like 2 weeks maybe more? How?
5-Again Nearly all the lines was very bad written, i believe writers thought that they were cool :D
6-Again there is no time feeling in this serial, how many day weeks past or hour past.
It's way better compared to the past medicore episodes
omalola-142237 October 2022
In this episodes things are really different compared to the past ones, this one has good acting, good writing, and good scenery.
Elrond and Durin are the shining stars of the show with their part being the best, the elve and the dwarf are the best characters in the show their relation is really beautiful, both actors have done a great job playing their characters.
Galadriel and her part of the episode was really good as well with the character finally saying a couple of things that actually make sense.
The Hobbit part was really good as well gave us a couple of things here and there that was entertaining and interesting .
In general this episode is the best one yet The show was a disappointment till the last episode where the ending was fine and this episode is really good, it's not perfect and the 9 I gave it is probably a little bit too much, but, if the show keeps the Same level of good writing and acting in the upcoming episodes I can say it will be saved and may actually be worth your time.
Elrond and Durin are the shining stars of the show with their part being the best, the elve and the dwarf are the best characters in the show their relation is really beautiful, both actors have done a great job playing their characters.
Galadriel and her part of the episode was really good as well with the character finally saying a couple of things that actually make sense.
The Hobbit part was really good as well gave us a couple of things here and there that was entertaining and interesting .
In general this episode is the best one yet The show was a disappointment till the last episode where the ending was fine and this episode is really good, it's not perfect and the 9 I gave it is probably a little bit too much, but, if the show keeps the Same level of good writing and acting in the upcoming episodes I can say it will be saved and may actually be worth your time.
Unbelievably badly written
jonasarjunior10 October 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I'll not write so much, because it's not worth it.
Crazy battles in which a character comes from one site to save the day when he was actually at the opposite side before. Nonsense.
Volcano eruption with cold ashes. Do you have any idea of the temperature volcanic ashes like that reach? Thousands of degrees F. Even if they get colder along they way they would absolutely burn everybody's skins and lungs. But... important characters can't die, right?
Harfoots are horrible and evil!!! If your foot is broken, we leave you behind. If some problem coms up in the forest, we find someone to blame and basically sentence them to death. Isn't it supposed to be a tribe? Don't tribes exist to support it's members? Why would anyone be part of a tribe which does not care for the wounded? This writing makes absolutely no sense.
Crazy battles in which a character comes from one site to save the day when he was actually at the opposite side before. Nonsense.
Volcano eruption with cold ashes. Do you have any idea of the temperature volcanic ashes like that reach? Thousands of degrees F. Even if they get colder along they way they would absolutely burn everybody's skins and lungs. But... important characters can't die, right?
Harfoots are horrible and evil!!! If your foot is broken, we leave you behind. If some problem coms up in the forest, we find someone to blame and basically sentence them to death. Isn't it supposed to be a tribe? Don't tribes exist to support it's members? Why would anyone be part of a tribe which does not care for the wounded? This writing makes absolutely no sense.
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