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The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 goes out with a fun, messy bang

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The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 goes out with a fun, messy bang

As a long-time lover of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth and a dedicated fan of The Rings of Power, I must admit this season left me with mixed feelings. On one hand, the show continues to deliver stunning visuals, intricate world-building, and a cast that brings these beloved characters to life. However, on the other hand, it sometimes feels like I’m playing a game of “Where’s Waldo?” as some key characters seem to disappear for extended periods only to reappear unexpectedly.

In a lively and entertaining manner, the second season finale of “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” concludes with an explosive burst – a loud, chaotic, yet enjoyable explosion. The series swiftly tackles various climaxes in this final episode, some providing greater fulfillment than others.

To begin with, King Durin embarks on a more extensive and voracious mining expedition within the mountain than any dwarf had ever undertaken before, unearthing an abundance of precious mithril in the process. Additionally, he awakens a balrog that resided beneath the earth, bearing a striking resemblance to the balrogs portrayed in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings films. The similarity is so uncanny that I question whether there might be any grounds for legal disputes, given that the production companies behind The Rings of Power and those movies are distinct entities. Eventually, King Durin recognizes that his ring of power has led him astray; he removes it and passes it on to his son, before throwing himself into the battle.

The hole in the rock wall that Durin opened up is blocked by falling rubble, so I assume the balrog won’t become a huge problem for the dwarves until later on in the show, which is a little disappointing; we know that the balrog is eventually what drives the dwarves out of Khazad-dûm, and this feels like the show stringing us along. This particular Chekhov’s gun has been hanging on the wall since the season 1 finale. The season 2 finale cocked it, but didn’t pull the trigger. Let’s see some boom.

Speaking as a devoted fan, Durin the Younger’s storyline truly resonated with me, particularly his bond with his father. Seeing their journey come to an end left me feeling melancholic, but I was overjoyed when Durin ascended the throne. In my opinion, his character development throughout the season was nothing short of remarkable. To top it off, the balrog’s design was awe-inspiring, and King Durin’s courageous leap to battle it in dramatic slow-motion was nothing short of breathtaking.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power review, season 2 finale

The majority of the events unfold in Eregion, where Adar launches attacks from outside. Inside, Sauron torments Celebrimbor for details about the nine rings of power destined for mortal men. Sauron’s antics have been particularly captivating this season, and he continues to be a deliciously wicked character. He showers a wounded and dying Celebrimbor with arrows and ironically comments, “See what you’ve brought upon yourself,” which is darkly amusing. Celebrimbor meets a valiant and honorable end by resisting Sauron’s efforts to extract information. He predicts Sauron’s demise and addresses him as “the ring’s master.” In a chilling climax, Sauron strikes the last descendant of Fëanor with a pike. These two characters have had an impressive run this season. This scene serves as the high point for their storyline, perhaps even for the entire season, offering numerous intriguing aspects.

Instead of manipulating Adar’s armies using mind-control magic as anticipated, it turns out that Sauron subtly convinces them to revolt against Adar. The orcs have grown tired of following Adar, who insists they charge the walls of Eregion, resulting in their mass deaths. In a dramatic twist reminiscent of “Et tu, Brute?” from Julius Caesar, Adar meets his end at the hands of his own troops, betrayed by them under Sauron’s persuasive influence.

I haven’t been particularly fond of Adar, who appears to serve more as a delaying tactic and a character created for the series to extend the storyline of the Second Age. However, I found his death scene quite poetic: Adar, wearing Galadriel’s ring of power, transforms back into the elven form he once was before being corrupted by darkness. This reconnection to his noble nature leads him to ally with Galadriel to defeat Sauron and later retreat to Mordor, vowing never to disturb the free peoples of Middle-earth again. But tragically, he meets his end at that very moment.

In this scenario, Sauron confronts Galadriel one-on-one; their battle extends into an intricate duel as Sauron transforms into figures from Galadriel’s past to disorient and unsettle her. Although I wasn’t deeply attached to their bond, the series cleverly keeps this conflict engaging and entertaining. Sauron continues to exude his malevolent arrogance, impaling Galadriel with Morgoth’s ancient crown and demanding she surrender the Rings of Power she bears. He manages to obtain the nine rings, but Galadriel clutches Nenya tightly before plunging over a precipice, choosing self-sacrifice instead of contributing to Sauron’s growing power.

Undoubtedly, she doesn’t perish but recovers under the care of Gil-galad and Elrond. These elves, who managed to survive the siege of Eregion, leave the devastated city with them. It is strongly suggested that they will establish a new settlement which may eventually become the tranquil refuge known as Rivendell, reminiscent of the one we know from The Lord of the Rings.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power review: season 2, episode 8

The second season of “The Rings of Power” concludes there. It’s a decent stopping point, yet it leaves me feeling somewhat empty, which is a sensation I frequently experience while watching this series. The remaining elves cheer as they witness Galadriel alive…or perhaps it’s Gil-galad brandishing a sword, or maybe it’s Galadriel using her ring to envelop the survivors in a divine light, or…I can’t quite tell. I often can’t tell. “The Rings of Power” seems to convey that certain scenes are grand and crucial, but I don’t feel that impact in my heart as frequently as I’d expect.

The series “The Rings of Power” tends to rush significant events without proper buildup or foreshadowing. This was evident in the scenes set on Númenor during this episode. Previously, we witnessed Queen Regent Míriel reclaiming some power lost to Ar-Pharazôn following an encounter with a sea monster, which the Faithful saw as divine favor from the Valar. I assumed Pharazôn would strategize, find alternative ways to outmaneuver Míriel, or perhaps propose marriage as depicted in the books. However, upon revisiting him, he’s already accusing all the Faithful of treason and rounding them up. There seems to be a lack of planning and progression; I questioned if I had missed an episode.

Eärien alerts Elendil that the followers of Pharazôn are approaching, giving him enough time to make a swift exit to a more tolerant region of the island. Simultaneously, Kemen, Pharazôn’s son, appears in the Númenórean settlement on Middle-earth where Isildur resides; Isildur has been noticeably absent this season, leading me to sometimes question if he was part of the series at all. The appearance of Kemen adds another “oh, I must have missed that” moment. Was there a scene in which Pharazôn instructed Kemen to travel to Middle-earth to oversee the colonies? It seems like he just unexpectedly appeared.

Instead, Isildur journeys alongside Kemen to Numenor, forsaking his nascent romantic connection with Astrid. Stay tuned for the upcoming season to discover what happens next; hopefully, you’ll recall these characters when the series returns after a two-year gap.

Verdict

In Rhûn, the mysterious figure is meandering through the Stoor village, leaving me questioning if I’d overlooked something – how did he manage to locate this place? Suddenly, another dramatic event unfolds as the Dark Magician appears and pretends to be friendly, proposing that they team up against Sauron and seize his power. This proposition is swiftly rejected by the stranger. In response, the Dark Magician abruptly changes tactics, unleashing a barrage of rocks upon the village. However, the Stranger employs his powers to shield the town from a potential massacre.

Instead of a direct confrontation, the interaction between two characters lacks depth, particularly the enigmatic Dark Wizard, leaving us intrigued about their backstory. After his departure, we’re left anticipating the continuation of the story in 2026. One revelation that was made clear is that the mysterious figure is indeed Gandalf, a fact many fans may have suspected ever since he appeared in the series premiere.

The best part of this story is Nori and Poppy leading the now homeless Stoors on a migration, transforming from followers into leaders. Nori and Gandalf share a brief goodbye, and it’s nice, although it doesn’t hit as hard as it should. The relationship between these two was once the heart of this plotline, but this season devoted more time to Gandalf confering with Tom Bombadil, a character who’s emotionally distant by nature.

In my opinion, during the harfoot-Stranger-Rhûn narrative this season, the emphasis seemed to be misplaced. There was an excessive concentration on vague characters such as Tom Bombadil and the Dark Wizard, while the Stranger’s relationship with Nori should have been highlighted instead. These storylines appear to be the weakest of the season.

After completing the second season of The Rings of Power, my overall sentiment is similar to when I started: certain storylines are more engaging than others, the series relies excessively on references from Lord of the Rings, and the pace feels sluggish. There’s enjoyment to be found, but I fear much of this season will fade from memory in a few months, leaving only faint recollections by the time we reach season 3. Oh well.

The Bullet Points of Power

  • In J.R.R. Tolkien’s books, Sauron later uses Celebrimbor’s body as a banner he parades before his armies of orcs. That would be pretty wicked to see.
  • The dwarves show up to Eregion at the last minute and prevent the siege from turning into a total rout. This is an invention for TV and does not happen in the books.
  • Arondir and Theo were in this episode. I feel like they were especially forgettable in the back half of this season.
  • The Dark Wizard says he was convinced to come to Middle-earth by the Stranger. That sounds like the relationship between Alatar and Pallando, the two Blue Wizards about whom we learn almost nothing in J.R.R. Tolkien’s books; according to Tolkien, Alatar asked Pallando to accompany him as a friend. So is that who they are? And yet the show all but tells us that the Stranger is Gandalf, an entirely different guy. I’m not sure what to make of that. It seems we now have two wizards with mysterious identities — the Stranger and the Dark Wizard — rather than one.

Episode Grade: B

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2024-10-03 15:41

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