The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power-The Midpoint

• Based on the novel The Lord of the Rings and its appendices by J. R. R. Tolkien
• Developed by J. D. Payne and Patrick McKay (Showrunners)
• September 1, 2022 to Present
• Prime Video

Series Cast So Far…

• Galadriel-Morfydd Clark
• Adar-Joseph Mawle
• Finrod-Will Fletcher
• Thondir-Fabian McCallum
• Rían-Kip Chapman
• Sadoc Burrows-Lenny Henry
• Marigold Brandyfoot-Sara Zwangobani
• Malva-Thusitha Jayasundera
• Vilma-Maxine Cunliffe
• Largo Brandyfoot-Dylan Smith
• Elanor “Nori” Brandyfoot-Markella Kavenagh
• Dilly Brandyfoot-Beau Cassidy
• Poppy Proudfellow-Megan Richards
• Elrond-Robert Aramayo
• Gil-galad-Benjamin Walker
• Arondir-Ismael Cruz Córdova
• Waldreg-Geoff Morrell
• Tredwill-Peter Tait
• Rowan-Ian Blackburn
• Bronwyn-Nazanin Boniadi
• Médhor-Augustus Prew
• Revion-Simon Merrells
• Theo-Tyroe Muhafidin
• Celebrimbor-Charles Edwards
• The Stranger-Daniel Weyman
• Durin IV-Owain Arthur
• Halbrand-Charlie Vickers
• Disa-Sophia Nomvete
• Durin III-Peter Mullan
• Míriel-Cynthia Addai-Robinson
• Isildur-Maxim Baldry
• Pharazôn-Trystan Gravelle
• Eärien-Ema Horvath
• Elendil-Lloyd Owen
• Kemen-Leon Wadham

A threat looms in the shadows during the Second Age of Middle-earth.

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Ep. 4: The Great Wave

• Directed by Wayne Che Yip
• Written by Stephany Folsom, J. D. Payne, and Patrick McKay
• September 16, 2022

Somehow this episode was an improvement I can’t quite put my finger on it because not much exciting happened. But yet it was improved over the first three. First of all we found out what that busted hilt was. Or at least got an inkling of why it was important.

Second the trip to Númenor didn’t turn out to be a whole dead end. This was beginning to look like a pointless side adventure largely for the purposes of world building. I am not saying it was intimately important, but it does provide a logical source of support for the characters in their quest.

We are left with the implication that Sauron is going to be making a comeback. My guess would be in the closing minutes of the final episode. There is a throwaway line that says Sauron has many many names in the past. They were definitely trying to connect things more firmly to LOTR. And it worked!

The writing was fine and the direction better than previous. Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) is engaging and Halbrand (Charlie Vickers) is more than an attractive ruffian meant to be the show’s badboy. The events with the villagers are tense though seem minor against the backdrop of everything else.

We are also offered an explanation on the whole issue with elves on the part of Númenor. The title of the episode refers to a prophecy where when the elves return the island will be destroyed by a great wave. Nobody seems concerned with that all of the sudden though.

I am convinced now that the sections in previous episodes with the Harfoots harm the narrative of the story. Why do I say that? Because there are no Harfoots in this episode. They have no screen time at all. And the story goes down effortlessly.

The Great Wave was a good episode and a definite uptick in the narrative of the series. I don’t want to get my hopes up for the finale, but this is a vast improvement.

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Ep. 5: Partings

• Directed by Wayne Che Yip
• Written by Justin Doble
• September 23, 2022

I’m not gonna call this a great episode but it certainly maintains the level of good the previous episode had. Rather than just teasing things, things actually happen here.

The Harfoot presence in the story is merciful minimal. Whoever the stranger (Daniel Weyman) is-be it Gandalf or even Sauron-the Harfoot‘s overall contribution to the story is minimal. Whatever they are planning on doing with the stranger character could probably have been done with any of the other more interesting narratives.

The Harfoots drag everything down. They bring the story to a crawl. They are the hobbit replacement in this but really contribute nothing. Worse they come off as unnecessarily cruel to their group as they dump members that are the slightest inconvenience. One of them is rather insistent to Sadoc (Lenny Henry) that they rip the wheels off the Brandyfoot cart and leave them to die. A group that willing to cut connections would not survive.

Tensions build up with the humans in the Southlands as some peel off to go with the Orcs and their leader Adar (Joseph Mawle). Whatever is going to happen with the King in Hiding appears to be centered around this small watchtower and what appears to be only a handful of people.

The only thing I don’t like is the focus on the teenagers. It gets a bit CW-ish for me. This is supposed to be more mature than a hormone driven teen soap.

I know Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) is a serious character but does the actress have one expression? She looks like everything is intently serious no matter the situation. And why does Queen Regent Míriel (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) look like she smelled a fart through this whole episode. Like somebody let a seriously nasty one rip and she’s always caught a good whiff of it.

The characters are a bit one note in their expression as well as their emotional state. They are more caricatures than they are characters. Emote. Maybe smile. Don’t be always in one state at all times.

Partings itself is competently directed. I can’t complain too much about that nor can I complain about the script itself but still not on the same level as The Hobbit or LOTR.

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So far I can only call the show okay on a good day. The issue is it is connected to something considered a film classic. Perhaps if this was set in its own fantasy world it might be perceivable as better. Only the final three episodes will tell.