‘The Rings of Power’ Season 2 Episodes 1-3 Review - Sauron’s Revenge

The people behind The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power certainly know how to use computer graphics effectively. Unlike most big-budget movies with unimpressive visuals and poor writing, this series makes me wish I could watch it in a movie theater on a big screen. The images strike a perfect balance between reality and fantasy, creating landscapes that feel almost real, despite being rendered on machines. At the same time, these images, with their magical yellowish glow, look fantastical and dreamy. I wanted to dip my hand in the water; I wanted to touch the golden leaves. If you have watched the first season of The Rings of Power, you might have been expecting such visual delights for the second time. Season 2 doesn't disappoint. What Season 1 lacked, though, was an equally immersive story. You admired the setting but never cared for anyone or anything. Season 2, thankfully, doesn't arrive with such a hitch. Or, more accurately, out of the three episodes now streaming, the first two are so engrossing that you eagerly absorb every line, every scene. My only complaint is that the fight sequences and the night scenes are not very appealing.

Season 2 opens with Sauron's backstory. We learn how he was betrayed by Adar (Sam Hazeldine) and how he went from looking like Jack Lowden to Charlie Vickers. Vickers brings an exciting menace to this series. He sent a chill down my spine when, after pledging his allegiance to Adar, he smiled. When Sauron goes to Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) to manipulate him, you scream, "Don't trust this man! Don't allow him to enter your city!" Sauron infuses a sense of urgency into the story. Because of his terrifying presence, you care about Elves, Dwarves, or anybody who's not on the evil's side. Disa (Sophia Nomvete) and Prince Durin IV (Owain Arthur) are the only other characters who elicit strong reactions from within us. They get some of the best lines. "You married a prince. But now you are bound to be an outcast," says Durin IV. Disa replies, "I'm bound to the Dwarf I love." Nomvete delivers these words so passionately, so confidently, you see her Disa's strong relationship with Durin. Nomvete and Arthur exist on a different frequency. Whenever they appear on the screen, you become more responsive. The two actors deliver their dialogues with a lot of feeling - nothing they say seems bland or trifling. I chuckled when Durin IV complained, "This rye tastes like last year's bread," and was hit with this reply from Disa, "It IS last year's bread."

Season 2, so far, managed to impress me with its comic mood that often arrives unexpectedly. While dragging the Stranger (Daniel Weyman) towards a well, Poppy (Megan Richards) asks Nori (Markella Kavenagh), "How can someone who hasn't eaten in so long weigh so much?" Richards and Kavenagh, with their cute voices, balance out the grimness that Weyman brings with him. Then there is Morfydd Clark, as Galadriel, who looks like a pure, innocent soul that needs to be protected. Everything about Clark feels fragile - you believe one devilish exhale will blow away all the warmth from her body. She seems very vulnerable as she remembers Sauron while pleading with Elrond (Robert Aramayo) to join her on a trip. Elrond's face hardens when he gets disappointed with Galadriel's decision to wear the ring. He looks at her with expressions that seem to be saying, "Don't talk to me."

After the fabulous charms of the first two episodes, we unfortunately come to Episode 3. The rhythm abruptly shifts, and the on-screen action lacks its previous exhilarating quality. This is the kind of dullness we experienced while watching the first season. The reminder is disheartening. The visuals, too, become uninteresting. Where did this lifeless energy come from? I hope it goes away by next week.

Final Score – [7.5/10]