Here’s my The Rings of Power Season 2 Episode 5 review folks and now this show feels really rushed, or some of the plots do. Before I get into things I’ll point out I’m coming at this as a big Tolkien book nerd, so we are in Full SPOILERS territory.
So with that in mind beware SPOILERS not just for Episode 5, but the overall story Tolkien told.
I’m going go through each plot as I have in previous weeks and rate them kinda on their own. This Episode features the Eregion plot with Celebrimbor and Sauron and the Galadriel and Elrond plots are sort of merged into that now, or about to come Episode 6. The other plots we send time with in Episode 5 are the Dwarves and Numenor.
Let’s start with how the whole thing felt so rushed to me.
Rushed Plots
Previously on Rings of Power…
When we last left all these stories Sauron had convinced Celebrimbor to make more Rings. Galadriel was caught and Elrond was running back to Gil-Galad. The Dwarves had been presented with the idea of the Rings but Durin was trying to persuade his father to not use them. Meanwhile things were looking grim for Miriel in Numenor and good for Pharazon after he used his wits to make it seem like he had been chosen by the Eagle.
Dwarves and the Rings
Now, by the time we begin this Episode, Sauron and Celebrimbor have already made the Seven and for some reason Durin III has all seven of them. He decides to put one on and away we go with the corruption of the Dwarves plot. We also get some vague excuses from Sauron about why the Rings don’t appear to work as well as the Three. They could have just stuck to the lore in that the Rings were never designed for Dwarves but here we are. I’ve moaned about these choices enough already in previous reviews. This just felt so rushed.
Numenor
Yet, not as rushed as the Numenor plot. By the start of 5 we have Pharazon holding the spectre and already using his power and follows to supress the faithful, even violently. It’s such a simple political tale. It’s like if Game of Thrones only had 4 main characters and they were always on the same rooms together. Numenor doesn’t yet feel alive, it feels like a tiny cast with a load of random extras.
I don’t yet believe Sauron’s fear of Numenor as he even admits in this episode. I’m also not a fan of the Kings Men being so brutal prior to the incarceration of Sauron. It was from this point things took a darker turn and the Faithful had to flee prior to that. Even in Pharazon’s rule the Faithful were unpopular and mocked, but never banned or outlawed. Until of course Sauron began his corruption from the inside. By the end of that he’s got Numenoreans making human sacrifices to Morgoth.
I said last week that I wanted to see the differences between these two camps fleshed out more. But the show has just skipped all that to give us the conflict in full force. Now this may get better, but I doubt it. Given next season probably needs to have Sauron in Numenor, I doubt we’ll have any time to show anything but things getting worse.
Again, it feels so rushed, like we are in a race to get to certain big events. Problem is, despite a good cast of actors, they aren’t being given enough screen time across a season to develop their characters. Too many plots and not enough time to flesh them all out across an 8 episode Season.
Anything Good?
Yes, as a matter of fact I am quite partial to the actors in this show. I think almost all were well cast and play their parts well. I feel like any issues with characters are down to writing and executive choices, not the actors.
Elrond and Galadriel are not well written for me despite their actors trying hard with what they have. The Durin’s and Disa are better written, but their plots are too rushed and sporadic. Celebrimbor and Sauron is great acting and lot of subtlety, but again, it’s just so rushed I’m betting by start of the next week the Nine are finished. I even like the actors in the Numenor plot, but their story feels most rushed of all.
Showrunners…… C’Mon
I’ll also moan about one knew piece of lore this week. We see a prototype of one of the Nine and it turns an Elf invisible and seemingly trapped in the Unseen World. We also know where this is going with Ring Wraiths but if they had just stuck to Rings a made for Elves that mortals should not use, they wouldn’t have to create all the fake lore. This new fake lore is that…
‘Some Rings of Power seem to allow the user to go into the Unseen World.’
That’s what was said in a promo after this episode on Amazon by the showrunners. They talk about this scene and come up with the new lore they just invented. I’m not sure if they know they invented it, or think they got it right but they did not. I cannot tell you how much this concerns me. Elves walk half in the seen and half in the unseen world anyway. Mortals do not.
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The Nine were NOT created for Men and would NOT turn an Elf invisible that we know of. In fact the only Ring we know does make anyone invisible and see the unseen world, is the One itself. We see it from Frodo’s POV. We have zero context for the effects the Nine had on the Elves who initially wore them. Or the Seven for that matter. Far as we know even the mortals who wore the Nine did not turn invisible immediately. Instead they slowly faded out over a long time until they were no longer visible in the seen world.
In the show it is used as a plot device to bring Celebrimbor back in the fold after initially not wishing to make Rings for Men. Now, perhaps this effect/flaw will be fixed by the time Men actually get them. It would be a bit suss if all the Nine who get them just disappear. Still the showrunner statement worried me and I wanted to rant about it.
Will I Like it?
Listen I say this all the time with this show, it depends what you’re looking for. If you are looking for something as ambitious character drama wise as Game of Thrones or House of the Dragon, this won’t tick your boxes. Maybe you just liked the movies, don’t care much about the lore and like seeing Middle-earth? In which case you might like this. If instead you’re a bit of Tolkienist like me, it’ll probably drive you mad.
GRADE: C
It’s watchable, it’s pretty, but it’s amateur level character development and writing.
Best Bit: Dwarves
Worst Bit: Numenor
As always, let me know what you thought of my review of The Rings of Power Season 2 Episode 5. If you feel like it, let us know what you though, are you a fan of the show so far, am I way out of line? Thoughts below.
