The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Season 1)

⭐ 7.0/10

(Originally written by Tim)

The hopes were high, and the result fell pretty flat. Its kind of annoying that House of the Dragon and Andor are on at the same time, because it makes this seem even more forgettable in comparison.

I'll start with the good. Production quality here is top notch, I thought the actors were fine, and the music was great. However, if the story is trash does any of this matter?

That is my main complaint, just that the story was not compelling. There were a couple arcs that had potential, and I think as a whole the main plot beats of the season would be good on paper, but in execution it just falls completely flat. I didn't feel emotionally connected to anyone, and even worse, I didn't feel a connection to the world. Middle Earth feels expansive and alive and distinct. This has all the sweeping landscapes and epic landscapes, and the prologue of the season felt like I was back in Tolkien's world. But somehow with all their budget this world feels empty and lifeless. This may be due to all the instantaneous fast-traveling that happens, or the lack of a large-scale set pieces with any sense of stakes. I am not really sure, but this show does not feel connected to the Lord of the Rings movies or books. The names and places are there, but its lacking the sense of wonder. That's cheesy and maybe not the best way of putting it, but I went in with open arms and the best intentions! I wanted to love it but never could.

7 feels high since I only have criticisms, but I gave Wheel of Time 6.5 and this is slightly better. I am okay with most of the lore additions and character expansion, I just can't get over how bad the story was. All the lines are cliche and eye-roll inducing, and I feel like in a year none of the scenes will stand out in my mind. The season is built around these character reveals that you are aware of early on, so it feels silly when the reveal actually happens, and then the characters have nonsensical reactions to them. One of the reveals was the name of one place popping up on the screen, burning up to reveal its new name. This just felt emblematic of everything that bothers me about this show. Who is that text on the screen for? Not the characters, its for the viewers, and they think the viewers want a history lesson connecting all the dots so I can be in the Leo meme pointing at the screen being like I KNOW THAT NAME. Maybe some viewers do want that. I would say we deserve more.

There was a beautiful song in one of the episodes that nearly took me to those Lord of the Rings highs, and I hope the writers capture that spirit more in season 2. I thought the best plotline was that of the dwarves, and the Durin/Elrond relationship with the Moria politics. Oh ya, Disa also had that one epic song, but it happened during an action scene that made no sense. I also think they took on some interesting Tolkien themes, in particular I liked the very small exploration it took into the humanity of the orcs. I appreciate that the writers are aware of the things Tolkien thought about, and would like them to write story around it that is interesting. Is that so much to ask?

I will leave you with my favourite line from my girl Galadriel - "If the darkness is gone, why do I still feel it..." (touches heart) "... in here?". Bravo.