'The Rings of Power' season 2

I couldn’t even get through the first season, I won’t be back for the second.

The first season was definitely a disappointment to me.

But I'll still struggle through the second. The LOTR fan in me is going to force me to watch til the bitter end.

Sauron/Annatar's awful wig lol

I enjoyed the first season a lot, but there was definitely room for improvement. The showrunners admitted they made some mistakes, but also that they listened to the feedback and will adjust going forward. So it'll be interesting to see how different it is from the first one.

The first season was painful. Galadriel was insufferable.

No, thanks.

Gandalf looks to be in an arid land of sorts. Harad? But what would he be doing there?

Delivering magical weapons to the global south as an act of Valarian imperialism probably

I wanted to like it, as it was such a beautiful production.

But for some reason, it couldn't hold my attention.

Why. Is. The. Lighting. So. DARK?!?

I can't even remember what happened in the first season.

That's the problem with many streaming shows. You're lucky if you get one season a year.

Because the CG isn't finished possibly, R9.

The comments section is good.

"how did you let Sauron slip into enemy lines a second time?!", "Well he wore a wig and some pointy fake ears completely undetectable"

"One wig to prank them all"

Them: bet you can't fool them again, Sauron: hold my wig

r8 Yes, it really was beautiful. I'll never forget that shot in the premiere when Galadriel gets frustrated with Elrond for a second and takes a step towards him – it suddenly cuts to a bird's-eye view of them both and there's a wave crashing into the cliffs, mirroring her temperament. So, so pretty.

Related to that scene was Elrond's look at Galadriel in the very final moments of the last episode, which might have been my favourite part of the whole first season. He saw her thirst for power even back then and he was wise before she was wise, even though she's held up as the wisest of them all by the time of The Hobbit.

r11 Yep, it's definitely because the CG is still being worked on. There are still more than three months to go, they'll be polishing that aspect right up until the premiere. What we're seeing here will look a lot better in the finished product. It's the same with the Furiosa movie.

r12 Those comments are an improvement over that Tolkien (mis)quote being spammed endlessly in Russian a couple of months before the war in Ukraine started when the first season teaser dropped. People pretended like it was the most normal thing in the world and wouldn't listen to those of us who were saying it was clearly an organised Russian trolling campaign to try and incite a race war in the US. I think seeing that black dwarf broke people's brains or something, there's really no other explanation.

Hopefully, it won’t be as inert as the first season.

Tom Bombadil, played by Rory Kinnear! Imparting some ancient wisdom to Gandalf, I assume.

[quote]“There’s a reason why he hasn’t been in prior adaptations, because in some ways he’s sort of an anti-dramatic character,” Payne tells Vanity Fair for this exclusive first look.

I imagine Gandalf will be worried about the new Mordor, etc. and Tom will explain the importance of slowing down, leaning back and lighting up a fat one when things look dire.

It's been such a long time since I watched it, but I'm pretty sure they never revealed Gandalf was Gandalf, even though the audience worked it out from the beginning. So I wonder if they still plan to reveal it this next season in a "OMG you never guessed this" type way.

One of the things I dislike about modern TV programmes is how long everything takes. The TV show doesn't have enough special effects to warrant a two year break between seasons. Even Game of Thrones did the same towards the end. They went along merrily having one season a year for the first seven seasons, then we had to wait two years for the last season.

The latest season of Doctor Who started filming in 2022, yet is only being released now in 2024. Severance season 1 aired in early 2022, yet here we are in May 2024 and no airdate for season 2 has been set. Get a fucking move on.

Or sucking a fat one, r17.

DL fave Ben Daniels IS Círdan the Shipwright!

[quote]Círdan is a font of wisdom, even among the High Elves, and will serve as a mentor to the younger elf Elrond in season 2.

He's the one who gives his ring to Gandalf by the time we get to LOTR.

It will be cool to see Cirdan, he was not really in Peter Jackson's movies.

Though he gets to be a wise elf character. I'll never forgive these writers for portraying Galadriel as a hot blooded young thing in Season 1, she is already a very old elf by the time of this show.

I wonder if Celebrimbor wore the ring for a bit and then gave it to Círdan, or if he gave it to Círdan straight away. He looked like he was licking his lips in the first season finale, there's no way he didn't at least try it on.

r21 I disagree. She's a power hungry bitch even by the time of the LOTR movies, hence her passing the final test in Fellowship when she lets go of her egoic ambitions for good. In that sense, the show got her right. She may be old, but you see her true face in the movies when she banishes Sauron and in the aforementioned Frodo scene. She craves power and control, and in the books keeps needling Sauron telepathically using the power of her ring for no reason.

It honestly looks pretty good. Al Pharazon with the palantir was beautiful CG

I've had more than enough of Guyladriel - no thanks.

Wake me when it's done.

r23 That looks so good, omg. Seems like they improved the balance between action in drama, which the showrunners admitted was one of the mistakes of the first season.

I do find it funny though, the way we get so many awful wigs and then there's the actor who plays Elrond with his gorgeous natural hair.

*action and drama

Starts tomorrow.

Reviews are once again mixed – from "boring" to "this is fantasy at the absolute highest level". Here's an article with the showrunners saying what they've learned from the first season. It's now darker and more action-y. We'll see if that's an improvement.

Time for another price hike!

Galadriel wasn't a power-seeker, certainly not in the Third Age. Her temptation was to preserve her great creation, Lorien, which would die when the age of the rings was over. The elves in general, and her group the Noldor in particular, want to preserve their beautiful creations and this is what the Three Rings were designed to do, preserve and heal. The great test of Feanor i the First Age was whether he would surrender the Silmarils, his greatest creations, a challenge he failed. Galadriel however surrendered her great creation when the point came. Tolkien would loathe this series for so many reasons, but the trashing of Galadriel would have been top of his list.

Tolkien's son famously loathed the LOTR movies and they were still great movies. So that's not really an indication of anything.

My headcanon is that (within the conceit of the Legendarium) the histories of the elves which informed the Red Book probably glossed over less savory stuff over thousands of years, like their origins from Oromë, minor kinslayings against Avari, darker elven magic, etc. So, it is conceivable there was some softening of Galadriel's character in legend, not that I really liked the RoP portrayal either.

Maybe if Celebrimbor sucks Annatar's cock well enough, he'll turn good.

Watched the first three episodes and while everything looks great (some wonky CG notwithstanding), I do get the complaints about it being boring. There's just not much panache here, in writing but especially not in camerawork, which is something I'm most sensitive to.

Anyway, it was nice seeing Ben Daniels as Elf Jesus. I've never heard him deliver his lines so softly before. And my god, that magnificent wig! If only Ian could have seen him like this. RIP.

Was that really Benjamin Walker's (Gil-galad) singing voice? Those lower notes were so smooth and stable. Gorgeous work.

Elrond is so friggin' wise, I love him so much more now. This season doesn't feel like "The Galadriel Show" anymore, does it?

Who on earth is that wizard with the cool staff with the cult around him, played by Ciarán Hinds? Surely not one of the Blue Wizards? Rhûn looks exactly as I imagined it.

Tried to watch season 1 last week. My gosh, that writing is horrendous. Stopped on episode 2.

I want Halbrand's girthy manhood inside me right now!

This season is a step up from season 1. But certain plotlines still leave me a bit bored.

The best thing about the show is Charlie Vickers as Sauron. He is killing it, there is no show without him.

I'm actually really partial to Sam Hazeldine's Adar this season. He replaced Joseph Mawle, who "decided to explore new career opportunities", i.e. he got sacked. He speaks so softly and looks like something straight out of a video game.

But yeah, the human plotline in episode three was beyond boring. I'm sorry, but I really don't care about these humans all that much. I watch fantasy to escape the humans around me, which includes all y'all hoes assembled here as well.

The dark wizard and his cool staff would have me orgasming as a kid, he looks fantastic. Alatar? Pallando? Neither?

[quote]The dark wizard and his cool staff would have me orgasming as a kid

Pics please.

Some are saying Cirian Hinds could be Khamal, another future wraithy boy. I think he’s not a true wizard.

* Khamûl

Oh yeah, Khamûl would make more sense, given to how he was referring to Gandalf as an Istar as if he wasn't one himself. By why not the Witch King himself?

Círdan is both beautifully acted and just plain beautiful, as played by Ben Daniels. Love that he shaves his legendary beard for a bit after his ringly glowup lol. All of his scenes are wonderful and his hall has details on par w/ Weta workshop from the PJ trilogy. I also love that we've had several gay actors cast in the franchise & that there are many characters within the world without partners who could conceivably be gay in headcanon/fanfiction. Not that catholic Tolkien would've specifically approved, but he gave us tons of opportunity for exploration & expansion of his gorgeous world. I like the idea of these intelligent, gay Ainur, Eldar & Hobbits being deeply involved in the music of Arda.

Yes, he was so luminous in all his scenes, I hope we see more of him. The Grey Havens looked so modest compared to what became of them by the time of LOTR.

He also looked a bit like Gandalf before he shaved. Possible Easter egg, because he eventually gives Narya to Gandalf?

So, revelation: Rings of Power is what happens when a couple of college kids get the LOTR rpg and decide to write their own stuff.

I enjoyed it far more than I thought I would. Especially given how negative some people have been about it!

Charlie Vickers is great as Sauron. After all, it can't be easy playing Middle Earth's greatest villain. He manages not to ham it up.

The 'dark wizard' in the East is interesting. I wondered if he might be Khamûl too, given he was referred to as the "Black Easterling" and I would have thought they'd want to start introducing some of the nine by now.

Not that I didn't enjoy seeing him, but was there any particular reason Jack Lowden was playing Sauron in the flashback? Did they want to drive home the point that he was reborn in a different body after that?

R47 I think it was two fold really - one to show the rivalry between Adar and Sauron and, like you say, to show how Sauron adopts different faces.

They have to establish why Adar does not recognize Sauron when he is right on front of him. When he knew him he used a different identify.

The problem with how this show characterises Galadriel was apparent with the distribution of the rings. In the books it's obvious why Galadriel is selected as one of the three ring bearers. She is one of the oldest and wisest of elves on middle earth and one of the only ones left who has lived in the light of the two trees.

In the show? She is just a trouble maker that no one trusts and is responsible for bringing Sauron to them. They had to have the ring fall to her and no one question it to explain why she is a ring bearer.

Also the contrivance of how Celebrimbor is still unaware that Halbrand is Sauron even though everyone else knows is tough for them to write around, they wrote themselves into a corner on that one.

I like how the ring chose Galadriel, as if it had been fated to become hers. Similarly to how that wave hit Círdan's boat just at the right time to thwart his plans.

Sauron is wearing a wig? I can defend against that!

Everyone is super wiggy on this show, except for Robert Aramayo (Elrond) who was blessed with fantastic natural hair.

When's Glorfindel getting sent back to Middle Earth? Around this time, no?

Like many things with Tolkien there are a couple accounts. One is that Glorfindel came over with the Wizards/Istari in the third age. The other is that he was sent in the second age before the fall of Numenor.

Of course this show has already moved up the arrival of the wizards from the Third Age to the Second.

I only watched the first episode and, in the previews, thought the Tom Bombadil character was Radagast.

Radagast wouldn't be dispensing wisdom to Gandalf, as we have seen in the trailer/preview. He also would have just told him to SNAP OUT OF IT and remember his mission.

I like both seasons. People want action, action, action. Most of this story is told thru the perspective of the Elves. Elves are NOT "action, action, action" beings. We ALL know that, right? As well, there is actual character development, and actually paying attention to people and their foibles takes more than 5 minutes. It is unfolding slowly, and I'm fine with that, just as, when I read books, I don't demand the author "hurry up". Sauron is laying plans that others cannot see (as Galadriel posits in one scene). That can't be done at the speed of light. What is this, the ADHD-under-40- board? And I say that as someone WITH ADHD (and I'm 74), who does not find it hard to stay engaged and to enjoy it as it is. Speed kills. Slow down, Grasshoppers.

r55 Thanks. I don't know why, but I want to see Glorfindel interacting with these other older elves real bad.

For some reason the writers have decided that Galadriel is a complete asshole

She's just wilful, is all. But our culture is wired to see spirited women as bitches overstepping their mark.

I'm tickled by how imperious Gil-galad is with her, given that he's her great-grandnephew.

[quote]What is this, the ADHD-under-40- board?

Actually, this is the "ADHD-over-40 that don't look a day over ADHD-under-25" board.

Can't wait for forge-side chats between Annatar and the enraptured Celebrimbor as they work late into the nights, emptying bottles of wine, probably laughing at Gil-Galad

There is a balm in Gil-Galad

R63 The fans will rename him Cele-rim-more eventually.

R30 Where the heck did you get your information from? The Noldor en masse were power hungry and self centered during their ascension and dominance over ME (Middle Earth). You think Feanor was an outlier?

And even when leaving Middle Earth at the end of LOTR, they felt all that was good about the Elves was leaving with them. As if there wasn't at least 2 other groups of Elves who continued to live in ME after the NOLDOR Elves left. As far as they were concerned, only the Noldor mattered: their creations, their lands, their waning power.

I mean MY GOD! They were the most arrogant group living in ME, other than the Numenorians and the Moria dwarves. Galadriel was a prime example of this.

Why did you think when her and Frodo are in the garden she is given a final challenge from the West as to whether or not she was worthy of going to Valinor? She only passed the test in that moment.

R46 Agree that he is most likely playing Khamûl, who is the only one, other than the Witch King, who is named. All the others had names associated with the jobs the did for Sauron.

I think the boy Theo will be another one, but I am not sure he will be the witchking. I expect he will fall in with Sauron at some point who will act like a benevolent figure in his life as he trains him to do his bidding.

r66 THANK YOU, I thought I was going crazy after reading that comment when it was first posted. We literally just saw them attempting to cheat the natural order of things by preserving Lindon using the power of the three rings, which are essentially magic and precious metals from Valinor. It doesn't get any more presumptuous than that. Galadriel only finally drops the illusion with Lothlórien after she passes the test with Frodo and sails West. She's peacocking with her ring until the very end, and even then it could be argued it's because the ring's power starts to fade anyway.

These are not humble people.

The series is good for Tolkien fanfic. Beautifully shot, and the characterizations are decent, especially Elrond and Sauron.

The inclusion of Gandalf is not far fetched. I believe Tolkien wrote a story or two about Olórin visiting ME on orders from Manwë. His main storyline is of course in LOTR, but it is ok here as long as he doesn't get too involved with the Battle at the end of the Second Age.

I felt so bad for the dwarves when their rings started getting poured into the moulds. They really didn't deserve to get roped into all this.

I think Tom Bombadil might give Gandalf his staff.

R68 Agree! Even if the RoP is taking a lot of liberties, they at least got Galadriel character at this time correct.

And whoever keeps saying she is too old and wise at this point in the Second Age to behave like this, you do know that it was Galadriel who defeated Dol Guldur during the Third Age, yeah? Galadriel threw down its walls and laid bare its pits allowing her husband to ride in with his forces.

Elves grow older but rarely stop being hail and hardy until their spirits start to wane, not their bodies. It is entirely reasonable to assume she was every inch a valued fighter during the Second Age.

R70 That would be a cool little added history to them both if he does.

Yeah the dwarves did get a bad rap. And it will be hard to watch what happens to their kingdom.

The only vaguely good thing so far has been Elrond actually telling Guyladriel what a stupid selfish bitch she's been and how she basically sold them all out because she really wants Halbrand's cock in her.

Now if only we could get not-Gandalf to blow up not-Sam and not-Frodo with his fucked up powers.

Agree about the dwarves. They were the only good thing about the first season, IMO.

Didn't even notice the fourth episode aired until today, I thought we were going to have to wait another week for it.

Aside from the Ents, it was quite a weak episode, with some really iffy dialogue and CG. Love Rory Kinnear, but I kinda don't buy him as Tom Bombadil? He seems too young somehow.

Did Tom confirm the dark wizard was another Istari? He said another one like Gandalf once sat at his table.

Yes, Tom specifically called the "Dark Wizard" character one of the Istari 75. I assume he is supposed to be based on the Blue Wizards.

I actually liked their portrayal of Tom Bombadil and it was fun to see him in live action. However overall the episode still left me mainly bored. The scenes with the harfoots and the scenes with Isildur just weren't keeping me engaged.

Why did Tom deny the presence of Goldberry? Was he trying to protect her?

[quote]The scenes with the harfoots and the scenes with Isildur just weren't keeping me engaged.

Yeah, those drag so much. I realise they have to populate the lands of Rhûn to make it feel like a lived-in place, but I just can't with yet another set of people oppressed by the dark forces.

Also, am I just being a basic fantasy bitch for wanting Galadriel to do some cool magical stuff with her ring? It gleamed a little this episode when she de-arrowed that elf, so maybe they'll build that aspect up over time.

Interesting to see the nine rings will be forged soon. I want to see if they'll focus much on who the nine men are, as Tolkien always kept it cryptic; they were just described as kings/lords.

There's obviously the Witch King and Khamûl, but the others were never named.

I'm presuming Ar-Pharazôn will be one of them and maybe the so-called 'Dark Wizard'? But then maybe not, as Tom seemed to confirm he was an Istari, not an imposter.

Ar-Pharazon kind of has a canon fate/doom.

Some folks on the interbutts are thinking bitch ass Kemen will become a Nazgûl instead of drowning…perhaps Eärien as well, in a big turn from the male-only PJ intro scene. I doubt the latter, but maybe.

I found myself missing Gandalf in the fifth episode. Even if he doesn't know who he is, he's still kinda the heart of the show for me.

R80 Agreed, I thought it was a mistake to leave him out completely.

I'm catching up on episodes and did we really get a very rare kiss scene in this show...but with Elrond and Galadriel? Galadriel is a maternal figure and his literal mother in law. Elrond should be kissing her daughter not her. Very weird choice by the writers to include that.

It was being controversial, maybe even trolling to generate buzz, IMO. I wish they hadn’t shown Elrond taking off the heraldic brooch before slipping it to her. It should’ve been subtler, then the kiss comes out of nowhere and truly grosses the fans out. But it’s like they just had to give context instead of just taking the risk of being fully controversial for a few minutes, then showing the purpose later. If you’re going to troll your haters, you gotta commit to it at least 😈

I just want someone to do something awesome with those damn rings already, is that really too much to ask? Like, this is high fantasy, I promise it won't alienate anyone if you blast a ray out of it that takes out a cave troll.

Also, I think I've finally realised what bothers me most about this show, even though I'm mostly still positive on it – the elves have none of the graceful ethereal quality present in the movies. They look and act like humans, only with more expensive costumes, wigs, and pointy ears. The only exceptions to this are Galadriel, Elrond, Gil-galad and ESPECIALLY Ben Daniels, who almost shimmered in his episode. He understood the assignment that apparently not many others did. Celebrimbor in particular seem way too human-like. I blame the rookie directors for this, because even just smearing some vaseline on the lenses for the elven scenes would have been an improvement.

Gil-galad wielding Aeglos was cool to see after getting cut from the LOTR movies.

I do wish the High Elves seemed more mystical. Have we seen Galadriel or Celebrimbor do anything magical and mysterious?

NO, just ring-induced "visions" from Galadriel and Gil-galad. Oh, and that one arrow falling out of that one elf after Galadriel touched it. I want so see The Hobbit Galadriel with fucking telepathy and energy shields and whatnot. I don't know, maybe I'm just a basic bitch.

Imladris was gorgeous. I also like that Arondir stands almost as Galadriel’s lieutenant now that Elrond is basically promoted from herald to GG’s Noldor “heir” & future lord of the valley. I assume something will take Arondir south again next season or he’ll eat it in battle. I was hoping we’d get Galadriel casting a glamour on Sauron to escape by using his desire against him, showing her own powers of the ring growing, mellowing her out, turning her into an ethereal, prescient being. But there’s future seasons for that I guess.

Adar’s doom was…expected. The showrunners did a great job showing the final fall of the orcs via patricide. I also like the pseudo-romantic vibe hinted between Adar and Marion, with it totally being possible that Sauron literally birthed the first orcs for Adar through his maiar shapeshifting.

The stranger’s journey was a bit melodramatic, but the halfling’s speech over the epilogue scenes was written perfectly & the characters singing us out is pure Tolkien.

Numenor was alright. The Narsil callback was cute and I’m sure Kemen gets a ring now that he’s building up Pelargir. Gonna be glad to see the daughter face the doom.

*Mairon

The opening with the Balrog was insane and that final shot with Durin's father jumping at it looked awesome.

[quote]I also like the pseudo-romantic vibe hinted between Adar and Mairon, with it totally being possible that Sauron literally birthed the first orcs for Adar through his maiar shapeshifting.

Ooh, I like the sound of that!

[quote]I was hoping we’d get Galadriel casting a glamour on Sauron to escape by using his desire against him, showing her own powers of the ring growing, mellowing her out, turning her into an ethereal, prescient being.

Seriously, that was THE perfect time to show the ring's power. Or later when Gil-galad and Elrond team up to save her with the two rings. Instead, it just cuts away. Or at the very end when Gil-galad uses one of Narya's powers to rekindle hope in his people. Not even a shimmer. I really wish these magic rings were more... [italic]magical[/italic] in nature.

Overall I liked the finale, and I agree the scene with the Balrog was awesome.

I thought the Grandelf-Gandalf stuff was eye roll inducing though. So far this show has not justified to me that it was smart to bring the Wizards in early. Just feels so unnecessary.

[quote] I thought the Grandelf-Gandalf stuff was eye roll inducing though. So far this show has not justified to me that it was smart to bring the Wizards in early. Just feels so unnecessary.

They are being faithful to the original source. Middle-Earth’s Second Age, in which the show takes place, was the time that the wizards, including Gandalf, made their entrance.

You realize you could just Google that in 5 seconds before being wrong r91?

The section on the Istari in Tolkien's unfinished tales clearly states that they came over around 1000 years into the Third Age.

Now there are some notes from Tolkien that mention Olorin (Gandalf's maian name) may have come previously to secretly dwell among the elves unseen or appearing as one of their own. This was not a fleshed out idea, and even still that would not be in the form of Gandalf.

This is a show invention. Which is allowed, that's fine, but is it s good one.

Porn suggestions

I was so glad to see that my man Arondir was not killed.

For those that are familiar with the original source material, do you think we’ll see the destruction of Numenor next season?

Sauron wielding Morgoth's crown as a weapon was cool af.

We gotta get Glorfindel and Celeborn next season. It's now or never!

When Glorfi sails back, Círdan will look at the shore with tears in his eyes “But you fell…”, and then he may even collapse or kneel, but we won’t see the person’s face. The writers have been on a roll with film callbacks. I kind of want it to be Jamie Campbell Bower.

[quote]When Glorfi sails back, Círdan will look at the shore with tears in his eyes “But you fell…”, and then he may even collapse or kneel, but we won’t see the person’s face.

Omg, that totally should have been the post-credits scene this season, which (inexplicably) didn't have one. You just need Ben Daniels, a blond wig in the corner of the shot, and bright lights. You know, like with Gandalf's reveal scene in The Two Towers. Five minutes of work.