The second season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2024) has wrapped up and the dust has settled. It’s been ages since I wrote a review, but I still wanted to share my thoughts about the show on Prime Video. It it worth a watch?
WARNING: This post contains spoilers !
Plot
In season two of The Rings of Power, Sauron has returned. Cast out by Galadriel, without army or ally, the rising Dark Lord must now rely on his own cunning to rebuild his strength and oversee the creation of the Rings of Power, which will allow him to bind all the peoples of Middle-earth to his sinister will.
Thoughts
Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies have set a high standard for adaptations of Tolkien’s work. Prime Video bringing more stories from Middle-earth to the screen is quite a bold move. The show not only has to deal with passionate Tolkien fans, but also those who adore Peter Jackson’s adaptations.
I haven’t read much of Tolkien’s work, but I do consider myself to be a huuuuge fan of Peter Jackson’s adaptations. The first season of The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power on Prime Video already took away some of my hesitation. It can’t be denied that the show looks stunning and it’s even easy on the eyes for fans of Jackson’s work. At the end of the first season I didn’t find myself fully invested yet, but I was still curious about season two.
Season two truly brings the show on a higher level as it focuses on Sauron / Annatar and Celebrimbor creating the Rings of Power. It was chilling to see Sauron / Annator gaslight Celebrimbor, forcing him to continue work on the rings. Celebrimbor’s final moments were incredibly heartbreaking. Charlie Vickers (Sauron) and Charles Edwards (Celebrimbor) both did such a great job. Dare I say, they truly carried this second season.
I love that the show has many interesting characters with their own unfolding story threads. I haven’t even talked about Adar, Durin or Elendil.. Even though I enjoyed the focus on Eregion, I was a little sad we didn’t get to spend more time with the events in Númenor or the Harfoots in the East. Especially since we’re saying goodbye to Nori and Poppy this season. I quite liked how they brought some lightness to the show.
Unfortunately the season only has 8 episodes. I would have loved to see 10 episodes per season, but I guess this only leaves us wanting more. At this time season three is not officially announced yet. If it gets greenlit, I’m guessing it will be another two year wait. No worries, the show already inspired me to finally dive back into Tolkien’s work and put The Silmarillion on my reading list. That should help me get through waiting so long.
Final Verdict
I thoroughly enjoyed the second season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. The show is an adaptation that might not fully follow Tolkien’s work to the letter, but I do believe the show is made with a lot of love for the source material. It even pays tribute to Peter Jackson’s adaptations, giving viewers a familiar feel of the setting.
If you’ve enjoyed season one, watching season two is a no-brainer. If you are looking for a great TV show with a fantasy setting and felt hesitant about starting with season one. It’s definitely worth your time to start watching it on Prime Video today. Who knows, it might even inspire you to pick up the books too!
