TL;DR – After blasting through our first couple of episodes with flying colours, we reach our first pause as we explore the last of the opening trilogy.

Disclosure – I paid for the Amazon Prime service that viewed this episode.

The Rings of Power Review –

In our jump back into the world of The Rings of Power, we have visited dwarves, elves, harfoots, magicians and orcs. However, there has been one major play from last season that has been surprisingly absent from the proceedings, Númenor. Well, today, in the last of the opening trilogy, we fix that as we spend time in the island kingdom on the cusp of a significant change.

So, to set the scene, after Elendil (Lloyd Owen) was forced to leave his son Isildur (Maxim Baldry) in the blight left by Mt Doom to get Queen Regent Míriel (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) back to Númenor, he thought all was lost. However, never bet against survival in The Lord of the Rings when you have a horse on your side. But as they arrive back in Númenor, they discover that the High King has died, and Pharazôn (Trystan Gravelle) might be coveting a new, more important job. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.       

After Elven Kings Under the Sky and Where the Stars are Strange, we have reached the end of the opening trilogy of Season Two, and unfortunately, I think it is possibly its weakest part. After two episodes of setting the scene, you want things to start moving, but alas, we have more setting of the scenes to go. Part of this comes from just how many different storylines are floating out there in the show and also because we had such a long gap since Season One that you have to put a lot more work into reminding people who these characters are and what they were doing.

It is not helped by, well, if this episode is anything to go by, that the Númenor part of this season might be its weakest part. While it has been fun watching Sauron/Halbrand/Annatar (Charlie Vickers) play the elves like a fiddle. In that situation, he is using cunning and guile, and you can see why so many can be tricked. If Sauron is an expert craftsman, then the politics of Númenor are a sledgehammer. Full of clearly forced scenarios, villains that might as well be broadcasting their evil plan over dinner in a public tavern where anyone can hear… oh wait. A Queen running into a trap that was so painfully obvious that it was as if she had never held a political office before. I am not sure if this juxtaposition was intentional or happenstance, but it was a drag.

While there was a lot of frustration this week, that is not to say it was a complete debacle. The one area where we saw some story progression was between the elves and the dwarves, with Durin IV (Owain Arthur) and his father Durin III (Peter Mullan) finally reconciling. Which would be better if it was not to help Sauron continue his plan. We also get the return of what might be my favourite character from the first season in Arondir (Ismael Cruz Córdova). If his story last season was tragic, well, this season starts with the death of his beloved and his becoming an odd stepfather (or actual father) to Theo (Tyroe Muhafidin). Oh, and don’t let us forget a good horse montage/action scene because that was a good horse montage/ action scene.

In the end, do we recommend The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: The Eagle and the Sceptre? Look, it was not the strongest episode so far. However, we have now touched base with every storyline that has been outstanding from last season. So, hopefully, it all move forward from here.  

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Twitter Here, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

Have you seen The Rings of Power yet ?, let us know what you thought in the comments below, feel free to share this review The Rings of Power on any of the social medias and you can follow us Here. Check out all our past reviews and articles Here, and have a happy day.    

Credits – All images were created by the cast, crew, and production companies of The Rings of Power
Directed by – Charlotte Brändström & Louise Hooper
Written by – Helen Shang
Created by – J. D. Payne & Patrick McKay
Based On – The Lord of the Rings and appendices by J. R. R. Tolkien
Production/Distribution Companies – Amazon Studios, Tolkien Estate, Tolkien Trust, HarperCollins, New Line Cinema & Amazon Prime
Starring – Lloyd Owen, Maxim Baldry, Trystan Gravelle, Cynthia Addia-Robinson, Charles Edwards, Sophia Nomvete, Owain Arthur, Charlie Vickers, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Tyroe Muhafidin, Benjamin Walker & Peter Mullan with Alex Tarrant, Ema Horvath, Leon Wadham, Will Keen, Sam Hazeldine, Nia Towle & Kevin Eldon and Robert Strange, Ken Blackburn, Kirsty Hoiles, Nazanin Boniadi, Gabriel Akuwudike & Murray McArthur