Tag Archives: tolkien

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Doomed to Die – TV Review

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TL;DR – From the opening deceptions to the closing metal romp, this was one of the strongest episodes of the season so far.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

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

Celebrimbor stuck in an illusion.

The Rings of Power Review –

We are getting to the pointy part of the season, and things are starting to go down because all things must end. Indeed, there are a lot of characters and storylines floating around, and we know at least some of them do not survive the end of this story. Well, when you are doomed to die, can you really complain? But when you have nothing but action, it can get exhausting, and it is that challenge that we will examine today.   

So, to set the scene, we open with Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) quietly working away by himself in his forge, crafting the nine rings of man. He found quiet solitude in those days after all his apprentices had been sent away, with only Sauron/Annatar (Charlie Vickers) as a companion. However, just on the edge of his perception, he gets glimpses of something not quite right. A missing jewel suddenly reappears, and a gaunt visage in a mirror fixes itself when he looks back. Something is just not quite right, but he can’t put his finger on it. Meanwhile, outside of his delusions/illusions, the land of Eregion is under attack by an Orc force that may be its downfall. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.

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The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Where Is He? – TV Review

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TL;DR – While frustrations remain, you can feel the momentum of the series shift as we start getting to the pointy end.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

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

Sauron smirks.

The Rings of Power Review –

We are getting to the pointy end of the season, which means things need to start rolling towards the conclusion. Orcs are on the move, evil beings are manipulating, and calamities abound. But as we rush to the end, manipulations get stronger, allies become odder, and fractures become profound.

So, to set the scene, Arondir (Ismael Cruz Córdova) is hot on the heels of the orc band that cut their way through the forest, angering the Ents in Eldest, but when he catches up to some deserters, he is shocked to see that they march on the Elven city of forges. Meanwhile, in that very city, Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) is showing more signs of instability as he cannot get the rings for man to work, and he has started forgetting things. This alarms his smiths, but what they don’t know is much of his current disposition has been influenced by Annatar/Sauron (Charlie Vickers), who has slowly twisted the grand forger’s mind. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.

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The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Halls of Stone – TV Review

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TL;DR – A Tail of Two Narratives, one compelling, one fraught with simplicity.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

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

A pouting high king.

The Rings of Power Review –

Hmmm, we are now five episodes in and after last week’s Eldest and this week’s outing, it is clear that some fracture lines are appearing this season. On the one hand, we have story points that are engaging and bringing me into this world. And on the other hand, there are narratives that I might want to fast forward through if I give in to the whispers.

So, to set the scene in the halls of Khazad-dûm, food is starting to get scarce as the miners continue to struggle to build new light shafts after the previous shafts were destroyed in the aftermath of Mt Doom erupting. However, while there has been little headway made, Durin III (Peter Mullan) has a new tool, a ring from Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) that whispers in his ear and tells him where to dig. Durin IV is not sure of it, but when they strike light, it is surely proof that it is real? I mean, it is not like there is a sinister undertone going on here at all. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.

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The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Eldest – TV Review

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TL;DR – It does still feel like we are spinning our wheels a little bit, but this episode did work a bit better, if for no other reason than the return of old friends.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

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

Lindon on a map of Middle Earth.

The Rings of Power Review –

For most of the start of the second season of The Rings of Power, I was riding on a high. It was just such a joy to be back in this world and exploring Middle Earth again. However, last week’s The Eagle and the Sceptre put a slight pause on the festivities as it bogged down in storylines that didn’t help push it forward. The question we look at this week is: Was that just a blip in the road, or was it the start of a trend?

So, to set the scene, after hearing worrying silence from Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards), a party of elves has been sent south from Lindon to see what might have happened and to make sure Sauron (Charlie Vickers) has not established influence there. Spoiler alert: he already has. However, it is not Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) who leads this expedition; it is Elrond (Robert Aramayo) who is profoundly suspicious of the ring that now lives on Galadriel’s finger. He fears that it will be a source of evil, but it might just be saving their lives. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.

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