As of publication, we’re six episodes in on season two of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power on Prime Video, so it’s no spoiler to say that this season is about battling evil — in particular, Sauron.
And in case you forget that, you are reminded … frequently.
(Interview video with the show creators/showrunners linked/embedded below.)
Has the Show Improved Since Season One?
In the interests of not repeating myself, I won’t reiterate all my season-one issues with the show, in particular with Middle Earth’s favorite girlboss, Galadriel: Warrior Princess (you can read those here and here).
This is because I have seen all of the current season of LOTR:ROP (for short), and the issues remain about the same (see the links above).
But the show has picked up a bit since its initial outing, and even Galadriel is marginally less exasperating.
And I will say that season two comes to pretty rousing finale. It’s structured like a three-act movie, except it’s an eight-episode TV show. That means start big, hit a bit of slowdown in the middle, then finish with a bang.
It’s not how TV shows should be done, but … I promised I wouldn’t repeat myself.
The Tolkien Disclaimer
In the interests of full disclosure, I am not a devotee of revered Catholic author J.R.R. Tolkien, creator of the universe of The Lord of the Rings. I read The Hobbit (didn’t like it), but I’ve seen all of director Peter Jackson’s movies and done a lot of research, so I’m not totally in the dark.
That being said, I’ll leave it up to the many, many Tolkien-loving YouTubers who take the show apart frame-by-frame to lay all that out.
But, How Many Shows Today Are About the Battle Between Good & Evil?
I do have something positive to say, which I didn’t really think on until I read this blog by self-described Tolkien nerd Josh M. Shepherd, written for the other blog I contribute to and edit.
He does a very fair appraisal of the show’s strengths and weaknesses. But this is what caught my eye:
In a bit of honest marketing, all this hype about “darkness is descending” signals how Sauron has become the protagonist of The Rings of Power. Viewers know him as the lidless eye, a mighty shadowy force. Now we find the nature of evil is also heard in a whisper of temptation.
Each plotline hinges on showing moral courage to challenge Sauron’s cunning. Tempted by power and fulfillment of dreams, will the heroes abandon their principles and friends?
Despite what numerous YouTubers may claim, there’s nothing “woke” about that message.
Both in the books and the movies, Sauron is evil. He is an embodiment of evil.
However, no effort has been made to convince us that Sauron is really a good guy under it all, and merely misunderstood.
In today’s TV and movie world, that has to be counted as a win.
But Sauron’s not a comic-book villain, either. Instead, he’s a sneaky, slithery, manipulative sort of villain. More on that later.
Speaking of Sauron and Evil, What About the Orcs?
Some commentators heartily disapprove of the show giving the misshapen, snaggle-toothed orcs any kind of humanity or any personality beyond bloodthirsty sadism and snarling menace.
I don’t.
As I said in one of the earlier posts, I’m not a fan of one-dimensional antagonists that are just ravening demons that can be slaughtered without compunction. I think it’s a weakness of the movie storytelling (and probably also the books’).
In contrast, series creators and showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay have created an orc arc, if you will. The creatures begin as pretty — but not totally — evil, with elf-like orc Adar (a character invented for the show) trying to free them from their dark destiny,
But fans know that whatever path they take will eventually lead to them becoming the orcs we know and hate.
Talking to Payne and McKay
So, when I was offered a brief opportunity to chat with Payne and McKay, I decided to focus on the above. And you will find out that they, or at least McKay, haven’t just read Tolkien.
Click here or watch below:
Episode 7 of LOTR:ROP lands on Amazon on Thursday, Sept. 26, with the finale the week after that. Here’s a preview:
Image: Owain Arthur as Prince Durin IV; Peter Mullan as King Durin III; Charlie Vickers as Sauron, in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power/Amazon Studios
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