Why does The Lord of the Rings feel so empty in the second season of Rings of Power?

So, here we are finally: the eighth and final episode of The Rings of Power Season 2. As you would expect from a season finale, a lot happens in episode 8. The partnership between Sauron and Celebrimbor inevitably reaches its tragic end. The extensive conflict between Elrond, Galadriel and the Elves and Adar’s forces reaches its end. And the stranger finally gets a name.

With all this success, episode 8 should feel like a triumph; The exciting capstone to a generally better-executed sequence of sophomores. Still, it’s ultimately a disappointing affair, with every high point undercut by at least as many low points. In this sense, the finale is a symbol of the second season as a whole, in which the real battle is not between the elves and the orcs or even Sauron and those who want to bring him down, but between the good and the not-so good half the show itself.

[Ed note: This article contains spoilers for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2, episode 8.]

To be fair, the “good half” of the “Lord of the Rings” series is well represented in Episode 8. The production values ​​have never been better, especially when it comes to the fight scenes. Director Charlotte Brändström, cinematographer Alex Disenhof and the entire team deliver plenty of big-screen action, from Durin III’s heroic last stand against the Balrog The One-take shot of an elven archer escaping in Eregion. The cast also continues to do their best. Sure, some actors stand out above the rest – Charlie Vickers and Charles Edwards are particularly strong in Celebrimbor’s impressively gnarly, book-inspired death scene – but aside from the occasional creaky accent, everyone does well.

So it’s a real shame that the Season 2 finale feels so emotionally empty, even if this is far from unexpected. As I predicted last week, Episode 8 ditches the hyper-focused approach of its immediate predecessor The Rings of Poweris the sprawling (read: crowded) narrative. Instead, we touch on every storyline scattered across Middle-earth and beyond. There is a logic to this; it wouldn’t make any sense not to check in with all of our heroes and villains before the end of season two. However, it also forces showrunners (and episode 8 writers), JD Payne and Patrick McKay, to prioritize less exciting subplots – has anyone else completely forgotten Isildur, Estrid and the rest of the gang in Pelargir? – at the expense of being able to give the big moments of the finale some breathing room.

The dwarves’ much-hyped showdown with the Balrog? Over in the blink of an eye, apparently with the sole purpose of giving Durin III a warm farewell that doesn’t even feel deserved due to its liveliness. Sauron wins back the orcs? This was accomplished off-screen and more or less “because”, just so the Dark Lord can have an army again and Adar can suffer the same surprise pincushion treatment that Sauron endured in the opening flashback of Episode 1. And the decisive one-on-one duel between Sauron and Galadriel? A hollow sword fight, considering that Galadriel is seen drastically less (and almost entirely without Sauron) on screen this season. It’s clear, we should It doesn’t matter, but there just isn’t enough sediment to make this happen.

The obligatory Lord of the Rings foreshadowing in Episode 8 also suffers from unfolding at breakneck speed – another weakness it shares with the rest of the second season (and The Rings of Power in total). Míriel, which sends Elendil on his way with a legally required off-model Narsil, is a prime example of this. It should be a big deal – a symbol of Elendil taking a decisive step towards his destiny as the future King of Gondor – but it isn’t, because it happens so damn quickly and with so little context. He gave him the sword and headed out the door to Middle-earth with only a vague idea of ​​what he was meant to accomplish there and why. The slight seriousness that the scene exudes is borrowed; Prime Video may not own the rights to Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, but Brändström and Disenhof reject the production in which Aragorn welcomes the newly forged Narsil in “Jacksons”. Return of the King. But in a vacuum that doesn’t matter much. Like Sauron’s orc recruitment campaign, it happens because it is has to – and if it’s important to us, it’s because we are allegedly not because of the groundwork laid in Season 2.

Ironically, the opposite is true of what is happening in Rhûn. The problem here is too little speed and too much setup. Episode 8 finally, Finally confirms the stranger’s identity – and he is exactly who most of us identified him as in Season 1. Yet despite this obvious outcome, it took us two full seasons to hear the name “Gandalf” (or some variation thereof). It is a generous viewer who will consider this time well spent. Yes, it’s nice to visit a largely unexplored corner of Middle-earth, and yes, the Origin of Wizards is a fascinating piece of lore for those less familiar with JRR Tolkien’s canon. Ultimately, scenes dealing with the non-mystery backstory and purpose of the “stranger” took minutes that could have otherwise been fleshed out The Rings of PowerThe central (and far more compelling) Sauron-centric storylines.

And the knock-on effect of things moving at the wrong pace? A disappointingly weak platform on which to build future seasons. On paper, Episode 8 sets the stage for Season 3 well enough. Every Ring of Power (with one notable exception) is now complete and the outed Sauron, supported by the Orcs, is ready to begin his long-delayed summer of roasting. The elves have settled in Rivendell and are determined to fight back. Durin IV is struggling with succession problems. Gandalf’s rivalry with the Dark Wizard is only just heating up. Nori and the Stoors set out to find the Shire (or something). And Ar-Pharazôn and his cronies from Númenóra are making themselves even worse at home and abroad. In practice, however, none of this creates the excitement that the season 1 finale managed in a single shot.

That’s partly because a lot of people cheering about darkness versus light after a lot of half-baked palaver lacks the visceral sweep of Sauron invading Mordor. But it’s also a symptom of why Episode 8 – like a decent chunk of the episodes before it – is so uneven in its execution. That makes it difficult enough to invest in the upcoming adventure, let alone the later adventures. Why look forward to the Second Age milestones planned for the series’ remaining three seasons when things like the destruction of Eregion, the fall of Númenor, and the Durin’s Bane comeback tour aren’t exactly happening this go-round were a direct hit? Indeed, once the credits roll, there is a sense that, despite another valiant effort by all involved, The Rings of PowerIn season 2, the series’ weaknesses once again outweigh its positive sides. Perhaps the tide will turn in season three – but not without some pretty big changes to the Prime Video series’ plan of attack.