Early Review: The Rings of Power

As I’ve often shared, I’m a huge fan of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings. I discovered the series at the perfect time—as a young impressionable teen—just as the trilogy experienced a resurgence in the 1970s (accompanied by the iconic Hildebrandt Brothers calendars). Peter Jackson’s miraculously faithful film adaptations reinforced and rekindled my love for the books. That said, I’ve never been overly precious about it.

Which brings me to the long-gestating Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power Amazon series which, with its $250 million purchase price and production costs that may bring the total to around $1 billion, certainly makes the show one of the most expensive ever brought to television. As a longtime Tolkien fan, I of course looked forward to the production—fortunately, however, I don't buy into the kind of toxicity that some fans feel and lash out with when deeply invested personally in a fandom, whether it be LoTR, comics or Star Wars. If it turned out to be a bust, I would of course be disappointed, but I would never feel “angry” at the production for “ruining” the series for me. The books and films will always be there to be enjoyed.

So far, I’ve seen the first four episodes of the series. I’ve described the show as a “slow burn”—with so many characters,(and races) to introduce, as well as storylines, politics and world building to establish, some viewers have understandably found the show slow-going. At the same time, the show has done a good job of creating a compelling, unfolding narrative and a sense of where the show is headed, while also creating some mysteries that may keep people engaged.

But I do have some nits to pick. Overall, I’ve found the casting to be a bit disappointing—while nobody is bad, there doesn’t appear to be any breakout charismatic stars or characters. (Durin and the dwarves have come closest to giving the show energy and humor.) With so many storylines and races, viewers also may have differing levels of engagement. I also wished the elves felt more ethereal or other-worldly, a quality that underscored their place as the immortal high race of Middle Earth. Both their dispositions and their presence seem too much of this world.

I have to admit at times I felt I was watching the show out of obligation…but in a good sign, episode 5, which I watched as I was preparing this, piqued my interest and made me look forward to what lies ahead as Galadriel (who appears to be the primary main character of the series), the mysterious Halbrand, and the Numenorians make their way to Middle Earth to face off against another mysterious fallen elf, Adar, and his own army of orcs..Along with the mysterious stranger and other characters and stories that remain yet revealed, there is much that still needs to be told. Let’s hope the series begins to pay off.