The following article contains spoilers for the first three episodes of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2.The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powerseason 2 is getting a better response with an improved Rotten Tomatoes audience score. While season 1 was generally well-received by critics, with an 83% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes,the audience score sits at a disappointing 38%. While some audience reactions were genuine and criticized the slow pace and underdevelopedRings of Powercharacters, most of its negative reception was partly caused by a review bombing campaign that led Amazon to suspend reviews on its website when the first season premiered.
However, theRotten Tomatoesscore forThe Rings of Powerseason 2 has drastically improved. On the aggregate website, and as of this writing,the audience score for season 2 sits at 65% among over 1,000 ratings. Meanwhile, the critics' score has also improved, but not as drastically as the audience score, with an 86% approval rating among 81 reviews. Except for season 1, this brings theLord of the Ringsfranchise back to a trend where the audience score has been fresh.
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The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Fixed Many of Season 1’s Issues
The First Three Episodes Have A Better Pace & A Clearer Purpose.
While the audience score may change as more episodes ofThe Rings of Powerair on Prime Video, the sentiment among critics and audiences is similar, asseason 2 has fixed many issues that many had with the debut installment. For instance, the show’s purpose is far more precise, as Sauron (Charlie Vickers) begins manipulating Lord Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) in Eregion. In episode 2, “Where the Stars are Strange,” he reveals himself as Annatar, Lord of Gifts, to gain Celebrimbor’s trust after the Lord promises Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) he will not speak to “Halbrand” again atthe end ofRings of Powerseason 1.
Now It Makes Sense That Celebrimbor Trusts Sauron In The Rings Of Power
It didn’t seem possible that Celebrimbor wouldn’t recognize that Annatar was just Halbrand with a wig, but Rings of Power’s explanation makes sense.
This occurs after Sauron tells Adar (Sam Hazeldine), through his Halbrand form, that there are rumors of his return after the Orc Leader killed his previous form (played by Jack Lowden) in the first episode’s opening scene. This is clearly part of his larger plan, which will eventually be revealed astheRings of Powerseason 2 episodesprogress. As a result, the pace is much faster, and the story feels more urgent asthe main villain makes significant moves across Middle-earth.
The role of Adar was recast forThe Rings of Powerseason 2, as actor Joseph Mawle opted not to return. He was replaced by Sam Hazeldine.
This feedback is reflected in many audience reviews on Rotten Tomatoes for season 2. While many criticisms remain, many audience members praise how they got a better sense of the story’s scope and character motivations, which are further fleshed out and easier to understand than season 1. Time will tell howThe Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powerseason 2 will develop, but it looks like the showrunners took criticisms to heart and fixed many issues that were apparent in the first episodes.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Cast
Set in the Second Age of Middle-earth, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power explores the forging of the iconic rings, the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron, and the epic events leading up to the stories in J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic novels. The series chronicles the creation of legendary characters and the historic alliances and rivalries that shape the fate of Middle-earth.
