The Rings Of Power Lost Its Magic

Why I changed my mind about Amazon's Lord Of The Rings adaptation.

Nothing is evil in the beginning . . . .

Before The Rings Of Power landed on Amazon Prime Video, I was one of many, many TV critics who received the first two episodes as screeners to watch ahead of time. In retrospect, I wonder if we only got two because somebody higher up realized that after that some of the show’s storylines took . . . somewhat divisive turns.

A lot of people have expressed confusion over the fact that I went from such a gushing opening salve to such deeply critical reviews later on. Some have accused me of “shilling” for Amazon in the beginning, or blowing with the wind when it seemed the show was not as popular as it seemed at first. I have a crazier theory:

I changed my mind over time as the show’s flaws became more apparent. I know many viewers who were anti-Rings Of Power from the get-go express disbelief at this. “How could you not see the terrible writing (on the wall) in the trailers? In the first two episodes?” they ask.

All I can say to that is that I went in with low expectations and an open mind and was, at first, pleasantly surprised. But as each new episode released, more problems surfaced. Galadriel grew increasingly insufferable. The writing—laden down with exposition and clunky fake-Tolkien dialogue—was all over the place. Fast-travel and horrid pacing made the show feel too fast and too slow all at the same time (and the map both vast and tiny).

And the plot, quartered into four sub-stories that heave and stagger awkwardly one to the next, began to feel decidedly un-Tolkien-like, with absurd changes to the source material and lots of silly modern infusions.

A few examples of things I detest about this show:

• Most of the character interactions outside of Elrond and Durin involve some kind of conflict and ceaseless arguments. Galadriel is the worst offender, but far from the only one. Characters like Isildur have been reduced to feckless, emo simpletons that nobody likes.

• The Harfoots, at first my favorite storyline, are so cruel they leave behind their weak and infirm to die. Yet “nobody walks alone” is their motto—a cruel irony, one supposes.

• Changes to lore aren’t in and of themselves a bad thing, but making Mithril a MacGuffin that will save the elves from dying out by spring is just beyond the pale.

• Bronwyn’s ridiculous “I am not the King you’ve been waiting for” speech, which implies that she is a stand-in for the king despite being a healer, and makes us question how long they’ve been waiting for said king who, if Halbrand, has only been gone a little while. Also, is Halbrand king of like 75 villagers or what? What are the Southlands? We get no sense of this realm at all beyond two villages and a tower held up by a rope.

• Númenor is an unmitigated disaster. Its people do not come across as special, beloved of the Valar and the elves. They come across as petty and basic—something not helped by “they took our jobs!” speeches or Galadriel’s sword fighting “lesson.”

• Even the best moments in the show—often between Elrond and Durin—are marred by the strange decisions the show’s creators have made especially to Gil-Galad who has become a petty schemer, urging Elrond not just to spy on his friend but to break his oath to him.

• The slow-motion horseback riding scene. Dear lord, what a cinematic monstrosity.

I could keep going. But the point of all of this is to say that I went into the show with low expectations, was pleasantly surprised by the first two episodes and then bit by bit found myself questioning the narrative choices, writing chops and creative direction the show has taken ever since.

All of this actually makes me rather sad. I would love a new show set in the Second Age of Middle-earth that at least semi-faithfully adapted Tolkien’s work and gave us some grand adventures. The story of the forging of the Rings of Power is certainly a fascinating tale of pride and deceit and betrayal, war and corruption, heroism and all the rest. There is fertile soil here. Amazon just doesn’t have anyone on its Rings Of Power team who seems capable of tilling it.

Though I do think the score is rather lovely (if a little much at times) and there are moments of striking beauty throughout. And I still do really enjoy Nori and Poppy, Durin and Elrond and Disa, and Adar—the dark elf and “father” of the orcs who just might be the best character in the whole damn thing.

I’ve changed my mind, folks, but I stand by my earlier assessments. The problems with this show aren’t that it’s too diverse. Galadriel is insufferable but not a Mary Sue. I enjoyed the opening episodes and have found each one after more impossible to enjoy. And so it goes. Sometimes a thing begins well and ends badly.

Just ask Sauron.

Read about the Lord Of The Rings adaptation I would make if I could right here.