After hearing about the countless negative reviews of Rings of Power, I was concerned that the show would be absolutely disappointing. Tolkien is by far one of my favorite authors, and I am a huge fan of the Lord of The Rings, so I should have been excited. However, with Disney’s latest shows (Eternals, She Hulk etc.), I was expecting the same nonsense from Amazon. So, I began watching the show critically looking for any flaws, and any way they could have messed up the story.

Amazon did a surprisingly good job keeping with the story, and they deserve a bit of mercy where they do fall short, because the Lord of The Rings movies are different from the books in countless ways. Overall, the story is exciting, and it leaves you wanting to finish the series in one sitting, which I would have done had I been able to. The visuals are great, and it’s a fun show to watch. I have divided this review into three sections, first: the Positive, second: the Negative, and third: the Wrap-Up.

*Warning: There are spoilers to the show included in this review.

* If you have not seen it yet, please simply read Wrapped Up.

Positive Points.

The visuals were great!

Amazon did a great job portraying the city of Numenor. They also did an equally impressive job with Moria. It was exciting getting to see Moria before it was taken over by Orcs.

The story was intriguing, and I didn’t know everything that was going to happen. I had a fun time debating with my family what would happen next. Every time we watched a new episode I would read through the appendices in the Return of The King and compare those to the show. There are multiple ways they manage to keep people engaged and excited about what happens next.

First: They have plot twists scattered throughout the show which leave room for guessing what happens next.

Second: They always end the episodes with a cliffhanger. I watched a show recently where the first episode ended with nearly no conflict, I almost gave up on watching it. The Rings of Power is nothing like that. They keep you excited, and on the edge of your seat, while waiting for the next episode.

Overall, I am excited for season 2 to come out, and I can’t wait till that happens.

Negative Points.

There is one scene in the show that still haunts my memory to this day. Galadriel and Elendil are on their way to the Hall of Records, and then the horse scene happens. If you’ve seen the show you know what I’m talking about. All of a sudden, their galloping horses go slow motion, and you watch Galadriel’s hair blow in the wind for what feels like eternity. This scene alone deserves a bad review, but I got over it.

Another problem I had with the show is a failed sense of drama. There are multiple scenes where they are revealing something huge, and they just fail at it. For example, after Mount Doom erupts one of the Orcs asks Adar what they should call their new home. The scene shows him thinking, and then proceeds to show small text in the corner that says Mordor.

My biggest problem with the show is Gandalf. They spend the entire show focusing on the Hobbits helping a looney old man who fell from the sky. They then turn around, and reveal that he was Gandalf. The appendices in The Return of The King explain that the wizards crossed over the sea, not fell from the sky. And the scene where Gandalf tells Nori to follow her nose felt like a slap in the face.

Wrapped Up

Despite all the flaws, I still enjoyed the show. It was fun, exciting, and I enjoyed finding out how it tied in to the books. I can’t wait till season 2 comes out, and I have managed to get over my problems with season 1. Every show will have something that just gets on your nerves. What matters is that you decide whether or not it was worth the scenes that made you cringe, the poor sense of drama, and bad acting.

Overall, I would say that the Rings of Power was worth it. It’s a great show to watch with fellow LOTR fans, discuss the flaws, and enjoy the success. I would recommend watching the Rings of Power if you haven’t yet, and if you have, let me know what you thought.

I would rate this show: