A Darker More Focused Evolution: The Rings of Power Season Two

The Rings of Power Season Two takes a darker, more focused approach. How compelling was the story this time around? What can we say about Sauron portrayal this season? Are the chracater arcs any tighter? Join me for a full review of the season.

☯️ Road to Tar Valon Links ☯️

The second season of the American fantasy television series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is based on J. R. R. Tolkien's history of Middle-earth, primarily material from the appendices of the novel The Lord of the Rings. Set thousands of years before the novel in the Second Age of Middle-earth, the season depicts the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron and the creation of more Rings of Power. It is produced by Amazon MGM Studios in association with New Line Cinema and with J. D. Payne and Patrick McKay as showrunners.

Amazon acquired the television rights to The Lord of the Rings in November 2017 and made a multi-season commitment for a new series. A second season was ordered in November 2019, and writing began during an extended first-season production break that started due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Amazon announced in August 2021 that filming for the series would move from New Zealand to the United Kingdom starting with the second season. Filming began in October 2022, with Charlotte Brändström, Sanaa Hamri, and Louise Hooper directing. Much of the series' large international cast returned from the first season, as did composer Bear McCreary who started work when production began. Location filming took place around Surrey and Berkshire as well as in the Canary Islands, and filming was completed in early June 2023 amid the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike.

The season is scheduled to premiere on the streaming service Amazon Prime Video on August 29, 2024, with its first three episodes. The other five episodes are set to be released weekly until October 3.

[r_r_r_r]

Yeah I’m excited for the improvements on S1. Thanks for your review!

[khomo]

Good review! Some other youtuber also said that it picks up pace from episode 4 onwards...

[rubiademoraes]

I did not know it was coming out tomorrow! wtf! Yay for having something to watch this wknd :D

[mygetawayart]

my one major gripe with season 1 was how Galadriel was written. I get the motivation for her being so angry and vengeful but it just never felt like Galadriel in those moments. There were glimpses of the Galadriel we know in there, like the boat scene with Isildur, the meeting with Elrond and when she escapes Mordor with Theo. I hope this season has more of That Galadriel and less "i will not stop until i wipe every last one of your kind", "maybe we should bring them into the light...", "There's a storm in me!" kind of Galadriel.

[YourLastGreatkNight]

I could be wrong, but I haven’t heard anything or seen any real advertising for the show. Have they already given out advance copies?

[RedSonya]

I've done an annual reread of The Silmarillion every year since 1978, so I try really hard not to be salty about this show. I find that I enjoy the totally made up characters better than the Tolkien-established characters. That being said, I was so not impressed with the first season that I had no idea that the second season had been released. I'll have to watch it and see what I think of it.