The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 1

Many years in the making following a fierce bidding contest between HBO and Netflix while costing an eye-watering amount, Amazon have produced what may the most expensive show for a while with the hotly anticipated The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Expectations were high for some going into this however, Amazon's critically divisive treatment with the Wheel of Time adaptation and coupled with the troubling news that the streaming powerhouse couldn't secure all of the rights to Tolkien's work meant the writers would be using some creative licence left many hardcore fans feeling uneasy. Being a fan of Peter Jackson's films and having only read The Hobbit, I tried to go in with an open mind to see what all the money in the world could produce...

Set around the Second Age in the world of Middle Earth, The Rings of Power follows a young Galadriel hunting for signs that may prove an earlier incarnation of Sauron is alive during a more peaceful time when Mordor was lush and green, which is now slowly being infiltrated by orcs. Fans of Tolkien's work will be well-versed with this period following the defeat of Morgoth but I can't say the same for everyone else and here in lies some of the problems with this series that seeks to explore the events what would eventually see the construction of that evil ring. 

Starting with the positive; The Rings of Power is a visually gorgeous show from its practical locations, CGI effects, costume design, make-up etc making it certainly easy on the eye. While only having Jackson's composer, Howard Shore, present for the opening titles music, the score also captures the grandiose scope of the show. And lastly the cast are all terrific playing their parts perfectly as they were written but alas this brings me to the problem with this first season and it starts with the writing. 

While it seems unfair to make comparisons, the almost identical release date saw me watching episodes of this with House of the Dragon one day apart and there is a show that understands character drama, development and motivations. The Rings of Power unfortunately has little grasp of this and, at best, we have a decent if highly uneven first season that is riddled with character inconsistencies, a middle section that drags with filler content and the direction not knowing whether to cater to newcomers or fans of the books thus causing it to likely fail at truly satisfying either side. 

Combining this with dramatic rewritings of Tolkien's characters (Galadriel a bloodthirsty warrior, Lord Celebrimbor a bumbling smith, Isildurr a drop-out bro without a clue in the world to name a few) and key events, then this show can only really work towards newcomers. Having only read a little of Tolkien's work, I still found myself enjoying the show despite its problems but I couldn't help feel all the money being spent here would have been better put to use with a more faithful adaptation. There's a reason Tolkien's work remains popular to this day and maybe the produces should have placed more faith with stories they had the rights to. 

Despite my gripes here and there, the eight episode season ended on a note that kept me wanting to see more and it was never a chore to watch unlike Neftlix's fantasy series The Witcher where the prospect of another season fills me with dread. It is still a shame we couldn't see The Rings of Power get off to a stronger start, assuring both fans of Tolkien and casual viewers there is plenty to look forward to. Some might say the changes by Amazon are too great now but I hope they can build on this series to improve its writing if they have enough cash left to spare.