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The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power Season 1 Review: Star Rating:
Cast: Morfydd Clarke, Robert Aramayo, Nazanin Boniadi, Charles Edwards, Charlie Vickers, Daniel Wayman, Cynthia Addai-Robinson & ensemble.
Creator: JD Payne & Patrick McKay.
Director: JD Payne.
Streaming On: Amazon Prime Video.
Language: English (with subtitles).
Runtime: Episodes Around 60 Minutes Each.
The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power Season 1 Review: What’s It About:
So we are in the second age of Middle Earth where the man with many names, Sauron is creating havoc without even having a physical presence. The Elves, the Dwarves, the Men, and the Harfoots all have to now coin out their way to save the not just the mystics but also the world from going into the hands of the evil who wants to enslave them all.
The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power Season 1 Review: What Works:
The Tolkien world is of numerous possibilities. Unlike the other fantasy dramas which are bound by some don’ts and limitations, the saga created by the master of rings is a wild and free bird where everything is possible and you don’t know what grain of sand is important for the bigger canvas. And it isn’t just us who can see it but even the creators who know rushing isn’t the correct approach to shaping this world.
The Rings Of Power is slow to an extent where some episodes feel like nothing at all happened and the story did not move even a bit. But if you see the larger context and the finale, you understand why. There is a way for cooking the perfect broth, and the creators JD Payne & Patrick McKay use the same idea to make an indulging watch. Think of the first season as an introduction to a glorious story that is about to unfold. Unlike the expectations that visualized the prequel show as an out-and-out war drama with Sauron, the season 1 delves into the complexities of fighting him and his rise. There are conversations in place or wars, and mind games to make people understand the races that are not human.
The makers make sure you are with them on each step. There is a send of a teacher teaching history, but it is thankfully never preachy. In the course of 8 episodes, the show spreads over a very wide horizon and it does get difficult to keep track. So the makers in their blueprint don’t jump from one part to another but stay there so you soak in. Whoever has been a fan of the novel, then the trilogy, and now the prequel will understand why the episodes leading to the penultimate episode were sometimes very uncertain and confused in their tonality. Because the finale has so many answers packed that you will have to be attentive to understand them every single minute.
Talking of the finale, this has to be one of the most satisfying ends of a show. It captures every single character that is yet to get redemption and sets them out on their journeys. Of course, there is a wizard now and he does a thing that resembles Gandalf but it isn’t clear if he is him or not. There is also a Sauron and by the end of it, he even has a face. The show also delves into the emotions that surround all of this. A queen who lost her eyesight has now run a kingdom like that without letting the world see her vulnerable side. There’s a community that believes in unity and they thrive for that. There is much more but don’t want to give away spoilers.
The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power Season 1 Review: Star Performance:
The casting of the show is unique. Actors who fit the part play the characters and it is so good to see them convinced about the source material and marinating themselves into it. Daniel Wayman as the suspicious man, supposedly Gandalf, is such a fine actor. He gets to speak in the last episodes, but he manages to create so much intrigue.
Of course, the leading members are at their A Game, even the rest are no less. They understand the opportunity they have got and try to give it their best.
The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power Season 1 Review: What Doesn’t Work:
What serves as the strength of the show also serves as the weakness. The slow pace. Not everyone in today’s day and age has the virtue of patience and can sit through 9 hours of content without quick rewards. It is a task to make them sit for 8 hours and reward them on the 9th.
What also affects is the urge of the makers to set the camera on a wide angle capturing the beauty of their creation rather than digging deeper into the emotions of the scenes that are playing out. This affects the all-over experience making them look like weak episodes that focus more on the visuals than the story.
Talking of going deeper, the show begins with Galariel’s moving tale but never really explores her inner catharsis enough. She is a mystery that deserved to be unraveled and the show fails to do so at least in this season.
The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power Season 1 Review: Last Words:
The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power might test your patience but will also reward well. The finale is the cherry on the cake and the best reward for your patience. Read on.
For more recommendations, read our Ms. Marvel Episode 6 Review.
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