Is ‘Rings of Power’ Really That Bad?

Rings of Power might just be Amazon Prime’s most controversial show right now, and for good reason.

J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings is a beloved and highly acclaimed book series, considered to be some of the greatest fantasy literature ever written. So, is it any wonder why fans are so protective of Tolkien’s work? Next, taking into account Peter Jackson’s immensely successful blockbuster adaptations of the books—The Return of the King receiving a record-breaking eleven Oscars in 2003, alongside numerous other accolades—Amazon’s prequel show had a lot of expectations to live up to.

Unfortunately, Rings of Power missed the mark. While I can sympathize with the difficulties faced when adapting such a highly esteemed series, the show has some glaring issues that have only worsened between seasons 1 and 2. What went wrong?

It Ignores the Source Material

Rings of Power takes place in the second-age of Middle Earth, nearly 5,000 years before The Lord of the Rings. So, the information on this era in the book series is relatively limited. However, the show still almost entirely disregards what little information there is about the second-age in the appendices of The Lord of the Rings.

The timeline is completely compressed, and making a lot of the events seem rushed and unrealistic. Frustratingly, the show is not based on the book where Tolkien actually does have more second-age content, The Silmarillion, because Amazon didn’t buy the rights to it—instead paying $250 million for the rights to only The Lord of the Rings.

It seems as though Amazon just wanted to acquire the IP because of how recognizable and popular the series is. Yet, by being unfaithful to Tolkien’s work, the show has earned the ire of a lot of the fanbase.

In an age of countless remakes, prequels, and sequels, Rings of Power felt like a money-making manoeuvre from the start.

It Doesn’t Feel Believable

Despite not following Tolkien’s writing precisely, Rings of Power still had potential. Even Peter Jackson’s film trilogy wasn’t 100% accurate to the books—J.R.R. Tolkien’s son actually criticized it, arguing that Hollywood had corrupted the original message of the story, focusing too much on the action. But this isn’t really the popular opinion: most critics and fans of Tolkien view it as a masterpiece.

Similarly, Jackson’s later adaptation of The Hobbit deviated even more from the book. It spanned three films, even though the novel is only about 300 pages long. It’s important to note that the The Hobbit trilogy led to a lot of divided opinions within the fanbase, but generally, the films were a success—certainly commercially and critically, too, to an extent. In my opinion, they were highly entertaining and at least kept the general plot of the source material. Overall, the trilogy was good enough for non-Tolkien-purists.

Unfortunately, Rings of Power falls short. The divided opinions around The Hobbit are nowhere near match those of Rings of Power. Why? Because, unlike the former, Amazon’s show just doesn’t feel like it inhabits the world of The Lord of the Rings whatsoever.

Galadriel is the main character of the show, a powerful elf portrayed memorably by Cate Blanchett in the films. There’s much debate over the show’s interpretation of her character. Many have argued that she is now too much of a ‘girlboss’, due to the fact she’s a strong warrior. I wouldn’t exactly agree, as I see no problem with making her a fighter. After all, it might be worse just to copy Cate Blanchett’s Galadriel word-for-word—surely, there’s always room for new interpretations?

However, her decisions are impulsive, she lacks tact and she seems hot-headed. I understand that having a static character with no flaws or development makes for bad writing. It also bears saying that many male characters embody these traits and face a lot less backlash. But… Galadriel is over 3,000 years old when the show takes place. This makes her older than Elrond, Gil-galad, and Celebrimbor, to name a few. Yet, her behavior does not reflect this whatsoever. (That’s all without mentioning a certain enemies-to-lovers plotline, which I won’t get into too much because of spoilers…)

This links to a bigger issue throughout the show. The elves don’t seem otherwordly or powerful at all, an important aspect that was captured very successfully in the films. The elves are the oldest and most powerful beings on Middle Earth. In Rings of Power, due to both the scriptwriting and costuming, they don’t come across as the wise and magical beings they should be.

This came out in a lot of complaints from viewers about the elves’ short hair. This might seem like a very shallow criticism, but, at the heart of it, many people felt like the show simply failed to capture the same tone as the books and the film trilogy.

There’s Too Much Going on

The amount of characters and plotlines make the show feel muddled and confusing. In the first season, there are several different plots taking place: Galadriel’s journey, the Harfoots (who are basically Hobbits) and the mysterious Stranger, trouble brewing in the Southlands, the dwarves of Khazad-dûm, the elves in Lindon, the kingdom of Númenor… Of course, these plots do intercept, but it’s still difficult to build a connection or investment in the characters when there are just so many.

It almost seems like it’s trying to emulate Game of Thrones, famous for its sprawling plotlines and intrigue. But, unlike Game of Thrones, Rings of Power has very few stakes. Since there’s already an established storyline—for those who have watched or read The Lord of the Rings—we know generally who is going to survive and how the story ends. Rings of Power can’t take the same risks as Game of Thrones (nor is it the same genre). Therefore, the multiple plotlines simply feel unnecessary.

The plots are also peppered with coincidences and inconsistencies. Tolkien’s descriptions and maps famously go into a massive amount of detail on Middle Earth and its geography, yet Rings of Power has armies marching across vast distances in a seemingly short time.

And there are more problems with the settings: take Númenor. It’s supposed to be the greatest civilization of men, and the inhabitants even have enhanced lifespans, among other gifts in the books. But Rings of Power makes the Númenoreans seem petty and scheming, as they fall succumb to a mob mentality in one of their first appearances.

When Galadriel arrives in Númenor, a single elf, citizens immediately start rioting about her presence. It only gets worse in Season 2, as the Númenoreans devolve yet more; the kingdom doesn’t seem developed or nuanced. Even though it looks beautiful visually, it doesn’t feel like the legendary civilization that Tolkien describes.

Successes and (Continued) Failures

I won’t say it was all bad, since clearly the show is a success in terms of viewership: according to this Screen Rant article, it was “the third most-watched streaming title in the month of September, raking in an impressive 4.3 billion minutes viewed”.

Certainly, there are some good things about Rings of Power. If there’s one thing about the show that truly captured the feeling of Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy, it’s the soundtrack. Bear McCreary did a brilliant job composing the sweeping, dramatic music that perfectly encapsulates Tolkien’s fantastical world. There are also some truly stunning visuals. (That being said, it is the most expensive television show in history.)

I think Morfydd Clark and Charlie Vickers were compelling in their respective roles, despite the criticism leveled towards Galadriel in particular. Another stand-out was Adar, played by Joseph Mawle in Season 1 and Sam Hazeldine in Season 2: both actors did a phenomenal job portraying the sinister ‘Father’ of orcs.

As for Season 2, however, many of the problems have simply continued or worsened. There are still too many plotlines, with one specifically feeling not only unnecessary but extremely boring. I mean, seriously, do we need to watch Nori, her friend, and totally-not-Gandalf trekking around the desert for days on end?

Even in Sauron’s significantly more interesting plotline, the characterization problem returns. Only this time, it’s with the elves of Eregion. Why are all the characters so gullible? Sauron manages to gain people’s trust with ease. Again, none of the writing feels very believable.

Conclusion: It Really is That Bad

Altogether, Rings of Power has sadly not lived up to expectations. As a The Lord of the Rings adaptation, it fails on a lot of fronts. Since the show seems to be going full-steam-ahead with its plans for five seasons total, perhaps it can improve in the future. But I wouldn’t get my hopes up.

Most importantly, the show does not feel necessary. Over-explaining or filling in every single gap of Tolkien’s considerable work (which the show, in fact, does not do but clearly attempts to nonetheless) takes away from its magic. Part of the appeal of Middle Earth is its mystery and depth.

In The Lord of the Rings, only the shadows of a great and distant past are left behind. And it’s far better to leave it that way.