After s long wait the first season of The Rings and Power has come and gone so quickly. The chatter on social media and elsewhere has been mixed with many people having issues with things like the colour of certain characters’ skin the perceived poor storytelling and unsatisfactory adaptation of the source material. You won’t find that I share any of those issues as I thoroughly enjoyed The Rings of Power and here are the three main reasons why I did.
Interesting story threads
Though a not new story-telling technique, I really liked how the story had us following multiple main characters in their little groups servicing different areas of the unfolding story. Nori, her Harfoots group and the stranger, Bronwyn and the Silvan Elf Arondir, Durin IV with his wife Disa and the dwarves, Galadriel and Halbrand and my favourite character Elrond who like Galadriel and Halbrand is intertwined into various arcs and giving off main character energy.
The Rings of Power casting is on point
Casting choices in movies and series can really make or break the show. In the Rings of Power, I can’t identify a character that was not cast well with everyone from kings to lowly scheming all putting in great performances. I find myself caring about all the stories of the characters because of how well they are performed and this just highlights one of the MANY flaws with the Hobbits Trilogy where the highlight of the films (for me) was a CGI Dragon.
Beautiful World
There are some really breathtaking shots and scenes in season one of The Rings of Power. I really felt like the bazillions Amazon spent on this series left off the screen and massaged my eyes at times. The first reveal of Númenor, glimpses of Khazad-dûm and that battle right up that exploding volcano are just a few of the moments that really did a good job bringing to life what was written in pages.
Now the long wait for season 2 begins. I am hoping to host a watch party to rewatch all the episodes and really take in all in one gulp. In the meantime tell me your thought on The Rings of Power on Twitter @Jamaipanese or in a comment below.