As Season 2 of Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power begins, a terrible darkness is slowly starting to spread over Middle-earth. (Spoiler alert: If you have not seen R.O.P. season one and are planning to watch it, read ahead at your own peril.) When we last saw Galadriel (Morfydd Clark), she was devastated by the knowledge that she had unwittingly aided the one figure she was desperate to stop: the evil Maiar (or spirit) named Sauron. Her quest had alienated her from most of her own kind. And the Southlands that she had tried to save were suddenly turned into the wasteland that will be known to future generations as Mordor.
Most of season one was devoted to the buildup to these events and to the forging of the three Rings of Power -- Vilya, Narya, and Nenya – meant to help the elves hold back the destructive decay of time. And if all this talk of evil spirits and magical rings leaves you confused, you aren't alone. Many people have read and enjoyed Tolkien’s The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings over the decades and put down the books unable to identify the differences between orcs and trolls, or unsure of why the beautiful elf Arwen had to lose her immortality just for marrying a human.
The lore that Tolkien built up over many decades is truly magnificent -- and sometimes so complex that even his most fervent fans can be stumped by questions. Diving into the almost insane intricacies of Tolkien’s world can be fun and fascinating, but we mostly love Tolkien's books because of his characters, the breadth of his imagination, and especially for the themes, springing from his Christianity, that drive his stories -- for instance, love and respect for creation, how tempting and wrong it is to make moral compromises when faced with evil, the importance of practicing forgiveness, and the need to act honorably even when it is not to your benefit and when it appears that defeat is inevitable.
True to Tolkien’s themes
All these themes were very present in Season 1 of The Rings of Power, and they continue to drive the narrative and conflicts of Season 2. Of course, in today’s world, selfless love, honor, and standing up for the weak are all values that are considered to be old-fashioned. We want our dramas to be more “realistic,” meaning they should espouse a cynical attitude to such values, even if deep down we are attracted to them. In this sense, House of Dragons is a fantasy series that is much more in tune with contemporary views (alas).
For this reason, I’m glad that the writers of Rings of Power have stayed true to Tolkien -- placing a great emphasis on the friendship of the elf Elrond (Robert Aramayo) and the dwarf Durin, for instance. And one of my favorite things about season one was the difficult but heartfelt relationship that grew between the harfoot Nori (Markella Kavenagh) and the mysterious Stranger (Daniel Weyman). That storyline was all about going outside your comfort zone and embracing others who are different. I’m delighted that their story remains a focal point of Season 2.
As in the first season, the acting in Rings of Power is first-rate, as are the sets, costumes, and many of the action scenes. You can see that a lot of attention (and money) has gone into creating something of quality.
A word of caution
My main problem with the series is that the violence is occasionally excessive, making it impossible to view Rings of Power with younger kids. Before letting your children watch the show, it would be a good idea to preview episodes on your own to decide if they can handle those moments of intense fighting and flashes of gore. Alternatively, if you know what is coming, you might skip over the upsetting parts.
On the other hand, since the show does stay so true to Tolkien’s themes, watching Rings of Power with older kids and teens could be fruitful, especially if you discuss it with them afterwards. For the first three episodes, you might, for instance, raise questions like:
Do you think we have anything like the Rings of Powers made by Celembrimbor (Charles Edwards) today? Why is Sauron able to manipulate so many of the characters? Do you think the same thing happens in our own world? If you were Galadriel, would you give up in embarrassment after messing so many things up, or would you continue fighting on like she does?
What would Tolkien think?
Now for the really big question: Would Tolkien have approved of Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power?
I feel safe in saying no. In fact, I’m pretty sure he would have hated this series, just as he would have detested Peter Jackson’s movies set in Middle-earth, not to mention the old Rankin/Bass cartoons based on his works. After all, Tolkien always insisted that his books could never be properly adapted for the screen. His letters also reveal that he loathed Walt Disney's movies, and never had a TV in his house (or a washing machine).
As much as I admire and stand in awe of Tolkien, however, I’m glad his descendants relented and allowed filmmakers to adapt his books and lore to screens. In the end, the films, TV shows, graphic novels, and even video games that are set in Middle-earth will continue to create a new generation of Tolkien fans and drive many young people to his books, where the true riches lie.
Tolkien would also have been annoyed by the liberties that the series takes with his creation (just as the Peter Jackson movies did) -- compressing centuries of story into a much smaller timeframe, for instance. If you’re a Tolkien fan and watched Season 1, then you also know that many of the characters and events are “invented” and not drawn from official Middle-earth lore.
One version of events
For many Tolkien purists, such changes and inventions are simply unacceptable. I have a number of friends who are avid Tolkien fans and refuse to watch the show on principle. On the other hand, if you are like me and love the books, but don’t think it does any harm to allow other creators to play in Middle-earth, then you may enjoy the opportunity to hang out in the halls of Númenor, or watch Galadriel grow from a brash warrior into the wise and regal figure we meet in Lord of the Rings.
Rings of Power is just one version of how the events of the Second Age might have played out. The show will never be canon, and that's okay. Personally, I am enjoying the series for the entertainment that it’s intended to be, and I look forward to continuing the journey with these characters as Season 2 unfolds.
The first three episodes of Rings of Power season two begin steaming today, with new episodes premiering every Thursday on Prime Video.
