The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (S2 Ep8) “Shadow and Flame”
What a journey it has been this season through The Rings of Power. I have been back and forth thinking I had my feelings on this show figured out, then it throws another curve ball. Some things have worked great and some things have fallen with a loud oof but did they stick the landing on Season 2?
Coming off a strong penultimate episode I would say yes. In my review last week I lamented how this week we would for sure be checking in with some of the more weaker arcs running in the show. Mainly the Numenor arc and to some degree the Stranger arc. Last week we never checked in with either and I feel that helped lead to a strong focused episode. It is almost like the show itself knew this as in the finale we started off rapid fire with these arcs and got them out of the way fast. We booked with them at the end but the show very much knows these arcs while they may take the focus later on are not the strength now and I commend them for that. Juggling multiple arcs with payoffs but not having them all climax at the same time is a talent. Much like booking a wrestling show, some angles will get small development and some will dominate the show, but they never all pay off at the same time. In the first half of the season, the show struggled with that balance. Not focusing on its strength and going away from compelling angles to dwell on early-stage ones. I hope the drama of the battle in the final two episodes wasn’t an anomaly and they pace the show better and learn from the strong second half. It is slightly depressing to see a show get to figure it out and find its mojo meanwhile The Acolyte was unceremoniously axed after one season and not given the same chance.
Even in those side arcs everyone got a big development or reveal to go into the offseason and The Stranger arc specifically took a giant step that will hopefully lead to a more engaging story next season as it was a slog this season to get to where it got. There are two big reveals in regard to weapons or items that will draw some “Leo finger-point memes” from the fans who haven’t given up on the show. Numenor continues to be the weakest storyline and just feels like a Game of Thrones ripoff in its politics and betrayal. I don’t see it being much different next season but we’ll see the focus it gets. As I have said the strongest thing in the show is Sauron, he is Palpatine in the Clone Wars, pulling everyone’s strings and truly loyal only to himself and his goals. I don’t see that changing in season 3 as it deserves the focus and attention.
I look forward to seeing how the next season fairs. The final 3 episodes of Season 2 were strong and I hope they keep that momentum and do not fall back into meandering incompetent characters. We’ve now seen our heroes win and lose, we’ve seen them forged in fire, and no longer do they have the guise of nativity to write away their incompetence.
Observations
- Yep you’re gonna wake up the big baddie
- Well that’s bad parenting
- Woah maybe he was on to something. Make a deal
- With the Balrog
- Here we go!
- If it ain’t broke I guess. Great design
- King of what a dead mountain?
- That was pretty dope
- Man a whole season and this guy moved maybe an inch in his arc.
- Wait is he bad or not?
- Yikes
- It’s like a warm up Sauramon
- It’s like they know all these arcs suck as we’re speed running them.
- This guy giving off Make Numenor Great Again vibes.
- This whole arc is just so knock off Game of Thrones
- I love how the humans don’t even have their rings yet and are already destroying themselves.
- Sword lore!!!!
- So is that the dude who decides not to destroy the one ring?
- ParkLoR?
- Well so much for the “get the rings away” plan.
- Damn Sauron that is brutal man. Kinda dig it.
- Ding!
- That guy is everywhere
- That’s your cue man go for it!
- Lust is more powerful than any ring!
- Bro you don’t want to take her to Numenor
- What’s dude doing?
- Finally that amount orc is gonna die.
- Well they ain’t a loyal bunch.
- Yep good job getting those rings away
- Oh hey that guys still alive too!
- He’s just toying with her.
- C’mon Gladdy, that ain’t fatal.
- Oh dang they showed up!
- So like send some orcs down there to get it.
- That’s what that 3 time traitor had coming honestly.
- Is this how she gets her spooky spooky powers?
- That city is toast
- So she just went back to her dude?
- Grand Elf. Do you see it?
- There it is. Two legacy weapons introduced
- They say this isn’t in the Jackson verse but man does it tread close.
- Boomer parent die and leaves kid massive debt. Sounds about right.
- This is like Lord of the Rings it just keeps ending.
- I guess that’s Rivendell?
