Taxi Jayasundera, Lenny Henry and Sarah Tsvangobani Photo: Amazon
[Note: This is an abridged, more spoiler-free version of our recap of the first two episodes of The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power. The full recap will publish, like all recaps, once you’ve been able to actually see the show—in this case, tomorrow night at 11 p.m. ET. Future recaps will be available after each episode airs for the rest of this season. In the meantime, consider this an appetizer/first reaction to a series we’re very excited about.]
If the writings of J. R.R. Tolkien teaches one thing, it is that the road goes on and on. In Middle-earth, stories don’t end; they live on in the characters who experience them, those who tell them, and the people who read them. Stories are a living thing for Tolkien. He often likened them to trees with deep roots and changing leaves that grew taller and fuller with each addition. Only in this context does a multi-billion dollar adaptation of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings apps make any sense.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power does not draw a line between the end of one story and the beginning of the next. Each beat resonates with the other, echoing the history and legacy of Tolkien’s work and our relationship to him. The masterpiece of the literary miracle of J. RR Tolkien is no hillbilly. It is a mountain made of earth and ore; air and water; and innumerable small parts reflecting one another. Each part of its ecosystem has a story to tell that illuminates and enriches the others. In Rings of Power, the viewer never absorbs a single story, but an entire story in a few lines.
2022
TV-14
Action/Adventure/Drama
CAST
Benjamin Walker
High King Gil-galad
Ismael Cruz Cordova
Arondir
CREATORS
Patrick McKay, John D. Payne
SYNOPSIS
This epic drama takes place thousands of years before the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by J. RR Tolkien and will return viewers to an era in which great powers were forged, kingdoms rose to glory and fell to ruin, unlikely heroes were tested, hope hung on the thinnest of threads, and the greatest a villain once from Tolkien’s pen threatened to cover the entire world in darkness. Beginning in a time of relative peace, the series follows a cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared re-emergence of evil in Middle-earth. From the darkest depths of the Misty Mountains, to the majestic forests of the Elven capital Lyndon, to the breathtaking island kingdom of Númenor, to the farthest reaches of the map, these kingdoms…
The expectations for the most expensive show ever made are undoubtedly high, but the lowest bar that had to be overcome was to make something coherent out of the densest and most modern fantasy series on Earth. The good news is that in its first two episodes, Rings Of Power isn’t just good; it’s great. Showrunners JD Payne and Patrick McKay’s interpretation of Tolkien’s world not only fits well with the world Peter Jackson created in the early 2000s, but also folds into a larger cultural story about Tolkien and what which his work continues to inspire in people. Rings Of Power makes it clear that every story in Middle-earth is part of a greater whole and treats every moment, big and small, with appropriate grace and splendor, where a fresh berry is as miraculous as a wizard’s seeing stone. The upbeat Rings Of Power discovers a world worth fighting for.
G/O Media may receive a commission
28% discount
Apple AirPods Pro wireless headphones
Music+These are the pinnacle of Apple AirPod design and feature active noise cancellation, transparency mode when you need to hear what’s around you, spatial audio for accuracy, adaptive EQ, and are even sweat-resistant.
The Rings of Power takes place roughly 3,000 years before Frodo’s journey in The Lord of the Rings. With so much story to unpack, director JA Bayona takes a page from Jackson’s book and opens with a prologue narrated by Galadriel (Morphyd Clarke), who immediately personalizes this story to reel us in. Galadriel explains how the first Dark Lord Morgoth waged a centuries-long “War of Wrath” in Valinor, ending with Morgoth’s death, the rise of Morgoth’s apprentice Sauron, and the Elves leaving Valinor for Middle-earth. When Sauron’s forces kill her brother Finrod, it sparks a drive in Galadriel to stop all crime in Gotham City to pursue Sauron’s forces wherever they roam.
By making this threat personal to Galadriel, the show provides solid ground for the audience. With so many Dark Lords and strange elven names and words it would be easy to get lost in the thicket. Payne, McKay and their writers room were right to give her a clear purpose with Sauron while keeping the bigger picture in mind. It’s a personal battle for Galadriel, but one that affects each character in different ways.
Galadriel is not the only elf of interest to the ROP. When we meet our old friend Elrond (played with unexpected warmth by Robert Aramaio), he’s scribbling in a book, trying to find the perfect metaphor for Galadriel’s search for Sauron. In their first dynamite scene together, we see the split between Elrond and Galadriel. Galadriel may be like Batman on an endless quest for revenge, but Aramaio plays Elrond like Obi-Wan Kenobi, countering the weight of that mythology with pure love for his friend. And there’s a lot of love and respect between the characters in this show, which gives it a very open tone compared to other, more gritty fantasy series.
We leave the grand adventure of the elves and meet a nomadic race of demi-humans known as Harfooti. Their camp is reminiscent of the Village of the Lost Boys from Steven Spielberg’s Hook, with secret compartments and clever string-based mechanisms. It’s probably catnip for kids with growing imaginations, but our main Harefoot, Norrie Brandyfoot (Markella Cavenagh), is after something more. Kavenagh has an ease in front of the camera that exudes the confidence of this production, delivering a performance that money can’t fake. Her strength and determination feel authentic, even if the character can’t verbalize what compels her. Of course, she gets more than she bargains for when a mysterious bearded man known as The Alien (Daniel Wayman) crashes into Middle-earth with a meteor.
While the show takes its time to introduce us to the world and its original groups, there’s no point in dragging it out. The plot is propulsive, which isn’t necessarily a term one would normally use to describe Tolkien. Even Jackson’s beloved film trilogy was often lambasted with complaints that it was just people walking in the woods. But the great adventure here is immediate and fluid. Despite deep ties to the legend, the beats are easy to follow but never watered down.
Rings Of Power has an advantage. The show is reportedly the most expensive ever made, making more than $460 million for the first season alone. The seemingly unlimited budget and time made the production lavish and captivating. Marvel movies have extreme budgets, but often feel cobbled together due to flaws in special effects or the feeling that the actors aren’t in the same room. There is none of that here. As Elrond walks through the mines of Moria, his awe matches ours. In perfect unison, the actors work with the effects, including makeup, costumes, practical sets and CGI. No one ever looks like they’re talking to a tennis ball or rushing to meet a release date.
When large-scale CGI effects are required, Bayona skillfully directs the action in ways that keep us engaged with the actors. Galadriel’s battle with a sea serpent features some of the most elaborate CGI in the series, but Bayona shoots around the monster, locking our perspective onto Galadriel. We see only what she sees: glimpses of a tail and the floundering crew of the raft falling dead into the water. It’s surprising to see a show like this not show off its CGI creations. Restraint is appreciated.
Taking their time as they put their pieces together, Payne and McKay create the kind of world Tolkien created, a world with hope but no guarantees. There’s a lot of that here, as devotion is tested and relationships require tending. However, they all fit into one story. Rings Of Power seems to focus on the bonds that bind communities and people to each other, not just the darkness that binds the Ring. In the first two episodes, these bonds are strong.
Add Comment