Season 2 of The Rings of Power is good, sometimes very good, popcorn fantasy. It is not Andor -level prestige TV, but it’s no longer a confused disappointment. If you watch for Sauron and the dwarves, you’ll have a great time. If you came for the hobbit-like adventures or Númenor’s politics, you’ll still be checking your watch.
The two-episode battle for Eregion is the best action sequence in the series so far. It has weight, strategy, and genuine dread. Unlike the sanitized battles of Season 1, this one has consequences, casualties, and a real sense of a civilization falling. The orcs are brutal, Adar is a tragic figure, and Elrond’s desperate defense is compelling.
Season 2 of The Rings of Power is a significant step up from the often-slow, disjointed first season. It’s darker, more focused, and delivers the large-scale battles and lore-deep dives that fans of Middle-earth crave. However, it’s still hampered by uneven pacing, some underdeveloped subplots, and dialogue that sometimes struggles to reach Tolkien’s poetic heights.
The political corruption of Númenor is essential, but the season spends too much time on Pharazôn’s scheming and not enough on the island’s fall. The scenes there feel static compared to the urgency in Eregion. The romantic subplot between Isildur and Estrid is bland and unnecessary.
Introduced in a surprising but respectful way, Bombadil is a welcome injection of whimsy and mystery. He doesn’t overstay his welcome, and his cryptic guidance to the Stranger (Gandalf) adds a layer of Old Forest magic that was missing. What Still Needs Work 1. The Harfoot/Stranger Plot (Still Detached) While improved, the adventures of Nori, Poppy, and the Stranger (now heavily implied to be Gandalf) still feel like a separate, lower-budget show awkwardly spliced into the main narrative. Their journey to Rhûn introduces new characters (the Dark Wizard, the Stoors) but the plot drags and has minimal connection to the Sauron/Celebrimbor thread. It’s charming but slows momentum.
The show still suffers from the compressed timeline. Major events that should take years (Sauron’s manipulation, the forging of the rings, the fall of Eregion) feel like they happen over weeks. This lessens the epic tragedy. One episode will crawl with dialogue, the next will sprint through a battle.
However, it is not a masterpiece. It’s still adaptation-by-committee TV, not a singular artistic vision like Peter Jackson’s films. The non-elf/dwarf storylines remain a drag, and the dialogue rarely soars.
(compared to a 6/10 for Season 1) What Works Well 1. Charlie Vickers as Sauron (The Standout) The season belongs to Sauron. Charlie Vickers delivers a mesmerizing performance as the Dark Lord in his fair form "Annatar." He is manipulative, charming, and terrifyingly patient. Watching him systematically corrupt Celebrimbor and the Elven smiths of Eregion is the dramatic core of the season. It’s psychological horror wrapped in elven beauty, and it works brilliantly.