This article contains spoilers for Season 2 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
With only two episodes remaining, The Rings of Power Season 2 on Prime Video is quickly approaching its thrilling conclusion — and things are swiftly heating up in Middle-earth.
In last week’s Episode 6 — “Where Is He?” — Elf warrior Arondir uncovered a map leading the orcs into battle, while Celebrimbor’s deteriorating state fueled chaos among the Elves.
Elves Adar and Galadriel explored their unsettling similarities over a tense feast, and Númenor sea captain Elendil faced a harrowing trial for treason, ultimately proving his innocence through former queen-regent Miriel’s selfless act. Meanwhile, the Dwarves grappled with internal strife as Annatar’s manipulations deepened, setting the stage for the impending war as Adar’s forces unleashed chaos.
To find out how Rings of Power Season 2 is landing with viewers — and why J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic high fantasy still resonates with fans after all these years — Yahoo Entertainment spoke with Tolkien expert William Smith, host of the Green Lanterns podcast and moderator of the subreddit r/LOTR_on_Prime.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Rings of Power Season 1 kind of struggled with fans. Why do you think that is?
“There were casting decisions made that riled up a subset of users on the internet. There were lore changes that made other folks upset. Some people seemed to not enjoy the writing. There is just a giant expectation that comes with the Lord of the Rings brand, and if you don’t immediately reach the heights of the books or the original movies, you have people disappointed.”
How is Season 2 holding up in comparison?
“Season 2, according to what I see on Reddit and across my social feeds, is being viewed in a much better light. I think a lot of this has to do with general pacing more than anything. In Season 1, there was a lot of setup, I would guess, to allow for [faster] pacing in future seasons. But many viewers want the action now. I think Season 2 has been delivering a lot more of [that], which is why, as a whole, it seems much more positive than last season.”
Are people being too hard on the series, or do you think their criticisms are valid?
“I don’t believe people are being too hard on the show. And just because their criticisms don’t align with mine, I don’t think their view is any less valid. We all want the show to be great. We all have different views of what makes for great entertainment.”
When you compare the series with Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies, what are some of the major differences in its approach to Tolkien’s work?
“From a storytelling standpoint, the show is trying to compress and move around events that happened over thousands of years to make it more digestible for viewers. The movie had a fleshed-out story from [Tolkien] to tell [and] … got to tell probably the most iconic fantasy story of all time. The show is telling a story that is significantly lesser known.”
What is and isn’t working for you about Rings of Power?
“The thing about the show that I personally struggle with is just the balancing of storylines. Sometimes you see the Dwarves in an episode and then you go an episode or two without seeing them. Sometimes a story will start really moving along and then I think, ‘Oh man, I can’t wait to get back into that in a week,’ and then they aren’t in the next episode, so I am waiting two weeks or three weeks. I know you have to weave all the plots together, but once a plot really hits its stride, I don’t want it to disappear.
“What is working for me, and I say this from time to time, is that this is the best portrayal of Dwarves in any onscreen adaptation. They give you action, they give you dialogue. They are stern but they can also be humorous. They can make you laugh but they can make you tear up a bit as well. And they aren’t just there to be a joke the whole time. It seems like in other shows, movies, etc., when you have a Dwarf on the screen you know they are a side character for the most part and they are there to lighten the mood.”
Rings of Power has been called Amazon Prime’s answer to HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon. How do you think it compares?
“I also help moderate r/HouseOfTheDragon, so I try to avoid comparisons between the two, but I know everyone wants to compare them. For me, they are shows on opposite ends of the spectrum. House of the Dragon is very much a show where almost everyone is a character you can justify hating. They all turn on each other. They all do terrible things. The Rings of Power is a show that targets a different audience. They want to show happy moments. They want to show adventure. There are many cute little moments that happen. Part of the appeal of [House of the Dragon] is that in almost any scene you watch, you sort of are waiting for something bad to happen. It can be bleak.”
What is it about Tolkien’s work that resonates with you and generations of fans?
“I think Tolkien did a terrific job giving us an amazing history for this world he created while also giving us many heroes to cheer for and villains to root against. On top of that, despite how much he fleshed out this world, there are so many gaps in its history where you get to imagine what could have taken place during that time. Just about anyone, anywhere, can relate to at least some of the story being told on his pages.”
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is now streaming on Prime Video.
