Re: What Did You Watch? 2025-01-11 (Saturday)

I barely feel recovered enough to do one these, but here goes.
 Then I finally started season #2 of "The Rings of Power" on Prime.
    Ep. #2.1 is probably the best episode they've ever done (it's 77 mins long!), as it shows the background of Second Age Sauron and what happened to him. Meanwhile, Elrond, convinced Sauron has already corrupted the 3 Elven Rings, tries to prevent the Elf King, et al. from using them. (Sidenote: The guy who plays Círdan, Ben Daniels, reminds me a lot of Canuck actor Rob Stewart!)
    But I have to put this in context - this is the best episode that *this show* has ever put out.
    Nearly all of the fundamental and systemic problems that this show had in season #1 are all still there (though they are clearly trying to make an effort to paper over some of them!):
    - the "proto-Wizard" storyline still being the absolute worst of these (there were no Wizards in the Second Age! - and if this dude does turn out to be Gandalf, I will curse this show as every bit as bad as ST: Voyager!);
    - as well, this show is just absolutely failing to portray the inherent grace and majesty that the elves naturally possess. This is the most problematic with Galadriel (bless her heart - I love Morfydd Clark, but there's little she can do to salvage the character with what they are giving her on this show!); and Elrond (Charlie Vickers)

is suffering the same degradations in season #2);
    - they also barely seem to have a handle on Sauron's nature and power, which seems to wax and wane depending on the scene and what it calls for;
    - and, finally, they are just trying to make up too much (what is with the Frank Zappa-esque Wizard dude in Rhûn?!).
    Ep. #2.2 was mostly worse again, though it still seemed better, on average than much of season #1. It does have a payoff though when Sauron becomes "Annatar", which is actually from Tolkien's legendarium.
  What did you watch?