In the process of keeping up to speed with everything I need to watch for work, I fell a little bit behind on “The Rings of Power” season 2.
To be clear, that wasn't because I wasn't enjoying it. In fact, having now caught up with the Prime Video show, I feel confident in saying that season 2 has been a big improvement over what came before, cementing its place on our ranking of the best Prime Video fantasy shows. But as I'm now up to speed, I still think the show's got a structural problem.
Having established the world and their (divisive) take on the parts of Tolkien's Second Age that they had access to in the first installment, this second season sees the "Rings of Power" team more ardently trying to tell a singular story: Sauron's rise to power. This is, after all, what showrunner Patrick McKay said was 'the greatest untold story on the screen'.
From the off, season 2 makes it clear that Sauron is our primary protagonist. We open the season with Adar betraying him, then watch as he reappears as Halbrand. Subsequently, we've spent our time watching him manipulate the elves of Eregion into doing his bidding, under the guise of Annatar. In my eyes, this has been a welcome guiding light; his influence being more tangible has brought a greater sense of forward momentum to the series.
That said, having Sauron positioned as the lynchpin of "The Rings of Power" season 2 much, has also meant that some of our supporting ensemble members feel even more removed from the proceedings than they did last time around.
I'd point to Nori, Poppy, and the Stranger's journey to Rhûn as my main example. Rhûn is a land that isn't really explored too much in most of Tolkien's work, and this part of the tale feels like it has had minimal impact thus far.
I will freely admit to being excited about seeing a live-action Tom Bombadil, especially one played by a character actor like Rory Kinnear, but his inclusion feels perfunctory here. Yes, he has warned the Stranger that he'll eventually cross paths with Sauron ... but was this truly necessary?
Much as I have been charmed by Daniel Weyman's turn as the wandering wizard, his part thus far has felt of lesser importance than, say, the various elven tales currently playing out. We've also not seen all that much of Isildur in the second season, even though he will eventually become the man to cut the One Ring from Sauron's hand.
I'm aware (seeing as a recent The Hollywood Reporter story made it seem Amazon remains committed to the much-touted five-season plan for "The Rings of Power", and that gives McKay and Payne the necessary time to get everyone to the position they need to be in for Sauron's fall. However, we've also seen reports about lower viewership, which could threaten the five-season commitment later down te line.
With fewer viewers tuning in, there's every chance Amazon decides to stop making such a hugely expensive TV show. If that's the case, we might end up being left with a curtailed Tolkien adaptation that doesn't have nearly as much time to forge its major players into the heroes they must become before the War of the Last Alliance comes to pass. Overall, I have been a fan of what "The Rings of Power" team has achieved, even accounting for its diversions from the source material, and would hate for anyone involved to feel underserved.
