So here we finally are: the eighth and final episode of The rings of power season 2. As you’d expect from a season finale, a lot happens in episode 8. The partnership between Sauron and Celebrimbor reaches its inevitably tragic conclusion. The long battle between Elrond, Galadriel and the elves and the forces of Adar reaches its endgame. And the Stranger finally gets a name.
With all this payoff, Episode 8 should feel like a triumph; the thrilling capstone to an overall better executed second set of episodes. Yet it is ultimately a disappointing affair, with every high being undermined by at least as many lows. In that sense, the finale is emblematic of Season 2 in general, where the real battle isn’t between the elves and the orcs, or even Sauron and those who want to take him down – it’s between the good and not-so-good halves of the performance itself.
(Ed note: This article contains spoilers for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2, episode 8.)
Honestly, the “good half” of the Lord of the Rings series is well represented in episode 8. The production values have never been better, especially when it comes to the battle scenes. Director Charlotte Brändström, cinematographer Alex Disenhof and the rest of the crew deliver plenty of big-screen action, from Durin III’s heroic final battle against the balrog to That one shot shot of an elven archer breaking loose in Eregion. The cast also continues to give everything. Sure, some actors rise above the rest – Charlie Vickers and Charles Edwards are especially strong during Celebrimbor’s impressively gnarly, book-inspired death scene – but, aside from the occasional crackly accent, everyone acquits themselves well.
So it’s a real shame that the season 2 finale feels so emotionally empty, even if this is far from unexpected. As I predicted last week, Episode 8 abandons the hyper-focused approach of its immediate predecessor The rings of power‘s sprawling (read: overstuffed) story. Instead, we touch base with every plot thread spread across Middle-earth and beyond. There is a logic to this; it would make no sense not to check in with all our heroes and villains before Season 2 ends. But it also forces showrunners (and episode 8 writers) JD Payne and Patrick McKay to prioritize less compelling subplots – has anyone else completely forgotten about Isildur, Estrid and the rest of the gang in Pelargir? – at the expense of giving breathing room to the big moments of the finale.
The much-hyped confrontation of the dwarves with the balrog? In the blink of an eye, apparently for the sole purpose of giving Durin III a heartfelt farewell, which – due to its liveliness – doesn’t even feel deserved. Sauron winning back the orcs? Realized off-screen and sort of ‘because’, just so the Dark Lord can have an army again, and Adar can get the same surprise pincushion treatment that Sauron got in the opening flashback of Episode 1. And the climactic one-on- one duel between Sauron and Galadriel? A hollow sword fight considering Galadriel’s drastically reduced (and almost completely Sauron-free) screen time this season. It’s clearly us should concern, but there simply isn’t enough build-up to make it happen.
Episode 8’s obligatory Lord of the Rings foreshadowing also suffers from lightning-fast playback – another weakness it shares with the rest of Season 2 (and The rings of power general). Míriel sending Elendil off with a legally required Narsil, a different model, is a good example of this. It should be a big deal – a symbol of Elendil taking a decisive step towards his destiny as the future king of Gondor – but it isn’t, because it happens so damn quickly with so little context. He has given the sword and pushed out the door to Middle-earth with only a vague idea of what he should achieve there and why. The little gravitas the scene evokes is borrowed; Prime Video may not own the rights to Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, but Brändström and Disenhof are nevertheless resetting the staging of Aragorn receiving the reforged Narsil in Jackson’s Return of the king. But in a vacuum it doesn’t mean much. Like Sauron’s orc recruitment drive, it happens because it does has to – and if we care, it’s because we are assumed on, not because of any foundation laid in season 2.
Ironically, the opposite applies to the goings-on in Rhûn. Here the problem is not enough speed and too many settings. Episode 8 finally, Finally confirms the Stranger’s identity – and he’s exactly who most of us called him in Season 1. But despite this obvious outcome, it took us two whole seasons to hear the name “Gandalf” (or some variation thereof). It’s a generous viewer who will consider this time well spent. Yes, it’s fun to visit a largely unexplored corner of Middle-earth, and yes, the origins of the wizards are a fascinating piece of lore for those less familiar with JRR Tolkien’s canon. But ultimately, scenes devoted to the non-mystery of the Stranger’s backstory and purpose chewed up minutes that could otherwise have been used for fleshing it out. The rings of power‘s central (and much more compelling) Sauron-centric storylines.
And the domino effect if things move at the wrong pace? A disappointingly weak platform for future seasons to build on. On paper, Episode 8 sets the stage for Season 3. Every Ring of Power (with one notable exception) is now complete and the failed Sauron, backed by the orcs, is ready to begin his long-delayed Brat Summer. The elves have settled in Rivendell and are determined to fight back. Durin IV suffers from follow-up headaches. Gandalf’s rivalry with the Dark Wizard is only just heating up. Nori and the Stoors are looking for the Shire (or something). And Ar-Pharazôn and his Númenórean cronies are making themselves even bigger bastards at home and abroad. In practice, though, none of this generates the excitement that the season 1 finale achieved through one shot.
That’s partly because a group of people cheering after a lot of half-baked bluster about darkness versus light lacks the visceral aura of Sauron marching into Mordor. But it’s also a symptom of the fact that Episode 8 – like a fair share of the episodes that came before it – is so unevenly executed. This makes it hard enough to invest in the adventure at hand, let alone the adventures further down the line. Why bother with the Second Age milestones planned for the show’s remaining three seasons when the destruction of Eregion, the demise of Númenor, and Durin’s Bane’s comeback tour weren’t exactly home runs this time around ? Once the credits roll, the overriding feeling is that, despite one more valiant effort by all involved, The rings of powerThe series’ shortcomings once again won out over its positives in Season 2. Perhaps the tide of the “battle” will turn with Season 3 – but not without some pretty major changes to the Prime Video series’ plan of attack.
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Written by Susana Polo and several Polygon contributors, Year of the Ring includes our year-long editorial package revisiting Tolkien’s work and Peter Jackson’s epic film adaptation. Although the book won’t arrive until November, you can save 7% if you order in advance.