After watching the first two episodes of The Rings of Power (ROP), these are my overall initial impressions, what my expectations were going in, some things I liked and some things I’m not so sure about. Let me know your own thoughts of the show so far!

Expectations Going In

Ever since Peter Jackson’s epic film trilogy adapting The Lord of the Rings came out, I have been a huge Tolkien fan. When The Hobbit movies came out, I was super excited for the chance to re-visit my favorite literary world. They didn’t match the original trilogy for me (seriously though, what can?), but I’ll take almost any opportunity to dive back into Middle Earth.

Since the final Hobbit movie’s release in 2014, we’ve had a long spell without a chance to visually travel back into Tolkien’s world. Until now.

Ever since the announcement, I followed along as Amazon (quite effectively, I might add) slowly fed us teasers and trailers. I analyzed first images, scrutinized hand posters, and speculated with everyone else about what might come. Of course I had some reservations, but I feel I went in with high expectations and feeling quite optimistic.

Let the Show Begin

At 9pm EST on September 1st, 2022, I pressed play to begin the first episode of The Rings of Power…

And nothing happened. As the screen read ‘Episode Unavailable’, I confusedly kept pressing play, to no avail. Oddly enough, the second episode played with no problem.

I wondered if such vast masses were trying to access the first episode right as it launched that it crashed Amazon?? I later found out there were 25 million viewers in the first 24 hours. Pretty impressive.

For me, the extra delay amped up my anticipation higher, if that was even possible! The problem quickly sorted itself out. A few minutes later, the first episode was up and playing, and I was whisked back to Middle-Earth – which felt like a different place, though with hints of familiarity.

Overall First Impressions

After watching the two episodes, there were many thoughts and mixed feelings to sort through.

There are things I liked, things I’m not quite sure about, and many questions about what might come next. I must admit feeling overall a bit disappointed, which is not something I ever wanted to feel! But I am still committed to keeping an open mind and seeing where the show takes us in this first season.

Things I Liked

Mesmerizing Visuals

The CGI, as you have heard and seen for yourself in the trailers, is absolutely stunning. ROP is now the most expensive television series ever made, and the cinematic feel and beautiful imagery reflects that. For me, at times it almost felt too pretty.

For places like Valinor, I think a shiny veneer is completely welcome. But one thing I really appreciate about Peter Jackson’s portrayal of Middle Earth was the care he took to make it feel real. I found myself missing that more authentic, lived-in feel.

Maps Multiplied

As a big fan of Tolkien’s maps, I liked how they were occasionally used in Jackson’s movies. The series uses them much more often. It’s a good thing because with all of the switching from different peoples and places (there’s a lot), I do find it quite helpful.

Memorable Music

I really like Howard Shore’s main theme. It gives me a feeling of coming home. Which makes sense, since I listen to Howard Shore’s LOTR soundtrack almost daily.

I’m enjoying Bear McCreary’s score so far, though it hasn’t gripped me like some other movie/tv soundtracks have. At least, not quite yet. I didn’t find a particular theme or melody easy to hold onto upon first viewing. After rewatching, however, the musical themes for the Harfoots and Khazad-dum were my most memorable musical moments.

I appreciate how Bear McCreary’s approach to the score seems similar to Howard Shore’s in the movies. There are unique soundscapes and themes for the different peoples and places of Middle Earth. And while they feel in the same realm as the original movies, there are definitely some new and fresh sounds.

Mindful Mentions

As a Tolkien lover, I really perked up at the different uses and mentions of Tolkien’s wider lore. The depiction of Valinor and the Two Trees (my fav shot so far!), the mention of specific historical details, the care in terms of wardrobe and design (I’ll get more into these in my specific episode posts!) – these touches revealing the show-runners’ appreciation for Tolkien’s history make my heart happy.

Overall, I’d say the show watched better for me the second time. I could follow the storylines more clearly, and enjoyed the pacing more.

Things I’m Not So Sure About

The Feel

From the beginning, the show felt to me like it was trying (a bit too hard, maybe?) to emulate Peter Jackson’s LOTR movie trilogy. Take the prologue. It opens with a montage narrated by Galadriel. Sound familiar?

I actually think this could have been a really nice touch and parallel to the movies. However, there were just some quotes that reminded me much too strongly of iconic movie lines. And every time that happened it pulled me out of the story the show was trying to tell. Here’s one example:

• From Galadriel’s prologue in the LOTR movies: ‘History became legend. Legend became myth. And for two and a half thousand years, the ring passed out of all knowledge.’
• From Galadriel’s prologue in ROP: ‘Year gave way to year. Century gave way to century. And for many Elves, the pain of those days passed out of thought and mind.’

See what I mean? I understand wanting to remind fans of the movies, and it clearly was an effective model to follow. But I would have appreciated some more original lines. Speaking of…

(Some of) the Scripting

There were times when I felt the dialogue was trying too hard to be Tolkien-esque and came across a little overdone. Lots of metaphors.

Tolkien was a master of languages, and the LOTR and Hobbit movies had the advantage of being able to often use quotes and lines straight from the books. I imagine due to rights and the timeframe of when this show takes place (set in the Second Age, but not having rights to The Silmarillion), direct quotes might not be accessible. 

There was also great effort to give each race it’s own vernacular, and while I acknowledge the effort, sometimes it missed the mark for me. Take, for example, the phrase ‘Aulë’s beard’. I respect the Vala name-drop. Aulë made the dwarves, so it makes sense they would hold him in high reverence. Even so, I personally haven’t come across this phrase in Tolkien’s writings, and Merlin’s beard, it just gave me very strong Harry Potter vibes.

(Parts of) the Storyline

Of course, we’re at the very beginning of the show. There’s many more episodes and seasons to go. But in the first two episodes, I didn’t feel as engaged as I wanted to.

In preparation, I actually re-read the Appendices beforehand, and got quite excited about the material and timeline the show will cover. Some fascinating stuff goes down in the Second Age! I can’t imagine how difficult it must be to take into account the canon, while staying in line with acquired rights, and all of that jazz. So far to me the storyline seems pretty outside of canon, and I find myself wondering why some of these choices were made.

However, I am really looking forward to the overarching storyline implied by the title of the show, and am so curious to see what they do with the planning, making and distributing of the Rings of Power.

The Time Compression

To my understanding, the show is aiming to portray the gamut of the Second Age within the span of one generation. Which for story-telling makes sense. It gives us a cast of characters to follow and get to know. But how that will actually work in practice (the Second Age lasts 3,441 years in total) … just thinking about it makes my head spin.

I’m fascinated to see how the show plans on making it work. But so far, it brings up some challenges for Galadriel’s character, in particular.

Don’t get me wrong, I think Morfydd Clark (the actress who plays Galadriel) is absolutely stunning. But I feel her character looks and oftentimes acts very young. In Tolkien’s chronology, she would be thousands of years older than Elrond and other elves in Lindon. At this point in the Second Age, Galadriel has been through a lot. She even says in the show, ‘You have not seen what I have seen.’ This leaves me wondering why the show chose to portray her as youthful as she does.

Wrapping It Up

Well, that is quite a bit more than a tidbit of my first impressions of the show. I had a lot to say!

What are your thoughts?! Were your expectations met, unmet, or exceeded?

Look out for fun facts, morning musings and, of course, Tolkien tidbits as we explore each episode when it drops. I hope you’ll join me on this exciting journey!