Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has aired all episodes in its second season, leaving viewers on a cliffhanger as they await the next installment in this epic fantasy saga. The series is planned to include five seasons, building up to the final stand between Sauron and the Last Alliance of Men and Elves at the end of the Second Age.

It’s no secret that many Lords of the Rings fans don’t like The Rings of Power. The show has been subject to plenty of backlash, some warranted and some not. However, after two seasons of the series, there are plenty of valid reasons that they should give it another chance.

The Rings of Power Includes Lore Cut From the Movies

Peter Jackson’s Movies Couldn’t Include Every Character and Storyline

As beloved as the Lord of the Rings movies are, they couldn’t include everything from J.R.R. Tolkien’s original books. Even the Extended Editions are missing key storylines and characters that fans had hoped to see depicted in live-action. As a series, The Rings of Power has more time to flesh out the world of Middle-earth, including certain bits of lore that were left out of Peter Jackson’s films.

Rory Kinnear plays Tom Bombadil in the character’s first official life-action appearance.

Perhaps the most significant addition to The Rings of Power Season 2 is Tom Bombadil. Bombadil was the most infamous exclusion from Jackson’s films and is typically cut from other adaptations of Tolkien’s work as well. The Rings of Power does an excellent job of finally adapting Tom Bombadil for the screen, but he is only one example of lore restored to the Lord of the Rings franchise. The series will also include the blue wizards, who are absent from the films, save for one indirect mention in the Hobbit trilogy.

Sauron’s Arc is Terrific in The Rings of Power Season 2

Sauron is the Standout Character in The Rings of Power

The first season of The Rings of Power ended with the revelation that Halbrand is Sauron. Now no longer hindered by the need to keep his identity secret, Season 2 gives Sauron a memorable storyline as he works to sow the seeds of destruction in Middle-earth. While Sauron is more of an existential threat in the Lord of the Rings movies, The Rings of Power makes the dark lord a far more present evil.

Charlie Vickers plays Sauron/Halbrand/Annatar in The Rings of Power.

Season 2 follows Sauron as he expertly manipulates Lord Celebrimbor into crafting the remaining Rings of Power. He uses every form of treachery there is, appealing to the Elf’s ego, turning his friends against him, and even giving him false visions to achieve his ends. Viewers finally get a sense of just how manipulative and evil Sauron is in The Rings of Power, enhancing their experience rewatching the Lord of the Rings films that deal with the aftermath of his dark deeds.

The Dwarves’ Culture Gets Fleshed Out in The Rings of Power

The Kingdom of Khazad-dûm Finally Shows the Dwarves in All Their Glory

Dwarves have always been the least fleshed-out race in Middle-earth. Only a handful of Dwarves are present in the Lord of the Rings movies and, while they are much more present in The Hobbit, their story isn’t as compelling as it should have been. The Rings of Power spends time with the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm, fleshing out their culture in a way the franchise never really has before.

The Dwarven kingdom of Khazad-dûm is ruled by King Durin III during the events of The Rings of Power.

The expansion of Dwarven culture in The Rings of Power is sometimes subtle but profound. The series introduces Stone Singers, Dwarves who belt melodies at cave systems to determine safe places to dig. This is an excellent counterpart to the Elves’ relationship with trees, making the Dwarves much more connected to their world than they initially might seem. Additionally, The Rings of Power enhances Dwarven’s speech, coloring their dialogue with metaphors of stone and rock, giving them much more character as a people than they ever had before.

Elrond Is More Book-Accurate Than in the Movies

Elrond is Kinder and Warmer in The Rings of Power

The Rings of Power gives audiences a chance to see Elrond before The Lord of the Rings when he was far younger and more directly involved in the events of Middle-earth. Although fans love Hugo Weaving’s depiction of the Elf in Peter Jackson’s films, the depiction of Elrond in the Prime Video series is far more accurate to Tolkien’s original books.

Robert Aramayo plays Elrond in The Rings of Power.

The movies often portray Elrond as a stern, sometimes even callous character. This provides some tension between the Elf and Aragorn but isn’t strictly accurate to the books. The Rings of Power captures Elrond’s warmer side, showing his intense care for those he calls friends and planting the seeds for the great leader that he will one day become. Fans who think Elrond was misrepresented in the films might find that they like The Rings of Power‘s version of the character better.

The Rings of Power Has Stunning Cinematography

The Lord of the Rings Series Looks Beautiful

Many social media accounts would have people who haven’t watched The Rings of Power believe that it is a shoddily made series with cringey camera work and nonsensical shots. Those who have actually watched the show know that nothing could be further from the truth. Most viewers agree that The Rings of Power‘s cinematography is its strongest quality.

The Rings of Power‘s cinematography team is led by Alex Disenhof.

Much like the films, The Rings of Power is filled with beautiful, sweeping shots that give viewers the size and scale of its world. Audiences get amazing depictions of iconic locations like Númenor and Eregion, as well as terrific battle sequences that put them into the heat of the action. The show is filled with terrific imagery as well that captures the fantastical nature of the source material, with fans pointing out the amazing introduction of Annatar as a highlight of the series.

The Rings of Power Delivers Epic Battles

Large-Scale Battle Scenes are a Staple of the Lord of the Rings Franchise

The Lord of the Rings franchise is synonymous with epic battle sequences, such as the Battle of Helm’s Deep or the Battle of Pelennor Fields. The Rings of Power perfectly follows in the film’s footsteps, delivering tremendous multi-episode battle sequences that live up to the hype.

The Siege of Eregion takes place in Episodes 207 and 208 of The Rings of Power.

Recently, The Rings of Power pulled off an epic battle in the Siege of Eregion, which stands out as the show’s best fight sequence yet. The multi-episode conflict pits Elves against Orcs and even delivers a chilling confrontation with a Troll that will leave viewers in awe. The series expertly mixes practical effects with CGI to make its battles come alive–and this is only the beginning of the large-scale battles to come.

Celebrimbor’s Character Arc is Terrific in The Rings of Power

The Forger of the Rings of Power is One of the Show’s Most Compelling Characters

Celebrimbor is one of The Rings of Power‘s best characters, especially as Season 2 reaches its climactic end. The Lord of Eregion spends much of the season working with Annatar, whom he is unaware is the dark lord Sauron in disguise. Gradually, he begins to realize that Annatar is not all he seems, but not before he has crafted the infamous Rings of Power that will help him rule Middle-earth.

Charles Edwards plays Celebrimbor in The Rings of Power.

The Rings of Power expertly plays to Celebrimbor’s strengths and weaknesses as a character, conflating his best and worst qualities until he becomes an unwitting servant of Sauron. Celebrimbor can’t help but continue the work, even though he suspects that something is wrong. Finally, he is forced to deal with the massive consequences of his actions. Saddled with guilt, things end tragically for the once-great Elf in one of the most heartbreaking yet intrinsically compelling character arcs of the series.

The Prime Video Series Makes the Rings of Power Mean Something

The Rings of Power Have a Minor Role in the Film Trilogy

As its name would suggest, The Rings of Power focuses heavily on the forging of the Rings of Power in the Second Age of Middle-earth. This is especially important because these rings only play a very minor role in the Lord of the Rings franchise.

A total of twenty Rings of Power were forged during the Second Age: Three for the Elves, seven for the Dwarves, nine for Men, and One Ring to rule them all.

Peter Jackson’s films focus primarily on the One Ring, with the other lesser Rings only playing minor roles therein. The Elven Rings are only seen briefly, while the Nine Rings are only mentioned in conjunction with the Nazgul. Meanwhile, the Dwarven Rings are only worthy of a brief mention, with little exploration into what happened to them. The Rings of Power shows how each of these lesser rings affected their bearer, proving to audiences why they should care about them.

The Rings of Power is Building New Lord of the Rings Fans

The Series Opens the Door for New Fans to Discover J.R.R. Tolkien’s Stories

Much of the criticism for The Rings of Power comes from viewers who are already fans of the franchise, having grown up reading the novels and watching the movies. However, pre-established fans of any franchise tend to be too close to accurately judge certain controversial projects. As such, they often miss the most important part of these new projects: they build new fans.

When it premiered in 2022, The Rings of Power was the first new Lord of the Rings project in eight years, making it one generation’s first interaction with the franchise.

For many viewers, The Rings of Power is their first encounter with the world of Middle-earth. They aren’t concerned with how it fits into Tolkien’s intricate lore. Instead, many find that they enjoy the story that the Prime Video series is telling. Many of these viewers will continue to the other Lord of the Rings projects, becoming new fans of the franchise. There’s nothing wrong with The Rings of Power being someone’s gateway to Middle-earth. If the series is entertaining enough to bring in new fans, then perhaps it isn’t nearly as bad as some more seasoned fans seem to think.

The Rings of Power Has Major Things in Store

Fans Know Where The Rings of Power is Going–And It’s Exciting

Even the show’s harshest critics must admit that the quality of The Rings of Power greatly improved in Season 2. In an age where everyone is a critic, many fans forget that shows rarely fire on all cylinders from the very beginning. With only a handful of exceptions, most great TV series took some time to find their footing, spending one or more seasons trying different tactics before finally finding what works.

The Rings of Power is expected to include five seasons.

The Rings of Power finds its footing in a darker tone that forebodes the terrible things to come in Middle-earth’s Second Age. The Rings of Power will only get darker as time goes on, building to an epic conclusion as the Second Age comes to an end in a humongous battle featuring all of the characters that audiences have grown to love over the years. The series is telling a long-form epic story that will have its ups and downs, but the end will almost certainly be better than the beginning, rewarding fans who stuck around throughout the years.