The bad news is that the first episode is not very good.
The good news is that the second episode is much better.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is the much anticipated Middle-Earth series from Amazon. The story takes place during the 2nd age, after the defeat of Morgoth (essentially the Devil) and before the defeat of Sauron at the Battle of Mount Doom.
The story begins with Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) seeking any sign of Sauron and his orcs, but cannot find him. In fact, her own soldiers eventually turn on her. She returns to the elven lands where her friend Elrond (Robert Aramayo) explains that King Gil-Gilad is not happy with her warmongering and instead wishes to honor her service in exchange for silence so that he can declare an era of peace. Meanwhile in the southern lands of man, Gil-Gilad (Benjamin Walker) begins to recall his elven garrisons. This is sad news for the elven scout Arondir (Ismael Cruz Cordova) who is in love with a local human healer named Bronwyn (Nazanin Boniadi). But just as they begin to say their goodbyes, news of some evil growing in a nearby town changes their story. At the same time there are group of Hobbi- I'm sory, Harfoots who are living a quaint migratory life in the forest. However the young, impetuous Nori (Markella Kavenagh ) seeks more of a life adventure, which she finds when something mysterious falls from the sky.
The best thing about the show is that it looks amazing. It isn't just that the makeup and special effects are good (which they are), but the producers were wise enough to enchant us with the beauty of Middle-Earth. One of the things that makes Peter Jackson's films so rich is that soaked thousands of years of history and culture into the architecture, art, and landscapes of this land. Amazon's series does the same. There are, of course, many times where practical effects would be preferred to CGI, but that is a minor quibble.
The biggest problem with the show is that it brings us in primarily through Galadriel's story. This is an issue because she is not very likable. Cate Blanchette's portrayal was one that was tinged with power, menace, and danger, but it was also one that had wisdom, restraint, and above all grace. Clark's Galadriel lacks these qualities. I understand that we are seeing a less mature version of the character, but she comes off as uncaring and obsessive. This means that I do not attach to her quest as much as I should. She berates others for not enduring what she has, even though they all have been to war. Her behavior is baffling. At the very end of the first episode, she makes a decision that is meant to be epic and dramatic, but comes off as quite possibly the dumbest thing anyone on Middle-Earth has ever done.
It would have been much smarter to focus on Nori. Kavenaugh's wide-eyed innocence and pluck reminds me so much Elijah Wood, which I don't think is a coincidence. You may call her a discount Frodo and fair enough. But I got a good deal of enjoyment from her story and it felt very much like the beginnings of the classic fantasy adventure. Arondir and Bronwyn's story is fine so far, but the actors have to express years of history and subtext. We don't get to see them fall in love, we just have to take it for granted that they are. And to their credit, they do the best they can and do so while maintaining the characteristic gulf between elf and human. I can't say the same about everyone. There is a scene in the first episode where one of Arondir's fellow elves speaks like he is a human and without a hint of elven grace.
Since the first episode focuses mostly on Galdriel, it really didn't grab me. However the second episode was much more enjoyable.
The best part was watching Elrond visit the dwarf Prince Durin (Owain Arthur). The contrasts between them are fun to watch along with the history of hurt feelings and deep affections. One of my favorite parts of the show was seeing Khazad-dun in its glory. Also watching Nori's adventure regarding what fell from the sky is slow but fascinating.
A lot of people have made a big deal about the color-blind casting. To be honest, I didn't really pay attention to it because the producers were smart enough to not to call attention to this change. All the actors fit in reasonably well with the overall aesthetic.
One of the show's biggest flaws is that it tries to do too much at once. I describe the three major story lines above, but there are many more characters like Bronwyn's son (who is annoying), Celibrimbor (who is very different than what video-gamers saw in Shadows of Mordor), King Durin, etc. Jackson's Fellowship of the Ring has several characters as well, but they wisely followed Tolkien's method of focusing on Frodo and slowly adding more characters. The Rings of Power does too much too soon.
For those looking something on par with Jackson's might trilogy, this show isn't it.
But this show is also not the complete and utter disaster that many claim it is.
It is still too early to make a judgment, but I am going to continue to watch.
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