Amazon’s The Rings of Power has reached its halfway point but the show is starting to feel like a fully realized drama series with no concrete adventure or sci-fi action to offer.
Despite having a spectacular start with two thrilling episodes, The Rings of Power does not seem to be a fast-paced series as the fourth episode, ‘The Great Wave’, was more than 70 minutes long but with little happening.
There are things to enjoy in the series’ latest episode such as the performances from the actors, the majestic score, and of course, the stunning visuals. However, similar to the previous episode, a large part of the fourth episode revolved around events in Númenor, which once again feels like they’re spending way too much time talking about what’s coming, and not actually taking action to stop the coming danger.
We learned more about why Queen Regent Míriel (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) is so reluctant to help Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) in her quest to battle Sauron. Míriel had a prophetic dream about a significant wave that will drag her down into the sea, and this vision begins with the arrival of Galadriel.
After passing off judgment to send Galadriel back to the Elves, a storm of petals from the white tree started to fall, which Númenoreans believe is a sign of the Valar’s judgment on them. The Queen decides to escort Galadriel back to Middle-Earth with citizens of Númenor who have volunteered to serve in order to protect Míriel on her journey.
Adar (Joseph Mawle) seemed remarkable, mainly because Mawle is a good actor. However, similar to Galadriel’s travails in Númenor, the interaction with Arondir feels somewhat pointless because we did not learn anything about Adar other than his appearance as a corrupted elf who surprisingly releases a dangerous prisoner to go warn the humans of the Southlands to save themselves.
‘The Great Wave’ packs writing decisions that don’t really increase the series’ overall vibe, compared to the cinematic experience of the first two episodes.
Elrond continues to poke his nose around Dwarves business and has discovered that the Dwarves have mithril, a precious metal known to be both lightweight and strong. It’s worth 10 times its weight in gold and does not tarnish.
Durin gives Elrond a shard of mithril as a token of friendship and has been invited by Elrond to Lindon. Durin believes there is something more at work that Elrond isn’t telling him, so he agrees to Elrond’s request in order to find out more.
The Rings of Power is at the halfway point of its first season but its flaws are becoming harder to overlook. Despite quickly establishing fascinating visuals, splendor and score, it seems the series need take more than that to create a captivating story.
At this point, there isn’t much to anticipate in the next episode as it seems The Rings of Power is gradually putting together a coherent finale for its first season.
