Orc Babies & the Dark Lord Blob-ron
rings of power ep. 1-3 review + an announcement!
It’s a good time to be a Tolkien fan
Amazon’s The Rings of Power has returned, we’re weeks away from Hobbit Day and I’m madly prepping for our next Lord of the Rings read-through. Middle-earth is the talk of the town and I’m here for all of it!
I love that we got three episodes of ROP dropped at once and I’m absolutely exhausted by the fire hydrant of Tolkien analysis that has exploded in the wake of the Season Two premiere. Check on your local Tolkien creators, we are tiiiired1.
Nevertheless, like Sauron Blob-ron flopping about Middle-earth until he can find his feet again (to put it delicately), I will persist!
Below are my thoughts on The Rings of Power Ep. 1-3 (🚨spoilers ahead!🚨 ), a link to a podcast where I discussed Episode 3 specifically and a very special announcement for the Tolkien Substack community we’re building here.
Let’s get into it.
First, a gift for you!
Our annual read-through of The Lord of the Rings is only 19 days away! This is the main event for this substack every year and has personally become my favorite yearly tradition. This year is already lining up to be our biggest one yet!
On September 22nd (Bilbo and Frodo’s birthday), if you’re a paid subscriber to this substack you’ll get to join me as I guide you through The Lord of the Rings.
There is no set reading schedule, so there’s no falling behind. We all begin on the same day and then I will send out a weekly ‘Middle-earth Monday’ post to share where I’m at and invite you to a private community space where you can ask questions, share your progress and discuss Tolkien in a welcoming atmosphere.
We’re off to explore Middle-earth together very soon and I can’t wait!
If the button doesn’t work where you’re reading this post from, you can also click here to subscribe.
Rings of Power is Back!
All the beauty, grandeur and intrigue I loved in the first season is here and I’m thrilled. The cinematography, soundtrack and costuming continue to woo me back into feeling like I’m immersed in Tolkien’s world again.
Galadriel is grappling with the consequences of her brash independence. Elrond is having his loyalties tested between his love of Middle-earth and his friendships. Nori is facing the reality of leaving familiarity while finding some along the way. The Stranger is still…The Stranger. Míriel and Elendil are feeling the tides turn against them (see what I did there?). Durin and Disa are struggling under the weight of watching their kingdom crumble while dealing with family fallout. Celebrimbor’s pride and thirst for a great legacy is blinding his decision making. Isildur isn’t dead, but Brownyn is. Theo and Arondir are grieving and angsty. And finally, orcs have babies, surprise!2
Because so much happened in these first three episodes, I won’t be doing a detailed breakdown of everything for time’s sake. Overall, I thought this was a strong opening for season two that both helped answer some questions about the first season and set the stage for Sauron to show us what he’s truly capable of in his rise to becoming the Dark Lord.
My complaints are minor and I’m sure some of them will dissipate as the season continues.
I would like to see the coup in Númenor get fleshed out a bit more. I’m very interested in that storyline, but at this point the coup feels unrealistic and I struggle to believe that the people of Númenor would turn so quickly on their queen. I know they planted seeds for it in the first season, I just hope we get better writing for it in future episodes.
I’m fully done with not knowing who The Stranger is. Daniel Weyman’s portrayal of the character is spectacular, no notes. I’m simply over his identity being an ‘up in air’ mystery at this point. Let’s name him and get on with it!
I was sad to know Bronwyn’s character had died, but knew this was coming as the actress, Nazanin Boniadi, announced months ago that she wouldn’t be returning to the show. I wish her ending hadn’t been so abrupt, but I’m glad she wasn’t recast.
The show is facing some of the same hurdles it had two years ago. There is A LOT going on and not enough time to fully delve into every nuance each storyline deserves. An eight episode constraint worries me. I remain optimistic.
Overall I’m quite happy with the season two premiere. I’ve been emotionally moved by the acting. I’ve been satisfied as a self-proclaimed “lore-nerd” with all the Tolkien Easter eggs sprinkled in. I love the soundtrack SO MUCH. I care about these characters and where their individual arcs will take them and that, to me, is a success in my book.
A Very Tolkien Podcast Hour
If you’d like a more detailed breakdown of my thoughts/critiques/reactions to Episode Three specifically, please go listen to my episode with Mary Clay of the ‘That’s What I’m Tolkien About’ podcast.
I was honored by her invite to discuss The Rings of Power. She and I had a delightful time talking through each part of this episode and I’m thrilled to get to share it with you.
If you want another welcoming voice in the Tolkien fandom to learn more from, I highly recommend the work (and genuine fun!) Mary Clay works to create over on her podcast. I linked where you can listen to it on Spotify, but you can also listen wherever you normally listen to podcasts!
Are you ready to explore LOTR together?!
Don’t forget our read-through of The Lord of the Rings starts on September 22nd and right now paid subscriptions are only $3.50 per month (but only for a short while!)
If you…
…have ever felt intimidated by this book and want a no-pressure zone to be guided through it.
…are vastly familiar with LOTR but want a place to discuss and nerd out about it weekly.
…don’t have time to delve into the books but want to join in and learn more about Tolkien’s legendarium via osmosis.
There’s a spot here at Many Meetings with your name on it.
Think of this substack like a virtual Green Dragon where we all gather and explore these beautiful stories together. (pssst, if you still have questions about how the read-throughs work, I explained it in detail here)
You’re welcome to join us anytime!
(click here to subscribe if the button above doesn’t work)
What are your thoughts on S2 of The Rings of Power so far? (rude, degrading and/or divisive comments will be deleted)
Will you be joining us for this year’s read-through of The Lord of the Rings? Can’t wait to hear from you!
If you saw any typos in this post, no you didn’t.
I did a whole video on why the concept of ‘orc babies’ is legitimate within Tolkien’s world building and why using them as a plot device to help us feel empathy for the “bad guys” is very on brand for Tolkien. You can watch it here.
Overall, I liked the first 3 episodes this season and felt that they were a step up from last season in pretty much every way. Episode 3, though, felt like a step backwards and I didn't enjoy that one as much, which was extra disappointing, because Numenor is my favorite storyline and Elendil is the character that most needs more screen time in my mind! Elrond continues to be my favorite, but I also love Disa this season.
I, too, am over the Stranger being unknown... though some of that is probably that I really *don't* want him to be Gandalf, but if he isn't, they've thrown us a lot of clues that would seem odd.
I agree with all your other complaints, but I think the too many storylines may be what sinks the show for me. I'm still optimistic overall and it's Middle-earth, so I'll probably continue watching even if they don't get it together, but both last season and this one, it just feels like too much going on... and we know there's more to come with Tom Bombadil jumping in, too.
The other thing that is not working for me is the breach of canon when it comes to the order of making the rings and making them directly for men and dwarves. I don't understand why they mixed up the order last season, and now they're stuck with that. I think this season should be the last one it really matters for, though.
However, I am THRILLED with Cirdan, and what they are doing with Celebrimbor so far this season (even though I know the ending!).
“Blob-Ron” is a great nickname. I have been calling him “Goopy Sauron” myself. I don’t know if a movie or TV villain has ever been so repulsive. In a good way!
But here’s a question for you that may not have an answer (I hope it does): do orcs really have babies in Tolkien’s canon? I find that hard to swallow, haha