By: Paul and Ica Cheng
During my third year of high school English, for one of our oral examinations we were tasked to memorize a poem and deliver it in front of the class. While my other classmates chose long poems with a number of paragraphs, I decided on a short one, so I could focus on my costume and make up. (I was competitive even back then.) I chose J.R.R Tolkien’s ‘The Verse of the Rings’ And until now I have it memorized by heart.
Three rings for the elven kings under the sky
Seven for the dwarf lords in their halls of stone
Nine for mortal men doomed to die
One for the dark lord on his dark throne
One ring to rule them all
One ring to find them
One ring to bring them all
And in the darkness bind them
In the land of Mordor where the shadows lie
And this was in the 2000s right smack when The Lord of the Rings films were released, so very timely and relevant, needless to say I got a high grade for this.
Being the Lord of the Rings fan between us, and having more knowledge on all things Tolkien, Paul took on the reins of watching the screeners that Prime sent for the second season of ‘Rings of Power’. And while I was doing some second hand watching, I couldn’t help but feel that this season filled in the blanks (of what happened) in the first three lines of the ‘Ring Verse’.
The show reveals how Sauron manipulated and corrupted the most powerful beings of Middle Earth. And this is arguably the best part of the season, we get to see the dark lord at work.
All Power Deceives
Disguised as Annatar, the ‘Lord of Gifts’ Sauron (Charlie Vickers) has planted himself among the Elves of Eregion and has gained the trust, or rather has manipulated Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) into continuing to forge the ‘Rings of Power’. It will make you as an audience feel annoyed at how gullible the characters like Celebrimbor are but then, this is the dark lord at work. And the fact that you feel annoyed means that the series is evoking the right emotions. Charlie Vickers (Sauron) takes center stage and delivers a convincing performance of deception, as he seduces with promises of ‘doing the greater good’. This back-and-forth drama could drag on at times, but there are notable moments where you are drawn in, it is the classic battle of good and evil, with evil disguised as good. Which reminds us that not all is what it seems, and more often than not, evil manifests in beauty.
Too Many Cooks
It’s always a challenge when you are following many characters, across different settings, and this is one of the pitfalls which ‘Rings of Power’ can’t get itself out of. The multiple characters and storylines can lead to pacing problems, which makes the plot feel bogged down at times.
And when you’re working with a prequel and your audience already knows the ending to the story, you would need to pull on something else to keep them drawn in, and somehow ‘Rings’ hasn’t found what that something is.
The Visuals Deliver
If there’s anything that ‘Rings of Power’ is doing right is giving impressive visuals on the screen. In continuing with what Peter Jackson has established in the ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy. The production, impeccable camera work and lighting make the series an interesting watch. The establishing shots and sweeping landscapes help bring you right to Middle-Earth.
There are many things to look forward to in what we are hoping is going to be an even more improved third season of ‘Rings of Power’ such as the continuing journey of the Stranger (Daniel Weyman) to Rhun. As well as harfoots Nori (Markella Kavenagh) and Poppy (Megan Richards) who seem to have become more interesting this season.
Of course, we also have Prince Durin (Owain Arthur) and Disa (Sophia Nomvete) who help balance the rather serious and grim serious with their charm and chemistry.
Morfydd Clark’s Galadriel is as determined as ever to put a stop to Sauron’s evil plans, and although the audiences know that it is inevitable that the one ring will be forged and made. It still sets for an even bigger battle of good and evil, and fans also have Isildur (Maxim Baldry) to look forward to. If you’re familiar with your Tolkien lore, you know that there is more to come, “in the land of Mordor where the shadows lie.”