All
in
all,
season
2
seems
a
tad
better
than
season
1
in
most
departments,
observes
Namrata
Thakker.
Going
by
the
first
three
episodes
of
Lord
of
the
Rings:
The
Rings
of
Power
2,
it
seems
the
makers
have
put
in
a
lot
more
work
to
dish
out
a
better
season
this
time
and
they
seem
to
have
succeeded.
To
an
extent.
Season
1
was
a
disappointment
in
the
story
department
and
character
development.
Season
2
makes
up
for
it
along
with
some
fantastic
cinematography.
The
first
season
ended
with
a
big
twist,
with
the
makers
revealing
the
true
identity
of
Halbrand
as
Sauron
(Charlie
Vickers).
The
second
season
revolves
around
Sauron,
his
quest
for
forging
new
rings
in
order
to
become
the
most
powerful
and
rule
the
middle
earth.
We
see
him
shapeshifting
and
changing
his
identity
from
Halbrand
to
Annatar
(Lord
of
Gifts)
and
gaining
Celebrimbor’s
(Charles
Edwards)
trust
without
whom
crafting
new
rings
would
be
impossible.
On
the
other
hand,
there’s
Galadriel
(Morfydd
Clark)
who
ends
up
wearing
one
of
the
three
rings
of
power
made
for
the
Elven
kings
by
Celebrimbor.
Her
good
friend
Elrond
(Robert
Aramayo)
believes
the
rings
must
be
destroyed
for
the
sake
of
middle
earth’s
survival
but
his
efforts
go
in
vain.
His
friendship
with
Galadriel
is
tested
whereas
Sauron
and
Celebrimbor’s
relationship
is
explored
further.
Another
interesting
appearance
is
that
of
Damrod,
a
giant
hill
troll
who
is
also
against
Sauron.
Voiced
by
Benjamin
Walker,
his
entry
adds
a
bit
of
excitement
to
the
story.
Of
course,
there’s
Stranger
aka
Gandalf
who
is
still
confused
about
his
power
and
trying
to
figure
out
how
to
control
his
magic.
Helping
him
in
his
journey
are
Nori
(Markella
Kavenaugh)
and
Poppy
(Megan
Richards).
The
two
Harfoots
add
humour
to
the
story
and
remind
you
of
Frodo
and
Sam
from
LOTR.
The
Dwarves
have
their
own
storyline
unfolding
which
is
engaging
thanks
to
some
in-depth
writing
and
fine
character
development.
Having
said
that,
season
2
has
quite
a
few
characters
who
aren’t
necessarily
important
but
continue
to
be
a
part
of
the
story,
making
the
season
dull
at
times.
The
whole
Dark
Wizard
plot
could
have
been
avoided
as
it
hardly
adds
any
intrigue
value
to
the
overall
story.
Though
Galadriel
is
one
of
the
main
characters,
she
doesn’t
really
command
your
attention.
At
times,
she’s
lost
and
bewildered
which
seems
funny
considering
she’s
one
of
the
bravest
and
wisest
Elves.
Instead,
it’s
Sauron
and
Elrond,
who
stand
out
in
the
first
three
episodes.
Sauron
as
Halbrand
and
then
as
Annatar
is
fascinating
to
watch.
Kudos
to
Charlie
Vickers
for
playing
this
wicked
and
manipulative
character
with
such
ease.
Despite
being
the
villain,
he
seems
to
be
the
hero
of
the
story
because
you
want
to
know
more
about
him,
his
scheming
ways,
his
ambition…
It
wouldn’t
be
surprising
if
the
coming
episodes
belong
to
him.
All
in
all,
season
2
seems
a
tad
better
than
season
1
in
most
departments.
I
really
hope
this
trend
continues
with
coming
episodes
and
seasons
too.
The
Lord
of
the
Rings:
The
Rings
of
Power
2
streams
on
Amazon
Prime
Video
with
weekly
episodes
dropping
every
Thursday.
The
Lord
of
the
Rings:
The
Rings
of
Power
2
Review
Rediff
Rating:
