When The Rings of Power first hit Amazon Prime, it was a gamble. For fans of J.R.R. Tolkien, the series was a risky expansion of the beloved universe that already had a cinematic legacy cemented by Peter Jackson’s films. The early episodes of the first season met mixed reviews, with some viewers questioning the series’ fidelity to Tolkien’s intricate world. Fans fretted over whether Amazon’s big-budget behemoth could capture the author’s essence, or if it would buckle under the weight of its own ambition.
Season one didn’t explode onto the scene; it simmered. It introduced us to a sprawling cast and the visually stunning landscapes of Middle Earth, from the mines of Moria to the elven realms. Yet, despite the eye candy, audiences were skeptical. Could The Rings of Power really honor the depth and complexity of Tolkien’s lore, or was it just another attempt to cash in on a fantasy gold rush?
The showrunners, Patrick McKay and JP Payne, are aware of the legacy they’re playing with. Though they don’t claim to be Tolkien scholars, their passion for the material runs deep.
“It’s impossible to consider yourself a Tolkien expert when the legendarium goes so deep,” McKay reflected. “You could get a PhD and still just be scratching the surface. It’s a man’s life’s work.”
And they’re right — diving into Middle Earth is like plunging into an ocean where even the most seasoned swimmers can’t touch the bottom.
But McKay and Payne’s reverence for Tolkien’s vision is evident in their approach to the show’s second season. Instead of reinventing the wheel, they’ve dug into the good vs. evil dynamic that is at the heart of Tolkien’s stories. Season two promises to be a deeper exploration of these moral battles, delving into the shades of gray that define each character.
The upcoming season will draw viewers into Sauron’s rise to power, focusing on how he seduces the elves with his fair form, Annatar, the Lord of Gifts. It’s a clever shift — moving the narrative lens to the villains and exploring the temptations that pull them away from the light.
“Sauron ends season one with really nothing,” Payne said. “He has no allies, no armies, no orcs, no friends, no weapons. But in season two, he’s to set in motion these things by setting out our emotion over here and setting Gil-galad and the elves and their armies in motion over here, all in a collision course with disaster.”
But it’s not just about showcasing evil for evil’s sake. The showrunners aim to delve into why characters make the choices they do — whether it’s Sauron exploiting Celebrimbor’s desire to craft beautiful, powerful objects, or Galadriel wrestling with her own ambitions.
“Sauron is frightening in that he is able to take Celebrimbor’s desire to do good and turn it to his own evil ends,” said Charlie Vickers, who portrays Sauron on the show. “He is able to take them and create these objects of corruption that can actually destroy the people who wear them.”
Amidst the looming darkness, the showrunners are also keen to highlight the enduring strength of friendship and fellowship in the face of evil. The evolving relationship between Galadriel and Elrond will face significant tests.
“Their trust for each other has been broken at the end of season one when Galadriel has made the rings without telling Elrond exactly who this mysterious Halbrand was,” Vickers said. “And so that trust is gonna have to be mended over the course of their journey.”
It’s not all gloom and doom, though. The season will introduce beloved Tolkien characters like Tom Bombadil, whose whimsical nature offers a much-needed breath of fresh air amid the growing tension.
“Tom Bombadil makes an appearance, and we worked with our design team and our hair and makeup team to try to bring him off the page in a way that felt of a piece with season two,” McKay said. “We’re iterating down to like the last second of the blue on his cloak to make sure that audiences are getting hopefully what book readers have hoped to see on the screen, in some cases all their lives.”
Some characters aren’t as detailed as others, however, leaving the showrunners and cast with the opportunity to color outside the lines as best they can.
“We’re fleshing out these areas where they weren’t particularly well fully drawn,” said Daniel Weymen, who portrays The Stranger. “We’re fleshing them out and layering them and giving other textures to them.”
As The Rings of Power heads into its second season, the stakes are higher than ever. Amazon’s ambition to create a lasting, definitive adaptation of Tolkien’s world will be tested not just by the spectacular battles or lavish sets, but by how well it captures the essence of its source material — the constant, often internal struggle between good and evil.
For fans still on the fence, this season could be the one that either solidifies The Rings of Power as a worthy heir to Tolkien’s legacy or proves it to be another beautiful but hollow rendition. With the second season’s focus on moral complexities and character-driven drama, it seems McKay and Payne are betting on substance over spectacle. And if they succeed, The Rings of Power might just find itself finally standing shoulder to shoulder with the best adaptations of Tolkien’s work, drawing fans old and new into its expansive, conflicted and endlessly fascinating world.
Season two of The Rings of Power premieres today on Amazon Prime.
