4 episodes have released and still nothing happens at all, so boring
Snore. Boring episode so far.
Trying to simply put it..."well, this episode is bad".
Numenor looks really beautiful and I would really like to explore its palaces and streets, but the story is totally at odds with what is described by Tolkien, and the showrunners do not have any justification for having done this, since the history of Numenor is summarised in detail in the Appendices to LotR they apparently have the rights to. They still avoid explaining what was the reason for the Numenoreans' enmity towards the Elves, namely, jealousy of the immortality possessed by the Elder Children of Illuvatar. Pharazon does some anti-Elvish speech but it looks like the majority of common people are afraid of the Elves stealing their jobs, which seems like a joke, and there is talk about the Elves coming to Numenor, whereas in fact the opposite direction was in the minds of Numenoreans, who wanted to sail to Valinor as they believed they would gain immortality by coming to the deathless lands. Also, it is odd that Tar-Miriel's father is sickly as the Numenoreans did not know sickness, almost like the Elves, only they stayed mortal and the Faithful died of their own will just like Aragorn does in LotR. Tar-Miriel shows Galadriel the palantir while in fact all palantiri were in possession of Elendil's family who took them all to Middle-Earth when they escaped the doom of Numenor. The dream with the great wave Tar-Miriel has looks OK, but I have no idea why they start the show from Numenor's downfall if they plan to have five seasons, they should have started from Elros and slowly built towards Numenor's moral disintegration. I somehow like the OC Earien, she reminds me of Hermione in some sense, maybe because of her ambition and love of learning. In the end, Tar-Miriel decides to set off to Middle-Earth to help Halbrand's people - according to Tolkien, Numenoreans will be victorious and capture Sauron, who would destroy the island realm from within.
Speaking of Sauron, it seems that the orcish leader Adar may be him, since he speaks of his plans of "becoming like a god" and intends to conquer what is to become Mordor. He lets loose Arondir to pass his message, I wonder if Arondir would now become a double agent? It was a bit exciting as Theo was hiding from the orcs after he and his friend went to forage some food from their abandoned village, as an OC it wasn't clear whether he would be killed or not. The old guy from the tavern turns out to be a secret follower of Sauron, though he seems to suggest that Sauron is the meteor man.
Celebrimbor feels that the dwarves are hiding something from the Elves and sends Elrond to sound them out, apparently Durin jr. started working in a new mine, where the dwarves discover mithril. Elrond finds out about the mine only after overhearing Disa and Durin, but in the end his friend lets him into his confidence and shows him the new metal, and Elrond is the one that names it mithril. However, there is an accident and Durin's father orders his son to close the mine. We can also see Disa sing to the stone to release the trapped miners, I hated this in the trailers but here it looks grand. I also liked the scene in which Elrond reminisces about his father Earendel (it is not said he carries a Silmaril, though this word is mentioned in Appendices but maybe not in connection with Earendel) and encourages Durin not to stay estranged from his father on the account of the mine. Durin the king has a lot of trust in his son and believes in his ability as a future ruler, there is also father-son love between them. However, he sends Durin to spy on the Elves in turn as he does not believe in their good intentions. In this way, the mutual distrust of Elves and Dwarves is emphasised, though at this period there was real co-operation between them, so this seems a bit off and more fitting for a later period in Middle-Earth history.
Overall, it is quite far from Tolkien's writings but I am beginning to enjoy it a bit, I am curious about some OCs since we don't know anything about them from Tolkien's novels. There were no hobbits this episode and I didn't particularly miss them.
Starting to feel like the sheer size of this show might end up becoming a flaw, as they just can’t possibly give all of these plot lines the same amount of attention. While I admire the vastness of this world and enjoy that they are going all in by giving us so much, I hope they can do all of these stories and characters justice. I did really enjoy that this episode focused more on story and moving the plot forward, after last week’s episode mostly just felt like more world building. I think they’ve introduced us to enough of the world now that hopefully the plot can now take over. While I’m not sold completely on the show yet I think this episode was a nice step in the right direction.
Was this episode great? not by far, but did it keep me engaged? yes.
I was properly blown away by this episode. The performances are deeply heartfelt. The music is not only great, it is incredible well placed. There's even a brilliantly executed long take in there. I'm overjoyed to immerse myself in this world every week.
the GOATED store called and they let me know they're fully stocked up on THIS SHOW
interesting how episodes nobody watched has the lowest of ratings.
I was bored out of my mind watching this and ended up dropping it halfway through the episode. I think that’s it for me for this show.
Nope.
Has Galadriel got bad breath or is she that into ventriloquism? Why is she always talking through clenched mouth. Where is the acting in these people?
Why does it seem like this is the first job everyone got in this show Including the crew? So much disappointment even from the CGI and compositing is just horrendous. It just keeps getting worse with each episode.
The only positive of the crew I can give is to Bear McCreary for the music which at least doesn't suck as bad as the acting, writing, direction, production, costumes and most everything else in this mess.
The only actor to get any nod from me is the one that has been told to act like Bronn from GoT.
I was going to try and forge ahead to the end of the season, but this episode slapped me around the face too many times with a stinky wet fish knocking some sense back into my thoughts and reasonings. So I bid farewell and hope you all come out of this gut wrenching mess with some hint of taste so as to recognise a hint of quality in future shows.
The one thing worrying me is the question of how many episodes is this eventually going to get ?
The plot is moving very slow, we are already halfway through season one and nothing really happened. Now, if this is going to reach somewhere between 40 and 50 episodes we would be right on track I'd say. But I sincerly doubt that with a budget rumored to be up to a billion dollars so far this can live that long.
Now, don't get me wrong - I like the show very much. I don't share many of the criticism it recieves. But I have a tingling fear that at some point they might be forced to rush the plot in order to get to where this needs to be.
I am constantly amazed by the depths of this show. The grandeur and musical drip off the screen but it's the storytelling that has me hooked. Movement from story to story always leaves me wanting more and the acting is uniformly superb. I don't know how the ratings look or if thus will get a second season. I'm glad for what we are seeing. It's an inspiration and a gift.
It's like a real LOTR movie! I mean, each episode feels like it's 3.5 hours long.
3/10
This is just plain Bad now and even more of a crime it's super super boring.
If I have to sit through one more boring dragged out conversation I'm going to lose it. 4 ep in and nothing,
Horrible rubbish Actors and Actresses cosplaying our beloved characters,
I mean where did they get these people from Craigslist, they are Garbage and the one cosplaying Galadriel has as much acting range as a ham sandwich, she's terrible and so annoying she irritates me to my very core.
Theo is no better, shitty actor and an irritating character that I just want to die.
I have no one to root for, nor do I care for
anyone that much to do so.
Thank god I have
House Of The Dragon
GOT that I started at the same time because that show is super frickin awesome amazing and is absolutely killing it.
It's so exciting and super interesting
and totally engaging, something
TROP is definitely not.
What a complete
snooze fest.
And a very very painful Grind...."grind" to scratch and claw through every episode.
(I can't take much more before I "tap-out")
Right time for a proper Boss Show Episode Of
"HOTD GOT"
(I so need this)
The actors are so badly cast. They look like B-List actors. Galadriel for example looks like an average person. Nobody has that special magical look.
I'm not a fan when it comes to needing a note book to follow along, but at last it look like we have a Fight coming !
This quite a beautifully made continuation to the LOTR story. I enjoy it a lot.
There really are no surprises here...but, that's...just okay.
In the words of my last CCNA teacher, "C's get degrees."
I can't fault the acting one whit, nor the production values!
Some of the dialogue was a bit headache inducing, but overall, that was a very good episode.
1x04 - The Great Wave: 6.8/10 (Fair, Above Average)
Even though we are halfway through the first season, not much has taken place so far. This episode, in my view, further highlights the fact that the show's pacing has been off from the start. I understand it's a vast world with many characters and places, requiring a good deal of world building. Still, with only four episodes left, the prolonged nature of several plot lines and the episode's omission of Nori, the Harfoots and the “guy from the sky” is puzzling. I hope to be proven wrong regarding my concerns about the pacing. Nevertheless, it was yet another satisfactory episode that promises a lot for what is to come in the future.
I have a bit of a mixed opinion about the show. It still looks nice. Perhaps a bit too clean (does Bronwyn really always looks like she's about to attend the Met Gala? All other peasants are wearing rags and she's sporting a clean and sexy dress. Really?). But that's apparently where the budget went to. I feel that they neglected characters and stories though. They jump from location to location but I'm not sure we learn all that much character-wise. And the best described character Galadriel is strange. I would even call her a bit childish and immature. Isn't she supposed to be wise, composed and clever? Although I know very little of the LotR lore, I always thought the elves don't behave like humble humans (the worst example of this was of course last episode's Baywatch-horse scene). I mean, I get it: the first season is used to introduce the various locations and characters. Given the sheer number of different locations and people that's a monumental task already and in this snail speed they need more episodes to create believable characters. Thus, I'm afraid, most time of the remainder of this season will also be allotted to this rather boring introduction. And boring it is: all the character building via dialogue is mediocre. Plus, over the course of the first season, they want us to show the slowly growing threat to this mostly very peaceful world. So they can't have too much action w/o the stakes having reached existential levels. I'm okay with that. They should take all the time needed to have a credible climax later, but surely this is another factor why this episode doesn't feel exciting.
Something is simply off. I watch this episode and I profoundly enjoy the locations, costumes, props, wigs and make-up, but the story just passes by. I don't really care too much. Why should I pay attention? It's very one-dimensional and very black and white. You know exactly who is good and who is bad and who will forge alliances with whom (after some initial reluctance). There's still some mysterious aspects left (primarily surrounding the orcs, their handler and the comet guy), but it's not really important to pay attention: Orcs are bad, the comet guy is good and he will help the elves and their allies eventually. I wouldn't be surprised if the essential parts of season one's story can be summarized in one short paragraph. And all the fantasy babble feels tailor-made to true fans of the LotR franchise - it's not made for people like me. It's just a bit dull and unsophisticated story telling with unnecessary pathos and it's way too dragged out. Tbh, this is totally in line with the movies in the LotR franchise.
I am honestly enjoying this less with every episode. I thought the first episode started pretty strong, but I've been more and more disappointed with each episode since. I feel the opposite way about this show as I do about House of the Dragon. I felt HotD started quite weak but has gotten better and better each episode. After the premiere of both shows I thought Rings of Power was going to be the better show, but now that we're 4 episodes down, Rings of Power is by far the lesser of the two.
I hope it gets better, but this episode and the previous one were dull and boring imo.
The only characters I feel invested a bit on this show is Elendil and his son and daughter. The trio seems to have decent acting as well.
Theo is such an annoying little shit, it's difficult to be sympathetic to his plight.
Okay, so we're halfway through this season... and I don't really care all that much about anyone in this series. Liked the bit with Elrond and the dwarves, don't really like Galadriel and her arrogance and single-mindedness, still the Numenor bits were reasonably interesting (but why was Halbrand set free?), don't care about Arondir and Bronwyn (and please, can someone explain to me why she's running around in a fancy evening-dress when everyone else wears work clothes with jackets?), and I'm glad there were no hobbits in this episode.
I really like the LotR-verse, but this series is so filled with locations and characters that the plot and even the characterization just fall short. I know it's just the first season, but if one falls asleep watching this because there's no suspense, no level of caring for any of the characters simply because they're poorly developed, then it's doubtful that one'll even watch a possible second season... so I really hope this will pick up speed finally.
I just don’t care what’s going on in this show
4 episodes in and i barely know what’s going on. Story is boringggggggg
Interesting point in "The Great Wave" is the presentation and introduction of the character of Adar (Joseph Maule), a dark elf with evil intentions. It only took a few minutes for it to become clear that he is the most interesting character of the series so far. But perhaps his decision to free Arundir (Ismael Cruz Cordova) is a bit difficult to understand. Well, yes, plot-wise Arundhir's presence is essential to the further course of the show, but what drives him to make decisions is a foundation that doesn't make sense.
The above makes this episode fun. Finally, there is still interest in the fate of the characters (some more than others). Maybe the highs and lows of this episode are just a small bump on the way to something even bigger. So, now is not the time to lose faith in the series.
In conclusion, the fourth installment of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power continues to show tremendous strength in terms of visual identity, but it still has a lot to improve in its scripts, direction, and character portrayal. All in all, "The Great Wave" is an episode with plenty of light and shade that promises to be the beginning of an ending for the series' most introductory installment. We hope that this work will return to the reliable path.
Easily the best episode in the show yet. It is so perfectly executed from a story and production standpoint. The way the scenes are shot, the plot that develops, the acting, the characters’, everything - done so well in this episode. It’s a breath of fresh air
I'm enjoying this more and more. Wasn't sure about Arondir to begin with, but the more I see, the more I like him. Still not fully on board with Galadriel as a lead character and Bronwyn is presented so much nicer than all of the other characters in the village. Some of the storylines are pretty boring, this episode the stuff with Earien, I could have done without (and in past episodes its essentially anything Harfoot related, that doesn't include The Stranger). Still interested where The Stranger storyline is going, and who he may be (still betting on Gandalf - even though the timing doesn't work out, or a Blue Wizard) and if Adar is truly Sauron (I like the casting if he is but I'm still not 100% sure). Also the less Harfoot stuff, the better.
Elrond, Durin, and Disa are so lovely together! That new ore seems interesting but might bring trouble? It looks like their friendship is finally fixed again :)
Galadriel and Halbrand are still entertaining - they can be so funny together <3 And Galadriel even said "please" for once.
Adar letting Arondir go was surprising but I'm glad that Arondir is fine. The escape of Theo seemed quite impossible/unrealistic. Kinda ironic that Adar let Arondir go and Arondir saved Theo and that weapon/power that the orcs seek.
It's nice that the queen changed her mind at the end! That might result in a few more interesting/cool/awesome scenes. And quite lucky for Isildur and his friends.
PS: I rewatched the original LotR trilogy in 4K thanks to this show. It's quite impressive how much better a TV show can look 20 years later (then again that's a very long/significant time for camera and CGI improvements). The picture quality has gotten so much sharper and more detailed and the CGI improvements are obviously even greater. From the story this TV show seems indeed pretty different from the original LotR but tbh I like this show much much more (I find LotR quite boring - it hat it's moments but I didn't like the overall story (the quest to destroy the ring) which took also way too long IMO).
I was impressed by the first two episodes but it's starting to drag a little. I'm still invested but the episodes are so fucking long and there are too many storylines and locations to be handled well and satisfactorily.
A decent episode finally. well done
So... Why exactly were the volunteers to go with the regent raising their hands as if they were nazis?
This was an absolute thrill ride. The plots that needed to build up the intrigue with exciting discoveries got those exciting discoveries. Characters who sorely needed character development were given the necessary room and time to develop. By far the best episode of the series, this episode builds on the world building and groundwork laid in previous episodes, making for an hour (and change) of some absolutely delightful entertainment.
Pros
+Galadriel and Halbrand's interactions are continuously fun
+Isildur's buildup about Anarion will be interesting to see unfold
+the mystery of Adar is properly vague
+The lore around the hilt is slowly getting interesting
+Elrond and the Dwarves are fantastic
+General music
+ Set design and costumes are as great as ever, the art style is perfect for the second age
Cons
-I know a lot of people will chafe at the slow pace and how it's 4 episodes in and the personality of most characters (exceptions being Elrond, Galadriel, Halbrand, Nori and Durin) have been super thin
-Arondir's place is very strange and him being selected to deliver the message is a strange one
-Nowhere near enough attention to how the Greater Elf kingdoms are reacting to the comet or one of their outposts being overtaken
Best episode so far, both in direction and writing. The previous episode had me quite worried.
Things are moving along nicely. Editing was a bit weird in a few places, though. And what's up with this director and his love of slow-mo sequences lol.
Shout by AlexLeeDeeBlockedParent2022-09-17T20:31:54Z
The action in this show is shockingly awful.