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!! POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD !!
I want to preface my thoughts on the first five episodes of the show by saying that I haven't read the any of the Lord of the Rings books. I loved the original trilogy of movies and I found the Hobbit movies kind of ok, but I'm going into this series without a complete understanding of the lore or knowledge of what to expect.
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The Rings of Power (RoP) premiered around the same time as HBO's House of the Dragon. I thought it was pretty cool that two powerhouse fantasy series had new television shows airing at the same time backed by the god-like money of two very powerful entertainment behemoths. I very publicly hate Amazon, so I was hesitant to start RoP initially. However, I compartmentalized my morals and watched anyway. And I hate to admit it, but I love this show.
The thing that struck me almost immediately was the scale of this show. You can see the money pumped into every shot, between the wide-open expanses and variety of outdoor locations, to the exorbitant number of extras bustling through every scene, making the world feel lived-in and alive. The colour and diversity of settings was truly jaw-dropping.
As for the story, I am really enjoying it so far. From what I know of the Lord of the Rings lore, the time scales are a bit skewed, with certain events happening sooner or in quicker succession than what occurred in the books. However, as someone who isn't quite as invested in the source material, I'm enjoying the pace of the story so far.
Something that I'm particularly enjoying in this series is the emphasis on how long elves lives are compared to other mortals in the world. There are more than a few instances where the difference is not just noted by the characters, but also plays out in how the different races think and process events. I enjoy when fantasy shows delve into the nuances between species and those differences affect how they all interact with each other.
The writing in the series has been fantastic so far. I feel like it strikes a perfect balance between cheesy fantasy tropes and compelling storytelling. An example of a relationship between two characters that strikes this balance is between the elf Elrond and the dwarf Prince Durin. Their dialogue is thick with fantasy-speak, but there are always moments where the two speak plainly with each other, and as a result the emotions and message don't get lost in fluff.
Speaking of Elrond and Durin, they are two of my favourite characters so far. The relationship between them feels real and deep, and their struggles balancing that friendship with the needs of their people adds so much dimension to their characters and the story as a whole.
I also want to mention the incredible practical effects and make-up in this show. The goblins specifically look amazing and I feel the same way looking at them as I did looking at the goblins and orcs in the original trilogy.
I do not want to use this post to compare the Rings of Power and House of the Dragon as they are two very different shows. But I will say, the Rings of Power is a perfect compliment to the House of the Dragon in regards to tone and heaviness. While the events in the world of the Rings of Power look dire, the show hasn't gotten as grim and dark as House of the Dragon.
Overall, the first half of the season has thoroughly impressed and I'm eager to see what happens in the back half.