Shadow and Flame

This is the best episode so far, in my opinion. The first sequence was probably the best scene of both seasons. The action scenes were very well done.

This is much closer to what I was hoping for with this series, and hopefully it keeps going that way in the next seasons.

I feel like pieces are falling into place now, and it's much easier to see where this is going, and understand how this would lead to The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.

I wasn't a big fan of Halbrand but his transformation into Sauron has been very cool to see, and how he actually deceives people.

Well done, now we wait 2 years! XD.

Strong 7/10 - this is a challenging show to rate because what's good is _very_ good but many of the storylines are uninteresting and poorly executed.

Overall this season had some excellent Sauron/Annatar material, with Galadriel, Adar, and Celebrimbor as excellent foils/mirrors. All four performances were great, and this storyline has a satisfying conclusion in this finale.

The Dwarves storyline was also satisfying (though to a lesser degree.) I think the actors struggle with the greenscreens and with the stiffly written material.

Unfortunately most other stories were short-shrifted by the abbreviated episode count and accelerated pace. Arondir, the Stranger, Nori, Isildur, and Elrond all felt like afterthoughts and the conclusions to their storylines felt unearned and abrupt.

And then there's the worst part of this show: all the humans. The Numenor scenes have been irredeemable for the entirety of the series. They feel like high school theater instead of a billion-dollar prestige TV show. Uninteresting and momentum-killing.

Just finished season 2, after a rewatch of season 1, the trilogy and the hobbit, I have also found myself re reading the books (not done yet)! The series will never be as good as the first 3 films, nothing will be... there are the best movies of our time, timeless, carefully crafted works of art, not even the Hobbit trilogy was close as good as it's predecessor, and it was made by PJ, he could not even best himself!

With that said, I think we are attaching ourselves to much to the past without giving new things a chance, I am as polluted with the bad comments and the hate for this series as anyone else. But I actually thank the series and the creators for returning me to middle earth and turning that fan flame on again, I have enjoyed the trilogies , the books , the hobbit as the first time I watched them! So yes , the series is not as great as the other stuff, AGAIN NOTHING WILL BE! But we are back in Middle Earth , and that for me is priceless !

Last 4 episodes of season 2 are very good! I think there is a lot of potential for this series if we see them as an individual !

So if you are a Tolkien fan, or a PJ fan or just a LOTR fan, sit back , enjoy and rewatch or read whatever got you here in the first place !

I watched House of the Dragon season 2 and this season sequentially, and this was better than House of the Dragon season 2 in many aspects.

This season explores more in depth stories of all the characters in a great way. Even when the episodes were slow I find them not to be disengaging.

And some revealing characters from the old movies was a nice touch. Returning of some beloved Lord of the Rings characters was really nice to watch. I am now all open for coming seasons of this because the story is making more sense now. The introduction of the rings and their influence on the minds of it wearer, great.

Loved season one, but season 2 was a step up on all fronts. It's been an engaging engaging story from start to finish and the final wrapped up several arcs while leaving the door open for season 3.

This show opened me to Tolkiens world and I started reading some of his works first with the Silmarillion and now The Fall of Numenor. Having finished the former I don't understand the hate towards this series, mostly seems like a lot of people whining it's not the movies from the early 2000s.

Sauron and Celibrimbor are incredible and engaging with supporting characters like Adar and Elrond supporting as well.

Overall it's been an amazing experience and I can't recommend this show enough and impatiently waiting for season 3.