The Eagle and the Sceptre

Maybe too many plots to follow as Sauron weaves his trap. The storyis slow moving and the script seems dull lacking wit. The sets, costumes and cinematography are amazing, stunning and beautiful. But perhaps the different plays within a play gets tedious no single protagonist emerges but many to follow Luke in game if thrones.. Tolkien's kingdoms that of the elves, the humans ,the demons all struggle for supremacy. The actors seem to struggle with the boredom unlike Jackson's Lord of the Rings which was beautiful , fun and intriguing perhaps this one is hard to follow the success of that trilogy. The rings still hold the illusion and desires of the people. The war between good and evil continues Sauron fools everyone testing their desire for power.

I really wanted to like this and after the poor reviews for the first season I hoped there might have been a rethink. But no, just the same, still looks fantastic but also still slow, the actors struggling with an average script. Hard to escape the conclusion there is just not enough decent source material in all the various assorted add-ons in the original book. Every time I watch an episode I get drawn back to the original trilogy and have to ask, why bother? I feel sorry for everyone who worked on this to make it what it is, but at the end of the day - it's just not enough. I will stick with to the end but I'm really not sure why.

Such a shame! Episode 1&2 were so much more exciting and entertaining than all of last season, really made me think they've learnt from their mistakes. Then this episode came on, started good but then just more and more and more boring talking scenes with the humans. And I enjoy good acting and dialogue, unfortunately this is more of the boring nonsense from Season 1. This show should do itself a favour and just focus on the characters that are actually working and driving the story forward as episode 3 really left me thinking "I may stop watching this show" being bored for an hour is not what entertainment is about. And to have such an amazing source material of stories and characters to use, and then present it in such a dull boring manner is a real shame to all Tolkien fans.

I won't go into great detail, as others have already covered the various issues with this show.

The original story is undeniably fantastic, and the scenery is visually stunning. Unfortunately, that's where the praise ends. The show has a superficial tone that undermines the depth and mystique I was expecting as a fan. It attempts to deliver a serious, dramatic atmosphere but ultimately falls short.

Good acting should be seamless, where you forget you're watching a performance. Here, it's painfully evident that the characters are acting, which detracts from the immersion. Rather than feeling like I'm watching a high-budget production, it often feels like a staged theatre play - though without the charm and nuance that such a setting can provide.

The dialogue is another weak point, often coming across as superficial or nonsensical, with the wrong tone for the scenes. The characters strive to appear deadly, mysterious, or emotionally complex, but they fail to convey these qualities convincingly.

While I can't pinpoint the main flaw that makes the show fall flat, the overall execution just doesn't work.

With Sauron now out in the open in Eregion, we see some great character work with Charlie Vickers and Charles Edwards, who begin to lay the foundations for one of the most pivotal periods in the history of Middle-earth and the Second Age. We also revisit the Numenor plotline, with Isildur beginning to grow as a character as he fights his way out of a nightmarish situation. Back on Numenor itself, Miriel wrestles with a turbulent political situation as the Numenorians aren't impressed with the way she handled the expedition to Middle-earth. Pharazon also becomes more sinister, and the climax of the episode with Miriel's coronation is quite an emotonal gutpunch. The season continues to be more impressive than Season 1 and is paced much better, particularly in this episode.