Shadow and Flame

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.

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.

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.

Galadriel a unique actress of your very own, set amongst idyllic private gardens. This is the key to success doggedly, or rather craftly, the series go a game of shadows endless determination by everyone involved to a high class acting play perfomances the series thing straight. Originality for computer graphics and motion camera tricks, and the script, by Galadriel, she is my favourite with everyone who embrace the delighted acting played will linger long after you leave. In the most painterly the lavish visual palette of for the rural settings, for the battle scenes. Admirations to all cast & crew from Lachezar.!?

I know that most of the LotR fans are still hating and they will continue to do so. I am a very steady LotR fan too, but I am also eager to feed myself with this series too, as it is something that I really expected for so long and it seems, for me, that I am nourished with the feeling that RoP explains in such a lovely way, in a visual way, what I have read all the time through Tolkien's books.

I know that this is not of the grandeur of the most-acclaimed trilogy, but this episode just caresses my soul and makes me wait with a great warmth in my heart for the next season. I was smiling and gasped through so many moments in this season finale, that I really am thankful I can relive this Middle Earth fantasy story with such great actors and such a fine combination of visual almost eye-gasm.