Thoughts on ‘The Rings of Power’

My impression after the first episode

Welcome to the new Game of Thrones.

That was my overarching thought as we zipped across the map of Middle-Earth (and beyond), zooming in on different groups of characters, each with their own problems. It’s clear that Amazon wants this to be truly epic in scope, covering multiple plotlines and many seasons. The introductory text is vague:

“We follow an ensemble cast of characters as they confront the re-emergence of evil to Middle-earth. From the darkest depths of the Misty Mountains, to the majestic forests of Lindon, to the breathtaking island kingdom of Númenor, to the furthest reaches of the map, these kingdoms and characters will carve out legacies that live on long after they are gone.”

“These kingdoms and characters will carve out legacies” is the key phrase for me — it promises much without pinning the show to any particular direction. It tells me that we can expect this thing to be on our TVs for a long time to come as it explores many subplots and varied settings.

But how did the first episode hold up?

Appearance

There’s no two ways about it, Rings of Power is visually stunning. The world looks real and lived-in, and the action scenes were especially…