Thomas' Review | The Lord of the Rings: The Rings Of Power (1x03)

“The Rings Of Power continues to be entertaining. This week’s episode brilliantly introduces the kingdom of Númenor. There are no doubts that this is visually a mesmerizing series!”

After an enjoyable premiere last week, where is The Rings of Power heading to now?

WELCOME TO NUMENOR

The first two episodes had a lot of world-building. Though, there is one place from the trailers they didn’t show – Númenor. Today’s episode finally introduces the iconic island from the books. And it is astonishing! The VFX team has done incredible work to bring this island to life. I love the different influences they used for the architecture. You can see some patterns that you will later see with the Gondor. But, there are also inspirations from the ancient Greek and Roman worlds along with the Ottoman Empire. It is absolutely beautiful.

On Númenor, we meet several new characters including Elendil and his family. Every one of them has picked up my attention. I want to learn more about Queen Regent Míriel. I think the dynamic between her and Galadriel is going to be electric! Moreover, Lloyd Owen as Elendil is a great surprise. He is just right for this role. Plus, his voice is quite mesmerizing.

GALADRIEL

Beyond worldbuilding and character introductions, Galadriel’s story takes a new turn on Númenor. Indeed, it comes with a big reveal concerning her quest to find Sauron. Her story and character continue to be my favorite part of the series. Furthermore, Halbrand is more than he first appeared to be, as expected. I like where they are going with this character. It does remind me of Aragorn.

RETURN OF THE ORCS

As teased in last week’s episode, the Orcs are indeed not gone. We get to see them more in this episode with the Arondir storyline. They are similar to how their face and voices were in Peter Jackson’s movies. Though, the wargs do get a makeover. I am not sold on this new design yet. This time, they look like ugly big dogs. I may change my mind once we see them more in action. But right now, I can’t say I like the new design.

Arondir finds himself in a difficult position in this episode. But it doesn’t stop him from fighting. He is involved in a very cool action sequence! This episode focuses more on introducing the Orcs, telling us a little bit about what they are doing in the Southlands and what happened to the people of Hordern. The more I think, the more it is becoming clear that Arondir’s and Galadriel’s storylines are bound to join at some point. When it happens, it is surely going to be explosive. Furthermore, this series knows how to end an episode. I am now eagerly waiting for next week’s episode!

As for the Harfoots, their story still does nothing to me. I am bored. Thankfully, the Stranger is there to keep me interested in what is going on with that storyline.

VERDICT

The Rings Of Power continues to be entertaining. This week’s episode brilliantly introduces the kingdom of Númenor. There are no doubts that this is visually a mesmerizing series!

“The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power” is now streaming on Prime Video.