Warning: This review contains spoilers for The Rings of Power's season 2 finaleThe Rings of Power is playing the long game. That's been clear since reports first emerged about creators Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne's five-season, billion-dollar plan for J.R.R. Tolkien's masterworks. To tell a story at this scale with this level of production value, planning is vital. But, part of what makes television so great is improvisation. Sure, it can lead to less-than-stellar results. But improvisation, or lack of a detailed map, has led to some of the best television ever created.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has found itself somewhere in between these two extremes, for better and worse. Season 1's first episode and the eventual reveal of the creation of Mordor was riveting television. The Rings of Power season 2 started off similarly strong, with an extended sequence that reveals how Sauron became Halbrand, but it has struggled to maintain that momentum.

The Rings Of Power Season 2 Goes Through The Motions Right Up To The End

It Struggles To Tell Compelling Stories On A Smaller Scale

All the events of season 2 have culminated in the two-part Siege of Eregion, a key moment in Sauron's rise to power. The show plays it as such, though some changes have been made. Sauron is not leading the charge for one. Instead, Adar is at the forefront of this battle, which begins in the penultimate episode and concludes in the finale. It's a stunning sequence, one that brings almost all the show's major players together, but the show doesn't seem to know where to put its focus.

Sauron's deception of Celebrimbor is key to this siege. Charles Edwards has been one of the strongest players this season, his sparring with Charlie Vickers' deliciously deceptive Annatar a delight to watch. There is a lack of intrigue to the show's other elements, though. Arondir, Galadriel, Elrond, and the rest of the elves are fighting to save their species, but the stakes somehow feel hollow, undermining the impact of a battle we already know the outcome of.

It could be that The Rings of Power is relying too heavily on prior knowledge, playing it safe when it should be taking risks.

It's clear why these stories are woven into the narrative: Payne and McKay need to flesh out Tolkien's broader strokes with intimate stakes. The problem is the series struggles to make these stories compelling. Even Sauron's fated rematch with Galadriel feels underwhelming as the Siege of Eregion comes to a close. It could be that The Rings of Power is relying too heavily on prior knowledge, playing it safe when it should be taking risks.

It's not hard to see why Payne and McKay may be afraid to take risks. Tolkien's mythology is precious to countless people around the world and the author's estate. The risks that are taken, though — Adar's story, a kiss between Galadriel and Elrond — don't feel organic. It's a shame considering the pure spectacle that is the Siege of Eregion.

Other Middle-Earth Stories Play Catch-Up

Major Reveals Yield Mixed Results

One of the biggest reveals in The Rings of Power season 2 finale is that the Stranger is actually Gandalf, something that has long been theorized since his introduction. It's one that falls flat, if only because, until now, the Stranger's story has felt extraneous to the events of the series. Now that we know he's Gandalf, that changes everything. But why not tell us from the get-go that we are watching the origin story of one of Lord of the Rings' most iconic characters?

Holding back this information until now is a confounding choice, one that encapsulates everything that feels off about The Rings of Power. In an effort to maintain mystery, the series can forget the pure wonder that Tolkien's original texts and Jackson's films can make us feel. There are flashes of that in this season — I cheered when the series showed Elrond, Galadriel, and their elven company's journey in wide shots as they traversed the landscape of Middle-earth — but the series can be bogged down by its desire to surprise.

The tragedy of Khazad-dûm is The Rings of Power season 2's most straightforward story and its most effective. Sophia Nomvete and Owain Arthur as Disa and Prince Durin IV serve as fittingly doomed figures, destined to watch their home be destroyed by the ambition of its king. Nomvete and Arthur, as well as Peter Mullan as Durin III, give sturdy and effective performances that ground the story of Khazad-dûm with real emotion.

It's a testament to Tolkien's stories that, no matter the medium, they carry an emotional weight that can be profoundly affecting when done right. The Rings of Power does plenty of things in this way. But when it gets lost in trying to follow the conventions of modern television, it rings hollow, almost as if the text itself is resisting the interpretation.

Often enough, The Rings of Power shows flashes of brilliance, so much so that I still have faith in the series. It's beautifully done and well-acted, telling a story of good versus evil that is timeless. It just needs to shake off external pressure and exist as it is, letting the magic of the story do its work.

All episodes of The Rings of Power season 2 are now streaming on Prime Video.