David Kentie

As a long-time reader of Tolkien, I can say that this show will probably connect more with the uninitiated. Its fundamental flaw is a lack of source material. It’s not entirely an adaptation because it’s literally based on the appendices of LOTR. If you’re unfamiliar, these were primarily lists of kings, and a few clarifications on Second Age and Fourth Age events. In some regards, it’d be like creating a TV Show on the American Revolution from a history text book that encompasses all of American History. There’s just not a lot to go on. Had they been allowed to cover other books, it might have more detail. It’s hard to judge off of two episodes but truthfully, aside from some interesting decisions when it came to characterizations, the pace is fairly dull and the stakes are not high. This is simply a show suffering from a lack of narrative cohesion and dynamic pacing. It’s dull. It’s really dull. It is still better than the Wheel of Time adaptation, but things are missing. The music is uninspiring, the cast is not well defined when it comes to identity and motivation. Highlights: The Hobbit scenes were great examples of how to make a prequel work by explaining things that were never clearly outlined in the books (looking at you star man).