Saw first 3 episodes of season they definitely picked up. Let go of the books for 5 seconds and let the story play out. The graphics are really good and the third episode felt like the movies in my opinion. I understand there's a certain expectation, but the show doesn't feel like a money grab, but if you pay attention to how Sauron bends the minds of those he's around, you can actually see how he was able to take over. The actor who potrays him does really good at going from making him feel genuine to dead inside. Give it an open minded shot.