Spoiler-Free Review Of ‘The Rings Of Power’ Season 1 Finale
Image Source: TV Guide
Breathtaking, jaw-dropping, and satisfying are all words to describe the epic finale of The Rings of Power Season 1. Episode 8 is simply titled “Alloyed” and reveals many of the questions that fans have been agonizing over for weeks, along with, of course, adding in some new ones that we won’t know the answers to until future seasons. Be prepared for tears, laughter, and gasps of surprise as fans journey through Middle-earth one last time this season.
Normally, season finales do not take you to unfamiliar places, but no one told that to showrunners Patrick McKay and J. D. Payne, who are definitely determined to show as much of Middle-earth as possible, including a few new locations that will take your breath away, along with some familiar ones. In true The Rings of Power fashion, the production design and settings are just as surreal and beautiful as the rest of Middle-earth we have seen. Fans will definitely be excited about the places we visit in this episode. There is also some new beautiful costume design that we have seen glimpses of in the finale trailer.
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It is interesting that the season finale does not quite cover all the storylines, but it does showcase some rather important storylines and characters, as well as ones we have not been visiting as much. In fact, the feel and atmosphere of this episode are very different from the other ones. It is still a pleasant surprise to see important plot points from the Second Age. Of course, there are major questions going into this episode. Who was Sauron? Is he someone we’ve met before? Is he someone we haven’t? Will we find out who the rest of the mysterious characters are? This episode does definitely satisfy some of these curiosities, but also frustratingly, leaves some in the dark for now.
Image Source: IMDb
Avid Tolkien purist fans may not like how the story is laid out timeline-wise and who certain characters might be. However, in the context of the show, they fit really well. Overall, the showrunners and writers have done a fantastic job. It is no easy feat turning hundreds of thousands of years of sketched-out Second Age history into a five-season show. From fan reactions and the season finale, they have been successful. Tolkien left certain things very clear about the Second Age while leaving others vague. It is true that certain liberties have been taken with the story of The Rings of Power, and despite the differences from Tolkien’s source material, the story still feels like a Tolkien story. The creators have captured the spirit of Middle-earth, making us feel like we are right there with our favorite characters who have added depth to the story of The Rings of Power. The characters we already loved going into the show (like Galadriel and Elrond), Tolkien’s characters we just met (like Durin, Elendil, and Isildur), and the brand new characters (like Nori, Arondir, and Bronwyn) help bring Middle-earth to life. They make you cry, laugh, gasp, and yell at the screen.
To quote Gandalf himself, “Things are now in motion that cannot be undone.” It is a perfect end to Season 1 of The Rings of Power and perfectly sets up the next one at the same time. Unfortunately, fans are going to have to wait a while for Season 2 since they just started filming at the beginning of this month. For now, fans will just have to re-watch the season, looking for Easter eggs to Tolkien’s works and clues for all the mysterious threads woven throughout, and just enjoy Middle-earth.
Image Source: Nerdist
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