The teaser trailer for Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 has finally arrived after almost two years since season 1 was released. During that time, the show faded from the minds of general audiences while the only way it was kept relevant on social media was through debates and arguments amongst Tolkien fans and fans who enjoyed Amazon’s foray into Tolkien’s Second Age of Middle-earth. So was the wait worth it? It was for both sides though for vastly different reasons. But for Amazon, The Rings of Power season 2 teaser trailer has failed when it comes to the general audience and Tolkien fans.
It is all flash and very little substance.
While some will contest and argue that this is a teaser trailer, it is a teaser trailer that is relying on an audience who watched the first season in order to understand what is taking place in the trailer which is the major issue. The majority of viewers didn’t bother to watch season 1 of The Rings of Power; despite what ROP fans say to the contrary. Even then, for the 37% of people who watched season 1, the S2 trailer treats them like idiots with its opening line,
“An evil, ancient and powerful, has returned.”
SPOILERS FOR RINGS OF POWER SEASON 1
The tried and failed mystery box method that JJ Abrams and his followers love to utilize trips up the trailer from the start. A brief shot of Charlie Vickers’ Sauron followed by this line, delivered by Durin IV, I assume is supposed to throw people off. Yet, knowing that the Balrog was shown at the end of season 1, one can assume that Durin is talking about the Balrog and not Sauron. But for the general audience, they might assume it is Sauron if they even remember that was the name of the main antagonist for the show in the first place.
What follows are shots that are meant to be cool, or action-oriented, and suspenseful. A smorgasbord of various scenes meant to convey an epic and grand promise to viewers But for general audiences, it means nothing to them. They won’t know what is going on and haven’t really been told anything relevant that would get their attention. There is no clear storyline for viewers to glean from this teaser. Just that there is an evil thing or things rising, perhaps a war, eagles, and a ripoff shot of Marvel’s Avengers Assemble scene.
Obviously, Sauron is a focus and the trailer shows that. However, what should be an intense and cool moment will be the most ridiculed. It’s the reveal of Sauron’s new form, most likely one of them, which follows after the line that says, “I think he has been here. I think he has been here among us all along.” But rather than seeing a new form of Sauron, we see Charlie Vickers reprising the role except he looks like an elf now.
Which is hilarious because Sauron is supposed to be a great deceiver and has the ability to shapechange. So why would he shapechange into a form where other elves and humans will recognize him? It’s possible that he takes this form when the Numanoreans come for him and doesn’t run into elves such as Galadriel and Celebrimbor, but it is a huge misstep for the show and this trailer. And a big ask for people to suspend their disbelief when Sauron’s form is nothing more than pointy ears and long hair to confuse people who have already seen him as a human.
As for Tolkien fans, the season 2 teaser trailer is just a reminder of how badly the writers botched the events and timeline of the Second Age with disjointed events condensed into a nonsensical storyline. Tidbits that should be exciting for Tolkien fans such as seeing a Great Eagle (possibly Gwaihir) and possibly more of the Balrog are just drowned out by the confusing images provided.
Of course, The Rings of Power’s horrible writing has led the show into a seemingly-directionless plot with too much going on for both Tolkien fans and the general audience.
Amazon went overboard trying to sell The Rings of Power season 2 as more action-oriented and suspenseful as a response to criticism about season 1 being boring and slow-paced. While general audiences will be confused and possibly lose interest quickly, Tolkien fans will dissect everything about it and point out the same issues that have carried over from the first season. Armor, for example, still looks cheap and fake. We’ve got short elves, we have elves with short hair, poor casting of characters and the disregard for lore in favor of a condensed timeline that doesn’t measure up to Tolkien’s work among so many other issues.
It’s amazing how many points the trailer hit because the plot is convoluted. The Balrog and the fall of Khazad-dûm, the Numenor plotline, the not-Gandalf plot, the elves point-of-view, Galadriel’s plot, forgettable Arondir and wherever his single mother paramour Bronwyn is, emo Theo, Isildur, Elendil, Sauron’s plotline, and the rings themselves which were forged in the wrong order among so many others things that need to be shown through this eight episode season.
It is an overload for the general viewer that might get them to try and watch season 1 again only to be reminded of how boring the show was. And, as a result, means they will most likely not bother to watch The Rings of Power season 2 when it airs August 29.
It’s a headache for Tolkien fans to think of all the inconsistencies that the teaser trailer reminds them of and how it will make it all worse. For the general viewer, they have no idea what is going on and are going to be lost in the sea of imagery and convoluted plotlines that were mishandled from the start.
The teaser trailer fails to show what kind of direction season 2 will take beyond “more action and battles” and Sauron. While The Rings of Power season 2 is supposed to be about the continued ascension of Sauron one has to wonder if the Balrog storyline will take a more prominent role and how the show’s writers will deal with all of the various plotlines and characters in this show.
For general audiences, this has nothing to do with the show being faithful to Tolkien’s work. It isn’t a great show to begin with by all metrics, and the teaser trailer hasn’t proved anything to the contrary.
If there hadn’t been a season 1, general audiences would probably have been far more receptive and interested in this trailer. So it will be interesting to see how things unfold now that everyone has been given a glimpse of The Rings of Power season 2. And, to add fuel to the fire, HBO released a trailer for season 2 of House of the Dragon on the same day.
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