Review – ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ Episodes 3 & 4

As we near the halfway point of season 1, the plot is certainly picking up. We’ve got Orcs, huge ships out at sea, whole island cityscapes, daring escapes, and more and more questions that have you on the edge of your seat, begging for another episode. Across last week’s episode, Adar and this weeks episode The Great Wave we have a lot to unpack, so let’s get right into it.

The Kingdom of Men

With the first two episodes, we were made familiar with the elves, the dwarves, and the Harfoots. But what we were missing, was the race of men. Last week, we got our first look at the great island city of Númenor. The massive island of men is absolutely stunning, and very much emulates the grand scale of architecture and craftsmanship that Peter Jackson exhibited in his Middle-Earth saga. The massive statues of men that greet ships into it’s harbors and the sprawling cityscape that covers the entirety of the star-shaped island is breathtaking. Hardcore fans will especially love some of the foreshadowing that is shown in the 4th episode regarding the fate of the great kingdom of men.

Here we are introduced to some familiar faces, specifically a young Isildur and Elendin. It’s really cool to see these characters for a much more extended period of time. It allows us to truly get to know them before the events of Lord of the Rings. What’s more exciting is seeing the new faces introduced to us in Númenor such as the Queen Regent. Cynthia Addai-Robinson definitely shines as the Queen of Númenor in this episode. While her intentions are definitely unclear, we can expect some great character development from episode 4 and on.

Concerning Harfoots

In Episode 3, we get to spend more time with the Nori, Poppy and the other traveling Harfoots. While this plot thread is still the one I am least invested in, with each new scene, these Harfoots are proving to be more and more important to the overall story of Middle-Earth. The show seems to promise a huge revelation will be made with these small but mighty heroes and their new found friend. Who could this mysterious Stranger be? With each new episode, we get closer and closer to unraveling the mystery behind this magical stranger. I have my theories, but I’d love to hear some of yours! Sound off in the comments with who or what you think this giant man could be.

The Relations Between Elves and Dwarves Is A Little Rocky

If you’re a fan of Lord of the Rings then you’re more than likely a fan of the relations between the elves and the dwarves. Rings of Power delivers on this front with Episode 4, now that the two are working together to create the great forge that will soon begin work on crafting the 19 rings of power. However, fans of the series will know that elves and dwarves don’t get along too well. The show wonderfully displays this dynamic with Lord Elrond and Prince Durin. These two wonderful characters have their past slowly revealed to us little by little as the show continues, showing us an old and wonderful friendship. But as the show continues, we see that both parties aren’t entirely honest with each other about their intentions. This inevitable confrontation will certainly be something to look forward, especially knowing the current state of relations between elves and dwarves in the Lord of the Rings films.

And on the subject of elves, what about fan favorite Arondir? Episode 2 left us concerned over his fate on the show, but Episode 3 and 4 delivered on such high stakes, insane fight scenes, and emotionally powerful moments. Much like all the Middle-Earth films, Rings of Power does an amazing job of portraying the elves as these cool, calm badass fighters and you gotta love every scene that features Arondir. Especially in Episode 3 when we see him take on a whole clan of Orcs.

The Orcs on this show are so amazingly grotesque. The makeup and costuming department for this show went all out on making these horrifying monsters look, well, like horrifying monsters. The orcs and Arondir were certainly the highlight of Episode 3. Their immaculate costuming, terrifying acting, and some hardcore fight scenes will definitely have Episode 3 go down as one of the best of the season.

Thoughts on the Show and Onward

It should come as no surprise but I absolutely adore this show. Prime Video has knocked this adaption out of the park beyond my wildest dreams. It’s really so nice to revisit these characters and the world of Middle-Earth in a fairly unexplored era in it’s large mythos. While the show has been a little slow to start, there is plenty of amazing characters and moments that really carry this show. Plus, these past four episodes have done an incredible job of laying down the groundwork for what should be a spectacular season, show, and installment to the overall story of The Rings of Power.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is currently streaming with a new episode premiering every Friday.