Among the plots and subplots of this season 2 of The Rings of Power, there is one that particularly ticks fans, to the point that general relief sets in when it does not appear in an episode.
Warning, the following article contains light SPOILERS about the plot of the fifth episode of the series The Rings of Power. If you haven't seen it yet, we strongly advise you to stop reading now.
this story arc leaves fans in awe
After five episodes already released, season 2 of Rings of Powerstill struggling to convince. The press has not been kind to this second round of episodes, and among the most common criticisms, this way for showrunners to get bogged down in heavy subplots weakened by superficial characters. Which makes the quality of the series very uneven. When the narrative arcs around the deception of Celebrimbor by Annatar or that of the dwarves in Khazad-dûm seem to be appreciated by the spectators, those of Númenor and the road trip of the stranger in the Rhine are on the contrary strongly criticized.
And it is the latter in particular that makes the public tick. By taking a look at the different networks, we realize that the fanbase does not appreciate this narrative arc around the quest for identity of the Istar and the two young Piévelus. This is particularly the case when focusing on the subreddit around episode 4.
After quite the first season, Nori and Sam Poppy finally leave their eccentric and whimsical group of proto-Hobbits behind… to find another group of eccentric and whimsical proto-Hobbits! The real rings are the circular plots of pure filler.”
All the desert sequences feel like they're ripped from a cheap Star Wars series. “
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It would be equally stupid if they revealed them as the blue wizards who just happen to be carbon copies of Gandalf and Saruman. This show has turned good or evil into fan service or fuck you.”
I'm much more mixed on season 2, and the plot of the Piévellus and the Stranger is the main reason why. If they continue to devote time to the hobbits at the expense of the main plot points, it might turn me off the show entirely.”
Fans relieved by episode 5
By extending the character's initiatory quest into a region of Middle-earth that is still unknown to fans (the only information on the Rhine is to be found in a few notes by J.R.R. Tolkien), Prime Video has given itself the freedom to continue the novelist's work, without creating major inconsistencies and by bringing something new. It still needs to be handled well. Because unfortunately, this narrative arc lingers too much on the identity of this famous stranger — who we know is Istari — and on that of this new dark mage. By trying too hard to scatter clues about its identity and to play with its audience, the series gets lost. A narrative choice that cannibalizes potential twists and turns. And that's a shame.
Of course, the deception is felt in the long term. In the subreddit dedicated to the just-released episode 5, Internet users are then delighted to note that the episode does not contain any sequences related to the wanderings of the stranger and the two Piévelus in the desert. “Sad because I really enjoyed Tom Bombadil but relieved because we need to further develop the plot in other areas“,“, notes one Internet user for example.
That is something to wonder about. How long will this little game established in season 1 last? Shortly before the release of season 2, the showrunners tried in their own way to build up the hype. In a press conference, they assured that the identity of the stranger would be revealed during this season. They then have three episodes left to lift the veil on the one that the majority thinks is Gandalf.