The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, walking among elves

A couple of weeks ago, thanks to an invitation from Prime Video, I had the opportunity to watch the first two episodes of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. The series is based on the texts of John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, in which more than a billion dollars have been invested and which seeks to give reason to more than one to turn to the streaming service owned by Jeff Bezos.

A gala worthy of the Middle-earth

The premiere was held in a venue with an enviable screen and sound, which denoted the care the organizers took to emulate the cinema experience to the fullest. After the event, we were able to mingle with the likes of Morfydd Clark, actress who plays Galadriel, Ismael Cruz Córdova who plays Arondir, Sophia Nomvete who plays Princess Disa, Oiwan Arthur who plays Durin IV, Fabian McCallum who plays Thondir, Trystan Gravelle who plays Pharazon and Benjamin Walker who plays the role of Gil-Galad.

The Second Age of the sun

This series is placed thousands of years before the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien, specifically in the stage where Sauron resurfaces to give rise to the creation of the rings of power. It will also tell the rise and fall of Númenor, while showing us cities like Eregion, Lindon and the incredible kingdom of Moria in its splendor.

The first two episodes will provide the setting for understanding the origin of the disputes between the different races of Middle-earth (elves, humans, harfoots and dwarves), as well as the rise of the dark lord, the orcs, and their motives for creating the "One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them, One ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them."

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A production on par with Peter Jackson's work

Watching the series, and I say this as a fan of Tolkien's saga, was like going back to the time when I read the books, finding in them a universe as vast as their own texts. The plot presents an exhaustive work of research and support in the famous appendices (approximately 150 pages) acquired by Amazon in 2017 for just over 250 million dollars. Since it is a series based on the English philologist's texts, it has elements that will be easier to understand if we have read The Silmarillion. Undoubtedly, the screenwriters have taken liberties, creating characters that did not exist in the lore of the British writer's story, but they are very careful not to break the plot lines of the entire saga. All this, and adding the incredible production work that makes us see Middle-earth before Sauron darkened it, makes it one of the blockbusters that no one should miss.

The lady of Lothlórien has her own glow

Something we liked a lot about these first episodes is how they exalted Galadriel, reflecting the courage she has to finish her brother's cause, inviting Elrond, Elendil, and Halbrand to her cause, which will end with the last alliance between men and elves in the defeat that Sauron will suffer when he loses the One Ring.

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Is it necessary to watch the movies or read Tolkien's books to understand The Rings of Power?

It is not necessary to be steeped in the books or the movies themselves to understand the plot. That is a great success of the production since, in the first episode, the narrative unravels the most important elements. But definitely as a lover of Tolkien's books, I can assure you that you will enjoy it a lot if you at least give it a read, especially the Silmarillion. It is one of the most complex books of the late writer, but it helps a lot to understand several of the elements stated in this series.

Definitely The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will give a lot to talk about both Tolkien fans, as well as the curious who just do it for wanting to be entertained and it is certainly a series that will draw and catch to watch it until the end when everyone in Middle-earth will be trapped in darkness.