From special effects to action, the new season of the J.R.R. Tolkien fantasy epic improves upon the first in every way.

Plot: Sauron has returned. Cast out by Galadriel, without an army or ally, the rising Dark Lord must now rely on his own cunning to rebuild his strength and oversee the creation of the Rings of Power, which will allow him to bind all the peoples of Middle-earth to his sinister will. Building on Season One’s epic scope and ambition, the new season plunges even its most beloved and vulnerable characters into a rising tide of darkness, challenging each to find their place in a world that is increasingly on the brink of calamity. Elves and dwarves, orcs and men, wizards and Harfoots… as friendships are strained and kingdoms begin to fracture, the forces of good will struggle ever more valiantly to hold on to what matters to them most of all… each other.

Review: Two years ago, Amazon Studios’ massive investment in expanding J.R.R. Tolkien’s iconic fantasy epic debuted. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power was a prequel set in the unexplored Second Age of Middle-Earth and introduced us to the days before Sauron rose to power. The first season ended with the shocking reveal that Halbrand was Sauron in disguise, and the second season was set on a direct path to Mordor going to war with the Elves, Humans, and Dwarves. With anticipation riding high, the second season is here. It does not disappoint with a stronger narrative, improved special effects, and a faster pace that should appeal to veteran Tolkien fans and newcomers alike. The Rings of Power finally finds some consistency in this much-improved sophomore run that eclipses the first season in every way.

Set thousands of years before The Lord of the Rings, The Rings of Power spent the first season introducing us to the various factions of elves, dwarves, halflings, and humans. The series gave us the first cinematic look at the land of Numenor, across the sea from Middle-Earth, as well as the origins of the Elves from their original home of Valinor. As the series chronicled multiple storylines at once, it only began to come together towards the end of the season after the forging of the first three rings, which drove a wedge between friends Elrond (Robert Aramayo) and Galadriel (Morfydd Clark). By the finale, many characters find themselves in different circumstances, especially Nori (Markella Kavenagh), the Harfoot guiding the magical and mysterious Stranger (Daniel Weyman), who may be the wizard we all know as Gandalf. As season two opens, there are still seventeen rings yet to be forged by Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards), but war is brewing amongst the orcs of Mordor, led by Adar (now played by Sam Hazeldine).

While only the first three episodes of the second season were made available for this review, they are packed with action and momentum that was lacking in the first season. The premiere episode begins with a flashback to the origins of Sauron leading up to his appearance in the first season, deepening his motivation to rule all of Middle-Earth. The first three episodes focus on multiple storylines without trying to fit too much into each hour-long chapter. Most of these first episodes focus on the rift between Elrond and Galadriel once they reveal that Hallbrand is Sauron. Gil-Galad (Benjamin Walker) entrusts the two Elvish leaders to try to stop Sauron and inform Celebrimbor of Hallbrand’s duplicitous nature. Both Morfydd Clark and Robert Aramayo deepen the motivations for their characters as they develop into the characters we know from The Lord of the Rings. This storyline also gives Celebrimbor attention, which shows how his quest to create the rings echoes the devolution of Gollum in later tales. It is fascinating to see take root; the actors all do immense work here.

The journey of Nori and The Stranger is also given ample screentime as their travels echo the Hobbit path in the Tolkien novels. While they have not yet revealed the name of the Wizard, his mannerisms become more familiar with each episode. This season also introduces other Wizards, known as Istari, some of whom we know from the movies and others making their first live-screen appearances. There are many familiar locations from Peter Jackson’s films that get a lot of exposure in these episodes, including Khazad-dum and the Mines of Moria, where Disa (Sophia Nomvete) and Durin IV (Owain Arthur) deal with the fallout of their friendship with Elrond as well as the fate of their realm. Numenor also gets focus as the power struggle there in the presumed death of Isildur (Maxim Baldry) looms over them. Meanwhile, Isildur finds himself across the sea and interacting with Middle-Earth.

So much of The Rings of Power is rooted in the ample appendices and historical records created by J.R.R. Tolkien, which showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay have taken to heart. This is a reverent adaptation with the majority of the first-season writing team back, along with a few new additions. The biggest changes this season include moving the production from New Zealand to England, something fans of the franchise met with disdain. But, I am glad to say the location shooting in the Canary Islands and the ample production budget never impacted the visual scope of the series. This season also brings back director Charlotte Brandstrom (The Witcher, Shogun). While Brandstrom helmed two episodes of the first season with J.A. Bayona on two and Wayne Che Yip helmed the remaining four, the veteran filmmaker directed or co-directed every episode this season with support from Sanaa Hamri and Louise Hooper. The consistency of the visuals this season is exceptional, and the series feels far closer to Peter Jackson’s approach than anything in the first season did.

The first season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power was met with a divisive response from fans, while critics were much more positive. I can understand how many were underwhelmed by the pacing of the first season and deviations from the source material. A significant amount of world-building needed to take place for the first season to create a foundation for an ongoing narrative, and I am impressed by how much stronger the series The Rings of Power is in season two. From the pacing to the character development alone, The Rings of Power is significantly better. The score by Bear McCreary remains solid, but everything else has improved. The vision of director Charlotte Brandstrom is consistent and epic, while the visual effects are superior in every way. If you rewatch the first season leading into the second, I am positive you will be wowed by how much better this series has grown in just one season. Without having seen the remaining five episodes of this season, I may reserve my judgment on how good this show is, but if the comparison between the first three entries in this season and the last, it is a night and day difference. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has found its stride and is ready to rule us all.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power‘s second season premieres on August 29th on Prime Video.