The Rings of Power is controversial amongst Tolkien fans for innumerable reasons, but there’s at least one aspect that seems to be getting universal approval. The first four episodes have slowly focused on orcs gradually taking over the Southlands, which it seems is destined to end up as the ruined land of Mordor.
While the orcs are clearly inspired by Peter Jackson’s classic movies, some think they go above and beyond what we’ve seen before, with one fan saying that these are “by far” the best live-action orcs:
One factor commonly praised is that the show’s orcs have more of a sense of individuality and character, with some saying that the scene in the most recent episode where Adar puts an injured orc out of his misery is a highlight of the show:
This moment also made one fan feel sympathy for an orc:
A reply also noted that Tolkien never specified whether or not orcs were truly irredeemably evil and whether there’s no chance of a ‘heroic’ or good-natured one:
Yet more concur that these are the best orcs ever:
The care taken in each individual costume and makeup design is also getting a lot of love:
It’s also noted how carefully the show maintains the idea that they’re averse to sunlight, but don’t explode like a vampire:
We’re hoping for more depth in the orc characters as the show develops. It’d be great to get an insight into how orc society functions, their relationship to the mysterious Adar, and how they perceive their plans for Middle-earth.
The Rings of Power airs Fridays on Amazon Prime.
