The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has now premiered on Amazon Prime, with the first two episodes giving us an excellent indication as to what this story will be about and the broad direction it’s going. We’ll reserve our full judgment until after the first season has wrapped up, but so far we agree with the critics that this is a sumptuous and elegant show that feels broadly in line with Tolkien’s original stories and themes.
Naturally, individual opinions vary, but for some, any positive aspects the show has are being overridden by it featuring prominent female characters and more diverse casting than we might expect from a story set in Middle-earth. As such, legions of racist and sexist nerds have swarmed onto major review sites to rate the show as low as they possibly can.
On Metacritic it’s sitting at 3.3/10, on Rotten Tomatoes it has a 45% user score, and on IMDb it’s at a relatively healthier 7.0, though 21.6% of the 6,000 users who’ve rated the show there have given it one star. So, let’s put our thickest environmental protection gear on and stride into the toxic comments.
Reviews dismiss Galadriel as a “Karen” and a “Mary Sue”, taking issue with her being depicted as a skilled warrior willing to defy the wishes of her king. Others claim the show takes its time with “extra long camera shots for all the minorities”, with many arguing that the more diverse cast ruins Tolkien’s tribute to “the lost myths and legends of the British Isles”, and that it’s misandrist for showing men in power acting like morons (have they looked out of the window lately?).
One comment accuses the show of “forcing identity politics down the viewers’ throat” but also says “I just wish we could enjoy entertainment media without all this nonsense”. You and us both buddy, but trust us, you’re the one providing the nonsense here.
It’s pretty clear that these people had cemented their opinions on The Rings of Power long before today’s premiere, and there’s nothing the show could have done to change that. Whatever the case, they’re missing out on what it’s in with a chance of being one of the greatest fantasy TV shows of all time, and even if they do ‘hate-watch’ it, they’re just ruining it for themselves.
Oh well, sucks to be them.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power episodes 1 and 2 now streaming on Amazon Prime
