I watched the first couple of episodes of The Rings of Power with an open mind. I wanted to like this, even if it was just going to be some fan fiction fun. The cast is wonderful, the settings and music are great, there are some really cool things to look at, but I just don’t enjoy the story, at all. I don’t find it engaging or interesting in the least. Some of the dialogue seems just painfully bad to me, like a CW teen drama dressed up with British accents and portentous music. I know many fans are enjoying it, and if it makes them happy, then that’s great, may they continue to enjoy it for as long as it airs. But it’s definitely not for me. One thing I will say is that it had me howling with laughter when Durin shouted at Elrond “YAH MISSED MUH WEDDING!!” I think that was the moment at which I knew I couldn’t take it anymore.

Peter Jackson’s trilogy had its flaws, but I enjoyed it much more than this. Maybe it will get better. I think it is very hard to compete with Game of Thrones, a series of novels that seem like they were written with television in mind, and which is also a much more modern kind of story, making it far easier to adapt. I felt amazon’s Wheel of Time also had some serious flaws and I was disappointed with it. I don’t see how an adaptation can ever recapture the magic of reading a book you really love. So, I’ll go back and read the Silmarillion again.