Warning! Spoilers for Rings of Power season 2, episode 5 ahead!
Hopes were high that Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power would be an adequate Game of Thrones replacement series, and season 2 has finally paid this off. Of course, HBO’s hit fantasy series set the bar pretty high with top-notch drama, betrayal, and devastating surprise twists. There had never been anything like it, and it’s been tough for any fantasy series to duplicate the intriguing elements that made Game of Thrones a massive success. Now, Rings of Power season 2 has finally begun to break into a similar territory.
Rings of Power season 1 was dedicated mostly to setting the stage for Prime Video’s version of the Second Age of Middle-earth. It was a bit of a slow start, but this installment walked so that season 2 could run. Annatar’s true deception of Celebrimbor and the forging of the titular Rings of Power has been a consistent focal point, and the looming threat of Adar and his Orcs has pushed the suspense ever forward. Then there is the increasingly complicated political climate in Númenor in Rings of Power season 2, which feels like a story taken straight from Game of Thrones.
The Rings Of Power Season 2’s Númenor Story Feels A Lot Like Game Of Thrones
Politics, Violence, and Murder
Previous episodes of Rings of Power season 2 saw Queen Miriel lose the favor of her people in Númenor while Pharazôn’s influence slowly grew. This came to a head in episode 5, where Pharazôn officially took the crown and began to make changes. All those loyal to Miriel have been stripped of their titles, especially Elendil, who has always been a barely concealed member of the Faithful. Of course, this transition hasn’t gone peacefully, and Elendil’s followers, especially Valandil, were eager to support his captain and queen.
It was a very Game of Thrones-geared moment, finally paying off hopes that Rings of Power would be a fantasy series of a similar caliber.
The tension in Númenor steadily grew, climaxing when Valandil fought back against Pharazôn’s son, Kemen. Elendil had to convince the young sailor, who had been Isildur’s best friend, to lower his blade and not harm Kemen, and it seemed for a split moment that the tension would settle back down again. However, the big surprise of Kemen stabbing Valandil in the back (literally) indicated that any bets based on honor were thrown out the window. It was a very Game of Thrones-geared moment, finally paying off hopes that Rings of Power would be a fantasy series of a similar caliber.
The Rings Of Power Is Truly Becoming Amazon’s Game Of Thrones Replacement
Rings Of Power Has Turned Things Up A Notch
While Amazon never came out and said its goal was to create the new Game of Thrones, this was on many minds following the announcement of Rings of Power. Prior to HBO’s hit series, fantasy franchises dominated the world of movies, but Game of Thrones demonstrated the benefits of expanding these fictional worlds across dozens of TV episodes. It was a massive shift in the world of entertainment, and the show’s conclusion meant audiences were ready for whatever would be next. Rings of Power was certainly an idea with promise.
Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings finds its roots decades before George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series. So, if HBO could do it with Game of Thrones, Amazon could certainly do it with Rings of Power. However, it’s not just a complex fantasy world that made the former work—the series had a unique approach that revolved around large-scale surprises, politics, moral ambiguity, and more. This is something that Rings of Power is officially bringing to the table. There may be significant differences, but season 2, episode 5, has brought a similar vibe.
Kemen’s despicable act in murdering Valandil brings to mind
Game of Thrones
characters like Joffrey, providing audiences with a clear figure to hate.
GRRM’s Game Of Thrones Was Heavily Influenced By Tolkien’s Lord Of The Rings Lore
Lord Of The Rings Is A Staple Of The Fantasy Franchise
While any new fantasy TV show would naturally want to emulate Game of Thrones and, therefore, duplicate the series’ success, this isn’t anything new. In fact, Game of Thrones was emulating Lord of the Rings from the very beginning. Of course, this goes for basically any book, movie, or TV show that could be considered part of the high fantasy genre. Tolkien has been called the grandfather of fantasy since his books brought this sort of literature into the mainstream. This is why Martin’s work shares so much in common with Tolkien.
Plot and characters aside (though there is much overlap here as well), Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series took Tolkien’s approach to worldbuilding, with a complex and deeply explored history detailing even the least important figures in Westeros’ past. This allows for series like House of the Dragon to stretch its creative wings and fly since it’s based on works more like textbooks than novels. The same is true for Rings of Power, based on Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings appendices and posthumously published works. Since these two pieces of fiction share so much in common, Rings of Power has a chance of matching similar TV success.