Prime Video's The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power could have been so much more than it is, but a failed Lord of the Rings movie is a great example of why things turned out differently. For years, Tolkien fans hoped and prayed for a screen adaptation covering the earlier ages of Middle-earth, since this is when the true bulk of this fantasy world's timeline took place. This naturally made the announcement for The Rings of Power rather exciting, since it would cover Sauron's initial rise to power in the Second Age. Unfortunately, not everything about the series has been as hoped. 485e72

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 1 attracted over 150 million global viewers, but there are still some harsh realities to rewatching it two and a half years later. The Rings of Power season 1 ending dropped the bombshell of one of the season's main characters - Halbrand - actually being Sauron. This very character is exactly who the season's other main character, Galadriel, had been looking for the whole season. It was controversial for many reasons, creating complex flaws more evident on a rewatch than they may have been on the first watch.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powerseason 2 features multiple versions of Sauron, from Charlie Vickers' Fair Form to Jack Lowden's past iteration of the villain. And the Amazon series briefly sees a third and fourth actor stepping into the role, one of whom should do so again before season 3 is through. Although Lowden's opening scene as Sauron got a lot of attention when The Rings of Power season 2 premiered, these later takes on the character weren't talked about nearly as much. That's a shame, as they showcase one of his best abilities from Tolkien's lore.

The Amazon Prime Video show The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power could open the lid on a Lord of the Rings mystery long closed. The query was originated by the master of high fantasy himself, British author J.R.R. Tolkien. Writing about the world of Lord of the Rings since 1914, Tolkien published his milestone novel in three parts between 1954 and 1955. Tolkien spun a yarn about Middle-earth, creating contradictions and unanswerable questions that kept readers debating for decades. However, Amazon's show has been investigating one of its biggest.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has many storylines on the go, but the attempt to continue a Tolkien tradition may actually be the show's biggest weakness. The Rings of Power season 1 confirmed that the original character Halbrand was Sauron, and season 2 developed Sauron into his Annatar persona. Meanwhile, Galadriel went her own way in season 2, leaving Sauron with the unfortunate Celebrimbor. The show's stories have ranged from the outlandish to the Tolkienian, but the most obviously Tolkienian subplot may not be as Tolkienian as it seems.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has been diving deep into its main villain and even answered one question that the movies didn't quite tackle. Sauron is the eponymous Lord of the Rings of both the Amazon show and the book it is based on by J.R.R. Tolkien. Taking up more space in the TV series than he really did in the book or movies, Sauron is getting explored in the show in depth. For better or worse, this is leading to a wider understanding of literature's greatest villain.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power may answer questions about the Ringwraiths that Lord of the Rings fans have had for years. The Amazon Prime Video show, helmed by J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay, is set in Lord of the Rings' Second Age. Many casual Lord of the Rings fans, or people who have watched the movies but not read the books, may not be aware that the Ringwraiths were around in the Second Age. Fans wonder many things about these enigmatic characters, but the show may reveal something unique to this period of time.

I could never have predicted that the Lord of the Rings franchise would provide the perfect explanation of the Mortis Gods in Star Wars, but that is precisely what The Rings of Powerdid. The Rings of Power serves as a prequel to the iconic Lord of the Rings trilogy (as well as The Hobbit), specifically following the stories of Galadriel and Sauron long, long before Bilbo or Frodo ever arrived on the scene. This origin story specifically reveals the dynamic Sauron and Galadriel once had and the creation of myriad rings in the franchise.

The Rings of Powerseason 2's Gandalf narrative introduced Tom Bombadil, exploring one possibility regarding one of J.R.R. Tolkien's long-standing mysteries. Tom Bombadil is a metaphysical being who appears in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings books who, unlike Gandalf, Sauron, or Morgoth, isn't considered to be any particular divine species. To avoid the confusion surrounding the character, Tom Bombadil was removed from the narrative in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings movies.

Amazon Prime Video's The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has introduced Gandalf into proceedings, and now may look to The Hobbit for inspiration on how to handle him in season 1. While The Rings of Power season 1 ending revealed original character Halbrand as Sauron, the season 2 ending revealed the Stranger as Gandalf, leaving audiences to wonder about the extent of his memory loss throughout season 1. Peter Jackson's The Hobbit movies may be able to offer some explanation around this pushing ahead into further seasons.