Season 2 so far is intriguing. I especially love how Sauron is at once manipulative, powerful, but also vulnerable. He gets into tight spots that appear genuinely dangerous for him, which adds to the narrative (even though we are well aware of the outcome).

The elven rings creation occurring before all others has turned out well, and propels the story well (last season I wasn't sure about this).

Keeping ambiguity around the stranger and the dark wizard is also quite fun.

You'll continue to see articles that shoot down the series (hits) but this season is great so far. I'm hoping it continues, now that we have so much context and setup complete.