Charlotte Brändström, one of the directors for Season 2 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power shared that the season “will be darker” as she and other creators attempt “to make it as authentic as possible.”
Lenny Henry as Sadoc Burrows and Beau Cassidy in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022), Amazon Studios
Brändström told Swedish website MovieZine, “What I know and what I can say for a fact is that it’s going to be darker, and it’s going to be edgier and more character driven.”
She continued, “I still think we have some very interesting episodes coming up. I watched all of them over Christmas, just the cuts. I think it’s going to be a very good season.”
“We tried to make it more gritty, a little bit more dirty I guess,” she asserted. “And not in the image, but to make it as authentic as possible. We have some very surprising twists and turns in it as well.”
Daniel Weyman as The Stranger in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022), Prime Video
The fact that Brändström is claiming they are trying to make the tone darker does seem to indicate someone on the production might care about Tolkien. Tolkien made it abundantly clear that the Second Age, which the show is set, is quite “dark.”
In letter 131 to Milton Waldman, Tolkien detailed, “The next cycle deals (or would deal) with the Second Age. But it on Earth a dark age, and not very much of its history is (or need be) told. In the great battles against the First Enemy the lands were broken and ruined, and the West of Middle-earth became desolate. We learn that the Exiled Elves were, if not commanded, at least sternly counselled to return into the West, and there be at peace. They were not to dwell permanently in Valinor again, but in the Lonely Isle of Eresseëa within sight of the Blessed Realm.”
Tolkien later shared in the same letter, “All through the twilight of the Second Age the Shadow is growing in the East of Middle-earth, spreading its sway more and more over Men. – who multiply as the Elves begin to fade.”
Morfydd Clark as Galadriel and Charlie Vickers as Halbrand in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022), Prime Video
In Letter 227 to Mrs. E. C. Ossen Drijver, Tolkien wrote, “But there are, I fear, no hobbits in The Silmarillion (or history of the Three Jewels), little fun or earthiness but mostly grief and disaster.”
He added, “Those critics who scoffed at The Lord because ‘all the good boys came home safe and everyone was happy ever after’ (quite untrue) ought to be satisfied. They will not be, of course – even if they deign to notice the book!”
Cynthia Addai-Robinson as Queen Regent Míriel, Ismael Cruz Córdova as Arondir, and Charlie Vickers as Halbrand in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022), Amazon Studios
While Brändström’s comments about making the show darker align with Tolkien’s vision for the Second Age, we’ve seen members of The Rings of Power production make similar claims and delivered on none of them.
Showrunner J.D. Payne told San Diego Comic-Con attendees in July 2022, “So, one, always back to Tolkien. And two, when Tolkien was silent, we tried to invent as Tolkienian a way as possible.”
His fellow showrunner Patrick McKay added, “Go back to the book. Go back to the book. Go back to the book.”
The show did no such thing. It featured Hobbits in the Second Age, it showed the creation of Mordor, which had already been formed during the First Age, it made a mockery of Galadriel’s character, introduced a wizard, and more.
Dylan Smith as Largo Brandyfoot, Markella Kavenagh as Elanor ‘Nori’ Brandyfoot, and Megan Richards Poppy Proudfellow in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022), Prime Video
In fact, while Brändström claims they are adjusting the show’s tone, she also makes it abundantly clear that the second season will continue to depart from Tolkien’s work and legendarium.
She makes this clear noting, “We have some very surprising twists and turns in it as well.” There should not be any twists or turns if the show stayed authentic to Tolkien’s story.
Charles Edwards as Celebrimbor and Robert Aramayo as Elrond in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022), Prime Video
It’s safe to conclude that Prime Video, Amazon MGM Studios, and the individuals making The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power have not learned any lessons from the first season and are about to put out an even worse second season.
What do you make of Brändström’s comments?
