Solid start to the season, and lays out the major story lines. Really enjoyed the Dwarf and Stranger/Harfoot sequences. I really hope it's confirmed who The Stranger is soon - that's gone on long enough. The overt Christian imagery with the reveal of Annatar was way too over-the-top - Tolkien hated Christian symbolism in fiction, and actively fought to keep it out of his world.

These two episodes were incredibly promising. I'm a huge fan of all Tolkien's books, but that doesn't mean I expect this show to be a 1-to-1 recreation. I understand what adaptation means and know creators do their best to make this media relevant to a modern audience. That being said, I think they've done a tremendous job bringing the story more in line with the lore. It's really exciting to get to see all the things I've read about on the big screen. The sets were absolutely stunning, and the actors do a great job bringing these characters to life. Honorable mention for Ben Daniel's Círdan!

if you like action this series is the best.

I haven’t watched lord of the rings prior to this, and feel this is a great starting point to introduce new fans, such as myself to the series.