There are plenty of unreal elements in any fantasy series. It’s kind of the point of the genre—to present impossible, fantastical stories that completely take us out of the real world. Some details are harder to ignore than others, of course, and it seems that some Rings of Power fans can handle elves and dragons just fine, but volcanoes are where they draw the line. Criticisms against the payoff at the conclusion of the latest Rings episode aren’t as strong as some people might think, however, at least according to one fan’s excellent historical breakdown.
Mount Doom isn’t the only element in Rings drawing criticism, of course—a reality that fans have started to get accustomed to. A number of viewers just refuse to find anything good in Rings, and it’s reminding some people of the reactions to another popular fictional series. None of this is enough to distract from the ever-present threat of Sauron, whose big reveal remains one of the most highly-anticipated elements of the show’s first season. As the final episode inches ever closer, however, some fans are wondering if the payoff is even coming. What happens if Sauron remains a mystery into season two?
A Star Wars comparison might just explain the reaction to Rings
Fans of Amazon Prime’s Lord of the Rings series are noticing a trend in many of the reactions to the series. The fandom has been polarized since Rings first dropped, with some fans declaring the series a bust and others standing by its finer points. The split reactions are reminding people of the fan reaction to The Last Jedi, a film that similarly split the Star Wars fandom down the middle. Even years past the film’s release, viewers continue to debate its quality, and Rings fans are starting to see history repeat itself.
Fans lean on historical fact to explain Mount Doom’s eruption
The sixth episode of Rings ended with a bang, letting audiences witness the official birth of Mount Doom. The massive volcano erupted as the episode came to a close, coating the nearby village in ash and raining balls of flaming stone from the sky. The eruption, and character reactions to it, quickly summoned ire in a number of the show’s more critical fans, who quickly pointed out that that’s not how volcanoes work. Except it actually might be, based on one Redditor’s breakdown of real historical events.
We’re getting antsy for the big Sauron reveal, but what if it doesn’t happen?
With only two episodes of the first season left, fans are starting to wonder if Sauron will ever reveal himself. The eventual Dark Lord has been a looming threat through all of season one, but—despite countless fan theories and divisive rumors—the true identity of the Lord of Gifts remains unknown. And with so little time left in the first season, fans are starting to wonder if a reveal is really coming. Holding onto Sauron’s identity until season two would be a bold move on Amazon Prime’s part, but it’s not unthinkable.