*Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2*
Five episodes into its second season, The Rings of Power has finally come into its own.
The huge budget Amazon Prime prequel got off to quite a slow start in season one.
However, unlike Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon, season two of this show has really sprung into action.
While the first season included plenty of build-up as we were introduced to younger versions of JRR Tolkien's famous characters, the story has taken off in the second season.
We see the scheming and manipulation of the Dark Lord Sauron at its most evil, as he influences Celebrimbor's creation of the rings of power.
Seeing how the rings corrupt characters, particularly the dwarves thus far, will be of interest to fans of Tolkien lore.
The big budget is evident in the battle scenes, and also the shiny backdrops of a stunning Middle Earth, including mountains, colourful forests, fantastic cities, and the grim landscape of Mordor.
Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) was promising in season one, and she enjoys just as much screen time in this edition, as the fearsome warrior elf tries to atone for being tricked by Sauron.
The tension in her friendship with Elrond (Robert Aramayo) is a central theme so far and adds a lot of depth to both characters.
The introduction of Tom Bombadil will be thrilling to Lord of the Rings fans, and his time with the Stranger (who has to be Gandalf) will be interesting to see in the final three episodes of season two.
If Lord of the Rings fans can separate the series from Peter Jackson's brilliant film trilogy in their minds, not always easily done, this season has the makings of a great show.
