Pleasantly Surprised I couldn't have gone into this with lower expectations but I must say I enjoyed these two episodes much more than I thought I would. I say this as a dedicated lover of the Peter Jackson films as well as all of Tolkien's work. It's not perfect by any means, the hobbits having these horrific fake Irish accents is painful to watch and to hear, also something seems off with the portrayal of Galadriel, as if she is just some rebellious teen rather than an ancient, wise and very powerful elf.
I am warming to a lot of the story lines, especially the elves, the inclusion of hobbits however isn't grabbing me at all. What really shines in Rings of Power are the visuals and the soundtrack, both are absolutely stunning and have once more sucked me right into the world of Middle Earth. Looking forward to the rest of the series.