https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/shows/rings-of-power-season-2-review-lord-of-the-rings-series-1235040196/Quote:
And for anyone whose mind is bound to wander when every episode is longer than an hour (and not every story arc is as compelling as the dwarves'), "The Rings of Power" Season 2 actually feels like it's about something (or, like Season 1, about more than recreating the movie trilogy). It's about the hierarchy of evil and how one level can feed the other. It's about finding forgiveness where you can, and not where you can't. It's about deciding to do what's right, over and over, and all the unexpected obstacles that can complicate a choice that should come as naturally to everyone as picking out a donut.
I don't know if, like others have said, it's because of the passage of time, but I don't feel as down on RoP as I did when actually watching Season 1. I'm excited for S2 just because House of the Dragon didn't really deliver as much as I wanted it to.