the rings of power has been a show with immense potential and a colossal challenge weaving together multiple storylines from tolken vast Middle Earth however season 2 episode 3 exemplifies the difficulties in balancing these many threads leading to an episode that feels disjointed and uneven while there are bright spots and character performances in certain plot developments the episode ultimately suffers from a lack of cohesion and focus making it a frustrating watch for many viewers one of the central elements of episode 3 is the return to the island of numor a location rich with lore and history in tolkin World while this should have been a triumphant return the episode quickly becomes mired in the politics of the Island numor story arc focuses on the impending death of the king and the subsequent power struggle over who will assume the throne the political minations within numor are reminiscent of Game of Thrones but lack the same depth and intensity the character of Muriel who has been set up as a strong Contender for leadership is quickly sidelined as the people of numor turn against her the episode culminates in her coronation ceremony where her rival fizone manages to usurp her moment of Triumph by interpreting an eagle's descent as a sign of his own favor while the imagery is striking it does little to make the political Intrigue feel meaningful instead it feels like a subplot that has been dragged bed on too long without sufficient payoff this sense of disconnection is exacerbated by the fact that numor storyline feels largely isolated from the main action in Middle Earth the political drama while visually appealing lacks the stakes necessary to make it compelling it feels like a detour from the more engaging storylines involving Sauron Kell bmore and the forging of the Rings of power while num Manor's political storyline falters the episode would find some redemption in the continued development of Sauron now known as anatar in his manipulation of kellmore Charlie vicker's portrayal of Sauron is a highlight of the series and his interactions with Charles Edwards Kell bmore are some of the most compelling scenes in episode 3 the dynamic between these two characters is fascinating as Kell rimbor is torn between his desire to create something truly great and his increasing dependence on anatar Guidance the episode doesn't excellent job of showcasing the subtle yet powerful influence Sauron has over Kell bmore anatar is depicted as the devil on celebrimbor's shoulder always there to nudge him towards darker choices the visual representation of anatar hovering behind kmor adds to the sense of unease making it clear that sauron's manipulations are leading kmor down a dangerous Path vicker's Performance imbus anatar with a larger than life quality making every interaction between him and kmor fraught with tension this storyline is further enriched by the involvement of Duran ivth and daa who traveled to a region to discuss the creation of the Dwarven rings of power however even this storyline is not without its flaws the episode hints at daa's eventual fall under sauron's influence a development that feels rushed and underexplored while Sophia NV delivers a strong performance her characters descent into darkness lacks the buildup necessary to make it truly impactful another significant portion of the episode is dedicated to the reintroductions of a ReRe and a silder two characters who have been Central to the rings of power since the first season aer's entrance is particularly memorable as he finds himself in a harrowing situation involving giant spiders evoking memories of sheab and Frodo from The Lord of the Rings this scene not only provides a thrilling action sequence but also offers important character development for a silder however while a silder storyline is engaging it ends up overshadowing the far more intriguing character of Adar episode 3 fails to give him the screen time he deserves instead of delving deeper into adar's motivations and the dynamic between him and the Orcs the episode Sidelines him in favor of focusing on a Rond Deere and a sildur this is a missed opportunity as adar's storyline has the potential to offer a fresh perspective on the world of Middle Earth exploring the internal conflicts and struggles within the ranks of the Orcs would provide new ground for the series to cover unfortunately episode 3 only gives us glimpses of this leaving ad dar's character underdeveloped the overarching issue with season 2 episode 3 is its lack of narrative cohesion the episode jumps between numor igian and Mordor but these story lines feel disjointed rather than than interconnected while the individual plot lines have their merits they fail to come together in a meaningful way num's political drama feels like a separate entity from the forging of the Rings of power and the isolated nature of AD dar's storyline further fragments the episode