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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →James Whitbrook’s September 12, 2024, Gizmodo review of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2, Episode 5, “Halls of Stone,” sees the episode inject welcome urgency into the season—but move so quickly that key character turns lose some of their dramatic force. His central concern is not that the story escalates, but that the characters have too little time to reckon with what the escalation means. Read Whitbrook’s review at Gizmodo.
What “Halls of Stone” changes
Whitbrook describes a season spread across multiple storylines and, at times, moving deliberately. In his reading, “Halls of Stone” shifts toward more immediate consequences. That change gives the episode momentum, but its turns arrive so fast that the emotional and moral groundwork can feel compressed. This is Whitbrook’s critical judgment of the episode, not a claim about audience consensus.
The episode is Season 2, Episode 5. A recap listing names Nicholas Adams as writer and Sanaa Hamri and Louise Hooper as directors; it is hosted on Amazon Music, rather than being an official Prime Video episode page. See the Amazon Music recap listing.
Why Durin’s ring feels rushed
The review’s clearest example is King Durin III. After receiving a ring, he moves quickly from renewed hope for Khazad-dûm to ring-influenced plans to mine deeper and send rings to the other Dwarf-lords. Whitbrook argues that the episode leaves little room for a moral debate about using the rings or for viewers to absorb how Durin’s behavior affects his relationship with his son.
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As Whitbrook puts it: “There’s no time for any kind of moral quandary or debate over their use; Rings of Power gets right to the point that most of its audience knows, but in the process, does a disservice to the characters along the way.” The concern is about the speed of the transition and its effect on the characters, rather than the existence of the turn itself.
Celebrimbor and Annatar: manipulation without enough room to unfold
In Eregion, Annatar presses Celebrimbor to make rings for human leaders. Whitbrook finds useful groundwork in Celebrimbor’s pride and his dismissive attitude toward humanity: those traits give the manipulation something to exploit. But the smiths’ suspicions and the conflict intensify quickly, making Sauron’s scheme feel less carefully developed than the review thinks it could be.
This is where the episode’s acceleration cuts both ways in Whitbrook’s account. The conflict advances, but the compressed pace leaves less space to watch the manipulation take hold and to understand the characters’ responses as they change.
Pharazôn’s rise in Númenor
The Númenor storyline follows Pharazôn consolidating power and targeting Míriel’s supporters soon after taking the throne. Whitbrook sees more long-term setup for this political turn than for some of the episode’s other rapid developments, while still finding the escalation abrupt.
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Does the episode’s urgency work?
Whitbrook welcomes the increase in urgency and sees worthwhile character material in the episode. His reservation is that plot speed can blunt the impact of spectacle and character change when viewers are moved past a turn before its implications have room to land. The “pick axe” in the headline is metaphorical; the review uses it to describe the season’s cracks, not to recommend a tool or a physical product.
For readers weighing the review’s examples, its implied measures are straightforward:
- How quickly does the storyline change? Durin’s plans and Pharazôn’s political actions move into consequences at pace.
- What groundwork is visible? Whitbrook identifies Celebrimbor’s pride as useful setup, and sees more long-term preparation in Númenor than in some other turns.
- Do characters get time to reckon with the change? This is the review’s main concern, especially for Durin’s use of the ring and the moral questions it raises.
Episode details and soundtrack listing
Amazon Music lists Bear McCreary’s soundtrack for “Halls of Stone” as a digital release dated September 12, 2024: nine songs with a total listed duration of 40 minutes. That listing supports a digital soundtrack, not a physical edition. View the Amazon Music soundtrack listing.
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