Ooohh boy. Remember when Amazon announced that they were making a Lord of the Rings TV series?

To put it lightly, the reaction was mixed. Some were stoked for a new addition to the Tolkien universe. Some decried the acquisition and accused Amazon of scrambling for a Game of Thrones killer. They were probably right with that second one… but could they do it well?

For years, those who followed the series’ production either bit their nails nervously or threw up their hands in exasperation. On...