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The Rings of Power episode 4 conjures a surprising form of Lord of the Rings villainy
Conventional storytelling wisdom dictates that a good story needs a good villain. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay lean into this truism hard with episode 4, “The Great Wave,” pushing several new and previously established antagonists into the spotlight as the Prime Video series hits the halfway mark. It’s a move that pays off, too. Not only do The Rings of Power’s baddies prove suitably compelling in their own right, but they also further delineate the show from the J.R.R. Tolkien novels that inspired it.