This should be one of the more exciting storylines, because it involves the forces of evil being openly and violently evil, but a combination of dull characters and poor world-building at the script level(1) drag it down.

General culture: This is the lamest, most cliched Dung Ages place you can think of. It’s not fun to look at, there’s no sense of custom or history (except “elves are mean”), no sense of what culturally matters to these people, except the closeted Sauron cultists.

Arondir: I don’t really get why the elf-lovers are swooning over him in preference to Elrond, but then again, I didn’t get the fascination with Movie Legolas either. Arondir is initially introduced as part of a chemistry-free romance with the human healer Bronwen, so he starts off on kind of a bad foot, but the actor does better as the storyline moves into more of an action mode. Also charming as a surrogate father to Bronwen’s son in later episodes. Fine character, just not exciting. His elf-compatriots are even less so.

Bronwen: I was impressed with the actress’s work in Counterpart. Here, she is hamstrung by the romance angle (see above), and by particularly arbitrary scripting in the later episodes. The initial setup of her as a misfit healer who finds out about the orcs and kills one with great difficulty is well-done, and I was onboard with the semi-leadership role she initially took on after killing the orc. Over time, the character just kind of unravels, alternating between generic girlboss and generic wimpy love interest.

Theo: I was one of the ones dumb enough to initially think that he was Bronwen’s son with Arondir rather than from a previously relationship. Actor does fine with what he is given, but unfortunately most of what he is given is “sullen brat with a secret.”

Waldreg: The most convincing character in this storyline, and also a gross, slobbery weirdo with very little screen time who ends up as Adar’s Renfield.

(1)Production design is, as usual, pulling two and three times its weight in the world-building department, with some evil-themed statuary and the distant views of Mount Doom being the only hint of history we get.