10 TV Shows That Need To Ditch ONE Thing

Though The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power was decently received by critics, the fan response proved considerably more mixed, with criticism being levelled against the dialogue, pacing, deviations from Tolkien's lore, and perhaps worst of all, the overreliance on mystery box storytelling.

The mystery box is a term popularised by J.J. Abrams during production of his hit TV show Lost, which featured a large cast of characters revolving around a series of interconnecting mysteries, the answers to which were slow-bled over the course of a season (or even multiple seasons).

Many have complained that The Rings of Power feels too enslaved to this method of storytelling, by establishing so many mysteries in its first season, some of which still remain up in the air, rather than simply focusing on telling a compelling narrative in its own right.

Ultimately Tolkien's world is mesmerising enough that The Rings of Power really doesn't need this focus on big water cooler mysteries - it just needs well-drawn characters and an intriguing central conflict.

We can only hope that season two might chill out with inundating the audience with dramatic enigmas and just, you know, tell a good story.