Part 8/11:
The addition of the Harfoots—an attempt to mirror the beloved hobbits—has been critically panned. Instead of capturing the charm and whimsy of Tolkien's original hobbits, these characters come across as cringey, unlikable, and somewhat grotesque. Their depiction as dirty and odd is regarded as a failed attempt to recapture the magic, leading many to see them as another element that drags down the show.
Likewise, the storyline involving the mysterious Addar and the ongoing conflict in the Southlands revolves around slow-paced sequences and predictable twists, with attempts to suggest that Halbrand might be Sauron falling flat for viewers expecting more nuanced storytelling.