I respect Tolkien. The show disrespects him. The show is intellectually weak, artistically foul, and utterly devoid of any honest resemblance to Tolkien's work. The show intentionally avoids Tolkien. Why?
The show does not have the copyright to the same story that it is trying to tell.
That's a recipe for disrespect at best and disaster at worst. It's worse than the worst of the post-book Game of Thrones shows because at least the HBO showrunners talked to the author and could do the story legally.
The show is purely an Amazon money-grab; its pretense to use Tolkien's world is so flawed that it insults both the author and the audience.
I declare that nobody who likes this show and/or plans to watch Season Two truly appreciates Tolkien.