The most interesting part of episode 4 was Adar, the elf leading the orcs. When his scene ended, I felt legitimately sad we had to return to other storylines - I wanted more with that character. The fact that it took 4 episodes to introduce this character is insane. Not having a physical antagonist for so long has really hurt the show. We should be knee deep in conflict with this character by now.
The Numenor storyline is insufferably boring to me, and Galadriel sucks the life out of every scene she is in. I don't care about anything happening on that island or any of the characters. I genuinely hope the wave comes soon and wrecks them all. The glacial pacing, the bad writing, Galadriel's character......I'm starting to hate this part of the show.
The Bronwyn scenes and the "sneaking mission"........jesus christ what a waste of time. I love how all the townsfolk are dirty as fuck but Bronwyn looks perfectly "made up". Another "trapped in a house with an orc" sequence - fuck off, show.
Durin and Elrond's storyline continues to be the best storyline. I wish they devoted more to fleshing out this storyline. Durin and Elrond's dynamic feels like genuine character interaction, not just "reading lines". Durin and his wife, and later his father - these scenes are extremely decent. The dwarf city is super cool, the finding of Mythril is cool, and the work on the forge is pushing the story forward. Unfortunately, this storyline suffers because it's surrounded by the other stuff dragging it down to mediocrity.
If you are on the fence about jumping in, you should absolutely hold off. Waiting a week for each drip of story progression sucks, and it only amplifies the show's weaknesses. I probably wouldn't dislike Numenor or Bronwyn's story so much if the pacing was better. Obviously, those who love Numenor or Bronwyn's story are probably loving the show so far - but these stories are not working at all for me (Numenor seems particularly mishandled, but I don't know the lore). I just want to stay in Elrond's storyline and now this Adar character.