being 100% true to canon, but season 2 is much closer and besides that it is much better in general. They stepped it up a lot in season 2.

What I appreciated most about season 2 is that the themes (especially as it got closer to the end) were more closely aligned with Tolkien's themes of hope, light, darkness, change, progress, etc.

Also, a lot of people had problems with the little folks in the first season. In the second season they get a fraction of the screen time.