In “The Eye,” episode seven of The Rings of Power, the show tackles themes of sacrifice and risk, of being separated from loved ones and of laying down guilt. But whether it executes these themes well is another matter. Also, everything’s on fire.
Recap
Galadriel wakes in a red, smokey landscape. All around her are dead bodies and burning buildings. She finds Theo and tells him to stay with her. Elsewhere, Míriel gathers survivors. She helps Isildur free Valandil from a fallen wall, but Ontamo is dead. While helping others out of a burning building, Míriel is hit in the face by a burst of flame and Isildur is caught under the collapsing frame.
Nori and her family arrive at the grove to find many of the trees have been burned. Sadoc tells them of an old story about great mountains to the south that could spit fire rock, which would wake when a new evil was rising. When Nori is reluctant to ask the Stranger if he can fix the trees, Sadoc decides to ask himself. The Stranger seems to be having some success when a huge branch breaks loose, and Nori narrowly saves her sister from being crushed.
In Khazad-dûm, Elrond offers Durin III gifts from the elves in exchange for access to the mithril mines. He tells Durin III that he should not trust elves, but that he can trust Elrond, and goes to one knee before the king. Durin III speaks alone with Durin IV, telling him that Dwarves understand that all things must die, and that he will not risk dwarven lives to help the elves cheat death.
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Durin IV tells Disa the news. She suggests defying the king’s will, but Durin resists. Elrond overhears their discussion and he and Durin bid each other farewell. Elrond returns the nugget of mithril, but when Durin sets the ore down beside the corrupted leaf from Lindon it begins to restore itself, and Durin calls Elrond back.
Galadriel tells Theo that the lands cannot be saved and begins leading him out, towards where the Númenórean ships lie at anchor. Elsewhere, Míriel and Valandil inform Elendil of Isildur’s death. Elendil realizes that Míriel has been blinded. Sadoc gives the Stranger directions to find big folk settlements, as well as a drawing he has made of the stars from the destroyed page. Nori gives the Stranger an apple for his journey.
While camping, Galadriel tells Theo about the loss of her brother, as well as her husband, Celeborn, who went off to war and never returned. Theo tells Galadriel that what has happened is his fault, because he gave power to the enemy. She disagrees and tells him to let go of the burden of this day. A party of orcs passes, and she restrains Theo from drawing his sword and nearly revealing their location.
Durin works the mines alone, accompanied by Elrond. Elrond admits that he lost the rock-splitting contest on purpose. Durin tells Elrond that dwarves have secret names known only to their families, and starts to tell Elrond his, but Elrond tells him to wait. Durin breaks through into a huge cavern of mithril, but turns to see that his father has caught them. Elrond is thrown out of Khazad-dûm. Durin III and IV argue. When Durin IV insists that Elrond is as much a brother to Durin IV “as if he had been fired in my own mother’s womb,” Durin III is infuriated, and tears Durin IV’s crest off his neck.
Nori awakes to see that all the orchard has regrown, and the Harfoots begin gathering in the harvest. That night, Nori and Poppy observe the Dweller (Bridie Sisson), the Ascetic (Kali Kopae), and the Nomad (Edith Poor) examining the tree the Stranger healed. Nori calls out to redirect them away from the Stranger, and the three appear before her. Largo tries to protect his daughter with a torch, but the Dweller causes all the Harfoot wagons to burst into flame.
The Southland refugees reach the Númenórean base. Theo finds Arondir and his mother. Galadriel is grief stricken at the losses the Númenóreans have suffered, but Míriel tells her to save her pity for their enemies, vowing that Númenor will return. Galdriel answers that the elves will be ready. Largo gives a speech about how the strength of the Harfoots is in staying true to each other, and facing whatever comes. Nori, Poppy, and Marigold decide to go after the Stranger to warn him, and Malva convinces Sadoc to go as well.
The Southlander refugees prepare to travel to an old Númenórean colony to start a new life. Galadriel learns that Halbrand has been badly wounded and needs Elvish healing. He vows to return, and the people cheer as he and Galadriel mount horses and ride off.
Disa tells Durin that his father has grown too old and suspicious, and that no matter how many crests he hurls to the floor, one day the Kingdom will be theirs. Down in the mines, Durin III orders the mithril cavern to be sealed up, and tosses the leaf into it. The leaf falls a great long way before landing, where it bursts into flame. A Balrog emerges from the darkness.
In the flaming ruins of the Southlands, Adar tells his children this land is their home now. He tells them that it will have a new name, and looks into the distance at the volcano, as the caption reading “The Southlands” burns away, to be replaced by “Mordor.”
Commentary
If there’s one thing The Rings of Power isn’t going for, it’s subtlety. Which isn’t bad, necessarily—I just wish the show would learn when to pull back a little. I actually laughed when the episode titled “The Eye” opened with that close-up, upside-down shot of Galadriel’s eye and the reflected volcano in it. And the end with “The Southlands” changing to “Mordor” was just silly. It almost feels like the show doesn’t trust the audience to have figured out what’s going on, as though they were giving us all an elbow nudge saying “Eh, eh? This is how Mordor happened! See what we did there? You see?”
Take the scene where the Lindon leaf tumbles down and down into the depths of Khazad-dûm, past all the tendrils and veins of mithril, to land on a rock floor far below and burst into flame. It’s a really good shot, and nicely foreboding, but then it’s spoiled by actually having the whole balrog appear. There are moments, in film and television making, when less is more, where you can spark the audience’s imagination and let it run to possibilities. I wish The Rings of Power would tip a little bit more in that direction. Especially given the cultural familiarity with The Lord of the Rings and the fact that they’re reminding us of it constantly with all the imagery they’re pulling from Jackson’s films. (I mean, they made the balrog look and move identically. I know there’s a general consensus around what balrogs look like, but the details could still have been creative and new.)
On the other hand, there are also a lot of moments when the show could use some more clarity. For example, everything that happens with Nori and the Stranger. I can see what the writers were trying to do—they wanted to have a reason for Nori’s faith in the Stranger and in herself to waver, and then a reason for her to choose to renew it. And I love the thematic transition from Nori in episode one saying “I know I’m just a Harfoot and I’m not important,” to Largo talking about why the Harfoots matter, why they are important, just as they are. Unfortunately, the execution falls pretty flat.
It’s perfectly realistic that Nori was scared by what happened with the healing ice (or whatever it was), but it doesn’t really seem in character for her to be that afraid of the Stranger now. She doesn’t seem to have suffered any lasting physical damage, and she has no reason to believe that the Stranger intended to hurt her. Which isn’t to say that she can’t feel the way the show implies, I just think that, given what a strong-willed character she is, we needed to hear from her about what was actually going on. We do have the fact that she tells her mother that she’s just a little Harfoot who can’t make a difference, but I think the scene would be more profound if we’d had more lead up to why this scary moment has affected Nori more than, say, the threat of being abandoned by her people as punishment for helping one of the big folk.
I really wanted to like Largo’s speech, but it was kind of all over the place. First Sadoc asks him to give the Harfoots “a moment to weep” and Largo asks if Sadoc believes that’s all they’re capable of now. I’m not sure why “a moment” translates to “it’s all we can do” in Largo’s mind, but I’m interested in the idea of such a conversation. But instead of continuing with that debate, Largo does a sort of sideways segue into talking about how the one thing Harfoots are good at is standing by each other and continuing to walk, no matter how difficult the path gets. And I couldn’t help thinking about how the Harfoots have a tradition of leaving behind anyone who can’t pull their own wagon, which was also nearly Nori’s punishment for being involved with the Stranger as well. Even the lesser judgment Sadoc passed instead was basically as good as a death sentence—we see that the family only survives because the Stranger was able to help them.
So when Largo argues that the Harfoots are good at being true to each other, I wasn’t as committed to it as Smith’s acting warranted. Thematically it was apt, since Largo was the one nearly abandoned because of his injury, but I felt like the speech should have been a little bit more about his desires for what the Harfoots could be, rather than insinuating that this is the first time they’ve faltered under such a test.
That being said, the acting from everyone in this scene was lovely, and I’m a big fan of the way Malva in particular spoke about her change of heart and convinced Sadoc to go with the girls. The concept of a trail finder is a really cool one, and I noticed (though it’s been in the costume the whole time) that Sadoc wears a chain necklace that appears to have a ring on it, which is a pretty neat nod to the future part Hobbits will play in the fate of the world. Now that’s some subtle and effective storytelling.
The scenes between Durin IV and Elrond, and the scenes between Durin IV and his father, were all heartbreaking, and beautifully acted. I love the way the show writes about the dwarves, and the dialogue here strikes a nice balance in being poetic without being cheesy or stilted, as it often is when the elves talk. I loved the story of Durin IV’s birth and the vision the King had of his son’s future. And the belief that the Dwarves have about how Aulë created them from rock (which craves the eternal) and fire (which understands that all things die and come to ash) was a genius detail, and makes sense of the way Dwarves are situated between the immortal race elves and the short-lived race of men. Long-lived and solid, the Dwarves are steadier than men, who fear and flee from death, and yet have a respect for death and the passage of time that the elves, who rarely have to face such things, do not.
The writers have stated in interviews that the goal of the show is to tell a story about the importance of helping each other. It’s a theme that has been very clear in some areas and very off in others. (See my comments above re: Nori and Largo.) I find as I watch the The Rings of Power that the show often feels like they’re filming from the first draft of a script, rather than a finished version, and it’s especially true of this episode in particular. You can see a lot of interesting themes throughout the show. There are some beautifully scripted moments. And yet there are also so many scenes that drag, or are overwrought. Many of the themes are either not built up before the pivotal moment, or that are built up only to falter at the conclusion.
To be honest, I still really don’t understand the point of Halbrand’s character. He hasn’t done anything interesting since we met him, and I don’t understand why the villagers would rally so easily around the king who showed up three minutes before everything was destroyed. I kind of hoped everyone would decide they should keep following Bronwyn instead, which would have been an interesting problem for Halbrand to grapple with—the idea that he finally accepted his apparent destiny only to find he wasn’t wanted. I did appreciate his vow to Galadriel that he won’t abandon the lands to the Shadow, but it would have been more effective if he wasn’t riding this weird wave of “because he’s the King” and because his haircut reminds us of Aragorn and Boromir.
Really, everything the show has tried to do with Halbrand and Galadriel and their related trauma it manages to achieve instead in two scenes between Galadriel and Theo. We actually have gotten to know Theo through his struggles over the course of the show, the way he was drawn to the power of the blade, the way he alternated between determination and doubt in the face of such a terrible enemy. The heritage of the Southlanders, alluded to by the watch elves and by Arondir, is fealty to Morgoth, and the show does such a good job showing how that weight rests on all of the villagers, and especially this otherwise ordinary teenager.
And since we haven’t seen any of Galadriel’s formative moments, seeing her relate to Theo, who we know, makes her seem more real and fully developed as a character. Everything she said about Celeborn was beautifully written as well, and I appreciated that we were finally given real details about her and about the person she lost. The fact that she used to dance and that Celeborn was drawn to that, the fact that she teased him and called him a silver clam in his ill-fitting armor—these details make her feel like a person and not a trope. And as a result, her grief and loss is more relatable for us than the loss of Finrod, even though we never saw Celeborn on screen. The way she advises Theo about how not to get lost in his pain and feelings of guilt were really good moments of character development for her as well, and again, actually lets us see how Galadriel came to be the person she is today.
The fact that Theo now carries Galadriel’s sword instead of the cursed blade is another example of when the show actually gets the symbolism just right. And though I didn’t care much about the Southlanders shouting strength to a King they just met, I had literal chills when Theo raised the elven sword and whooped “Strength to the Southlands!” Also, I’m now wondering if Celeborn is going to show up in a future season, somehow not dead after all (he shouldn’t be dead; the two of them are in charge of Lothlorien later on). That would be pretty cool, and good character work for Galadriel. I mean, no wonder she wants to do nothing but fight. Everyone she loved is dead! And if Celeborn was somehow captured, it might add some complexity to the dialogue around the elves taken by Morgoth.
Missing loved ones who are presumed dead (but not actually dead) is a big theme of this week’s episode, since Theo (and the audience) spends most of it uncertain if his mother and Arondir survived. There is also Isildur, who is presumed dead but the audience knows must have survived. We can make the same deduction about Celeborn, and we also know that the question of the mithril isn’t over yet, since we know that Elrond and many other elves are still around in the Third Age and that more mithril does get mined.
I really wish the show had let Elrond have a full speech about the fact that he, being half-elven, can see the elves in ways they cannot see themselves. It’s such a clever idea, and there’s a lot in Tolkien canon to work with—the elves are not as pure and untouchable as they present themselves, and this is the cause of much strife both within their own ranks as well as with the dwarves and men of Middle-earth. But Elrond doesn’t explain what he sees, doesn’t name the faults of the elves or make an actual plea as to why they still deserve Durin III’s mercy. He just states the fact and then moves on, which is a real missed opportunity, and also not a very good way of convincing Durin III to trust him.
I also adored the cultural differences between Elrond and Durin vis-a-vis naming traditions. Of course the elves, who don’t die except if they’re killed in battle, wouldn’t understand the tradition of passing on family names. Durin’s attempt to tell Elrond his secret name made me as teary as it made him to realize that he might have to let his friend die.
Obviously I’m on Elrond and Durin IV’s side here, for the sake of their beautiful romance and friendship, and also because refusing to help feels a little bit like allowing genocide, even if it seems to be naturally occurring. However, if the lesson the show is trying to teach is that people should help each other, I’m not sure it actually achieves that here. Because the viewer knows the threat of the balrog, and the destruction that does eventually come to Khazad-dûm. If Durin III’s argument were different it still might work—perhaps if his entire reasoning was only that the elves can’t be trusted and that cheating death is wrong—it might come off better. But his concern is ultimately that he sees a real risk to dwarven lives, a concern that is ultimately born out both by the greater canon and by the episode itself. It’s hard, then, to say that the show is condemning Durin III’s choice, even as we are naturally going to side with his son.
Disa’s speech to her husband is beautiful, and Sophia Nomvete has my heart forever, but I don’t know how I’m supposed to take anything that the episode is saying about what the future looks like. And I think perhaps part of the problem is that the source material for The Rings of Power is a history book. The show could have picked out any single tale from the Silmarillion or any other pieces of Tolkien’s writing. Instead, it has taken a very wide view of the stories it’s telling, so wide that it’s hard to hold onto a single thematic narrative. It’s very different to look back on the long arc of history and see the unintended consequence of morally good choices than it is to try to put all those complexities into a single story.
If the struggle between Durin III, Durin IV, and the elves is about helping those in need, just make the story about that. The audience knows that someday the digging for mithril will bring tragedy. The show can allow us to remember that, can even hint at it to remind us, letting the knowledge color the edges of our perception the way Sadoc’s memory of his ancestor’s story of sleeping volcanos colors his understanding of the modern world. We don’t need The Rings of Power to hit us in the metaphorical thumb with a metaphorical hammer. We just need it to be a little clearer, a little more closely edited. The themes are there, but they need to be brought out of the mud and into the light.
Despite his problems with the show, Sylas K Barrett will forever be grateful to The Rings of Power for all the great dwarf lore, for Princess Disa, and for the way that Durin IV and Elrond look at each other in the torchlight.
Great review! This show has been a major disappointment on the writing front. This episode in particular spotlighted that because, as you say, it DOES include a couple of nice scenes. But that just serves to highlight the way in which these characters have failed to develop into people I care about. The Dwarvish plotline is easily the most compelling, and yet (for me) that has nothing to do with the stakes (of course the elves won’t all die in a few months) and much more to do with the fact that Elrond, Durin III and IV, and Disa are all compelling characters whose happiness I care about. They are complicated and at odds with one another, and as the review also points out, we are rooting for people who we KNOW are wrong because we like them and care about them. Contrast that with both the Numenor cast and the Southlands cast, each of whom has the approximate depth of a cardboard cut-out. Not to make sweeping generalizations about our current media landscape, but I can’t help but feel that the show has ‘super-hero syndrome’ in that it expects me to root for these characters because they are The Good Guys TM, without bothering to give me any interesting characterization beyond ‘doesn’t like evil.’
That’s interesting—I would have said that the appearance of balrogs was the single most contentious issue in all of Tolkien geekdom. (Specifically, the issue of whether they do or don’t have wings. There was a vicious flamewar over that topic on Usenet in the nineties, and it’s remained as controversial as ever.)
The best thing about Rings of Power is the way it reflects the world we live in today. “The Elves are going to take our jobs! Make Numenor Great Again!” It’s powerful and subtle writing like this that makes me hope Rings of Power airs for twenty years!
I took the name change on screen of Southlands to Mordor is one of those things they’re doing for people who don’t know. It didn’t bother me. Surprised they held back and didn’t give Adar a line dubbing it Mordor.
The advertising of this show has been focused on “Who is Sauron?” (Not what interests me on the show but…) And with 1 episode left, we have a Lord of “Mordor” who has a temper and is going to the elves to get healed, who happens to be buddies with the main character, and who also happens to be good at forging… If ya want a twist with an impact, the fireworks are primed. We’ll see how grand or if its misdirection. Regardless, cue Bear’s and Fiona Apple’s “Where the Shadows Lie.”
I’m hopeful for the finale. Stranger, Harfoots, Dweller all coming together. Everyone else in Lindon I assume as Halbrand needs elven care and word of Mordor needs to reach royal ears.
I like the show. I’m enjoying it as its own thing. I wouldn’t call it great, but it’s decent with some good parts. Hopefully season 2 they kick it up a notch and shine. A lot of shows used the COVID downtime to really come out of the gates with scripts that were on fire. Rings didn’t.
Did Adar not claim earlier to have cut Sauron in two?
Adar + Halbrand = Sauron
All the visuals continue to be gorgeously realized—if only the dialogue were as consistently well done. I hate those ultra-dramatic moments that you can tell they think the audience ought to be inspired, but their overblown weight just pops and falls flat. And I agree with Sylas that seeing the Balrog—and seeing it look exactly like PJ’s—was just a let down, not a dramatic revelation. How can we already be to the point in the story where a Balrog can be involved? Where’s all the mithril this mine was famous for?
OT question for anyone who knows:
TOR used to post reviews the morning *after* an episode of a show aired. Somewhere during the past couple years (or is it longer back?) a change was made, and now the reviews are posted the day of. This means I have to avoid them, and sometimes avoid TOR entirely, so I don’t get hit with spoilers. Anyone know the logic of this change?
The thing that annoyed me the most about this episode is the extreme case of plot armour for all of our named characters. The last episode ended with them all caught in the pyroclastic cloud from a volcano eruption that set fire to all the buildings, horses, extras, trees and other vegetation, filled the air with ash and no one got hurt. Galadriell literally stood out in the open with no cover as the fire storm hit her. Everything around her is on fire when this episode starts, but she does not even have a mark on her skin when she escapes with a single survivor, who is just a normal human with no special powers. We see some injured people in the tent later on that got realistic injuries and I have to assume that some people died.
For a show of this scope and this much money put into it I expected better writing, planning and attention to detail.
The inconsistencies in how the characters acted leading up to this episode and how they acted in this is also very weird. A couple of episodes ago one of the Harfoot women said to the leader, what is it going to take for you to take the wheels from them and leave them( in other words let them die) and now she suddenly supports Norry and the stranger and is always right.
Diza suddenly is extremely power hungry and is encouraging her husband to commit treason towards his father in order to obtain riches, that just makes her appear evil to me, a very strange choice from the writers.
The scale of the show is just weird. Like, if I’m watching a stage play I can accept that the “army” is just a half dozen guys standing in for hundreds or thousands, but in this show, things that should be epic are just a handful of cavalry showing up to help a single village full of Southlanders with no indication that this is just a tiny piece of a much larger actin.
Hope that what I started to post last night didn’t come off harsh. My apologies if so…was a long day.
I Think the Whole Galadriel “meet cute”
with Celeborn was done as a nod to honor Tolkien.
But it is odd for those who know the real inspiration.
And I understand that the writers do not have rights to Luthien and Beren. Yet to fuse the Raven haired Luthien with blond Galadriel? ??? I just do not know.
Maybe the other reason it’s difficult is because Luthien was personal to Tolkien beyond just an invented character (see his and Edith’s tombstone) Luthien and Beren.
To be clear, since I have learned expect a lot of new weaving a from this show…and changes ;-) I could imagine Galadriel playing an instrument and/or sword practice (which is like dance) or singing, which would be awesome because of her cut Harp scene in LOTR.
I suppose Blond Galadriel and Celeborn could be a nod to Tolkien and Edith as well as Beren and Luthien and their bright hair allows for not breaking the rights.
And I am aware that other elves beside Luthien danced and sang.
But that particular glade/forest is permeated with Beren and Luthien story…the take Aragorn tells eons down the road to hobbits.
All I can say is I’m not used to the idea. I probably came off edgy last night and I did enjoy reading Sylas’s essay:-) so apologies.
I won’t blame the moderator if they took or take down my post from yesterday. No hard feelings. :-)
@9: Hope that what I started to post last night didn’t come off harsh.
I didn’t see your post before you or mods removed it, but this whole idea of Galadriel and Celeborn meeting first, as if Beren and Luthien hijacked their story, really annoyed and even angered me. As you said, it is an expression of Tolkien’s special memory of him meeting Edith, and it feels as if this show just relegated it to some aside. I don’t know, maybe Jeff or Sylas will find something positive to say about it, but until then, I am not happy.
@7: Although I still think Halbrand is Sauron, the Disa/Durin scene near the end of this episode was the first time I took seriously the theory that Disa is Sauron.
@9, @10: I’ve only seen the episode and heard the dialogue in question once yet, but I don’t think the similarity of Galadriel and Celeborn’s meeting to that of Beren and Lúthien is all that striking. There’s no indication that Celeborn had recently lost his father and all his closest comrades, spent months eking out a perilous existence as an outlaw, then traveled over a steep mountain range and through a spider-infested forest before coming upon Galadriel dancing. As far as I can recall, there’s not even any indication that the meeting took place at night, and no mention of hemlocks (the element of the Beren/Lúthien scene that was most personal to Tolkien, since Edith actually danced for him in a glade with hemlocks).
I’m far more disappointed by Episode 1’s account of Finrod’s death contradicting the story of Beren and Lúthien than by any similarity of their story to that of Galadriel and Celeborn. And, in fact, in Tolkien’s writing there’s at least one interesting parallel between the two couples: Celeborn gave the Elf formerly known as “Artanis” and “Nerwen” the name “Galadriel”, just as Beren gave Lúthien the name “Tinúviel”. Unfortunately (but understandably), ROP contradicts this in its very first scene, in which Finrod addresses his sister as “Galadriel” when she’s still a child.
All I can say about Disa is: she clearly loves her husband, cares deeply for her people, and can’t stand the idea of them doing nothing while an entire people die. The sudden “Disa almost going full Anakin with their new Empire” was… A bit much, but the general sentiment I get.
Wish we would have seen King Durin interact with her, since I get the feeling there’s tension there too. I highly doubt it’s just Durin/Durin stress. That probably plays into her sudden “Enough of his idiot.”
@@@@@ 11 Yes I agree about Finrod. He was so brave and he sacrificed himself personally for Beren fighting the were creature wolf. The story cannot be told of course unless some other elf kills a wolf and dies as an “Easter egg” later. Sigh.
I began to think that the whole business with the oaths at the beginning was a way to composite Feanor &co into Finrod and Galadriel. (In addition to the missing brothers.) Errr. Galadriel did say her people almost mistook her for the enemy. Well with Feanor you would.
I do agree that the dancing Galadriel story is NOT specific (as you said: at night, the umbels fair and all)
But it would have to pull away from that anyway because of rights.
Yet I still think it is an Easter egg to give nod and wink.
The reason @@@@@10 and I were perplexed is because Galadriel would have been at Doriath when they met, even if it cannot be named or can it? Did Arondir reference Beleriand once??
When Beren is haunting the woods watching Luthien through those seasons, there is no mention of any other elves dancing there. I suppose one could say from the poem, since Luthien had skills “only elven dancers know,” other elves must have danced or trained or something.
So there could be a leeway.
However, I had the impression that Luthien was a Central legend to Doriath. And she is The Only Dancer named there ie “The Dancer of Doriath” (albeit wasn’t there a blond elf woman who delighted in dancing in Valinor?) I suppose that could work on the composite level with blond Galadriel.
But somehow, I had the impression the forest referenced was intended to be Beleriand-Doriath.
If Luthien and Galadriel were both there in an alternate universe, Beren could have fallen for Galadriel because she was also dancing there. It just feels kind of odd to me.
Like these things happen ALL the time. Well maybe not between a Mortal and Elf, but then again it could be luck of the draw which dancing elf Beren would fall for depending on his arrival. The best I can say is I’m not used to the idea.
And with This and Finrod just dying in battle, maybe it makes it feel like the whole story is gone minus wink/nod Easter eggs. A story very much a heart of Tolkien’s tales. (Much more than lore alone)
And did you notice that line about Celeborn’s armor not fitting right? Is it because he is sylvan? Cannot figure it out? It made me wonder if Celeborn will end up being half human? I just don’t know why Celeborn is a warrior elf who cannot even find proper armor. That’s a little strange. But will have to wait and see.
@@@@@10 and @@@@@11…I think the writers really intended the wink/nod to honor the story (but they have to hide it behind blond hair. And now it also occurs, that the forest referenced could be the real life forest where Edith danced for Tolkien.
Maybe the writers are saying “this is the best we can do since we do not have rights…but you will know who we are really referencing ;-)
Maybe, they just want us to imagine: Galadriel as Edith and Celeborn as Tolkien? Did the professor have rumpled clothes? Maybe that’s why Celeborn’s armor does not fit.
It is difficult for me to wrap my mind around it.
I personally think the Tolkien Estate made some curious decisions. It’s all mixed up!!
I do think Sylas liked the idea of Galadriel sharing her personal history with Theo. That it added a much needed dimension. I do agree with Sylas, that it was good to see Galadriel have this one on one with Theo where she’s not just fighting with sword or words or making speeches. Just was not reading for the “He saw me dancing there…”
And somewhere *sheepish smile* I carried on about “borrowed/not original tales and things being left evergreen. And it came off edgier because I was tired. No worries now laugh. It never posted anyway.
I was enjoying reading Sylas’s essay. And I’m sure there will be more essays to come!!
Who knows? Maybe Galadriel will play her harp too eventually.
And @@@@@11 yes…I noted your reference to Celeborn naming Artanis/Nerwin, Galadriel and Beren naming Luthien, Tinuviel.
That is interesting.
Think ROP is just another realm or parallel universe of Middle Earth.
Oh dear Arondir…
Maybe Arondir will die killing a wolf to save Isildur also of er hm Beren’s line.
B een watching with mixed feelings, and feelings are still quite mixed after this episode. I think the actors themselves are fine, and the production team has succeeded at giving us a secondary world that is credibly Middle-earth. There are some really good moments that stand out, and others that just don’t seem to work.
It seems that the creators decided to tell their own story, using elements of Tolkien’s sparsely-chronicled Second Age (at least, when compared to the First and Third Ages) and characters from the larger Legendarium, rather than juggling the story as told on the page with modifying it for the limits and strengths of medium. That can be a fine choice, and leaves the show as its own thing, which can stand on its own while paying due respect to the material it draws from.
I can’t help but compare Rings of Power to House of the Dragon (for which I will offer no spoilers), which is doing very much the same thing – both shows are taking a “sketch” or timeline by a well known fantasy author, set in their same world but at an earlier time that the popular work the new show is drawing from, breathing life into it and expanding it into its own story. And Rings of Power suffers by comparison. The House of the Dragon, and everyone involved with it, is just knocking it out of the park.
I’m also skeptical of the “Who is Sauron?” mystery-box. It’s always seemed to me that the that great tragedy of the Rings of Power was the quasi-real friendship between Celebrimbor and Annatar, and its end in a series of crushing and horrific betrayals, and right now it seems unlikely that will be seen on screen (although it’s far too early to say for sure). Sylas’ comment that Rings of Power feels like they’re shooting from a first draft of the script really rings true. Hopefully the second season will grow more polished, and build on the strengths we’ve seen so far.
I rather liked this episode and was quite shocked to realise that this Friday sees the Season Finale: one could certainly stand to see a season or two more of this show.
One of the more interesting scenes (in addition to the really, really good Galadriel & Theo arc, the quiet horror of the moment the Regent of Numenor realises she’s blind and the even more horrible moment when those three oddities dogging The Stranger’s footsteps put themselves very firmly in the “Looks fair, feels foul” column by incinerating the Harfoot way of life) is unquestionably Prince Durin’s chat with Lady Disa after that confrontation with his Lord Father (itself one of the series’ strongest scenes to date): my own reading was that this is, to at least some degree, the Dwarvish lust for wealth & beauty beginning to assert itself over one of our heroes quite as much as the Lady Disa wishing to help a friend.
It was, quite honestly, one of the frightening moments in the series (a fright not ameliorated by Durin’s Bane making their first appearance).
I’ve heard credible speculation that Disa is not Sauron, but is being set up as a recipient of one of the Dwarven rings
Yeah, my husband and I both laughed – not in a good way – at the dramatic Southlands/Mordor reveal. I’ve ranted a little about my dislike of modern ‘mystery boxes’ and this just feels like one of them (along with the whole who is Sauron/what is up with Halbrand/the Stranger mysteries). It just doesn’t feel like the story is unfolding organically.
I’ve realized some of my biggest issues is more that things just happen because the plot has to happen. First Galadriel was all gung ho, now she is counselling restraint/wisdom to Theo (and to be sure, I like a lot of their conversation, but there isn’t an in-story reason for her to change her tune here). Sylas already pointed out that Largo’s speech does not actually jive with what we’ve seen of the Harfoots. I’m also not sure how wise I think Nori was/is being here.
I have ranted at length elsewhere about how Elrond is not a true friend and I can’t stand the dynamic between him and Durin at all. I hate that they are trying to establish that Elrond “let” him win (how magnanimous of him) and everything about their interactions sets my teeth one edge. This is another weird one where I don’t actually disagree with Durin the elder. Sure, they could perhaps have some compromises with the mithril and mining it, but he’s right – it IS dangerous and he has a whole kingdom depending on him, who have more of a right to his protection than the Elves do. (Especially when the Elves aren’t even trustworthy…).
I love Disa, and I want to believe they are just an amazing power couple but for a few minutes I was kind of feeling she was VERY invested in the idea of being queen. It could just be because like Durin she also has grand visions for their people, but there were a few times she got a light in her eyes when talking about that mithril that gave me pause…
I don’t really love the whole thing tying mithril to the Elves and that being the reason for awakening Durin’s bane, but her speech does evoke the ‘delved too greedily and too deep’…
There might have been something else I wanted to comment on, but I’m tired. Maybe I’ll remember later :)
I did really like Miriel’s performance here, and the idea that this is part of what will lead to them having a more martial presence in Middle Earth.
The 3 witch women are fascinating and scary but I really have no idea how they fit into the legendarium at all! Very interesting!
this episode was a bit of a hodge-podge, but there were some really lovely and exciting things in there.
I’ve been taking the approach of expecting season one to be a lot of setting scenes for the next four seasons, and trying to set realistic expectations (and not comparing to the quality of previous adaptations – which is hard). there’s a lot of ground still to cover and I’m actually more concerned they have compressed the timeline too much – it doesn’t feel like there is much breathing space sometimes. maybe we are going to see small timejumps between seasons – Rings of power don’t just pop out of an assembly line.
One minor quibble, is the debate around “who is Sauron?” and I really don’t like any of the theories I have seen so far. I’m guessing he is someone we just haven’t seen yet, or at most a very minor background character who could be missed if you blink too slow. Halbrand seems too convenient and would be a waste of a potentially interesting character; Adar would be disappointing because he is already the most compelling character in the show (apologies to Durin/Disa); Theo would make no sense. I expect we’re going to get either a season cliff-hanger, or a last minute reveal. Or a teaser and they’ll put it off until sometime later.
Looking forward to how they tie things together (or not) in the season finale.
The thing to remember about the current origin story for the mithril is that it not only contains the light of the Silmaril, but it is also tainted by the presence of the Balrog.
If I were an aspiring Dark Lord, I’d be watching how these magics were amplifying the dwarves’ greed and looking for a way to exploit it. It’s certainly a character trait one could use to, say, bind them to one’s service
@6: Re: scheduling. Most of our TV reviews/recaps still run the day after an episode airs. Because The Rings of Power episodes air late on Thursday nights (technically Friday morning at 12 AM Eastern time), and we don’t schedule content on weekends, we either have to run recaps on Friday or wait until Monday. It may not be ideal, but running these articles on Friday makes the most sense for the writers, editors, and moderators involved; our other TV coverage is scheduled according to similar issues involving timing and episode availability, and we’ve found that running coverage sooner rather than later tends to be the best option (while it might not be for everyone).
@9 sun hobbit: None of your comments in this thread have been taken down or held in moderation–perhaps your previous attempt at leaving a comment didn’t go through, because all of the comments from Friday should be visible…