LotR: The Rings of Power 1.05.

[selenak]

Okay, if Gil-Galad isn't pulling a fast one on Elrond (which could be), this whole "Mithril is the only thing that could save the Elves from fading" idea is as silly an addition as "Arwen's life is now tied to the fate of the Ring" in Jackson's RotK, but I don't care, because it's an excuse for a great Durin & Elrond friendship subplot throughout the episode. (Also, an additional possibility is that Gil-Galad is simply mistaken as to cause and effect, and what's rotting the leaves is Elven complacency, not anything to do with Mithril.) They're serving up all the friendship tropes on a silver (err, Mithril) plate with these two, don't they? Elrond defending Durin during the tense dinner! Elrond realising Durin was just messing with the Elves re: the table, and sharing the joke! Loyalty conflict! Durin giving the Elves a chance for Elrond's sake! It was all lovely to watch.

Meanwhile, Meteor Man/Maybe Gandalf aquires some Harfoot vocabulary, wonders whether he's a peril, saves Nori and friends from wargs and then, alas, uses scary magical powers to heal his arm that inadvertendly endanger Nori. Reconcile them quickly, show, Nori & Meteor Man is the other great friendship you've developed so far.

Down in the Southlands: Adar loving sunlight and it reminding him of his "former state" reminds me of the conversation between Elrond and Gil Galad in episode 1 which mentioned Morgoth loving the light of the Silmaril. (And of course the show opening monologue by Galadriel emphasizing "there was always light" in Valinor.) And the silly Mithril = light = Elven survival quation Gil Galad draws elsewhere in this episode. While Adar near the end of the episode reacts badly to the assumption he's Sauron, there aren't that many fallen Maia around at this point in Middle Earth history, so...hmmm. Fallen Elf, at the very least. My inner soap opera familiar wondered briefly whether we've seen the dead body of Galadriel's brother, but then remembered we did, in said opening monologue, so he can't be Adar. (Which otherwise would be a very post Star Wars nasty plot thread to confront Galadriel with.) Anyway, Adar - and his concern with his Orcs, though said concern allows for skin burns - does like like he's going to be an Evil Overlord With Layers, and I still think probably a way through which to explore the "Orcs were born out of twisted elves" backstory lore.

Theo NOT joining the part of the population off to submit to Adar (unlike his friend, who promptly dies for it) and instead actually becoming a bit less hostile towards Arondir was a surprise, though given I don't see how the Numenorians could arrive the Southland squick enough to relieve a siege of that Tower, I still see Theo as vulnerable to Adar recruitment. (Especially since he doesn't know about his friend's fate.)

Meanwhile in Numenor: Pharazon is pretty openly speculating about taking over once Miriel is either off with Galadriel or has doomed herself with this Elven aliance, isn't he? Explains why he supported her last week. Presumably that also means he's going to be the one ruling when Atlantis happens Numenor gets destroyed, which in turn could mean Miriel survives in exile along with Isildur and some other Numenorians becoming the ancestors of Aragorn & Co.

The "What do you know of darkness?" scene between Haldbrand and Galadriel, with Galadriel's "because I don't know how to stop" confession: presumably that's going to be her arc, learning how to stop fighting (unless attacked), becoming able to let go. Otoh, given she's about to be proven right re: Sauron, I wonder how that will work...

Comments

[chelseagirl]

M. and I are thoroughly enjoying this show. (M is a Tolkien obsessive since about age 5, I'm a bit more measured in my response.)

I'm pretty sure the Stranger is Gandalf; I'm curious about the motives of the folks who seem to be trailing him at a distance. I thought for sure Adar was Sauron, but now I'm less certain.

[selenak]

I'm still betting on Gandalf as the Stranger's identity, too!

[kore]

It's fun! We thought eps three and four were a LOT better than the first and second ones.

[avrelia]

I didn't expect it, but I am enjoying this show more and more with each episode.

[selenak]

Same here!

[labingi]

The "What do you know of darkness?" scene between Haldbrand and Galadriel, with Galadriel's "because I don't know how to stop" confession: presumably that's going to be her arc, learning how to stop fighting (unless attacked), becoming able to let go. Otoh, given she's about to be proven right re: Sauron, I wonder how that will work...

This show gives me that sense that the writers really wanted to write about the First Age rather than Second. I'm not sure why they landed on the Second: more info in the appendices? Anyway, they're writing a First Age Galadriel. Collapsing the timeline of 3000 years to a vague few hundred fairly advertises they wanted a First Age timeline (it is a few hundred years total). Galadriel behaves rather as Tolkien describes her right off the boat from Valinor: vain, enraged, and spoiling for a fight--also not married yet (presumably) and free to occupy a "shield maiden-ish" social role (though I don't think this show will call that out as a cultural thing). For early First Age Galadriel, that "I can't stop" idea might work as the start of a revelation that she was wrong to be so gung-ho in disobeying the Valar, feeling Valinor, etc., and it could be a starting point to her pulling back and settling down into the wiser figure who becomes more patient, less arrogant, etc. However, I agree with you that placing this right at the beginning of her becoming the series' epic martial leader in the fight against Sauron doesn't make much structural sense. (I doubt her arc is going to be giving up fighting to marry Celeborn.)

At this point, I really kind of wish they'd made the show about the First Age. It would have presented them with more of the canonical material they apparently want to engage with.

[selenak]

Just guessing, but: a First Age series would not allow an inclusion of the creation of the Rings, and I could see Amazon executives stating that the Ring(s) better be in this series they're spending all this money on, or else.

[labingi]

I bet you're exactly right. Makes me sad that these series are so dominated by marketing. I know TV has always been a business, but that lack of artistic license seems to me a downside of the super high budgets.

[kore]

I grew up with the Hobbit/LOTR books, washed out on the Silmarillion, didn't like the Jackson films (especially not after the earlier film!) and wasn't that interested in this show at first. We started kind of watching it to spite the screaming fanboys, and I'm surprised that I'm enjoying it quite a lot! The scenery and CGI is beautiful, the acting is good, the writing is okay. The Galadriel actress is amazing. So probably a fairly shallow level of enjoyment, but it's fun. Probably if I had been a Silm fan I'd be much more annoyed.

[selenak]

I have no doubt that my extremely vague memories of the Silm and the Appendices contribute to my enjoyment of this series, but so far I really do enjoy it, and am rooting for it. Spiting the "no Tolkien character other than an Orc is ever allowed to be non-white!!!!" crowd is a bonus, of course, but I'm very aware that there are Tolkien purists who simply love the books and object to the series for completely valid reasons. There are a couple of shows and movies that drove me mad while others liked them precisely because I knew too much about the source, so I know how it feels to be on the other side of this.