The Rings of Power: Episodes 3 and 4 review

THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE RINGS OF POWER

As Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power hits its third and fourth episodes, the characters and the world seem to be hitting a groove that will hopefully propel it forward. Plotlines are beginning to thicken and become more tangible, characters are becoming more three-dimensional, and the world continues to grow and expand in the same way the original books do as you read them.

There are five main plotlines being juggled within the show: Galadriel’s hunt for Sauron, Númenór’s political turmoil, the Southland’s escape and defense against orcs, the Harfoots’ migration, and Elrond and Durin’s partnership in the East.

Starting with Galadriel, her arrival to Númenór with Halbrand set in motion possibly the most interesting chain of events so far in the show. Her discovery that the mysterious symbol she had found in the ice wastes was actually a map to Mordor was an amazing twist, especially because it makes the viewer say to themself, “How did I not see that?” —perfectly mirroring how Galadriel feels. The viewer gets a glimpse into the strife and rising tensions of Númenór, as Galadriel’s arrival marks the first time an Elf has landed on the island in years.

Since the last Elf, Númenór’s people have become increasingly antagonistic and distrusting of Elves, setting up their ultimate downfall. We also find out that Halbrand is the true heir to the throne of the Southlands, something that is sure to grow in the plot as it moves forward; but, for the time being fans have begun to speculate how Halbrand may factor into the later part of the show and even the Lord of the Rings plot in the next age. The current theory, while mostly speculation as of now, is that Halbrand’s character arc will mirror that of Aragorn, the major difference being that he will fall to Sauron’s will as his ancestors’ fell to Morgoth’s. The theory goes further to say that Halbrand himself is a Nazgul—a holder of one of the nine rings of power gifted to men, or even the leader of the nine, Angmar.

Next is the Southlands, which, as said before, will likely come together with the rest of the approaching plotlines in the coming episodes. Arondir is captured by the Orcs building that will become Mordor, and while his escape is halted in episode three, this allows a whole new level of intrigue to develop in episode four as the character Adar is introduced.

Adar, or Lord-Father of the Orcs, is likely not Sauron despite having a name very similar to Annatar, which is Sauron’s disguised name when he deceives Númenór. Adar does, however, give the show its first solidified antagonist, as up to this point there have only been good or morally gray characters. Also, Adar is badass. We see him grieve over the death of an Orc, something that is completely new to the on-screen storytelling of Middle-Earth up to this point, also punctuating his “Lord-Father” name. Before Rings of Power, orcs were nothing more than cannon-fodder for the heroes to dispose of (save for the attempt at a more well-rounded orc in The Hobbit movies), but now they are beefier and scarier than ever.

This leads to the inevitable question: if Adar isn’t Sauron, who is? This question will likely permeate most of the first season, as it fits into the role that Sauron plays as ‘The Deceiver.’ The fact that he is not only deceiving and alluding the characters, but the viewers too, is absolutely brilliant. Another contender for his role is ‘The Stranger,’ which the Harfoots have stumbled upon as he came from a meteor falling from the sky. The other, what I would say is the more likely outcome, is that this is none other than Gandalf the Gray in his flustered, non-communicative form having just been sent by the Valar. While I think that would be interesting, I do personally hope that this is not Gandalf, as it is explicitly stated in The Silmarillion that Gandalf and the other wizards were not sent to Middle-Earth until the Third Age. While seeing how Gandalf comes to fall in love with the hobbits, I feel this would be a bit too much of a change.

Ending with Elrond and Durin, this is by far the slowest-developing plotline. It offers a nice break from the action and tension with some lighthearted fun Tolkien’s world is known for. We do, in these episodes, find out what Durin and the Dwarves have been hiding: mithril, the strongest and most valuable ore in the land. This discovery sets up what any Lord of the Rings fan knows will happen to the Dwarves of Moria: delve too deep into the earth and be swallowed up by the culmination of their greed.

And that’s episodes three and four of Rings of Power! I find myself more and more enveloped with each episode, and hopefully you will join me as the rest of the series comes out! Navaer!