Episode 204 | The Rings of Power Season Two Breakdown & Reaction
Please note that this entry & video includes major spoilers for episode four of season two!
There are really three plotlines in this episode: Elvish Journey to Eregion; Rhûn; and Pelargir. No Dwarves or Númenor, so I’m guessing we will return to them in the next episode. I think it’s probably difficult for those who are fans of specific plotlines to have to wait in between episodes, but I do feel the story is better preserved when it isn’t broken up quite so much.
This episode is written by Glenise Mullens,who was not credited for any episodes for season one, as far as I’m aware.
Galadriel and Elrond’s Journey to Eregion:
Traveling & Distance: One of the big criticisms from season one is that distances traveled were not well-communicated, so I appreciated a few details we were given here about the distance between the Grey Havens and Eregion. Elrond says at the beginning that it was about 150 leagues, and then we are shown some really beautiful landscape and map shots to communicate these distances.
The Work of Sauron: When the company comes to a bridge that’s been broken, Galadriel immediately sees it as the work of Sauron. Yes, she is correct in this instance, but is he truly the only one capable of this? And how did he do it? Perhaps Damrod?
“This is the work of Sauron…” - Galadriel
Galadriel & Elrond: There is a lot of tension between Galadriel and Elrond. Galadriel is struggling to accept Elrond’s authority as the leader of their company. There is a power struggle between the two of them. When deciding their course of action after being rerouted by the broken bridge, Galadriel has a vision of evil in the hills to the South. She believes Sauron wants them to take this path in order to ensnare them, and advises against it, but she is overridden by Elrond’s decision. Elrond refuses to take any counsel from Galadriel because of the Ring.
“This company will not take counsel by that trinket.” - Elrond
The Barrow-Downs: Just as Galadriel predicted, Barrow-wights close in on the elf company. This scene is quite creepy and scary, not for children! It is here that we see the Elf-vengers shot from the trailer and then one of the elves is dragged away to his death. They realize they cannot be defeated by any weapons, and Elrond opens one of the barrows to retrieve spears. These spears are able to destroy the wights because, as Elrond notes, according to the lore they can only be returned to rest by the blades with which they were buried. This scene was disappointingly short after all of the fuss about Barrow-wights.
At the end of the fight scene, Galadriel remarks that it was Sauron who awoke the wights. (Galadriel is so obsessed with Sauron but I get it, girl.) I’m imagining a drinking game for every time Galadriel mentions Sauron?
Elrond’s Distrust of the Rings: After this scene with the wights, Elrond is brooding and Galadriel tries to counsel him.
“I know you believe this Ring is deceiving me, but I believe it is guiding me.” - Galadriel
“Is there no point at which the cost of victory becomes too great?” - Elrond
“I promise you there will be more painful sacrifices.” - Galadriel foresees the Fall of Eregion; Sauron’s crown; Elrond held by orcs with a blade to his throat; Celebrimbor thrown to the ground; Lord Halbrand in armor. After this vision, she implores Elrond to put defeating Sauron before all other causes. He refuses to make any decision counseled by the ring, but does concede: “Defeating Sauron will come first, even before you.” - Elrond
An Army of Orcs: Orc armies are heard marching and the elves follow. Orc arrows strike near to the elves. Camnir is shot! RIP… Oh wait, Galadriel’s ring heals him?!
Galadriel then gives Nenya to Elrond and tells him to take it and return to Lindon with the others. Galadriel faces the Orcs alone. She steals their horse and kills many orcs but is captured by Adar. Adar greets Galadriel in a traditional elvish manner, by saying a star shines upon the hour of their meeting. I loved this ending and it made me extremely excited for next week when we see episode five.
As they are leaving Galadriel, one of the other elves remarks that Galadriel sacrificed herself for them but Elrond argues Galadriel sacrificed herself to save the Ring only, not to protect her friends. He seems very bitter about it.
In Rhûn
The Stranger and Tom Bombadil:
The Stranger is trying to find Nori and Poppy, but finds Tom Bombadil instead. His star-map blows way until it gets stuck in a tree, from which the Stranger attempts to break off a branch. The Tree is unhappy and swallows him up Old Man Willow style. Naturally, Tom Bombadil frees him. He comes into Bombadil’s home and is given a bath.
We hear Goldberry’s voice but don’t see her, and then Bombadil denies her existence. A bit odd!
Some of Tom’s dialogue doesn’t make a ton of sense when speaking to the Stranger because the Maiar are also older than the Earth. However, I love that most of it was pulled straight out of the books. Although these lines were meant for Tom to speak when dealing with Hobbits, who are indeed much younger than Tom.
The Stranger asks Bombadil to teach him how to wield a staff and Bombadil says he must prove himself first. He also reveals that he is not the first Istari to visit him.
“You’re not the first Istar who has eaten honey by my fire. Years ago there was another, the Dark Wizard.”
Bombadil believes the Dark Wizard is seeking out an ally, likely Sauron, and warns that if they were to join forces it would be the end of the free peoples of Middle-earth. He eventually states that it is the Stranger’s task to face Sauron and the Dark Wizard.
“If these two flames combine into one, there will be no end to the burning until Middle-earth is ashes.”
Nori and Poppy
Nori and Poppy wake up in the desert where they meet Merrimac, a Stoor. Merrimac and Poppy are immediately smitten, and they follow him into their village.
Merrimac is a very cute character, and I loved when he said he had “four rules” and then only listed three.
Basically, they are sand hobbits who live in an established village built into the rocks.
They meet the Stoor’s leader, a woman named Gundabel who is very no-nonsense. She begins to dig into Merrimac and Poppy defends him, which offends her. Nori tells them about her friend, the Stranger. At first, they think he’s an elf and we hear this completely ridiculous line: “He’s a great big Grand Elf.” So I think it’s clear that the Stranger is going to be named Gandalf soon. However, once Nori clarifies that he’s not an elf but a wizard this causes a commotion because: “The only wizard under these skies is the Dark Wizard.”
Later, the Harfoots name drop Saddoc Burrows; Gundabel recounts a legend about a man named Burrows and we discover that his plight is related to Poppy’s Walking Song.
The Big Folk (Mad Max) arrive in the Stoor village, demanding to know the whereabouts of the Harfoots. Gundabel won’t give up the Harfoots and so the trackers threaten them but leave.
Pelargir
We pick up where a search party has been put together to find Theo. There is a lot of tension between the people of Pelargir and the Wild Men who have largely sworn allegiance to Adar.
The people of Pelargir want to wage war against the wild men because they think they took Theo
Isildur and Estrid are flirting usual, but Arondir confronts Estrid and it is then that they discover she has been branded with the mark of Adar. They take her and demand she bring them to the camp of the Wild Men.
Eventually, it is discovered that Theo has been taken by the Ents who are very angry.
Isildur and Arondir fall into a sort of quicksand situation and are rescued in part by Estrid. There is a giant worm monster but nobody is harmed and it is killed extremely quickly. Much like the Barrow-wight fight, there are very low stakes in this episode.
Isildur frees Estrid from her chains and they are once again flirting until she takes her sword, but they are interrupted by an Entwife who whacks her over. Isildur and Estrid are nearly stepped on by the Entwife until Arondir asks the Entwife to stop.
In a very touching scene, Arondir asks the Ents for forgiveness and promises to stop the orcs who have been harming the trees. They have some sweet dialogue about how the Ents know peace, and then they release Theo.
Once again, Estrid and Isildur are flirting until she is suddenly reunited with her betrothed who was one of the wild men captured with Theo - he’s not a good guy!
Theo thanks Arondir for coming for him. This moment was very sweet because Bronwyn’s theme plays quietly during their conversation. Arondir then says goodbye to Theo and that he must leave Pelargir to pursue Adar and the orc army.
It would also seem that Theo is the Lord of Pelargir now?
Episode Four Notes:
The ending came too soon! I was on the edge of my seat when we saw Adar and I am dying now to see episode five. But I’m happy the Tom Bombadil song began playing during the end credits as I adore that song.
I’m already so sad that we’re at the halfway point of the season! Soon we will be back to waiting around for the next season, which breaks my heart! Though I’m sure we’ll have much to chat about during the next long wait.
Tom Bombadil was not how I expected him to be, but I think had he been much goofier it might not have worked with the tone for the rest of the show. I still think he probably shouldn’t have been adapted in the first place, but if he had to be I’m glad they could get Rory Kinnear to play him because he’s doing a lovely job.
I’m glad we are finally making some progress in the Rhûn storyline as well.
