Rings of Power returns us to Khazad-dûm with Durin and Disa, Galadriel deals with Elrond, while a new evil is in Rhûn! Re:cap - “Elven Kings Under the Sky”; Sauron was killed by Adar and his Orcs, but rose again in human form as Halbrand! Elrond has returned to Lindon and High King Gil-galad wants him to turn over the Three Rings. Instead, he leaps over a cliff into the sea! Elrond goes to the shipwright, Cirdan, to find a way to destroy the Rings. He takes a boat out to a point where the Three Rings can be lost. Adar has spared Halbrand and his human servant, Waldreg, has him swear allegiance to Adar. Halbrand kneels, Adar wants him to vow with his head next to his feet!, and he does so. He says he will serve the “Lord of Mordor”, himself!, not Adar. Halbrand rides out of the Orc camp and Adar sends Glug to follow him. Waldreg mocks Halbrand’s vow to kill him, returning to the prison cell, he finds the giant collar.
Then, the Warg leaps at him, Waldreg screams! The best end to a traitor! Sauron rides away. At Lindon, there is a stirring Elvish song by Gil-galad, it is like Sam’s song, “In Western Lands Beneath the Sun” in Return of the King, a farewell. Impressive singing by Benjamin Walker as the Elves including Galadriel and Elrond prepare to leave Middle-Earth. Cirdan walks up to Gil-galad and says perfection is not just in Valinor. He shows him Narya, the Ring of Fire, that he wears, and opens his hand to show the other two Rings, Nenya and Vilya! Gil-galad picks them up, Elrond shouts, “No!”, and this startles the high king dropping the Rings. One, diamond-like, falls down steps to Galadriel! This is Nenya, the Ring of Water!, it has chosen her. Galadriel picks it up, Elrond tries to warn her, but she slips it on her finger. Gil-galad puts on Vilya, the Ring of Air. It seems that there is a autumn sun on them, a beautiful shot out of what was a solemn occasion.
The bare Great Tree of Lindon begins blooming flowers that turn autumnal and then white. Galadriel smiles. Elrond goes to Galadriel, looks at her, and then walks off. She stands next to Gil-Galad and Cirdan and they hold out their Rings. The fires of the Eregion forge is lit. The Elven smiths prepare the forge and an anvil is lowered. Lord Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) watches as Mirdania (Amelia Kenworthy) compliments the new forge. This is Kenworthy’s first series. She is there to announce a messager from the Southlands. The gate is raised and Halbrand rides in! Celebrimbor sees him from a tower and Mirdania asks if he should be allowed in. Galadriel had warned him about Halbrand before she left. Then, we see the city of Eregion, Ost-in-Edhil, next to the River Greyflood as we fade to black.
I really like the concentration on Sauron and Adar, Galadriel, Elrond, and Gil-galad, then The Stranger, Nori, and now Poppy. The show has a number of leads in different places so this is a good way of breaking up the groups across different episodes. Charlotte Brändström directs “Where the Stars are Strange” along with Louise Hooper who also directed episodes of The Sandman. The writer is Jason Cahill who also wrote episodes seven, “The Eye”, last season. There is the fiery cauldron of Mount Doom like the Eye of Sauron which erupts, this was one of the images that The Stranger had seen. We move to the map as Sauron’s darkness spreads west. It heads towards Khazad-dûm! This is the kingdom of the Dwarves under the Misty Mountains which we saw as Moria (a later name for it) in Fellowship of the Rings (2001). This is in its glory days with Prince Durin IV. Elrond goes there to meet with his friend to get help with the building of Celebrimbor’s forge. He is invited over by Durin’s wife, Disa, and sees at their home, the sapling from the Great Tree.
Durin agrees to Elrond’s plan, but has a more difficult time discussing it with his father, King Durin III. Elrond catches Disa talking about a mine with Durin and then finds that the has discovered mithril! The cave collapses and it is sealed by the king. Durin IV sends his son to Lindon. There Elrond recounts to Gil-galad “The Story of the Roots of Hithaeglir.” A tree held a Silmaril, the light sacred to Elves, a warrior defended it against a Balrog. Lightning strikes the tree and it’s power goes into the earth. Gil-galad says that the mithril has the light of the Silmaril. Elrond meets with King Durin III to negotiate for the mithril. There are two other Dwarf lords with four more that still need to appear. Still, the king does not want to endanger Dwarves with the mining. Elrond is about to leave Durin and Disa, but finds the corrupted Great Tree leaf being healed by a piece of mithril! In secret, Durin is mining with Elrond and finds a vein of mithril!
Below, the vein, a Balrog stirs in the darkness! Still, he gets into an argument with his father he rips off his crest, no longer heir to the kingdom! Elrond returned to Eregion. Halbrand suggests to Celebrimbor an alloy to amplify the piece of mithril. We move into Khazad-dûm, which uses mirrors to reflect sun deep into the kingdom. There is the market of Dwarves, Disa (Sophia Nomvete) is shopping with Durin (Owain Arthur) for mole-tail stew. He says she married a prince and now he is an outcast. She says she married the one she loves. Their relationship is the best romance in the show. Disa asks if he talked to his father. Durin is stubborn and starts to complain, but it is drowned out as Disa hears something. She tells him to brace himself and then yells for everyone to brace themselves as the ground rumbles! A large stone shatters a bridge and Durin holds Disa. They walk to see the mirror light start to wink out!
Galadriel places her hand with Nenya on the ground before the carving of Finrod, her brother. Celebrimbor surprises her walking in and says he had a visitor. It becomes dark like night and Galadriel wonders about his return. Roots start to snake towards her and bind her. This turns blood red. Celebrimbor begins to say in Black Speech the inscription of the One Ring! He rises with the roots in this nightmare then is lashed against a tree and his body pierced! Galadriel is a council, but the voices are muffled. Gil-galad is planning with an attack on Adar’s forces and the Commander of the South (Jeany Spark) reports that Sauron was seen going to Mordor. Gil-galad asks the Commander of the Northern Armies and Galadriel finally turns and says ships on the River Anduin could attack from the west. Gil-galad agrees, the council leaves, and he asks what troubles Galadriel. She says that Sauron may have gone to Mordor, but wants to take all of Middle-Earth.
Galadriel tells Gil-galad that Sauron wants to take the will of the people and needs the Rings and Celebrimbor for his plans. The high king covers his ring hand. Gil-galad says that the defenses of Eregion will keep him safe. She touches Nenya and sees a stormy vision of Halbrand. Galadriel goes to Gil-galad’s side and says there is some hidden evil moving towards Celebrimbor. He asks how she knows and Galadriel says she can sense the Unseen World with Nenya. Gil-galad doesn’t want Galadriel to face Sauron by herself. She asks if she wasn’t alone in her encounter. A bell tolls as we move to Eregion, “Realm of the Elven-smiths”, there is beautiful cupolas with the Misty Mountains in the distance. Mirdania delivers to Halbrand that he is denied entry by Lord Celebrimbor. He is asked to leave, but Sauron, I mean Halbrand lashes his horse’s reins to a pillar. Mirdania sees the bloody slashes on his back.
Celebrimbor walks down to the forge and finds that Halbrand will not leave. He holds to his promise to Galadriel and doesn’t care that Halbrand is injured. The fallen and bloody messenger, Calenwe, is dragged back past his dead horse and the body of another Elf. Her body is also dragged leaving behind the crushed message cylinder. A rider races the setting sun, he has a skull mask, and dismounts at Caras Gaer, “Western Rhûn.” It is several curved, stone buildings. Inside, it is a dark hall, an acolyte (Bryony Miller) appears before the throne of a Dark Wizard (Ciarin Hinds), dressed in white robes, with a guru beard, and staff. Mance Rayder was played by Hinds in Game of Thrones. He seems like a wicked version of Saruman. She releases yellow butterflies from a jar, they flitter around her, as he holds up his hand. Her hands are open and her palms are cut!, the blood drops to the floor. The acolyte is dismissed as the Dark Wizard parts the swirl of butterflies.
The butterflies swirl into strange and then finally form into a robed figure. This is the Dweller (Bridie Sisson) who was banished by the Stranger! She reports that Sauron has taken a new form. Then, the Dark Wizard asks about the Istar who was said to travel with two halflings! A Dark Wizard who has three Mystics? Rhûn is not well known besides the Easterling soldiers. It looks like they are watching Sauron and may be defeated before joining forces with him! A messenger, Brank (Yasen Zates Atour) offers to capture The Stranger if he heals his flesh curse. The masked man says the Istar will surrender or he will kill the halflings! Nori and Poppy are walking along thinking up names for The Stranger. He says he can’t be given a name, it is already part of the person, he just has to hear it. Say Saruman. Poppy has discovered a short cut. She rushes over to a rocky cliffside that overlooks the desert. They can’t cross it without water. Some tents are set up and Nori returns with some cactus. She says he will need a gand to use his magic.
The Stranger hears distant horses, then Nori and Poppy hear them, three riders are searching for them. They decamp and The Stranger finds the Harfoots are gone. They have used the tent to hide themselves. A guard sees a snake and kicks it away, next to Nori and Poppy!, it is killed by the knife of Kilta (Arkie Reece). Their hiding is like Frodo and Sam at the Black Gates. Kilta orders the others to search the area on their horses. The Stranger says they have been following them. Nori says that there only way is across the desert! The trio, together, descend to the sands, In the dark caverns of Khazad-dum, two Dwarf women, Revna (Laura Jane Matthewson), and Brenna (Rachel Payne) whisper about the crops withering without the sun shields. They talk about rumors, but they are stopped by Disa. She takes them to see King Durin III (Peter Mulan). He acknowledges Disa and asks for the report from Narvi (Kevin Eldon) who talks about a fire-mountain, Mount Doom.
The shock waves flowed all the way to their kingdom and destroyed the sun shafts. The king is looking to open new shafts. Disa says the Stonespeakers have not found a safe passageway. Disa offers to look for one and the king gives his approval. They go to start singing, but the last sun-shaft crumbles. The king says the Stone-singers have provided for the kingdom for nine centuries!, but now their bond is broken. He gives permission to Narva to dig. Durin III asks to talk with Disa, he says he spoke to his son in anger, she says he should say that to her husband. Disa says they are both being stubborn to apologize. He says it is a strength. Disa defiantly tells him the mountain is not listening, because the king can’t hear his son’s sadness. She tells him to be strong and ask for his son to see him. The miners including Durin IV are working tirelessly to reach the sunlight. One miner, Barduk (Stuart Bowman), mocks him for getting blisters, “palace hands.” Barduk puts the blame on Durin IV and his father. Durin IV warns him, but Barduk pushes him down. A commoner messing with Dwarf royalty? They are lucky that the prince is even there.
At their dinner table, Durin quietly sits as Disa brings her meal, he asks about the kids, but she says they are not hungry. Durin says that the rye of the bread tastes like it was from last year, which it is, and Disa notes that they could trade for fresh bread if the king permits it. This is a disaster, pettiness should not get in the way of helping his people, a weak king. She asks him to apologize and Durin says he is in the right since his father threw out Elrond. Disa says they can’t hear the mountain and she’s afraid. An argument turns into revealing a fear, incredible acting by Sophia Nomvete! He quietly tells her, “We’re Dwarves. We’ll find a way.” Elrond is sanding a boat when Galadriel enters the workshop. She tells him the message may not have reached Eregion and fears that Sauron is there. She has permission from the king to go with a “small party” and invites Elrond to go with them. Galadriel admits that he will only allow her to go if Elrond joins her.
He forces her to reveal that Gil-galad thinks she will be decieved by Sauron. Elrond says she was played by the Enemy, he knew that she wanted a “Lost King”, and says that taking the Three Rings is falling into Sauron’s plans. She pleads that she cannot have Sauron in again. Elrond is hurt that what he believes, the Three Rings are corrupt, even after Cirdan took one, is just turning away that the threat of Sauron still exists in Eregion. The forge that made the Rings could be still used and there is danger to Celebrimbor. He is the most stubborn. Galadriel brings up his promise of a “whisper of a rumor” of Sauron that he made, but he counters with saying that she should leave for their friendship. By the shore, Cirdan says the Rings are beautiful, Elrond doesn’t see it as beautiful. Cirdan continues saying would he toss away the work of the poet Ramiel if Elrond knew he was a drunkard. Judge the work, not the way it was made (or the flaws of the maker).
He says it takes humility to do so. Elrond says he wish he knew Cirdan’s peace. Cirdan reaches into the water, fish swim about his Ring, he pulls one out. It flops on a rock and he says the Rings would dominate everyone, but not to let his fear blind him to his friends. Cirdan says he should open his eyes even if his friends are mistaken before the darkness of Sauron blinds him. I’m impressed by Ben Daniels’ acting, a gentle voice of compassion, needed when things get complex. It really shows the wisdom of this character who was only hinted at in Lord of the Rings. The blindness dissolves to the sun, nice shot!, with The Stranger watching Nori and Poppy staggering across the desert. He ends up dragging the both of them on the tents! The Stranger stops and then collapses. Nori rushes over to use the last of her flask of water to give him a drink. Poppy rushes to a hill, she is excited to see water!, but The Stranger is not breathing. In a sand pit, there is a well, and the two friends drag The Stranger to the well. Poppy goes to pull up a bucket from the well throwing off the stick that locks the rope.
She picks up the barrel, but unhitching it, the rope sets off a bell! It clangs faster and faster. Nori splashes water on The Stranger, the bell stops, and he is able to revive. Then, everyone scoops water from the bucket. His attention is drawn to the stick, it resembles the staff from his dreams. Poppy notices the riders, one of their horses neigh, there are five of them! Their black flag has a white symbol that looks like the Eye of Sauron. Kilta orders the attack, Poppy and Nori take over by the well, The Stranger says the Elvish words and slams his staff down. A dust storm sweeps them back. Then, this turns into a sandstorm that tears into the riders and the well! Nori and Poppy hold onto the well’s stones as the sandstorm pulls at them! The Stranger’s staff disentegrates! He struggles to reach Nori and Poppy, but they are pulled into the storm! Celebrimbor has pulled out a stone from the forge, Mirdania remarks that the mithril has gone. He smiles and takes the stone to a balcony. Celebrimbor says it is ithildin, the stone glows with the symbols in the moonlight.
He wonders about his visitor, Halbrand stares at him from below the tower! It starts to rain and Celebrimbor with guards meets with Halbrand. He says he can’t deal with him and Halbrand hints that he saw Galadriel. He mentions the Rings. Celebrimbor is too interested and asks if they work. Halbrand says the High King hasn’t contacted him. He says the creators work hard, but their work is taken by others. Sauron, that is Halbrand, is about to leave, but stopped by Celebrimbor. By a fireplace, Halbrand is again asked if the Rings work, he says, “they worked wonders.” He continues manipulating Celebrimbor saying the Elves and Lindon are saved. Celebrimbor sniffles and then laughs, overjoyed at finally making something successful after centuries. He wants to celebrate and gets a wine bottle from the First Age. Halbrand asks him if he is his friend. Celebrimbor sees Halbrand as troubled and this false king says he should make Rings for Men. The Elf master smith says that Men are “covetous.” He refuses especially since they don’t have the mithril. Halbrand says the Dwarves have their own problems. The greatest evil is corrupting the greatest crafts person! Sauron’s evil is spreading with Galadriel and Elrond at odds, Durin and Disa losing their kingdom, and to the east there is more evil to overwhelm Middle-Earth!
Five Rings of Power out of Five!
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