Rings of Power, “The Eye” - Part One, Review!

This episode of Rings of Power has the aftermath of the Mount Doom eruption in “The Eye”, part one, has the survivors gathering, some Stranger danger, and Durin IV makes a critical discovery!  Last ep we had the apocalyptic rise of Mount Doom!  We open with an ashen eye in a red glare, breathing, Galadriel is covered in ash, and turns to the side.  She looks around the hellish landscape, burning houses, fires; the Southlands are no more.  Then, a horse on fire races past her!  Galadriel sees bodies covered in ash like the Pompeii victims.   She hears cries of pain and shouts for Halbrand and Elendil.  Then, she hears Theo’s cry out for his mother and he staggers over to Galadriel.  Isildur is trying to free Valandil when Míriel calls him over to join the line of survivors.  Smart.  The objective is to collect everyone and not check on individuals.  She helps him free Valandil and he stares at the dead eyes of Ontamo, his death was obvious from his giving up being a soldier, but sad.  She points out to the soldiers to help a woman trapped in a house about to collapse.  

Her leadership skills here are admirable, she shifted immediately to rescue and recovery.  Isildur goes into the house to move a fallen beam and Míriel helps children out.  She givs them to Valandil and goes back in with Isildur.  Some burning debris falls on Míriel and she cries out in pain.  A burning beam falls on Isildur and the roof collapses!  This is a nice dramatic moment, the same with Aragorn falling off the cliff in Two Towers (2002), you know he survives, but there’s kinda tension.  Plus, this trio is very brave.  This shifts to Poppy singing a bit of a song as they finally reach the Grove.  Nori helps Poppy with her cart and smells wood smoke thinking it is baking.  They set the cart and see Sadoc in the middle of burned area. He tells them about the fire-rock which we know came from Mount Doom.  The Harfoots begin to pluck ashen fruit.  Sadoc asks Nori if she can ask The Stranger to help with the situation.  He goes on his own to ask the Stranger.  He is at a tree inspecting it.  Sadoc tells the others that he is speaking to the tree as the Harfoots watch.  The Stranger starts to say strange words forcefully.  

From the ash, orange veins appear in the tree, a stunned Dilly (Beau Cassidy), Nori's sister, is impressed that The Stranger is “fixing” the tree.  A branch starts to break and Nori pulls away Dilly!  The others pull away branches to free them and The Stranger just stares.  At Khazad-dûm, Elrond says to King Durin III, in exchange for mithril, the Elves will provide meat, grain, at elder forest wood for five centuries!  Other Dwarf lords (so three so far?  we need to see four more for their rings) whisper if this offer can be believed or trusted.  Elrond says they can trust in his word in Khazdul, the Dwarf “stone tongue.”  Durin III asks if the Elves can be honorable, Elrond bends the knee(!), and he pleads for help.  King Durin says he wants to talk to his son alone.  Durin III holds the corrupted, yellow leaf.  He doesn’t want to risk Dwarves in a collapsed mine and dig too deep.  Durin IV says that his friend, Elrond, is dying.  The king says that the Elves’ path is set and if they risk mining, everything will be lost including Middle-Earth!  Durin III says the fate of the Elves is sealed!

  

This angers Disa, hammering at a forge, angry at the king’s decision!  Um, don’t mess with Disa.  She suggests with the support of the other Dwarf lords, they can secretly mine mithril, and prove to Durin III that it is safe.  Her husband says that his father is also king and it would set an example for their children if he defies him.  Disa apologizes and Durin IV makes a mother-in-law joke, these scenes are very dramatic and at the end, funny!  Elrond enters, Durin IV just stands there, the answer is clear.  He tries to have Elrond over for dinner, but Elrond replies he must tell Gil-galad since the Elves’ time is over!  Durin IV sets down the leaf and says his goodbye, crushing moment!, he has tears in his eyes.  Elrond is about to say the Elvish word, but Durin IV knows it and says, “Namárië.”  This was Galadriel’s Lament for Gandalf in Fellowship of the Rings and also the poem in The Road Goes Ever On (1967).  Disa is tearful.  Elrond hands back the piece of mithril and leaves.  Durin IV sits at a table and throws the mithril next to the black-veined leaf and it heals the leaf! 

He can’t speak, Disa is stunned and rushes over, the leaf is completely healed!  There is hope!  Disa turns to Durin IV who shouts for Elrond. I think this entire scene will be my favorite of the series!  We see the orange-tinged, burning, former Southlands with Mount Doom in the distance, chugging volcano smoke. Watching Orcs from an overlook, Galadriel explains to Theo that the plan was to make a place for Orcs.  She calls it their “Shadow Land” and the name is also a very good song in the Lion King (1997) musical.  Theo wants to take back the land, but Galadriel says they don’t have the forces to reclaim it.  She forces Theo to realize the truth and blames herself for Mount Doom.  This is a strange pairing.  The Númenoreans and the surviving Southlanders make their retreat. Elendil watches them on horseback also defeated.  He recognizes Berek’s wound, but his rider, Isildur is not there.  He hears word of the queen regent and rides over to see her wounded face supported by Valandil.  Her expression and Valadil’s make Elendil ask about his son.  

Theo staggers around and thinks everyone is dead.  Galadriel is headed to the Númenorean camp on a hill where the surviviors might be found.  She says there were no Orcs when she was her age, she killed them, and Theo replies, “Good.”  Galadriel tells him not to have such vengeful thoughts that keeps evil inside.  He asks if he is a soldier and Galadriel holds out her sword.  Elendil walks, his look is indescribeable, Míriel rides his horse.  Valadril is at their side.  The come upon soldiers on horseback and standing guard.  She asks how long until they pass the smoke and realizes they have left it.  Elendil says they left it behind almost a mile back.  She’s blind!  Usually seers are blind like Tiresias.  At the grove, Sadoc says it is Greenwood the Great (the forest later becomes Mirkwood!), and shows The Stranger the way to Big Folk settlements.  He says Harfoots haven’t seen those stars in a thousand years.  The Stranger walks in that direction while Sadoc joins the Harfoots.  A yellow flower blooms in a tree.  His power does work and his connection to plants is like Radagast, the wizard played by Sylvester McCoy in the Hobbit films.     

The Stranger is about to leave and sees the Brandyfoot family and Poppy.  Nori gives him an apple.  Later, at the family hut, Nori regrets helping him which she tells to her mother, Marigold.  She is smoothing out the wheels for the carts and has resigned herself to be an ordinary Harfoot.  Nori looks up to the moon.  Night, underneath a shelter of a tree, Theo asks Galadriel about the people she knew, actually very talky now.  She mentions her brother, Finrod, and husband, Celeborn!, she was dancing in a glade when he saw her.  Celeborn whom we first saw in Lothlórien was played by Marton Csokas in FoTR.  Galadriel had met him, married (which she doesn’t mention), and then never saw him again?  She was secretive and now she tells details of her private life to anyone.  Theo picks himself up and tells Galadriel that she is not to blame for the events.  Instead, he takes responsibility for revealing the black hilt.  She says not to accuse himself which is exactly what she was doing herself!  Then, they hear Orcs walking with torches.  

Theo is about to draw the sword, but is stopped by Galadriel!  The Orcs pause.  One Orc walks above them and then starts sniffing.  He is asked what he senses and the Orc says ashes.  They leave and Galadriel tells Theo to rest for their jouney in the morning.  At the mines, Durin IV is slamming his pick axe into the rock with Elrond sitting nearby.  I think they both were hammering at the rock breaking rite.  Maybe Elves are not allowed to dig in such a sacred tunnel.  There is a rumble and dust pours down so the Dwarven prince has to wait until things settle.  Elrond offers his friend some water, but Durin IV panting, refuses, and says self-discipline helped him win their ritual.  His friend alludes to losing on purpose which Elrond says was just to talk with him.  Elrond admits he was “winded.”  Prince Durin gives in and takes the water flask.  He admits that Dwarves have secret names.  Elrond doesn’t want to hear the name until they reach the mithril.  “The Eye” weaves the three narratives together, pushing towards the finale, Míriel shows her courage and leadership, and Durin IV has found the hope for the Elves!      

Five Rings of Power out of Five!  

#RingsOfPower, #TheEye, #MorfyddClark, #TyroeMuhafidin, #CynthiaAddaiRobinson, #MaximBaldry, #LloydOwen,  #AlexTarrant, #MarkellaKavenagh, #MeganRichards, #LennyHenry, #SaraZwangobani, #DanielWeyman, #RobertAramayo, #OwainArthur, #PeterMullan  

She-Hulk, “Ribbit and Rip It”, Review!

The moment we have been waiting for with She-Hulk is here, Daredevil is here!  Re:cap - the ending of “The Retreat”! After Jen’s success at the yurt hut, the group sends off Jen at the tow truck, Dirk Garthwaite gives Jen the Bye Jen card from the gang.  She was struggling with the ghosting by Josh. Emil Blonsky sees her off and Jen says she will return when the retreat has wi-fi.  Then, we hear the beginning of Dua Lipa’s “IDGAF”, great anthem for the break ups.  We pan up from the road to the sea.  This immediately shifts to “Three Days Earlier”, Jen bringing Josh to her apartment, back to the scene early in the episode.  Jen is asleep in bed, Josh clones her phone with his phone, we go back to the Intelligencia making threats to her.  He takes his phone and takes a flash pic of her!  “HulkKing” texts a needle, a green vial, and thumbs up!  Josh stole her Hulk blood when she was Just Jen!  

The end credit does have a scene with Man Bull hearing fake horns in high school charging the red cape held by El Águla with his Matadoring JV jacket!  Also, Jen meditating with the Gang, and the Porcupine bringing an old, smelly suit to the dry cleaners!  We see the “previously on” flashbacks which narrated by She-Hulk says for her show!  Again, the strange guy, Todd Phelps, whom I think runs Intelligencia!  We hear a robber as we get Los Angeles at night. They are lifting a screen from the Monahan’s Wholesale warehouse store into a van, but they are knocked back by the Leap-Frog (Brandon Stanley), really his costume looks more Green Ranger than frog.  He calls himself the “Guard Frog”, but the character was introduced in Daredevil #25 (1966). Leapfrog leaps from the top of the van and rolls on the ground, needs a little polish.  

Jen is taking his account as Eugene (Vincent in the comics) Patillio tells about the robbery in her office.  He claims it was a “defective suit”, but we see the night were he tries to throw attacks, but ends up flailing on the ground.   Leap-Frog is kicked around by the criminals and then activates his jet boots saying his catch phrase, the title of the episode.  Flying?  I think it would be more funny if he bounces like you know in his name.  Of course, he falls down, and his suit catches on fire!  At the office, Vincent shows the third degree burns on his leg, Jen shoves his leg off of her desk.  He wants justice and pain and suffering.  She-Hulk says it will be against the manufacturer.  Vincent says the name of the suit maker is Luke Jacobsen!  She explains the situation to Holden Holliway in his office.  She-Hulk wants Pug to take the case.  He says that Patillio’s father is a big client.  

Again, Holliway says there will be a conflict waiver.  She adds that Luke is making her a dress for the gala, this is to celebrate Jen as Lawyer of the Year, I think set up by Todd.  Holliway suggest that she work it out with Luke to avoid filing the case.  Luke is busy next to a mirror and says her gala dress will be ready on Friday.  She explains about her client and his “defective suit” which of course shocks Luke.  To be honest, she never examined the actual suit.  What is unusual is that we don’t see Nikki or Pug yet.  Luke is insulted at Jen saying he should take responsibilty for the suit.  He pretends to hear a conversation with a mannequin, her gala outfit, and says that She-Hulk will never get a suit from him.  He rips the front and Jen is stunned that she pre-paid for it!  She-Hulk is angry and is taking him to court. 

At the courthouse, Luke stares at She-Hulk, who is not so angry.  Eugene is just bored. Judge Price asks Luke if he is representing himself, of course it happens to be Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) himself!  Cox is of course from the Daredevil Netflix series.  He immediately rejects the opposing counsel’s request for Luke Jacobson’s client list, conflict of interest here.  Jen says it is relevant to show any defects in the costumes, Matt counters with Luke’s client satisfaction is “spotless”, Jen adds that this is common with product liability suits.  Matt again smoothly says superhero tailoring requires anonomity and adds that the Sokovia Accords were repealed!, when did that happen?  I’m imagining this would be after Captain America: Civil War (2016), but we never heard about it until now.  It is obvious that the courtroom is Matt Murdock’s fighting ring.  This ep has some fantastic lawyering.  The judge agrees with Matt.   

Eugene holds up his Leap-Frog suit complaining that he wants a new one.  Matt sniffs, remember hyper senses as Daredevil, and asks Eugene about what fuel he used.  He says jet fuel, which gets Luke to say was not in his instructions, violating manufacturer’s diretions, Eugene tanked his own case.  Win for Daredevil!  This is actually better than his cameo in Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021).  Judge Price dismisses liability for Luke and ends the case.  Jen tries to get Luke back as her tailor, but he says now he hates her.  At Legal Ease, Just Jen gets an appletini sent by Matt Murdock, he joins her.  She asks him if he flew from New York and he explains he had new suits from Luke to pick up.   He mentions he does pro bono work, but sometimes takes a big client, Jen remarks that it is a double life.  Matt adds that Jen can help with the law “when society fails them” and She-Hulk can help when the law fails the people.  Best moment of the episode!  Jen remarks to the Fourth Wall about the moment, then gets a text from Todd, radar sense is tingling!  

Her conversation with the camera would of course be heard by Matt Murdock!  He was on his phone and says he is called away.  Matt is hesitant, but then says his goodbye.  Yes, there are sparks between them.  She meets with Todd at the Hoof and Fleur (flower in French, strange name for a restaurant).  Todd says he bought a Wakandan war spear for a million dollars.  I thought the understanding was that Wakanda keeps its artifacts from such auctions.  He shows his cell phone pic with the spear.  The legal matter he explains is that the Wakandans want it back.  She-Hulk moves the wine glass from her and Todd takes her hand, repulsed, and slams the table at him.  She leaves and says she is billing him for the hour!  He formed Intelligencia just to control Jen or to make She-Hulk women?, creepy.  Jen returns to her apartment exhausted and falls on her couch, then her cell phone buzzes with Eugene pleading for her as he is attacked!  Eugene is driving headed to his headquarters, the Lily Pad, as his window is broken.  Jen sees that his signal is close and is about to leave.

Instead, she goes to the closet for her super suit!  Eugene is racing in a parking garage, on the roof is a figure, he sees She-Hulk and rolling off is Daredevil the Man Without Fear!  Daredevil, Matt Murdock, first appeared in Daredevil #1 (1964) by Stan Lee and Bill Everett (he also created the Sub-Mariner in 1939!).  She-Hulk’s super suit is her purple and white outfit right out of the comics!  Daredevil, his suit has yellow and helmet from his original costume, plus his red armor for his chest and pants, nice work Luke Jacobson and the costumers at Marvel!  He picks himself up armed with his billy clubs and warns She-Hulk who says she wants to use her new suit.  Eugene’s car reverses back into the lower levels and Daredevil evades She-Hulk’s punches.  She slams into the rooftop, it sends a fissure that Daredevil leaps out of with a smile.  He leaps off the roof and moves from level to level to reach streetline.  Eugene drives away and She-Hulk lands lifting up a car, he dodges it and continues the chase.  She-Hulk uses her hand clap, a sonic blast, that knocks Daredevil back!  The classic superhero vs. superhero, but the show has a fun twist. This episode of She-Hulk has a weak character in Leap-Frog, but plusses the lawyer and superhero action!   

Five Cheetos Chopsticks out of Five!   

#SheHulk, #RibbitAndRipIt, #CharlieCox, #BrandonStanley, #GriffinMatthews, #GingerGonzaga, #ReneeEliseGoldsberry, #SteveCoulter, #GeorgeBryant, #JonBass  

House of the Dragon, “Driftmark” - Part Two, Review!

Part one catch up: the funeral of Laena Velaryon also brought rivals, Rhaenyra Targaryen and her former friend and now queen, Alicent Targaryen.  Young Aemond Targaryen has his first dragon ride on Vhagar, former dragon of Laena, and the largest dragon alive in Westeros!  Rhaena wakens Jace about the theft of Vhagar.  Also, awake is Rhaenyra after a night with her uncle, Daemon.  They see the dragon and Vhagar lands next to the castle, High Tide.  Aemond steps down from Vhagar and the Velaryon sisters (with Jace) confront him. Baela says Vhagar was her dragon, but the dragonrider pushes her aside, and punches Rhaena!  Jace joins the fight, Aemond is still the tough guy, so Rhaena also attacks him!  They get in some good punches, but Jace just bashes Aemond until he stands up with a rock.  

He taunts him that his father, Harwin, died in flames, a petty boy.  Luke, bullied by Aemond at the dragon pit, takes out a dagger!   Aemond is still able to knock the brothers back, he is able to bash Jace, but he throws sand in his face.  Luke scrambles to find the dagger and slashes the bully’s face!  Aemond screams the coward’s scream, but his hand pours with blood!  Ser Criston ends the fight along with the rest of the Kingsguard.  He checks on the wound and Ser Harrold is stunned.  Viserys now rages and asks what happened, Ser Harrold tries to explain, but the king is angry that they had oaths to protect his family. Criston tries to say princes were fighting princes, not acceptable, especially to Viserys. Alicent questions the Grand Maester Mellos who has stitched the wound.  He says the eye is lost. She slaps Aegon for being drunk.  

Lord Colys and Lady Rhaenys enter and then Rhaenyra and Daemon.  Luke’s nose is broken.  The children start to argue.  Otto and Daemon stay out of it.  The arguments have to be stopped by the king.  Jace says the maimed prince called them bastards.  Alicent says her bully should speak first.  Rhaenyra says that her boys were insulted.  Otto leans forward.  Rhaenyra says her boys legitimacies were questioned.  The others are silent.  Rhaenyra says to the king that are in line for the throne so this is treason.  She wants Aemond questioned.  Alicent says it was just an insult.  Viserys asks Aemond where he heard it.  Alicent tries to explain that there many in the training yard.  Viserys repeats the question.  

The bully is silent so Alicent brings up Ser Laenor.  Really it should be if Aemond doesn’t speak, then he can’t take any action for the other boys, that might loosen his tongue. Rhaenyra says she went out for a walk, half-true.  Alicent says he was entertaining squires, really she should be sent away, Ser Criston smiles caught by Ser Harrold.  Again, Viserys asks the question, the coward blames it on his brother, Aegon.  He screams at his other son who says everyone knows and tells the king to look at their faces.  Where’s Lord Larys?  We see Corlys and his children.  Viserys rages that he is tired of the fighting and demands apologies be made.  Alicent says that Aemond’s lost eye demands that one of Rhaenyra’s son’s eye removed.  This is after the king just said they should apologize and no one did.  Viserys says she must not act out of anger.  Alicent tries to use her power as queen to order Ser Criston to take Lucerys’ eye!  

Everything is on the table now.  Viserys says the matter is over again.  He declares that anyone who says Rhaenyra’s sons are illegitimate will lose their tongue!  Alicent takes the king’s dagger and rushes to attack Rhaenyra.  Her sons should take her eyes.  Daemon stops Ser Criston.  Otto finally speaks and tells Alicent to drop the dagger.  Alicent blames Rhaenyra for taking Aemond’s eye?  Just acting out of anger.  Rhaenyra tells the queen that everyone can see she is self-righteous.  Alicent slashes Rhaenyra’s arm.  They are divided.  Lord Corlys is by his daughter-in-law.  Aemond speaks and says it was a “fair exchange” since has the dragon.  Viserys walks away, Ser picks up the dagger, it looks like we have the two sides of the Dance of the Dragon; Daemon stands with Rhaenyra, her sons, and Corlys Velaryon, on the other side, Ser Criston, Aemond, and Alicent.  Later, Otto meets with his reckless daughter.  She admits that she disgraced herself, attacked the next ruler, and rumors are going around about her madness.  All true, Otto says Alicent showed her determination to win, the Game of Thrones?  

Dragon Saddle, The House of the Dragon: The Targaryen Dynasty, Natural History Museum Los Angeles County, photo by the author.

He tells her act forgiving and the king eventually will give in. Rhaenyra’s arm is painfully stitched up by the Grand Maester Mellos.  Laenor walks in and his wife sends everyone away.  He says, “I should have been there” which Rhaenyra says should be their house motto, funny!  He failed to protect his sons, his wife, and his marriage.  Laenor brings up their arrangement, Rhaenyra says he has a good heart and that’s rare, she is kind.  He says Ser Qarl is going to fight in the Stepstones and that he will dedicate himself to her.  The royal procession leaves High Tide.  Alicent tries to apologize, it seems like the king has already forgiven her.  Corlys and Rhaenys watch the royal ship leave.  Vhagar flies over Rhaenyra and towards the ships.  Daemon joins Rhaenyra and the talk about fire and the sea.  Larys talks to Alicent spreading his poison.  I think Otto had hired him to spy while he was sent away.  

Larys offers to get that eye that she wanted, but Alicent refuses and instead wants him to be of use later.  Rhaenyra in High Valyrian says that she needs Daemon to marry and solidify her claim to the throne.  He says, Matt Smith hasn’t spoken much in this part, that Laenor would have to be dead.  At the harbor, Daemon in cloak, speaks to Ser Qarl.  He notes across the Narrow Sea, Essos, that only cares about gold not a person’s titles.  Daemon wants him to make a “quick death” with witnesses.  Laenor is surprised that Qarl is at Corlys hall and the knight says he was always “looked down” upon.  He draws his sword and they duel.  Corlys rushes with his knights, but Laenor’s charred body is pulled from the fireplace.  Rhaenyra says she will be blamed by the Velaryons.  Daemon helps her realize that others will not know what she will do next.  Rhaenys cries at the loss of her only son.  Rhaenyra cuts her hand as does Daemon and they clasp their hands together. Their children are there to witness the wedding, the blood drink, and bloody kiss.  House of the Dragon goes back to the Game of Thrones viciousness even funerals are dangerous. 

Four Dragon Saddles out of Five! 

#HouseOfTheDragon, #Driftmark, #EmmaDArcy, #JohnMacmillan, #ArtyFroushan, #LeoHart, #OliviaCooke, #PaddyConsidine, #TyTennant, #SteveToussaint, #EveBest, #MattSmith, #ShaniSmethurst, #EvaOsseiGerning, #RhysIfans, #FabienFrankel, #GrahamMcTavish, #MatthewNeedham   

House of the Dragon, “Driftmark” - Part One, Review!

Part one of "Driftmark" deals with the aftermath of "The Princess and the Queen"!  Last ep, the division of Rhaenyra and Alicent has led to some deadly consequences for Lyonel and Ser Harwin with Larys behind it all!  Knights are preparing for a send off Laena’s sculpted casket from a rock overlooking Blackwater Bay.  Maester Kelvyn (Haqi Ali) presides over the ceremony.  Laena’s parents, Lord Corlys and Lady Rhaenys are there in mourning with the killer, Larys, behind them (they have been away for a bit, “We Light the Way”, ep. 5.  Otto Hightower is also present with his Hand badge (he has also been gone since ep 5).  We also see Rhaenyra with her sons and Laenor.  Plus, Daemon, Laena’s husband now widower.  Viserys is there with Alicent, her strange child, Aemon, and Ser Criston.  As the ceremony continues, Daemon chuckles.  The stone coffin falls into the sea.  Several dragons are around Driftmark.  

Rhaenyra sees Daemon and then goes to her son, Jace, and asks about his father, Laenor.  He just wants to go to Harrenhal for Harwin and Lyonel’s funerals. Viserys sees the people in his life who are separated; Rhaenyra, Alicent, and Daemon.  Aegon has contempt for his sister, Helaena, giving a ceremony with a spider at Laena’s headstone, but his brother, Aemond, not so much for the future queen.  Rhaenyra crushes the spider.  Ser Criston points out to Alicent that Larys has been staring at her.  She excuses it as he is now Lord of Harrenhal, it just took killing his father and brother.  Jace walks up to his cousins, Baela (Shani Smethurst) and Rhaena (Eva Ossei-Gerning), sitting by themselves.  Rhaena takes Jace’s hand in comfort.  Corlys talks to Luke will have his seat and High Tide. Luke says he doesn’t want it since everyone’s dead, not just Laena, but Harwin and his father.  Rhaenys walks with a drink and sees Rhaenyra and the hugs her grandchildren.  

Aemond sees Jace about to say something, but moves on. Daemon and everyone hears a dragon roar, Vhagar in mourning?, Laenor is waist deep in the waters at the shore.  Corlys sees this an angrily tells Qarl to get his “patron.”  The tension is all around this courtyard.  Viserys meets with his brother and says his girls are like their mother.  They talk and Rhaenyra hesistantly walks as she looks at them.  Viserys wants them back at King’s Landing, no that place is too corrupt, Daemon did not do well there and he just leaves.   Otto tries to give condolensces, but Daemon just calls him a leech. Rhaenyra sends her boys to bed.  King Viserys with his cane mistakes Alicent for Aemma, she is silent with pity.  Ser Harrold behind him gives him a reminder that she is Queen Alicent.  Viserys walks to bed and Harrold gives the night’s watch to Criston.            

It is getting darker, Aegon who has been drinking through the gathering is now asleep drunk against a wall.  The Hand, checking so no one can see, kicks him.  Then, drags him past Aemond, and the other guests.  Qarl brings up Laenor who also seems a little drunk staggering to bed.  Aemond hears the mewling of a dragon.  Later, by the fireside, Rhaenys sits saying that Laena wanted to return, but Daemon had stopped her.  She blames Daemon because the Driftmark maesters could have helped Laena.  Corlys says it was an act of the gods.  This scene I really like for Eve Best’s acting.  He says again about getting the throne for her, but Rhaenys says it is his ambition to get the throne and secure his legacy.  She confides that Driftmark should go to Baela, the eldest daughter.  Rhaenys wants her husband to announce it with all of the people there. Corlys notes that this will pass over Laenor, but it seems his wife is wiser since he would be King Consort.  Rhaenys wants to honor Laenor’s legacy which Corlys doesn’t see.  

She says her grandchildren are not Velaryon, but Corlys says history only remembers names.  On the beach, Rhaenyra tells Daemon that her husband will be “useless.”  She confides that they tried, but no child, and then went elsewhere for her desires.  Daemon smiles and brings up Ser Harwin.  Rhaenyra regrets not stopping Harwin from going to Harrenhal, Daemon points to Otto and Alicent, half right?  She brings up that Daemon left her and he says she was a child.  Rhaenyra then asks him if he loved Laena and Daemon says they were happy.  Then, they kiss, undress and it’s intimacy coordinator time.  Still, I kinda wonder whatever happened to Mysaria?  Aemond races across the beach and finds the sleeping form of Vhagar.  He has ropes down from his dragon saddle, when Aemond reaches out for one, Vhagar’s eyes open!  

He settles back until Aegon goes for the rope again, then it rears back, and its fiery breath forms!  Aemond shouts to it in High Valyrian, I recognize “Lykiri.”  It settles back and Aegon climbs up to sit on Vhagar’s dragon saddle!  Then, Aegon shouts, “Soves”, fly.   Vhagar twists almost throwing off Aegon.  Rhaena and Baela watch from their window as Vhagar, their mother’s dragon, crosses the sand.  Then, he takes flight, Aegon screams, dangling from the dragon saddle!  He is (at 10 years old) not exactly Hiccup, who was 15, from How to Train Your Own Dragon (2010)!   Aegon climbs back on and pulls back on the reins as Vhaegar hurtles down!  Then he has control, it’s off to Berk!  Aegon, the bully son, now has control of the most powerful dragon!  This part one, but “Driftmark” is already brilliant on drama with the funeral and how it affects the families!      

Five Dragon Saddles out of Five!  

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House of the Dragon, “The Princess and the Queen” - Part Two, Review!

The part two of "The Princess and the Queen" pushes Rhaenyra to make an important decision, Alicent conspiring, and Daemon faces a mirror of the first episode!  At the King’s Small Council, a dispute between the Blackwoods and the Brackens is brought up, Alicent passes it to Lord Blackwood’s son.  Still, Rhaenyra knows they are in a blood feud, this what she saw on her marriage tour in “King of the Narrow Sea.” She tells the Hand, Lord Strong, that the commoners would know the boundaries for the territories.  Alicent passes it off, Rhaenyra shows she’s the wiser leader, point Rhaenyra.  Lord Tyland Lannister, Master of Ships, moves the topic to the Stepstones, shifts to Daemon, whom Alicent says left the Stepstones.  Rhaenyra says that the kingdom has left the Stepstones without defenses; forts, watch towers, and ships.  Alicent says it is too costly, Rhaenyra says war is more expensive.  Another point for Rhaenyra.  The queen ends the session, King Viserys agrees, Rhaenyra has something to say.  

Viserys has everyone sit down, Alicent stands with an imperious look, Rhaenyra wants to end the conflict with Alicent.  She apologiezes and makes the proposal of her son, Jacaerys, take the Iron Throne and marry Alicent’s daughter, Helaena.  They will rule togther which makes Viserys happy.  This is not an outcome that Alicent’s father, Otto Hightower, had said would happen.  She adds that if Syrax has eggs, then Aemon can choose one of them.  Very generous since the Hightowers and Viserys have no dragons.  Alicent says she will consider it, foolish, and has Viserys rest.  He could have certified his daughter’s proposal then and there.  As they walk as king and queen, Viserys agrees, and Alicent wants to reject the proposal.   She doesn’t see unity, she sees that Rhaenyra sending away her father unforgiveable, to Viserys she says he can rule as he wants when she is dead.  Cheap tactic.  Alicent doesn’t play the Game of Thrones well.  She has turned from  kind queen into Cersei Lannister without the venom.   

The king sits in his chair and the Hand arrives, Alicent says her husband needs rest, but Viserys says he will talk with Lord Strong.  He wants to give up being the Hand due to the actions of his son, Ser Harwin, fighting with Ser Criston in the yard.  Viserys says his son is out of the City’s Watch.  Still, Lord Strong does not change his mind. Viserys gets out of his chair, disappointed how loyal Lyonel Strong has been as Hand for a decade.  He wants to know the reason and Alicent seconds it.  She has her connections with Ser Criston.  It’s ok to set up others, but not when it happens to you?  Viserys refuses the resignation.  The Hand says he must take his son back to Harrenhal to prepare to be in charge of it.  Viserys agrees and Alicent leaves.  What he really should do is exile Ser Criston not only for the fight, but for killing Ser Joffrey at his daughter’s wedding!  

Alicent walks down a hallway, upset, then goes to her room.  Waiting there is Larys Strong, I don’t trust him, and continues his meal.  Larys is the Wormtongue of Westros.  He does not know about the meeting with his father and the king.  Alicent informs him and Larys says his honor is his weakness.  We can easily see that Alicent needs her father back as Hand.  She wants someone in her corner, Larys says nothing, he is trying to play the Game of Thrones with Alicent as his pawn.  In the dungeons, we see the worn faces of prisoners, then we see the cane with a bug, a firefly.  Yes, it belongs to his brother, who smiles.  He offers them freedom, but takes their tongues in very painful ways.  At Pentos, Laena is screaming with a difficult birth, Daemon watches silently.  The surgeon says the baby is not being birthed and that a blade may work.  We go back to the birth of Aemma in the first episode, oh no.  Laena, bloody, stumbles over to her dragon, Vhagar.  

She pleads for him, “Dracarys!”, again and again, but her dragon ignores her.  Daemon starts to run towards her.  Vhagar draws back, we see the fire roiling in his gullet, and Daemon watches as the dragon bathes her in fire, a dragonrider’s death.  Rhaenyra rocks baby Joffrey, Ser Harwin says his goodbyes to her sons, and he promises to return.  Harwin says goodbye to Rhaenyra and leaves.  Jace asks his mother if Harwin is his father.  Lil’ Jacaerys is like Jon Snow!  She says he is Targaryen like Jon Snow.  In the courtyard, Laenor is dueling with Qarl, Rhaenyra watches them.  Qarl wins the duel and Rhaenyra asks to speak to her husband.  Laenor if “he”, Harwin, is gone.  Rhaenyra says they are leaving.  He wonders about her offer, but it is just rumors now, so they are headed to Dragonstone.  She also asks Laenor to bring him, “Qarl.”  A royal procession heads to Harrenhal, three men watch them, silent because they have no tongues.  They wear the firefly badges.

Lord Strong wakes up coughing, Harwin is shouting about the fire, then fiery roof parts fall on him!  I never trusted Larys.  We hear his words about children being a weakness, not a legacy?  At dawn, Rhaenyra walks with her children over the bridge to Dragonstone.  The three assassins see bodies of Lyonel and Harwin’s bodies taken on stretchers.  The daughters of Laena see her body from the parapet along with Daemon.  Alicent realizes that her advisor is a Kinslayer.  This is all to get Otto Hightower to return as the Hand.  Alicent’s word goes very far, just get Ser Criston or some other knight to push him out of the  tower, and say he plotted to have his father and brother killed.  Alicent is pushing events towards her father's prediction, I'm on Team Rhaenyra, it looks like the toes are tapping to the Dance of the Dragons!  Maybe Daemon will join her, but there may be dragons for Aegon and Jacaerys.  This is a grim episode of House of the Dragon, we know that Rhaenyra is good for the Seven Kingdoms, leaving the corruption and bullies at King’s Landing!      

Four Dragon Saddles out of Five!       

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Rings of Power, “Udûn” - Part Two, Review!

Part one, Adar has begun his attack on the Southlands with Bronwyn and Arondir leading the defense!  We pick up with Arondir’s struggle with a massive Orc! Arondir finds an arrow point to hit the Orc several times, but is choked against the well!  The Orc takes the arrowpoint out, gruesome, and is about to stab Arondir’s eye.  I’ve seen the point towards the eye many times, but this scene was shot with a fresh persepective.  Arondir manages to survive, the villagers cheer at their victory, and an older villager, Tredwill (Peter Tait) admires his bravery.  He is silent as he checks on one of the armored enemy, Arondir calls over Bronwyn, they weren’t all Orcs.  Many had Orc-style helmets that resembled their faces.  They had killed the betrayers who swore loyalty to Adar.  This is not friendly fire, it is enemy fire.  An Orc laughs at this, but then dies.  

Out of the night, arrows fly, several villagers are killed.  Tredwill is hit.  Arondir holds up a barrel top as a shield, the others are just standing around, including Bronwyn who is struck by two arrows.  Theo has gone out to help the villagers, Arondir calls for a retreat to the tavern.  Orcs start to move from the woods, fighting in the dark, especially without torches, it is easy to get confused.  Tredwill is dead.  Bronwyn tells her son to stop the bleeding.  Arondir hands Theo a piece of wood for Bronwyn to bite down on.  He snapped off the arrow tip and then pulls the shaft out, ouch!  Theo hears his mother call out for “burning”, Arondir calls for wood from the fire, cauterize the wound.  Wouldn’t the fire send out smoke?  He places the Alfirin seeds in a mixture to rub on the wound.  I like the use of the Alfirin seeds and it is apparent that Bronwyn, a main character, was not going to die.  Theo burns both sides of the arrow wound.  Bronwyn has fallen unconscious.  

After a long moment, she gasps, and Theo hugs them all, a family?  The villagers hear the Orcs chant, Adar arrives, quite well after the tower collapse.  It is not clear how he survived.  The Orcs bring a battering ram to smash at the barricaded tavern door!  Early morning, out of the mists, riders!  Galadriel is in the lead.  The Orcs have broken through the door!  Arondir fights them, but swords are placed at the necks of Bronwyn and Theo.  Adar walks in and asks Arondir to give him what he wants, but he replies that he wants the villagers to be freed.  Bronwyn just stares at Adar.  Villagers are starting to be killed.  Adar then orders Bronwyn to be killed and Theo says it is under the floor.  He lifts a tile, Adar picks up the cloth, and reveals the black hilt.  Adar leaves the tavern to give a task to Waldreg, how did he also survive the tower fall?, then the cavalry arrives!  

An Orc gives the command to kill the villagers, not worried about the riders?, but Arondir and Theo fight back.  The Orcs rush out, this is about the same sunlight that repelled them in the pit, a line of chain between riders cuts down the Orcs!  Very cool tactic!  Arondir and Theo go out to fight.  Galadriel rides, wasn’t she in front?, an Orc archer draws his bow.  Galadriel dangles sideways on her saddle and then slices into the archer!  Incredible stunt maybe face replacement?, but very cool.  Valadil is unhorsed and then keeps fighting.  Ontamo is on the ground defending himself from an Orc above him.  Valadil rushes over and Ontamo kills the Orc.  On a hill overlooking the battle is Queen Regent Míriel and Isildur. She sends him to engage, Elendil has an Orc jumping behind him, he is unhorsed and Isildur rides to save him!  It is a spear thrown by Halbrand that kills the Orc. 

Galadriel asks the soldier, Arondir, about the commander.  He points out Adar and that he has an item that is important.  She rides after him, saddle swinging to dodge a spear, and continues.  By the way, the commander riding away with the McGuffin from a battle is very Willow (1988).  Halbrand picks up a spear and rides after them.  Galadriel says words in Elvish to her horse, flashback to Arwen’s ride, to get him to go faster through the forest.  Adar is just ahead of her on his brown horse.  Halbrand, not certain how he caught up, reaches out with his spear to bring down Adar’s horse.  Adar crawls over to the pouch, but a spear is driven into his hand!  Adar spills black blood.  Halbrand asks if he can remember him.  Adar says no and Halbrand is about to finish him, but Galadriel commands him to stop.  She wants to question him.  Halbrand struggles not to kill him as Adar asks if he killed someone dear to him.  

Orcs are chained under a roof.  Isildur’s friends meet and Valadil says the duo are going with Galadriel’s company.  Galadriel questions Adar in the barn asking if he was one of the Elves tortured by Morgoth, the Moriondor, the Sons of the Dark.  Adar says they call themselves Uruk, the first Orcs.  Galadriel threatens to take the Orc prisoners into the sunlight.  She wants the location of Sauron.  Adar says after Morgoth’s defeat, Sauron tried to heal Middle-Earth, but wanted power to rule, power of the Unseen World.  We had a glimpse of this when Frodo put on the Ring and saw the true forms of the Nazghul. Adar continues that the one called Sauron led his forces north to the castle reached by Galadriel.  He tried to create this power, but failed.  Adar says he sacrificed his Orcs, then killed Sauron.  

Galadriel doesn’t believe him, of course, Adar says maybe she has been transformed by the darkness, and vows to kill all of the Orcs, genocide!  She will leave Adar alive to tell him that his children have died.  Galadriel takes out her dagger to Adar’s throat, but stopped by Halbrand.  She stands before him with the bag, uh-oh, Galadriel should have consulted with Arondir first.  Adar eyes it and then doesn’t recognize Halbrand.  Right now, all signs point to Halbrand as Sauron.  Adar might be right that he thought he “killed” Sauron, but he may escaped and transformed into a human, I think he was testing Adar to see if he could be recognized.  Sauron had built up Mordor and then corrupted Easterlings and Haradrim, an Essos, Khal Drogo kind of travel.  Then, became known as Annatar, a “fair visage”, helping to forge the Rings.  In a sunlit clearing, Galadriel thanks Halband, strange, it seems like the two are close at least in battle.  

Halbrand is called to see Míriel.  The village has a celebration.  Arondir helps Bronwyn walk to Míriel, Bronwyn thanks the queen regent, and gets thanks in return.  Míriel introduces Bronwyn to Lord Halbrand.  Bronwyn asks if he is the promised king.  He replies yes and Míriel drinks to the King of the Southlands.  Gotta wait another age for that to happen.  Galadriel hands Arondir the black hilt.  Arondir sees Theo alone and joins him.  Theo admits he was corrupted by the sword.  Arondir hands it to Theo to give to the Númenoreans to drop into the sea.  You know exactly what happens with the One Ring, it finds its way back.  Theo unwraps it to see an ax!  Waldreg has the sword, no one checked on him, and plunges it into the ground!  He twists and a lever is activated!  Rumbling, water from Anduin crashes from Osgiliath!  Berek is restless and Isildur tries to calm him.  Elendil calms him and tells his son that horse and rider bond so Berek knows Isildur’s feelings. 

Isildur asks and Elendil says he learned this from his mother!  He wants to learn the words from his father.  They hear the rumbling, a water explodes from the well, Berek rears at it.  More surges around the village. The Orcs begin to chant, “Udûn”, a Sindarin word for "dark pit" or "hell", and Adar sets himself down.  The water surges through the Orc tunnels, into the mines (set up by Adar not just to move the Orcs), under the mountain Orodruin, and finally into pits of hot lava!  The water, steam, and lava causes an explosion, an eruption!  Arondir, Míriel, and Theo and finally Galadriel see the rise of Mount Doom!  The volcano is the Mount Vesuvius of Middle-Earth!  Pompeii (2014) was an entertaining movie by the way.  The backlash strikes the village, the Orcs get violent, even though chained?  Lava bombs start to pelt the land and the village!  In the chaos, Galadriel can only stare, the volcanic clouds start to roll towards the village.  Galadriel is engulfed by it.  An epic ending that inevitably heads to Mount Doom and the clouds that will eventually form Mordor!     

Five Rings of Power out of Five!    

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Rings of Power, “Udûn” - Part One, Review!

It has come down to the Battle of the Southlands in this part of “Udûn” for Rings of Power!  "The battle for Middle-Earth is about to begin", to quote Gandalf!  A gauntlet paws the ground and then fingernails of Adar who says in Elvish, “New life.”  He stands up to see the sea of torches held by his Orc army.  Adar gives his speech about how much they suffered and that their enemy has small numbers.  An Orc growls as Waldreg stands next to him, he has the look of uh-oh, wrong army.  Adar mentions they have a brotherhood also about brothers and sisters, has there been a female Orc, how do they have children?  The Orcs begin to chant “Nampat!” again.  They march on the bridge to Osgiliath.  Adar simply opens the door, Waldreg at his side, is he like a commander?  It seems empty and Adar orders a search.  

A better strategy would be lay traps and destroy the bridge.  Did they see Willow (1988)?  Above them on a rampart is Arondir with his back to the wall.  Adar sees the stone sculpture of the black blade.  Waldreg asks him about Sauron.  The Orcs are looking for the Elf meaning Arondir.  As if in answer, Arondir takes down several Orcs with arrows, and then a fire arrow that starts the collapse of a tower!  Arondir leaps outside of the fortress as it starts to fall on the Orcs.  There was an endless line of Orcs and maybe about a hundred, less?, went to the tower.  The Southland survivors cheer in the valley below. They have lanterns and no Orc noticed?  Bronwyn tells them that they have to prepare at the village.  The three Númenorean ships sail the night seas.  Isildur is restless and checks on his horse, Berek.  There should be slight rocking in the hull of the ship. He shares an apple with Berek and then goes to the deck.  Galadriel questions him if he wants to see land, she is still in armor, very uncomfortable not in battle. Do Elves sweat?  

She has seen land hours ago.  Isildur says he is a stable sweep, Galadriel respects laborers, and that the true Númenor is gone.  Galadriel says it still exists even within a stable sweep.   I like this meeting between them.  He says his name and Galadriel knows he is the son of Elendil.  Isildur then notices the dawn sky.  Elendil, in his scale armor, greets Isildur as “soldier” and his son leaves.  Galadriel asks about his wife and Elendil tells her that she had drowned!  Elendil reports to Queen Regent Míriel that they have another day to sail and a day to ride.  She has a looking glass and focuses on the area that dissolves to the black hilt, nice shot!  It is morning, Arondir is trying to hammer the hilt apart, Gimli-style, but the hammer shatters.  He tells Bronwyn it can’t be destroyed so Arondir goes to hide it without anyone else knowing.  

An Orc head is placed on a spear.  Bronwyn tells the villagers that they can survive the night, they fill up the Orc pits, and ready scythes and arrows.  Tar is poured on a cart with straw.  Arondir adds that they have to wait for the Orcs to cross the bridge to attack.  Bronwyn notes that the tavern is where all of the non-fighters can go, one place?, they come from different villages and should spread out.  Orcs have torches.  Arondir hypes the crowd and Bronwyn sends out the command to get into position.  Co-commanders, love it!  Theo wants to fight, but Bronwyn has him in the tavern to defend the others. The Eowyn situation at the Battle of Helm’s Deep.  She gives him a spear and he wants her to repeat her words when he was a frightened boy.  Alone, Arondir gives Bronwyn some Alfirin seeds that she had given him to plant before the battle.  

He says they will plant the rest in a garden with Theo.  Under a tree, Arondir and Bronwyn kiss, “first comes love…”.  The sun begins to set and then it is night with a full moon, the village is quiet, torches provide light.  Another day or so until the cavalry arrives.  Arondir sees a torchlight in the distance and then others.  Theo also spots them from a opening in the tavern, for some reason they have a number of lanterns, that tavern should be lit up like a night club!  The Orcs enter the village, Bronwyn tries to spark a flint next to a cart, a growling Orc surprises them like a jump scare!  An Orc is sent to scout the area by the cart!  Bronwyn attacks it with a scythe, it turns to kill the other woman (what was she doing?), and Bronwyn finishes it off taking his torch to light the cart!  She cuts the line sending the cart exploding into the Orcs!  They didn’t notice the fight?  An Orc says that they missed them, but another cart sets up another fire line, he didn’t realize that they are trapped between the fires!  

Arondir goes to work with his arrows as well as other villagers.  I just saw a video on archery in movies and tv, Cordova has his archery skills on point with a straight arm to target drawing his arrows!  The Orcs break through the debris, there should be tar instead of just wood, and Arondir notes that they are moving towards the tavern!  They have brought a battering ram, but villagers attack with their war cry, “Fight for the Southlands!”, brave.  They are using spears which is good not to go into close combat with Orcs.  An Orc attacks Arondir’s position, kills a villager, and they both roll off of the roof.  Arondir backs into a large Orc that tosses him through a fence!  This is very Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) with the bald mechanic at the Flying Wing scene.  He gets really tossed around and bashed by the Orc.  The first part of “Udûn” has the battle turned against the Southlanders, the Númenoreans are far away, so they have to find a way to survive!  More of the battle in the next part!   

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