Episode Grade: (6.8/10)
In the aftermath of their crushing defeat in the Southlands, Galadriel and co. attempt to pick up the pieces. While Galadriel and the humans remain committed to the fight for the Southlands, the Numenorians aren’t as eager. Elsewhere, Prince Durin finds himself at odds with his father over their conflicting views on what to do with the newly-discovered mithril. Finally, the harfoots find themselves on the receiving end of a devastating blow after trying to protect the Stranger from the witches that hunt him.
Plot (38/50)
The opening scenes did a good job of showing the utter destruction that was done to the Southlands, which are now officially Mordor. However, having no significant characters die (sorry, Ontamo doesn’t count) was wildly unrealistic. The Queen Regent’s unexpected blinding made things better but that didn’t even happen as a result of the initial blow. Isildur’s “death” would’ve made things a bit better if it was at all believable, but I suppose we’ll have to wait and see. The Numenorians returning home is a positive development as it furthers the civil conflict in Numenor heading into season 2. Even if I’m not overly interested in spending more time away from the main conflict in Middle Earth, the Queen Regent’s defeat, her blinding, and Elendil’s shift in sentiment definitely add intrigue. Both the Stanger/harfoots and the Dwarves/elves advanced ever so slightly. Unfortunately, the episode had its fair share of inconsistency, as the fickle humans are now more loyal to the leaders that miserably failed them than ever, and the ever-conservative harfoots are suddenly adventurous. With that said, King Durin’s refusal to help the elves in any way, shape, or form was pleasantly surprising. The conflict between the Prince and the King, coupled with the mysterious demon that was awakened at the bottom of the mountain, adds intrigue to a subplot that had grown dull. Galadriel and Elrond’s impending return to the elves, Adar’s next steps, and the mystery surrounding the Stranger’s identity set the season finale up rather well as multiple storylines converge. Now all that’s left is the execution…
Character Development (4/15)
This was another particularly poor showing for character development almost across the board. The flipflopping tough-love relationship between the Prince Durin and his father is a bit much at this point. It seems like Prince Durin’s loyalties shift every other episode. At the beginning of the season, he was upset with Elrond for ghosting him all those years, and rightfully so. He’s had a rocky relationship with his father, but they’ve mostly been aligned in their commitment to doing what’s best for the dwarves and a general skepticism of the elves’ intentions. Now, he’s disobeying his father -and king- to help Elrond and the elves even as it poses significant risks to the dwarves to the point that gets him stripped of his title. What’s more, he’s now comfortable discussing what his rule would look like with Disa, who is supportive of him pushing for what he believes is the right thing to do, even if it goes against what the King ordains. Moving on, for once, the character development for Galadriel wasn’t awful. The additional details with regards to her backstory add a necessary layer to her character that serves to humanize her. Her sense of regret is appropriate, but it somehow feels disjointed. Her conversation with Theo was good in that it brings attention to the fact that sometimes she’s just saying things for the sake of saying them. This furthers the point that she’s been in this fight for so long that it’s all she has left in life, so when she experiences such a devastating defeat, it shakes her to her core. On the other hand, the reactions of the Queen Regent and Elendil were both cheap and unoriginal, as was Nori’s brief identity crisis. As a result, all three characters came out of the episode having lost some legitimacy. The aforementioned inconsistency in the behavior of the humans and the harfoots is inexplicable, it makes it difficult to invest in any of the characters involved.
Theme/Messages (4/5)
- “It darkens the heart to call bad deeds good.”
- “Every war is fought both without and within.”
- “The iron that must bear the heaviest of burdens must also endure the most rigorous tempering.”
- Significant loss has such a powerful effect on people.
- What’s the right balance between conservation and progress?
- When are people justified in disobeying their superiors?
Acting (10/15)
The acting was a little overboard at times.
Cinematography (12/15)
- Great shot of Galadriel covered in ash while the village around her burns, nice touch with the orangish screen (2:55 onwards), but the stupid theatrical dodge of the horse ruined the intensity of the moment
- Great wider shot of the utter destruction (4:46)
- Cool shots of the Numenorian camp on a clearing among the mountains (49:30, 51:11)