Episode Grade: (8.5/10)
The final episode of the season sees it end on a high note after several storylines converge to reveal key events that have implications on Middle Earth for centuries to come. These events include the forging of the three elvish rings, the return of Sauron, and almost certainly Gandalf’s origins.
Plot (45/50)
In episode seven’s review, I mentioned that the finale was set up well but I had my doubts over whether the writers could execute after a series of missteps throughout the season. Fortunately, they executed well, and as a result, this was the best episode of the season. Galadriel and Halbrand’s plot converged with that of the elves to give us the creation of the three elvish rings as well as the reveal that Halbrand is actually Sauron. The fact that Galadriel inadvertently rebuilt Sauron up after he was stranded at sea adds credibility to her deep loathing of him centuries later (in the movies) that was not quite established from her backstory. There was a necessary advancement and good setup of the impending civil conflict with the catalyst there being the death of the King. There was solid development in the Stranger and the harfoots’ plot that all but revealed the Stranger’s identity as Gandalf. If this is in fact the case, then it’s a great but of consistency that would explain why Gandalf favors hobbits in the movies so much. I do feel like we spent too much time with the harfoots that would’ve been better served on the dwarves or even the orcs. That was probably the biggest weakness of what was an otherwise entertaining season finale. The false reveal of the Stranger as Sauron was fresh. The back and forth between Galadriel and Halbrand/Sauron was intriguing in that it put Sauron’s intentions/motives in focus. It also added mystery with regards to Sauron’s relationship with Adar because remember, Adar told Galadriel that he killed Sauron because he was hurting the orcs. Now Sauron tells Galadriel that Adar and the orcs are in fact his enemies, and all of a sudden we have to consider the possibility that they’re both telling the truth. This adds layer of intrigue to the side of the “bad guys” that is usually one-dimensional in these situations. Moving on, the tie-ins to the original movies and the lore in general were done well, especially with the origin story of the rings. Finally, the direction of the second season looks promising as the field of play resets with new dynamics and (hopefully) a focus on more central plotlines.
Character Development (12/15)
The most interesting conversation was the one between Galadriel and Halbrand/Sauron after Galadriel had just discovered that Halbrand is Sauron. Galadriel is mortified as she learns that she has convinced herself, and everyone else, of this narrative that Halbrand is this lost king that will save the Southlands from ruin when in reality, she’s just brought back her arch-nemesis from the brink. To complicate things further, Sauron seems to genuinely believe in Galadriel’s promise of a “second chance” where he can right his wrongs. Of course, Sauron is a master in deception and manipulation; ultimately, Sauron’s lust for power isn’t lost on Galadriel, and she duly rejects his rhetoric. Still, the whole situation will leave doubt in Galadriel’s mind that does wonders for the accessibility of her otherwise insufferable character. The issue of trust between Galadriel and Elrond will continue to play a role in the second season after Galadriel withheld the massive discovery of Sauron’s character while Elrond checked the contents of the scroll despite having told Galadriel that he would not doubt her ever again. The contributions of Celebrimbor and Gil-galad suggest that the elves are far from united, and that’s before Gil-galad is told that he will now have to share his power with Elrond and Galadriel. There were a few other notable conversations. There was the one between Elendil and Miriel where Elendil reaffirmed his commitment to Miriel and her cause in Middle Earth. This will play a big role in the situation at Numenor, as without Elendil’s support, Miriel wouldn’t have a chance of holding onto her power as Queen, especially now that her father, the King, is dead. I was critical of the way Elendil’s reaction was handled in the previous episode, and I really don’t like the flip-flopping, but I will just chalk it off to grief and move on. It will be interesting to see what happens with Earien after the King mistook her for Miriel and lead her to the seeing stone. Finally, the Stranger beginning to recover his identity (probably Gandalf) and taking Nori along with him to Rhun keeps the harfoots close to the main plot. While I’m not particularly thrilled about spending more time with the harfoots, the way this played out makes it seem like we won’t spending as much time with them, which is good.
Theme/Messages (4/5)
- Creating a narrative and believing it can be dangerous, as it can easily detach a person from reality.
- “Sometime the perilous path is the only path.”
- Does everyone deserve a second chance? If not, who doesn’t deserve a second chance?
Acting (11/15)
Nothing of note.
Cinematography (11/15)
- Nice shot of the sunrise and the ocean as the Numenorian ship returns home (32:47)
- Great sequence of the rings being forged
- Cool shot of the mithril ore reacting with the melted gold and silver which king of looked like Sauron’s eye in the movies (1:03:16)
- Good shot of the three rings (1:06:16) that transitioned into Halbrand’s eyes as he looks over Mordor