Ok so the penultimate episode of Rings Of Power Season 1 has just released and throughout
this video we're gonna be breaking it down, pointing out all of the lord of the rings
easter eggs and giving our review on the episode as a whole. Episode 7 ends with the awakening
of a Balrog as well as a 1990s text reveal that confirms The Southlands are now Mordor.
The Balrog has the exact same design as it does in the Peter Jackson movies and though
there were many designs of them in the source material and lore they've leaned into that.
Now it's said in the original trilogy that the dwarves unearthed the Balrog because they
dug too deeply and hastily into the mines when trying to unearth more Mithril. However
Balrogs at beasts that have been around for a long time and they ended up joining Melkor
in the unrecorded times.
They originally lived in Utumno but they ended up fleeing after the Wars for Sake Of The
Elves and from here they travelled to Angband where they hibernated until the Years Of The
Tree.
After Ungoliant destroyed them the spider turned on Morgoth and he screamed to the point
that it woke the Balrogs up. They go through this constant state of either being awake
or hibernating however there is no mention of them during the second age which is where
the show predominantly takes place. The show changes the timeline a lot and whereas the
Balrog awakens here it wasn't until the third age where the one in Khazadum rose up. We've
talked about this on other breakdowns and how it wasn't until Durin the Fourth was King
that the first one attacked. This Balrog ended up killing him however I think for the show
that it will kill his father and then he will take up the mantle. This will still allow
it to have the nickname Durins Bane even though the characters and events have been swapped
around.
So that's a basic breakdown of the Balrog and for the rest of the video we're gonna
be going through the episode scene by scene. If you enjoy the video then please hit the
thumbs up button and don't forget to subscribe for videos like this every day. WIth that
out the way, thanks for clicking this now let's get into Rings Of Power.
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Now the episode itself is called The Eye. This has several meanings in Middle Earth
but predominantly it's referring to Saurons Eye which features heavily in the main trilogy.
The Eye of Sauron was also a symbol of the character long before he became one and it
stood for his piercing gaze and how he looked over everything. An eye was also spotted on
the weird group that are stalking the stranger who we'll talk more about later on.
The main exhaust point in a Volcano is also referred to as The Eye and we open the episode
with a focus on Galadriels.
This comes in the aftermath of the Pompei level explosion from last week that blanketed
the land in ash. I was expecting this to kick start a massive battle in which the Orcs and
Adar were now freed and the survivors had to fight them off whilst trying to escape.
What we get though is a slower paced entry with several scenes in which characters just
sit and talk to each other. This happens in the case of Galadriel and Theo, Elrond and
Durin, Durin and Durin, Disa and Durin and Nori and her Mother. I'm trying not to rag
on the show too much as I know people genuinely just wanna hear the breakdown but I feel like
it's taking one step forward and two back with it's pacing and dynamics.
Now Galadriel is stormed by a horse on fire early on and this brings a lot of symbolism
with it. Typically horses on fire are meant to represent machinary or a firiey engine.
Tolkein was against industrialisation and this is why characters like Sauruman and the
orcs were depicted as forces that pushed it. I think this horse is meant to represent that
the beautiful southlands have now been changed into these giant industrialized landscapes
that have destroyed the picturesque place that it once was.
Now there's actually way more survivors in this scene than I would've thought from a
volcanic eruption of this size and the characters all get covered in Ash. Pompei still stands
as a monument to how devastating events like this can be but our core cast of characters
all survive. I think the imagery of it is purposely shot to look like the aftermath
of the twin tower attacks on 9/11 with people blanketed in grey ash whilst they wander through
the clouds of smoke that blanket the land.
I know that the show has to have these characters survive but it was a bit weird seeing houses
completely burned to the ground whilst Galadriel was fine even after taking the full force
of it. I kinda wish that they'd taken cover last week instead of framing it like this
because there's a bit of a disconnect seeing some people fine whilst the landscape looks
worse than Sunderland.
Haha got em.
Valandil is pulled out of the fire by Isildur and the character would later go onto name
one of his sons the same thing with this show creating a reason for why that's the case.
Isildur ends up getting lost and there's a scream of his name which sounds similar to
how Elrond shouted it in The Fellowship. This would of course also happen in Mordor and
from here we cut to a stream. Isildur died in the The Fellowship film after jumping into
a river and this could be them matching up the shots to foreshadow that.
Here we join the Harfoots who end up settling on the edge of Mordor. The land has signs
of ash in the fruit and there's also a giant volcanic rock that's crashed there. Though
I was thinking that The Stranger might end up creating the Shire when they started saying
about how long they could last there I don't think it's the case. Looking at the map of
middle earth this is the complete opposite end to Mordor so either the volcano shot things
that far or they're on the edge of Mordor.
They did travel through marshes that I thought could be the dead marshes and they also end
up talking about Greenwood the Great which would go onto become Mirkwood. Therefore I
think this is a proto shire that just shows the Harfoots can settle somewhere instead
of having to constantly be on the move. There was a tweet earlier in the week about how
Hobbit doors may be round like wheels because the Harfoots were always on the move so maybe
they will tie things in with that.
After accidently becoming a peril the stranger ends up leaving and he's stalked by Feminem
who is called The Dweller. Along with them is the Ascetic and also the Nomad. The former
means someone who practices discipline with the latter meaning someone who travels from
home to home without a permanent place to live. The plate they carried had the strangers
constellation on the back of it and they clearly possess magical abilities.
I think they're likely going to be The Strangers first major fight so we can see how truly
powerful he is. I can imagine that's the way his storyline wraps up next week with him
discovering the constellation on the plate and us potentially getting it confirmed about
who he is. It did cross my mind that it might be a misdirect and that they could actually
be forces of good that want to find him and teach him things but they set the harfoots
home alight so f**k em.
Also nice little line with Largo saying you harm a hair on their foot and later he's asked
to give them a moment to weep similar to what happens with the fellowship after the death
of Gandalf.
Nori ends up giving him an Apple and this is typically seen as a symbol of knowledge
and wisdom. Apples popped up last week with Isildur throwing one away whereas the stranger
ends up taking it with him. They end up trying to catch up to him after doing the old 'I
think he went that way mate.'
Cut to Elrond promising to pimp the Dwarves caves if they help them get the mithril which
King Durin shuts down. Even with Elronds pleas about being half elf and his sons words he
still sees it as things dying off as part of the way of the world. King Durin brings
up Awle who in the lore created the dwarves. They also created the trees of Valinor and
convinced Eru to bring life to the Ents.
He doesn't want to dig deep to help the elves but he ends up unleashing the Balrog anyway
by dropping the leaf into the darkness. The mithril pushes the corruption back on said
leaf and therefore I think it's gonna be used as a way to fight in the future battles against
the forces of Sauron.
Mithril was said to be made from light contained in the two trees of Valinor and we of course
saw a Balrog fighting over this in episode 5. I love the Dwarves and I think they're
one of the strongest elements of the show with all of them giving really memorable and
heart felt perfomances. Disa especially seems to be the heart of their dynamic and after
some mother in law jokes she gives Durin the nudge to help his friend after seeing what
Mithril does.
Rather than saying goodbye Elrond says Namarie which means go towards goodness as well as
be well.
Elsewhere Elendil desperately searched for his son who doesn't end up turning up at the
end. They might even do soemthing where he's captured by the enemy but Sauron could let
him go after realising he has a path ahead of him that could help out. I also think its
possible Galadriel and Halbrand save him as they travel off together towards the end of
hte episode. Look I dunno mate, just throwing theories out there. Miriel also ends up becoming
blind and this will no doubt allow Pharazon to seize power easily due him being able to
manipulate her.
I think they're gonna do something similar to president roosevelt who was paralyzed due
to polio. However due to people helping him stand and booths that he could lean on it
took along time before the public realised. He kept it a secret because he didn't want
to seem weak and they seem to be doing something similar with the Queen Regent.
Because she's blind Pharazon can tell her whatever he wants and he could end up playing
so that this is how he takes over.
Theo and Galadriel wander the Wilderness too and after she gives him her sword the pair
discuss Celeborn. Incase you don't know this is Galadriels Husband and also the Lord of Lothlórien.
Galadriel does say that Celeborn was slain but we know from the timeline that isn't the
case. I think he's taken out the picture so they can probably do some sexual tension between
Galadriel and Halbrand without it making her look like she's a cheat.
Either way this scene is very reminicent of when Frodo and the other Hobbits hid under
the tree whilst the Ring Wraith Stalked them. Orcs move over head and the shots are very
similar with swords being drawn and the general positioning of the characters. Durin and Elrond
are caught digging too deep and the way the mithril threads slowly light up is similar
to how it happened when Gandalf lit it up in fellowship.
Elrond is jazzy jeff'd out of Khazad Dum and King Durin talks to his son about how he was
a sickly child but that he saw greatness in him. He talks about seeing the great beard
of an old Dwarven King and Dwarves were thought to be reincarnated from their Ancestors. Durin
the third would eventually go onto become Durin the fourth but the show has changed
that up for it's own mythology to have the two interacting with each other.
They both have their own views with the son saying his father is holding him back whilst
also wanting him to be a great Dwarf. Very much a comment on father and son relationships
that sees Durin the Fourth being stripped of his necklace.
Elendil wrestles with Isildurs horse Beric and he and his son of course had a scene involving
it last week. Beric is sent on his way similar to how Bill was sent back home when the Fellowship
arrived at Moiria. He knows the way mate...Bill knows the way home....through those 40 miles
of mountains and then 500 miles of fields...see...ya...see ya mate.
Anyway we discover Bronwyn and Arondir are alive along with Halbrand who's badly injured.
Initially the Numenoreans want to pack up and return home but Galadriel appeals to Miriel
and convinces her not to abandon the men to their fate. She rides off in the end back
to Numenor to get more forces but I think the Kingdom is gonna be stolen from her upon
her return.
I think they should've cut the scene at this point but instead we get a focus on Elendil
crying in what's one of the most jarring moments in the show. I don't think that my guy is
a bad actor and he's delivered a lot of really good moments but something just felt off about
this to me. Obviously he's devastated his son might be dead but the moment just kinda
loses it a bit due to it feeling almost like an insert shot.
It might have been the direction or something but I think it would've been better just to
shoot him from the side with a teardrop rolling down his cheek. Instead we get another moment
that's gonna be all over the internet and it's a shame as I think this could've bene
quite an empowering scene. I know some of you won't mind it so let me know if i'm blowing
it out of proportion but yeah, I thought it was a bit weird.
The Harfoots make their own fellowship with them all deciding to join up. Theres a similar
moment in Fellowship where Merry and Pippin join the group and it's all about not going
at it alone.
Galadriel initially wants to go to Gil-Galad but she and Halbrand end up riding off in
the end with him.
After King Durin orders for the mithril hole to be sealed up he throws the leaf in that
shows you can't put the tootpaste back in the tube.
We end with Adar announcing that the southlands are no more and close out with a...weird stylistic
choice. I personally just don't think that changing the text like this fits in with the
style and aesthetic of the show and it felt like something they would do in the 90s. I
think it would've been doen way better if we'd just cut to black and heard Adar whisper
Mordor or something but either way that ends the episode.
And it's an episode that I'm pretty torn on again. It has it's high moments but for 70
minutes there's not really a lot that goes on that feels that important. Much like episode
5 I think you could've probably skipped a lot of these scenes and still ended up at
the same point for us in the finale. The show has a habit of doing very little until the
last couple of minutes where it teases something big. However we've been through that enough
now to the point where it often fails to deliver on it the week after and because of this it's
becoming difficult to get excited.
Now Amazon have promoted the finale as being something big and I really hope that it is.
I know there's some of you out there who think that I play up my negative opinion for views
and clicks but on the whole when a show is well liked my videos do much much better.
It's always better for my channel when I'm really enjoying something and the viewers
are too but I have to be honest and say that I'm not really having a good time with this.
I've even had people saying they hope that amazon removes my early access but that shows
me that they just want to live in a world where everyone agrees with them and that they
should only be allowed to give their opinion if it's positive.
I'm really struggling to see where the budget has gone and with each episode costing more
to make than Deadpool did I think they've wasted a lot of their potential.
This is the most expensive tv show of all time and it should really be a spectacle but
it feels like not that much really happens and it's just characters discussing how they
feel rather than showing it with their actions. I do hate saying stuff like this as I know
a lot of work will have went into the show but yeah this was probably my least favourite
epsiode of the entire series. I think the misfires with the crying scene and the text
as well just felt like bad ways to put across their point and it just detracted for me rather
than ramping things up for what could be a big finale.
The show is so poorly paced and looking back I'm thinking theres a lot of weird choices
in what they spend their time on. Thinking about it I think episode one would've been
way more powerful if they entire episode was the opening montage and then we ended with
a big gut punch which came with the death of Galadriels brother. Instead of focusing
on things like that though they gloss over it and instead have episodes like this where
they spend ages talking about minor things. Feels weirdly imbalanced and I think moments
like that couldve had more time given to them rather than this.
If you disagree obviously let me know below but yeah that's my thoughts on the series
this week.
Bloody shill.
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If you want something else to watch then make sure you check out our breakdown of perfect
scene in Spider-Man Homecoming. We break down the entire thing so it’s definitely worth
checking out if you wanna know more.
With that out the way thank you for sitting through the video, I’ve been Paul and I’ll
see you next time. Take care, Peace