Rings of Power Episode 2 was interesting, easy to watch, and enjoyable. The music continued to be outstanding, especially the Dwarven theme. There were a few hidden treasures of Tolkien lore. It had many more intense and creepy scenes than Episode 1. I rate it a 4.5 out of 5. Beware that if you read on, there may be some spoilers for Episode 2.
One of the hidden treasures of Tolkien lore was the fish dragon. A fish dragon is a special breed of dragon living in the sea that Tolkien wrote about in a volume of The History of Middle Earth: The Lost Road and Other Writings. In the show, it was impressive and very serpent-like. I encourage you to call this catastrophic sea creature a “fish dragon” and not a “sea serpent” as that is its proper name.
In the first episode, Sauron looked amazing when we glimpsed him in one scene–he looked similar to the Sauron from the Peter Jackson films but different enough to hint at his cunning and deceitful personality in the second age. But this is not the form he will have for the whole show. In the Silmarillion, Sauron disguises himself as Annatar, “lord of gifts,” to deceive elves and men. He appears to Celebrimbor, forger of the rings of power, and deceives the elf into teaching him the techniques that will lead to the One Ring. With Annatar being a disguised Sauron, we have no idea who Sauron will end up being in this show. It could be Meteor Man (the stranger from the sky), it could be Halbrand (the man on the raft with Galadriel), or it could even be one of the Harfoots. Uh, probably not.
My favorite scenes from Episode 2 were the Dwarven sets with the breathtaking imagery of Khazad-Dum in its former glory. For those who don’t know (my mom), Khazad-Dum would be abandoned to a balrog and later earn the name of Moria, which means “black chasm” in Tolkien’s invented language. In the show we see the splendid halls, windows, and greenery inside the mountain.
The creepiest scenes surround Bronwyn, the healer from Episode 1. When she returns home, her son Theo is hiding in a cupboard from an orc who came from catacombs under their house. She decides to have some mother-son bonding time and stays behind with Theo to defeat the orc. The orc was famished because after Morgoth’s defeat, the orcs had been scattered around Middle Earth until Morgoth’s lieutenant Sauron took his place. I liked the way the orc was very afraid of the sun and had a bone and leather helmet and armor to cover its skin from the sun. This is very important because later in the Third Age, Saruman would breed the Uruk-hai to be not affected by the sun and able to raid more freely.
I still didn’t enjoy the Harfoots much, but they haven’t intruded yet into the main story, so we will have to wait to see how it unfolds.
In the upcoming episodes, I am most looking forward to seeing Numenor in its splendor and glory. At the end of Episode 2, a Numenorean ship, most likely carrying Elendil, rescues Halbrand and Galadriel who are stranded at sea. Elendil is the man who would later flee from Numenor when it sinks into the sea (Tolkien’s Atlantis legend), and his descendants would be the kings and queens of Gondor and Arnor. Eventually, the line would lead to Aragorn who would reunite those separated kingdoms.
What are you most looking forward to in the next episodes? Leave a comment.
Inkling Investigation 
I have very little knowledge of the LOTR history so it’s all a surprise for me. I am enjoying it though.
I am intrigued by Theo and his sword piece. It seemed to draw blood from him and I’m wondering what will happen with him. I thought it was a pretty strange and intense response when he started breaking the floor because he was frustrated about mice. The work required for the making of/repair would be significant and I think it would dissuade people from rash impulses.
I was a little dubious when Bronwyn first stabbed the orc. She comes yelling from across the room and I think she would have drawn it’s attention. I wonder why directors have fighters do this and if it’s a natural instinct for people in the real world. Does it build inner courage when they’re doing something Requiring great courage, As if to block out fear’s voice in their own head? Or is it something movie makers created to add tension and now it has become an accepted cultural norm? In the show it did not seem realistic to me.
I am also wondering what has become of Arondir. It does not look good for him. As I understand it, elves would sometimes be turned into orcs and I’m wondering if his fate is to be an evil guy. I wonder why he jumped into the tunnels alone. That seemed unwise. Part of me wondered if Shelob had something to do with the tunnels. It turned out to be orca this time around.
I was surprised that the dwarf prince was able to beat Elrond in the rock splitting. In LOTR movies the elves were so superior in almost every way. I wasn’t sure if he gave in with intention as a part of a plan to win back the heart of his led friend or if he was somehow defeated. But it seems that he was actually defeated when they were talking on the way to kick him out. I really enjoyed that scene between them. Elronds insensitivity really displayed a weakness or shortsightedness in his character, which I think illustrated his relative youth and lack of understanding for those unlike him. It gives him room to grow which all good characters need. I also liked that the prince had legitimate cause to be frustrated. Elrond had declared them friends and then abandoned him for his best years. I think part of what appealed to me was that they both brought something good to the friendship. It wasn’t all one sided with the lesser dwarf always being the one receiving from a patronizing elf.
I agree with you about the music. It puts me right back into The middle earth I was familiar with from the other movies. I really appreciate the continuity.
So many details to mull over. I’m a fan.
LikeLike