Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

 So I held off a bit before diving into the most expensive television series ever made, set in my beloved Middle-earth.

Because of the controversy partially, but also because me and Noshi had a busy time the past months, and we wanted it all to settle down a bit before we could pay attention to a series full of details.

Set in the Second Age of Middle-earth, it is centered around the rise of Sauron, the trusted lieutenant of Morgoth, and the elves opposing him, and when the series is finished it should all culminate into the Last Alliance that kicks of the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

So with high expectations, I began the series, and the first thing that didn't disappoint was the sheer beauty of it all.  Though "warrior maiden Galadriel" did feel a bit sour in the stomach.  The series began with her hunting for clues of the Dark Ones return, and culminates in her refusing to go to the Undying Lands together with the rest of her brave warrior band.  In the meantime, a comet strikes, and a man lies in it's centre, while small clues of the darkness rising appear.  Wargs starting to come closer to Hobbit territory, cows secreting a black substance instead of milk... as such we get to meet the main characters of the series like the curious Hobbit Elanor Brandyfoot or the elven ranger Arondir, new characters to go along established names like Gil-Galad, Elrond and of course Galadriel.

In the burned ruins of the Hordern village, Arondir discovers a tunnel and enters it to see where it goes and what dug it.  Bronwyn tries to convince the people to evacuate the village, but she is rebutted.  Later on, when an Orc attacks from a tunnel under her house, she brings it's head before the other villagers and they agree with the plan to move to the Elven outpost.  Elrond goes to look for his friend Durin in the meantime, but years of neglecting their relation made the prince sour.  They make up though thanks to his wife.

Galadriel is adrift in the Sea, and saved by Halbrand after his companions shipwrecked and killed by a beast, only to be found by a mysterious ship.  That captain turns out to be Elendil, father of Isildur and he brings them to the island of Numenor (EPIC entry sequence here, you can see where the budget went).  Galadriel and Halbrand are met with resistance though, as Numenor has turned away from the elves.  Galadriel figures out Halbrand is the king of his southlands people.

In the meantime, Arondir is tossed in the orcish slavepits after being captured in the tunnels.  Here he finds the rest of his regiment, but as they try to escape, they are killed one by one and Arondir is captured again.  The hobbits start their migration, but Elanor's family, due to her actions, is at the risk of being left behind, but the stranger helps them push their cart.  But when they are surrounded in a forest, the stranger unleashes a blast of power, saving the hobbits.  But three mystics are on their trail, clearly looking for the mysterious stranger.

Back in Numenor, Queen Miriel has a vision of the fall of Numenor.  When Galadriel confronts her for her inrreverence of the Elves, she is arrested and thrown in jail.  Galadriel gets out and finds the king of Numenor, Tar-Palantir, who is bed ridden, and Queen Miriel.  Here it is revealed the reason of their separation of the elven ways and the vision, as it was seen in one of the Palantir.  This leads to a new alliance between them, and Numenor will send 5 ships and 500 warriors with Galadriel to hunt down a seemingly reawakening Sauron in Middle-Earth.

In the Southlands, Arondir is confronted by the orc's leader, a disfigured elf named Adar, who sends him to the tower and the villagers to tell them they must surrender or die.  Elrond discovers in the meantime what the dwarves are mining, a metal called Mithril, and swears secrecy as Durin accompanies him to Lindon.  he tricks Gil-Galad of giving the dwarves the table they are dining on, as the High King confides in Elrond the improtance to the elven race of the Mithril, and that he must see to convince Durin to share it with them.

In the Southlands, Adar and his orcs invade the elven tower, only to find it abandoned. The villagers have sneaked back to their homes, preparing it for defence as the enemy forces are weakened by a rouse, causing the tower to collapse.  The remaining orcs assault, and while initially held off, soon the defenders become swarmed.  Adar starts killing survivors to get the key, but then Numenor arrives, quickly dispatching the enemy.  Adar is caught and questioned, but his subordinate escaped with the swordkey, opening the dam. Due to the tunnels dug by Adar, the water runs in magma veins, causing the nearby mountain to errupt and the result forming what would become Mount Doom and the Desolation of Mordor.

 

With the eruption of what will become Mount Doom, the surviving Numenorians and Southlanders leave the area to a base camp.  Queen Miriel has been blinded, but when she is reunited with Galadriel vows she will return with a big host to defeat the awakening evil.  

 

 

The Harfoot's in the meantime reach the grove they migrated to, finding it damaged by the eruption as well.  The stranger restores it to bountifull harvest, but nearly injures a young hobbit, causing him to leave.  Strange mystics arrive, destroying the camp and making Nori, Poppy, Malva and Sadoc to go search for him and help him out.  In Khazad-dum a large mithrill deposit is uncovered by Durin and Elrond, but Durim's father who refuses to aid the elves casts Elrond out and disows his son.  But in the bottom of the mine, the Balrog of legend re-awakens due to their digging. 

The stranger is ambushed by three mystics, trying to awaken his true powers of Sauron.  But they find out he isn`t him, but "on of the others", an Ishtar.  The veil lifted, he quickly makes short work of them before setting of into the world together with Nori.  Meanwhile, Galadriel and Elrond discover the truth of Halbrand, and that he is actually Sauron.  He tries to sway Galadriel, but is forced out and flees to Mordor while the elves craft their three rings of power.

Okay, so I get the grievances with this series and how it, let's put it lightly, takes liberal approach to the lore.  But apart from that, it IS a beautifully made series, and it is a fun fantasy show.  So I get how the die hards might cringe, but then I ask you, why do you rever the original movie trilogy that much though?

I surely enjoyed it for what it is, a fantasy show that happens to take place in Middle-earth, and look forward to the second season.  Some of the questions are answered, it was long hinted that Halbrand would be the ancestor of Aragorn (heck, Charly Vickers even looks like Viggo Mortensen), and the Ishtar just screams Gandalf (the follow your nose line for example, as he uttered in Moria in the movies), yet somehow my gut feeling tells me he is actually Saruman (the pose with the mystic stave, the control over fire, ...).

Well, those are things to find out over the coming seasons when they are released!