The Rings of Power delivers a loud, passably meaningful battle scene in Episode 207

As a lifelong Tolkien enthusiast, I must admit that my heart races with every new episode of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. I’ve read the books more times than I can count, and I still find myself captivated by Middle-earth’s grandeur. However, this week’s episode left me a little underwhelmed, much like a second breakfast without butter.

As a devoted fan, I must say that we’ve almost reached the end of the penultimate episode in season 2 of “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power”. This battle episode is quite…well, it’s a battle! With Amazon pouring their resources into it, the grandeur of the spectacle is undeniable. The city of Eregion, home to the Elves, is under siege by Adar’s horde of orcs, and it’s nothing short of breathtaking. The city walls crumble under the barrage of catapults, an elven cavalry thunders over the hills, and a colossal troll pounds against the defenses in a night that seems to drip with blood and fire. It’s a sight to behold!

But the show has the same problem it always has: the characters aren’t as deep as I’d like, the dialogue not as clever as it thinks it is, and the storytelling a little too loose and sloppy for me to really lose myself in the thrill. For example, there’s one moment where Elrond, who’s leading an army of elves from Lindon, gives an inspiring speech to a female archer, promising that one arrow from her could turn the tide of battle. Her chin up, she looses a flaming arrow and ignites a pot of pitch, which explodes and takes many orcs with it. Then she is peppered with arrows and dies in slow motion.

From my viewing of numerous action films, it appears this scene is intended to be impactful, yet my primary thought was: “Is she someone we should recognize?” This episode seems set up as a significant turning point, and it’s enjoyable to watch. However, it falls short of the weightiness it aims for.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2, Episode 7 review

It’s important to note that this place is far from lacking charm. The most valuable items are entrusted to Celebrimbor, who tirelessly crafts the rings destined for mortal men while Eregion is under siege just beyond his view; Sauron maintains his control by trapping Celebrimbor in a loop similar to the one in “The Matrix,” which he breaks free from when he notices strange behavior in the mice and candles. I believe this explanation provides too much insight into Sauron’s limitations, which is more impactful when left shrouded in mystery as J.R.R. Tolkien does in his works. Unfortunately, I don’t anticipate “The Rings of Power” will attempt to emulate the essence of his books.

Despite having finished “The Lord of the Rings,” I can’t seem to move on from it. Moreover, Sauron’s explanation about his own suffering at the hands of Morgoth while justifying his actions towards Celebrimbor felt out of place for me. This portrayal seems to depict Sauron’s conflict as a result of intergenerational trauma. To me, Tolkien’s characters were mythical figures, and humanizing them with contemporary psychological aspects feels like diluting their essence. It’s perplexing why the showrunners would opt for modern interpretations instead of celebrating what made Tolkien’s work distinctive. After all, it’s J.R.R. Tolkien we’re dealing with here – a man celebrated and cherished for his unique storytelling. They should lean into that.

Initially, I set out to commend the series, but let’s get back on track: although I have voiced concerns, watching Celebrimbor escape his magical confinement and aspire to rule Eregion once more, despite Sauron manipulating his followers against him, is an engaging spectacle. I find Sauron particularly intriguing when he dons the role of a high camp villain, exuding piety while hiding a sneering grin as he orchestrates his malevolent schemes. This show offers some such instances that I appreciate. Furthermore, Celebrimbor’s moments of regret for his past mistakes, even if they seem overly dramatic with speeches about light being stronger than brute force, resonate with me. However, the writers appear to be striving for profound symbolism in these scenes, but I believe they fall short of that mark.

Sound, fury and The Rings of Power

Every time, I find the scenes set within Khazad-dûm quite engaging, as more dwarves team up with Durin and Disa to halt mining activities for fear of stirring a balrog. Durin, being such an endearing character, leaves me rooting for his success, even in challenging endeavors like overthrowing his cursed father’s greed-driven reign. As the de facto ruler of Khazad-dûm now, Durin vows to mobilize a dwarven military force to support Elrond’s troops at Eregion. However, his own king’s relentless, greedy mining activities threaten to divert those forces back to Khazad-dûm to combat whatever ancient terror may be awakened. Stay tuned for next week!

I was less interested in the dramatic scenes with Adar. I’m looking side-eyed at the way the show rearranged the siege of Eregion in general. In Tolkien’s telling, Sauron attacks Eregion because he has beef with the elves — nice and simple — but the show turns it into a complicated double-bluff where Adar attacks Eregion but only so he can get to Sauron, and Sauron takes over the elven forces of Eregion but only to hold off Adar long enough for Celebrimbor to finish making the rings of power, and maybe Sauron has some other plan that has yet to unfold. This might be an example of “more complicated isn’t better, it’s just more complicated.”

A significant outcome might hinge on the events of the upcoming week. Currently, we witness an unusual proposition being extended by Adar to Elrond: he will free Galadriel, and in exchange, Elrond would refrain from interfering with the destruction of an elven city since its inhabitants are under Sauron’s control, and he stands no chance against Adar’s forces. Would anyone accept such a deal? It seems like Galadriel manages to break free from Adar’s confinement, perhaps after Elrond discreetly provides her with a lockpick during their meeting, even if it involves a quick kiss. The show sometimes leaves me puzzled about the intended meaning of certain scenes.

But the battling is fun, and I’m glad Celebrimbor is free, and I’m happy to see Sauron be his villainous self, whether he lays it at the feet of mean old Morgoth or not. Onto the finale!

The Bullet Points of Power

• I think one of the reasons I chafe at Sauron recounting his torture at the hands of Morgoth is because, in the books at least, he will go on to spread the worship of Morgoth as a religion, not to mention imitate Morgoth as he rises to become a new dark lord. I guess that all fits with the psychological explanation for Sauron’s behavior The Rings of Power has offered us — he becomes the things he hates — but I still think it brings him awkwardly down to earth.
• Arondir shows up to the Siege of Eregion, confronts Adar and gets his ass beat. Arondir hasn’t had much of a story this season, and Isildur almost nothing. And the hobbits and the Stranger haven’t gotten up to much in Rhûn. In some ways it feels like not much has happened since the start of the season.

Episode Grade: C+

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2024-09-26 15:41