Episode Two of The Rings of Power continues at the Harfoot encampment.
FOUR (CONT.)
The Harfoots notice that Nori is missing.
Cut back to her and The Giant. When she asks about “his kind” he takes a stick and draws in the dirt.
SWITCH
(Here it is! I just needed a little patience.)
Back to the Harfoots straining to raise a tent. Nori’s father (Largo) pushes on a beam held by a rope that finally snaps, as does Largo’s ankle. Poppy runs up to get Nori. The Giant screams in frustration that they can’t understand his meaning.
FIVE
Largo’s ankle looks bad, and Nori helps tend to him. Sadoc asks if he will be able to migrate, and Nori weeps.
Galadriel swims. A mysterious noise (and a shark POV shot from under the water, à la Jaws) has her tread in place and pull her dagger. From the mist comes a derelict raft. Galadriel arranges her wet hair over her ear tips.
When she climbs aboard, the handful of people argue about taking her. Rations are scant. A woman insists on pulling her aboard. They were attacked by “a worm”. One of the men (Halbrand) speaks in poetic riddles.
Galadriel’s ears are discovered, but sight of a sail distracts everyone. It turns out to be the husk of their own ship stuck on the back of the worm, which now swims toward them. When its tail rocks the raft, the nice woman, her attitude completely changed, pushes Galadriel overboard.
While the worm destroys the raft, Galadriel swims quickly away. (The music, heavy with frantic strings, is also reminiscent of Jaws. I’m sorry, but this is not a good reference for a pre-medieval fantasy story.)
Halbrand, alone on what remains of the raft, paddles up to Galadriel and helps her onboard.
Cut to Elrond and Durin smashing rocks. Elrond eventually concedes, and Durin escorts him to the exit. On the lift ride up (which is awesome) Durin finally says what’s bothering him. Elrond hasn’t visited his friend in twenty years. For an elf, that’s nothing. For a dwarf, it’s a lifetime. Elrond has missed Durin’s wedding and the births of two children. When he understands, Elrond is truly remorseful.
(The word “friend” is tossed around a lot, usually with an ironic inflection. Every time it’s spoken we’re reminded of the elvish word that Gandalf needs to open Moria’s door. Speak friend and enter. It’s a nice Easter egg.)
Durin takes him home to briefly say hello to his wife, Disa. (Size manipulation — a taller Elrond in a dwarven space — is well done and fun.) She insists he stay for dinner, and Elrond witnesses a charming family scene. In an atrium is Elrond’s gift of a Lindon seedling, now grown into a strong sapling.
On the raft, Galadriel notices a strange pouch around Halbrand’s neck. They bicker with each other, probing for weaknesses, when Halbrand says that orcs chased him from his homeland. Instantly, Galadriel focuses on him while Sauron’s blazing brand flashes in her mind. He won’t say where he’s from, but Galadriel still sympathizes with Halbrand and his loss. She pushes, remarking on his necklace, and Halbrand gets in her face to push back. (Arguing nose to nose suggests a sexual tension, and we wonder if they’re being ‘shipped.) He points her to the Southlands, but otherwise refuses to help. A storm blows in.
A racing camera shot and men’s choral voices. It’s Bronwyn running home. In the pub she tells everyone that no bodies were found in the poisoned grass village, only a tunnel that may lead here. She’s insistent they should all leave, but no one will listen without proof.
Cut to Theo at home, gazing into the fireplace. A creaking under the floorboards sets him off. He slams the poker down, chipping pieces from the wood while cursing at mice. He makes a small hole and looks through, though, and it’s not mice. An eye looks up at him.
SIX
Arondir crawls through the tunnel. Claw marks divot the walls and something approaches. Scrambling, Arondir pushes through a skinny passage while rats run past him into brackish water. He’s able to swim up and out. As he watches the bubbling pool, hands grab him from behind.
SEVEN
Bronwyn runs home. The inside of her house is in shambles. She peers down into her floor’s gaping hole, calling Theo’s name. He emerges from a cupboard. Whispering at her to run for help, he gestures at the hole and closes his door. As sounds emerge from the tunnel under her house, Bronwyn hides in a closet, too.
EIGHT
A taloned hand emerges from the floor’s hole. A creature is in the house.
It finds Bronwyn. As she screams, Theo stabs it in the back. It flails, wounding him with its claw and sending him flying. A dramatic and clever fight sequence follows. As it comes for Theo, Bronwyn, sword raised, rushes it.
Cut to Bronwyn slamming the severed orc head on a pub table. Proof delivered, the village will make for the elven tower at first light.
Galadriel and Halbrand struggle with their little raft in the middle of a storm. She binds herself to a spar and calls for Halbrand’s hand. A lightning strike knocks her overboard and she sinks.
Halbrand swims down and rescues her, although he steals her dagger while she’s unconscious.
Nighttime. The Giant/Stranger looks up at the stars. Nori and Poppy, holding lanterns, carefully approach. He gives them a menacing look and their lanterns vibrate. One explodes, releasing all the fireflies within. He cups one in his hand and whispers to it, and the fireflies form a constellation overhead. Nori doesn’t recognize the shape, but she wants to help him. All the released fireflies fall dead to the ground. (Did the Stranger sap their essence in order to cast his spell? Will he kill other creatures if he needs them to communicate? Is he kind or is he ruthless? The scene is ambiguous. He may only bring sorrow with him, or he may be malevolent.)
Durin meets with his father, the king, who distrusts Elrond’s timing. They open a chest, the lid hiding its contents. Although Durin defends his friend, the king believes the elf has come for what’s inside.
NINE
Dawn, and Theo packs. He unwraps the Sauron relic and admires it. It sizzles, sucking in darkness. Baritone choral voices accompany the villagers as they hike away.
Galadriel and Halbrand sleep on the raft, sunshine on their faces. They’re discovered. Someone on a ship looks down as Galadriel, awake for a moment, falls unconscious again.
Roll credits.
CRITICAL NOTES
The first part of the Eight with Bronwyn and Theo is brilliant. The shot selection is extremely effective, using POV for each character. Everyone’s view is limited due to the cupboard door or the orc’s skull mask. Not seeing all the details feels organic and adds to the tension.
The second part with Galadriel is the opposite. We have no POV; the camera is just a fourth wall with waves battering in front of our view. It feels contrived and annoying. It doesn’t serve the action or the characters. I’m going to hammer on again about motivation. Bronwyn’s and Theo’s are easy: I want to hide from the scary bad guy. When the orc finds them it becomes: I want to protect myself and my loved one from the scary bad guy. Simple, straightforward, and easy to play. I’ll argue that this is partly why the sequence is so successful. Fight choreography has a purpose that everyone can understand.
With Galadriel, what is her motivation? “I want to survive this raft trip in a storm.” What is her intention toward Halbrand, though, and vice versa? His unexplained neck pouch and his theft of her dagger indicate we’re not to trust him. The showrunners are trying to keep a certain mystery about him. We still need to know what he wants, though. Without any clues, you end up with a bunch of waves in front of the camera to try to spice up the shot.
Structurally, this is a good episode. That Three and Six — discovering the tunnel and then exploring the tunnel — are great. (It ended up being Arondir as the Three!) The Switch — a man who lives in a nomadic community breaks his ankle and can no longer walk — has consequences.
I wonder if this series would’ve benefitted from smaller stories sometimes. Every plot has a Great Mystery. The best moments, though, are the character touches. Elrond’s dinner with Durin’s family is fun. Elrond’s meeting with Celebrimbor in his workshop has an elven snootiness that is interesting.
Notice the common element? Elrond is the only character so far who suggests a Personality Enneagram. His diplomacy (which appears to be his actual job), his self-judgment that leads to his apology, his tact, even his ridiculous rock-breaking — these all suggest a Character Nine. When I watch Elrond I know what I’m getting. He has clarity and intention. Kudos to actor Robert Aramayo and the showrunners. They’ve created a true individual who is believable and sympathetic.
Imagine if Galadriel’s character were this clear cut. The hints of mental doubt created in Episode One are gone. Now we only have a woman trying to not drown. For a main hero it’s thin gruel.