The Eye – As the 7th episode of The Rings of Power begins, Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) stands up among the chaos. She begins yelling for the others before running into Theo (Tyroe Muhafidin). Isildur (Maxim Baldry) and Queen Regent Miriel (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) manage to free Valandil, but Ontamo is dead. They try to save a family from a house that is on the verge of collapsing. Once they help them escape, Isildur gets separated from the Queen and Valandil (Alex Tarrant). Meanwhile, Poppy (Megan Richards), Nori (Markella Kavenagh), and the others continue traveling. Largo (Dylan Smith) believes they’ve arrived. When they spot Sadoc Burrows (Lenny Henry), they notice that something is wrong. He tells them how his great-grand used to speak of mountains to the south that could spit fire-rock. They supposedly go to sleep and only awake when new evil is rising. With the food destroyed, Sadoc wonders if Nori’s friend could possibly fix it.

Poppy thinks it’d be rude for them to ask more of him so Sadoc decides to ask him himself. Although the stranger (Daniel Weyman) manages to fix it, Dilly (Beau Cassidy) nearly gets killed by a falling branch. Elrond (Robert Aramayo) offers King Durin III (Peter Mullan) to furnish the city with grain, game, and timber from the elder forests of Eriador for the next five centuries in exchange for access to the mithril mines. The King asks why they should trust any elf. Elrond says they should not, but they can trust him. He explains he is Elrond Half-elven and sees in elves what they cannot see in themselves. He pleads with the King to save his people. The King asks to speak to Prince Durin (Owain Arthur) alone. King Durin tells his son why he does not want to help the Elves. Prince Durin tries to convince him otherwise because his friend is drowning. Nothing he says will change his father’s mind.

Princess Disa (Sophia Nomvete) doesn’t like what she hears from Prince Durin. She suggests reopening the mines themselves and proving there is a safe way to father mithril. Durin doesn’t think he should overstep his father since it would look bad for his children. Elrond enters and interrupts their private conversation. He doesn’t want to stay for dinner since he needs to tell his King that he will no longer be a King and there will no longer be a Lindon. Durin gets emotional as they begin saying their farewells. Once Elrond leaves, Durin tosses the mithril next to a leaf and it seems to bring it back to life. He yells for Elrond. Galadriel tells Theo that they did this so they can make this place their home. He wants to drive them off and take it back, but she doesn’t think they’re in a position to do that right now. She manages to calm him before claiming it is her fault. Captain Elendil (Lloyd Owen) looks for his son.

When the Queen arrives, Elendil gives her his horse to ride. He asks Valandil about his son. Theo questions whether they’re all dead. Galadriel tries to convince him not to guess about it. She says Numenor set their camp upon the ridgeline so they should be hiding there. They discuss orcs, killing them, and how it darkens the heart to call dark deeds good. When Theo asks if he is a soldier, Galadriel suggests they can make one of him yet. She gives him her sword. Captain Elendil begins worrying about the Queen and her eyesight. She admits she only sees gray, but she wants to make sure nobody notices. Sadoc tells the stranger about Greenwood the Great and how to reach it. Sadoc suggests the people there might be able to help him find his stars. As the stranger prepares to leave, Nori gives him an apple. Later, she says she should’ve let the star alone when she saw it falling. She understands that she is just a Harfoot now.

Theo and Galadriel talk about the close ones she lost to the orcs. She mentions her brother Finrod and her husband Celeborn. Theo argues that it was his fault instead of hers. Galadriel attempts to convince him otherwise. She gives him advice for letting that assumption go. Once they hear enemies nearby, they have to hide. After they move on, Galadriel tells Theo to rest while he can because they’ll move at first light. When they experience another tremor, Elrond tells Durin they need to give the rocks a little more time to resettle. While they wait, Durin learns that Elrond lost the contest on purpose since his aim was never to defeat him. Elrond admits he was winded though. Durin says they have secret names that they only reveal to family. Elrond asks him to save it for the far side. Once they find the mithril, Durin’s father arrives and catches them. King Durin isn’t happy so he asks his men to seize the elf.

While Elrond waits, King Durin talks to his son about his difficulties when he was born. People thought he’d never see his first winter. His father held him to the firelight and kept his chin up all night after his mother fell asleep. One night, he saw the great gray beard of an old Dwarven king on his son’s face. When his mother woke, King Durin told her to cry no more because her son would live and move mountains. Prince Durin asks how he is supposed to move mountains when his father falls to pieces when he digs a single hole. He accuses him of suffocating any ambition, desire, and thought that doesn’t originate in him. They argue about letting the elves die as Durin says Elrond is like a brother. He accuses his father of squandering the future so he can cling to the past. The King takes off his necklace and tells him to leave it because it isn’t his anymore.

When Nori wakes up, she learns that they’re going to have food after all. Poppy is convinced that the stranger fixed it for them. While out and about, Poppy finds a massive footprint in the mud. The Nomad, The Ascetic, and The Dweller check the water nearby. Nori and Poppy notice them checking out the surroundings later that night. Nori runs out to tell them they’re going the wrong way. Once she tells them which way he went, they disappear. By the time Largo and others get there, Nori is surrounded by them. The Dweller puts out Largo’s fire using her hand before setting their huts on fire. Captain Elendil has to calm Berek and explain it is going home even though it doesn’t want to. Valandil admits it won’t listen to any of them. Elendil lets the horse run free before he says he should’ve left the elf in the sea where he found her. Theo and Galadriel reach the camp. Theo looks around the wounded and eventually runs into Bronwyn (Nazanin Boniadi).

He reunites with Arondir (Ismael Cruz Cordova) before Galadriel joins them to ask about the Queen. Galadriel approaches her and blames herself for them not being in Numenor. The Queen asks Galadriel not to spare her pity on her. She should save it for their enemies since they don’t understand what they have begun. She goes on to say Numenor will return and Galadriel vows that the elves will be ready. Largo tries to convince Nori that everything will be okay. He explains that they are true to each other better than any other creature in Middle-Earth. Nori decides to leave to warn her friend what is coming because she believes he deserves that. Poppy and Goldie say they’re going to go with her. Malva thinks Sadoc should go with them since he is a trail finder. They leave the others moments later while the Queen sails back home. Galadriel tells Arondir she is certain the Queen will keep her promise.

Bronwyn says she intends to go to Pelargir where there is fresh land and fresh water. Galadriel will report to the high king and whatever awaits them. She learns that Halbrand (Charlie Vickers) has been injured and hasn’t died. Galadriel believes the wound needs Elvish medicine. Halbrand admits this isn’t over because he will not abandon these lands and condemn them to burn. He steps out among his people as they prepare to leave. Galadriel tells Theo to keep her sword. Durin believes he failed him and it is all his fault. Disa believes it is his father’s fault. They talk about how they’ll rule and that the mithril belongs to them. Disa says they’re going to dig one day. King Durin orders for the hole to be sealed up. Adar (Joseph Mawle) tells the Orcs that this is their land and home now. When they call him the Lord of the Southlands, he says that is a place that no longer exists. Waldreg (Geoff Morrell) asks what they should call it instead.

The name is changed to Mordor just before the episode ends.

 

The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power Review

As an ordinary episode, this one wasn’t terrible since it covered some important topics and hit some emotional high notes. However, it is hard to be excited about the finale after an episode like this since it did very little to set anything up. It was really just a dull episode with a lot of uninspiring conversations between many of the characters.

Even worse is the fact that it is impossible for viewers to know where the finale goes from here because there was no setup. If it wasn’t for the stuff happening between Durin and Elrond, the episode would have probably been less compelling. The finale will have a lot of heavy lifting to do to make up for this misstep and it’ll have to work quickly to establish the premise.

Fans would love nothing more than for The Rings of Power to end on a high note to build anticipation for a second season. This episode scores a 5.5 out of 10. Recaps of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power can be found on Reel Mockery here. Learn how to support our work by following this link.