Rings of Power Season 2, Episode 6 BREAKDOWN
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- Опубликовано: 18 сен 2024
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This week we get to see Annatar’s powers of illusion and manipulation, heart-wrenching in Khazad-dûm, heart-soaring in Númenor, and unfortunately, an ongoing hindrance of the show rear its head once again.
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the true lines aren't just underminded, they're misunderstood, the writers think barrow wights are the souls of the dead somehow returned from beyond the void, they don't know how magic works or that is a beyond godlike ability that sauron does not have
In Norwegian smile is prounanced smil
So, are you walking back that it was indeed Durin's Bane and NOT the Watcher that the dwarves are digging too deep to find?
Because last review you didn't even consider the balrog
Have you considered sauron teleporting to kahazad dum and back ?
Lló@@TheDeviousBandit
"Bats frighten me. It's time my enemies shared my dread"
- Disa
So she's batman lol.
"I'm Bat Disa!"
NOTE: I'm not saying things can never reference the original LOTR story (and/or films). I'm saying it needs to be things that make sense. A great example is Elendil's words when coming to dwell in Middle-earth, which is what Aragorn sings at his coronation in the ROTK film.
Agreed the line form bombadil made no sense in that moment.
I agree with you too! The way Rings of Power is doing this now is very random. I think they want it to come of as "see? We do reference the books!" when it comes off as them trying too hard but not getting the effect. They're trying to trigger nostalgia, but it comes off as cheap. I have not watched the whole recap yet, but I remember the part about "Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give that to them?" It's a favorite Gandalf moment of mine, and to be used that way is just... ugh
Edit: Got to the part about this line. Was super sure that a lot got bothered about that line!
@@dashwoodhouse11 agreed, seems they are so afraid to stand on their own or that their audience can enjoy the story as it stands itself that they feel the need to have a constant connection to the movies. That's why we get stuff like Gandalf in the second age. They seem to think that without these known characters there just wouldnt be enough to tell an original story (to the average viewer). Which is ridiculous.
Corey made a similar point, except he goes in depth to analyze the references in an attempt to understand, instead of dismissing them as nails on a chalkboard.
@@Frankje01 Yes! I think the showrunners (and whoever the higher ups are involved in this show) severely underestimate what the audience can enjoy and understand. They thought the elves would not fall for Sauron being Annatar - but that is the actual story that Tolkien did create and it worked. It comes off to me as 1) them not knowing anything about the lore 2) them thinking they can do better
I understand that they don't have rights to a lot of things, but why couldn't they make their own lines that would suit the story better? Are they so incapable of doing that that they have to copy-paste memorable lines in the book and movies? They have done so well with the Numenor story here, and I'm not sure why it's not consistent with the Stranger story.
If they want to do call backs to the movies, then they should have Adar absolutely crushing some tomatoes for dinner
lmao 😂😂😂
I was surprised they didn't like come on guys they missed a lay up
Numenorians and Elves in this show are just regular dudes that never left their home town lol
Accurate
What if the Stranger actually goes to save Nori, and he later becomes one of the Blue Wizard?
That could be cool.
@@xdkwolfx "cool"
What are you smoking that you think the blue wizards is gonna happen in this garbage fire of a show
I am still holding out hope that The Stranger and The Dark Wizard are the two Blue Wizards and they are purposefully dressed up to look like Gandalf and Saruman, because the showrunners decided to go with an idea akin to "The two Blue Wizards both bungled their mission and later on Gandalf and Saruman were sent to redeem what they were supposed to be." so we have proto-look-alike versions of Gandalf and Saruman.
I don't know why but I have a feeling Tom will give The Stranger his hat and cloak thus making him a blue wizard. All the Gandalf references are too obvious and perhaps this is more of an Istar reference.
Me too! I feel the show-runners want to impress core viewers like us by surprising us. Making him Gandalf is too easy. Besides, it’ll make the dark wizard totally random.
he is 1000000% gandalf, they have been giving us small hints now and there. and since this show is written by 12 year olds i can guarantee u he is gandalf
Come on seriously. After the "many that die deserve to live..." sentence... So what? Did Gandalf hear it from Bombadil 🤬
I'm the same - it will be a disappointment to be Gandalf - so I have this theory (wishful thinking?) that the showrunners knew that Gandalf was everyone's expectation, so they are teasing with it to make the reveal more shocking. It just seems at this point, if the stranger turns out to be Gandalf, it will just feel like a 'meh'.
Can we agree that for god's sake, legions of orcs this near should have been goddamn spotted by the city ?
Hahahaha do you’re saying someone possibly could’ve seen all those campfires?
All 50 or so of them.
Exactly, it's just so idiotic
It’s almost like elven hubris coupled with annatar’s manipulation is a terrible combination or something 🥴
Without this feeling antagonistic, are you aware that Sauron, hidden as Anatar, also known as The Great Deceiver, is deceiving the elves of Eregion?
Celebrimbor shouldn’t feel bad for forgetting that woman’s name I can’t remember the names of pretty much all of the made up characters in this show.
lol! I almost made a joke about understanding him not remembering her name because it doesn't appear in the books. haha
Easily forgettable
"Made up" is not what you expected? You wanted historically accurate and documented real people?
@@turnipsociety706I think they mean made up for the show, and not coming from JRR Tolkien
@@turnipsociety706are you aware that the show has source material?
Favorite character so far: Glug. My guy just wants the best for his wife and kid.
Amen to that! Good on him for not deserting the army. Hope he pulls through...
@@RobKlarmann Dude, Glug dying will be the most sad thing ever.
If the Numenoreans are fickle, imagine if they had the internet.
with all the internet trolls too
This is the problem with condensing thousands of years of events into...what...a year? Two maybe?
Touché!
@@Blisterdude123 they should take notes with game of thrones, they know how to give personalities to different factions of the mob. Etc kings landing
EDIT: After some folks pointed it out, I did see that there's some (I think CGI?) extras in the sea trial scene higher on the ridge line. Very easy to miss, imo, but I will credit them in that there ARE more people present.
Ok. But your point is still valid nonetheless. It's really not that hard or expensive to double or triple the extras with CGI. We're living in the age of A.I. and you're telling me that should be an issue?
Shout out to Disa recreating the bat cave scene from Batman Begins.
I was thinking it was morbin time myself but OK!
For it was cool igaf
Beyond cringe.
@@nomdeguerre8464 was fire 🔥🔥🔥
@@dominickdonmez19 yeah, you have said that about 10 times. Almost as if it is your job to do so.
It’s weird how the show feels so small. You have no sense of scale that Numenor could possibly raise an army of tens of thousands to invade middle earth and be so fearsome that Sauron quakes at their advance. You have no sense that the Noldor in Middle Earth, despite waning as the age passes, are still quite numerous and extremely powerful. All we get to see is a few dozen Numenoreans at a time, a few random elves at a time. There’s no sense of scale with the show and it feels so small.
It is still a TV show. Plus, we had so far no reason at all for huge mass scenes in the open. But it does really help to watch that series not on a smart phone or tablet. That show looks pretty huge and epic on our huge flat screen ;)
@@alexvinci169 100 mil per episode
@@alexvinci169 Literally more than the budget of Peter Jackson's trilogy. There is no excuse.
@terrasur4168 big armies are boring. You can go watch them in chinese megaproductions
@@alexvinci169 That excuse simply does not fly when some streaming shows these days quadruple the budget of an entire movie.
As you pointed out last week, I don't love that the Dwarven Rings are already making people power-hungry and mad (since they're supposed to be passed down for generations), but the overall drama of the king gone mad and his son struggling to reach out to him is really neat.
@@OnlyRoke yeah, well, it's just causing them to wake Durin's Bane about an age and a half too early, but whatever
I don't like hating on this show as it's a good way to see more of middle earth, but one of things that irritate me the most is the way they portray the elf's. In this show they're just men with pointy ears.
how dare to label them as "men"! they are a diverse crowd of Google interns, from all walks of life!
I think part of that probably comes from setting we have seen them in thus far. When the elves are given ‘elf things’ to do, it seems to succeed for the most part. Gil-Galad gives a larger than life feel, Elrond really seems to capture the wisdom of the elves, Cirdan their ancient nature, and Arondir shows us the classic badass side to their warriors.
It’s not middle earth dude it’s a fan fic
Yes! Elves are supposed to be aliens that are almost perfect not this bs
@jeffreyyoung6714 it's a middle earth adaptation whether you like it or not (for the record I think it's mostly badly written).
25:22 I interpreted this as Disa not necessarily getting the bats to attack the other dwarves, but rather disturbing the bats and making them fly from their roosts and out the tunnel; scaring the miners in the process.
@@1ThisIsMyNameNow1 how convenient
9:30 I view this as Adar fundamentally not understanding what Sauron is
Actually, now that I think about it, just because Adar thinks the crown has special powers to kill Sauron if the Elven Rings are used with that, that doesn't mean he's right. And we know he ultimately fails, so maybe this is just the show showing how Adar is playing with powers too big for him that he doesn't understand.
I am so happy Poppy found love. Since poor Poppy lost her family.
"Forrest gump-ing his way through the woods" killed me. What a great line. 🤣
the double entendre was elf like mastery
I don't mind the "precious" references by Sauron. After all the one ring came from him and it seems that people refer to it as precious without even realising it. It shows the influence that Sauron and the ring have over everyone. For him to be using it in a prequel makes sense if it's his preferred choice of language. It would then later explain why others refer to the ring in this way too. It further shows how pervasive his words are.
I think this season is far from great, but I admit I really appreciate the way the are making Sauron such a manipulator by pushing Adar in attacking Eregion for him
The Sauron manipulation is top of the list for things done well imo. Seeing him nudge people like chess pieces has been fun to see.
@@NerdoftheRings This was the main thing I wanted to watch the show for as Sauron's methods in the second age always interested me and i am glad they are delivering well on that part of the story at least. Looking forward to how he does the same with Pharazon in Numenor...
Annatar's illusion conjuring near the end was fkn perfect 👌 best thread of the series. Also Elendil is badass and I'm here for it!
Also, sometimes I agree the prequelitis is too much , for the use of the word precious, I found it perfect:
Pre-cious
adjective
(of an object, substance, or resource) of great value; not to be wasted or treated carelessly.
"precious works of art"
Annatar became an awesome orchestral director towards the end of the episode.
@neomoscoso10 "awesome"
Wigs of power.
I think Annatar slicing his hand and placing it on Celebrimbor's arm is what he uses to create the illusion
I’m ok with Sauron fast travel
I was thinking the same thing, sauron managed to travel to kazak Doom and back again in a blink of an eye.
Yet in previous episodes, they showed elrond company couldn't even get to eregion to see celebrimbor due to a so-called bridge collapse.
I mean, who writes this crap, whats worse is this went through checks during the writing stage and these directors, show runners okay'd it
@NerdoftheRings If you take a closer look at the scene, at the end of the sea trial, there are quite a number of Numenorians standing on the cliffs watching the sea trial
yeah, i didnt see that when watching the episode but i noticed it in the video, i wonder if he missed it aswell
I was going to mention this as well. Didn't notice them during the episode but watching the stills in the breakdown, seems like a lot of people showed up for the trial. Great catch!
I enjoy these breakdowns more than the episodes themselves
I feel like the Harefoot/stranger is failing because it was set up as fan service, in my opinion, and the whole plot over the 2 seasons for that storyline feels like it is relying on references etc to carry it. I genuinely believe that the numenor storyline, the eregion storyline, and the khazad dum storyline are well made, well written, and have characters and moments which truly feel amazing!
numenor storyline is dogshit bad and boring, the eregion and khazad dum oke good i guess
@@cptblack9801 I’ve been loving Numenor! I think it’s more the characters carrying it - I love Elendil and Miriel and despise Earien and Kemen and it gives the storyline stakes for me :)
We’re near the end of season 2 and we still haven’t seen anything of Anarion (the first king of Gondor) but we’ve had plenty of Elendils annoying evil daughter. Sigh!
The show is not the books. It's a loose adaptation of the books, so its events will play out differently.
@@SaintFortit's not so much they are changing the book content, and rather that the things they have changed haven't really been interesting.
Obviously youre not going to get anarion. They have to condense 1000 years into ten. Or we would be getting 20 seasons where absolutely nothing happens. I thought it was obvious that elendil will be the first king.
I think he will show up next season when Elendil goes to have a chat with him about the Faithful leaving Númenor. Probably going to have a nice long grief session about wife/mom and Isildur, then deciding to go help the Elves.
@@ThatGuy-js6mu Of course we are getting Anarion in the next season. In season 1 Elendil told Isildur that Anarion is on the west side of Numenor where most of the Faithful live and the showrunners hinted that we will see him
Aren't all Istari servants of the secret flame? Yes, Gandalf used this phrase, but this should apply to all of them, right?
I have my fingers crossed that this is the case, that this isn't Gandalf, and that it's all just been a cunning misdirect.
I think they stop being "servants" when they are corrupted and use their power for evil
@@MoldyMojoMonkeyhim not being Gandalf at this point would be worst for the story
@@ArturoRamirez2003BS I agree. If he ends up not being Gandalf, then it makes the harfoot storyline completely meaningless.
Still unsure how i feel about this show but i am actually enjoying how they're portraying Sauron as a master of deception.
Absolutely!
@@NerdoftheRings If only this wasn't undermined by it all requiring Galadriel inexplicably neglecting to mention the fact that Halbrand is Sauron. I can't get past this lazy fudge! It's too central to the show's core story, to the central ruin of the age... They've bent everything and everyone out of shape rather than deal with this crucial issue. Now it's 'Galadriel just didn't mention the great enemy of Middle-earth is right now at Eregion'. People can say it's because she was ashamed but 1) that's silly, it's weak characterisation, and 2) it doesn't work as she immediately on reaching Lindon does spill the truth... So there's no work in between, no development, no agonising, no testing. At the end of one episode, she doesn't tell who Halbrand is, then, at the start of the next, she does, once she's far enough away that they can conjure false tension re: Celebrimbor being (inexplicably, ludicrously) in the dark. It's clearly this way because the writers messed everything up and didn't want to fix it. Instead, they break the character and world to retain their dodgy plot.
All this makes the dance with Sauron and Celebrimbor an epic, drawn-out contrivance of the highest order.
@@trevorbyrne4668You're not wrong. It feels like a backtrack to try and force the Annatar plotline in. Without the poorly written secrecy of Galadriel I don't know how they could've put Celebrimbor in this position.
@@Olegance9311 I've wondered if maybe they had no intention of putting in Annatar originally. To me, it seemed the Halbrand/secret Sauron thing was their version of Annatar, but one in which the audience (like the elves of the books) don't realise they're being fooled. They even go so far as to have Halbrand help forge the elven rings (completely out of order with the story as originally written). It's like they later on decided to do Annatar as well (which to me is anyway an inelegant recapitulation of the 'same' story from season 1 - the dark lord hiding in plain sight, working on the forging of rings). This would be a strange enough choice for a story on its own.
Whatever about when and why they made this (poor, I think) decision to facilitate Secret Sauron Redux for season 2, they went about it in the worst possible way. 'Do not treat with him'. Aw, c'mon! Then sending two guys with a letter across half of Middle-earth - a hugely dangerous journey at the best of times - on the most crucial quest imaginable... Etc etc.
This all totally leaves me unable to engage with the (faux) seriousness of the core story. Bah!
Yeah that's really all Hollywood writers know though. The whole portrayal of evil as sympathetic is really gross though.
I had the completely opposite opinion of Tom using the line. I see Tom as being unburdened by the living or dying of others, so to him, the phrase means both things equally. He's meant to feel aloof in these scenes, and I think it's done very successfully. It is Gandalf's humanity that teaches him that the phrase should mean that no one should be quick to deal out death to those who appear to deserve it.
it's a recycled line from the trilogy. it's lazy writing, that's all.
I don't like that they've just turned him into Obi-Wan Kenobi, or some other generic sage wizened mentor for the chosen one.
I'm calling it now, the main hobbit girl is gonna end up in a relationship with that guy and it's gonna be revealed that his last name is Baggins, or they move to the Shire and change their last name to Baggins or something. Something along those lines that would be both ridiculous and unnecessary and probably break the lore in multiple ways
Nah he’s a Took for sure 😂
Poppy-cock
Tens of people will care.
@@nomdeguerre8464 lol, I also already gave up on watching this season, but it's such low hanging fruit that they're gonna have to do it in a later season, even if it completely breaks the lore
@@nyyfandan I think in the Appendices it said that the first Baggins was Bungo, while Merimac is either a Tookish or Bucklander name (I can't remember) So I really doubt that they'll end up as the first Baggins but I wouldn't put it past the show to make them like, the builders of Bag End or something. Maybe Bungo will be their son lol
Honestly, Owain Arthur, Charlie Vickers, and Lloyd Owen as Prince Durin, Sauron and Elendil respectively, are absolutely slaying this season. Their performances are well done and very believable.
I felt the hype with saurons slow motion stride and smile
Nobody wants to congratulate Morffyd I see. She's an excellent actress.
Didn’t know that Disa was the middle earth Batman
Probably it's sarcasm💯 but I Really like tough it was cool and I Really Like it IDGAF
Or Adar the Barbossa tbh! I was almost expecting the zombie monkey popping up in the background as he fails to have dinner with kidnapped Elizabeth Swann.
@@dominickdonmez19we know you bots DGAF. Go collect your Amazon check
@dominickdonmez19 It was such a moving scene in showcasing the subtle power of the mountain and the voice of Dwarves, instead of showing fireworks like magic..I too found it very tastefully done.
What I think happened in that scene, was that Disa sang at a frequency which disturbed the bats, so they fled.
The worst thing about this show is not that its completely bad, but that there are so many moments and elements that work, but then many others that bring it down. It makes me disappointed by what was lost.
Remember Orc can be an offensive term. Refer to them as Uruk.
That’s Uruk-Hai to YOU, man-splainer!
Lol
We should he sensitive not to offend the feelings of Orcs.
Orccer lover!
You're just lucky he didn't say g*blin
The bat scene game me a chuckle because it reminded me of Lord of the Rings Online when the first expansion dropped, Mines of Moria.
Everyone had problems with a quest to find the bat cave, and people just got tired of it and told them to go to Gotham 😂
Also I indeed have heard the pronunciation smil, in my native language of Danish, which does have roots in how English came about.
I actually think that Celebrimbor can also see things in the unseen world. Look at the scene where he is removing the ring from the finger of the invisible lady smith. There he seems to know exactly what he is doing and where the ring is.
True. I think this also, but if it’s true, it’s not at all shown and flushed out by the show.
Remember when the tough and experienced dwarven miners got scared of some slightly large bats? Yeah me too…
How many Dwarven miners do you know?
@@mikeransom9210I know Narvi, the delve-master of Moria isn’t scared of some bats.
@@captainseabass874 Oh wow! You know him personally? That’s cool yo 👍
@@mikeransom9210found the Amazon bot
@@mikeransom9210 so if I don’t know a fictional character personally irl, I can’t expose nonsensical storytelling when I see it? Thats an absurd take.
Its worth noting we only have Angars word that the crown was the key to killing Sauron. I mean it didn't do the job before. He also proceeded to follow up all he told Galadriel by saying it was all a lit to get her to talk anyway, so Im not convinced that the claim about the crown is true.
Plus it was way too small to be Morgoth's crown. He was massive in size and that crown is for a normal head
@@TurinStark5He said Sauron reforged it for his own head.
Galadriel is so easily duped in this series. Hardly the character that didn't trust Annatar from the get-go in Tolkien's works. "Hey Galadriel, I have a bridge for sale in Brooklyn. Interested?"
I can't believe she was literally about to side with the orcs. Even Adar was like 'tf are you serious, you've lost your mind' when she basically offered to join up with him. Even the BAD guy is like 'tone it down, you've clearly been corrupted by Sauron' lmao
@@Blisterdude123 couldn't she just have been lying to Adar to eventually get out of captivity. I mean, she's his prisoner after all at this point. She has to find a way to survive the situation. Sauron's not the only one that can deceive to achieve his ends.
@@kylebeavers I'd buy that if at any point previously in two seasons of this show, we'd seen some example or evidence of that in her behaviour, her character. We have not.
What we have seen is her fanatical, bloodthirsty obsession with hunting Sauron, up to and including gaslighting herself into believing Sauron had tricked her, when really she'd tricked herself. All we have is evidence that she'd do ANYTHING to get Sauron, up to and including siding with....the orcs, apparently.
BTW always pronounced it as Smeeal, never thought of any other, but I am Hungarian. BTW Miriel judgement scene: if you look at the wide shot there are a lot of people on the mountain as well...
Wow you uploaded that fast.
Also after watching this i realised there was a whole load more people up on the cliffs at the end of the sea worm scene, didnt notice them the first time around, almost hidden by the light.
Adar is the best character of this show
Best original character by far...but they are doing great with Annatar this season.
Can you acknowledge that Charlie V is absolutely killing it as Annatar/Sauron. Loving this.
I’m so shocked his filmography is so small and yet he’s playing one of literature’s biggest villains perfectly
I'm absolutely loving this season, so excited for the next 2 episodes. My only issue is it feels a little rushed as if they could easily have done 2-4 more episodes.
Like butter spread over too little bread
I much preferred Isildur being precious to his mother, because it gave emotional depth to his debased use of the same word with the One ring. Annatar’s use of the word here is mere prequelitis in comparison.
Hmhm, Annatar saying they they are -pretty cool- would have made do much more sense ;)
Notes on the sudden Bat summoning: It makes sense that a person, living in caves, who uses sound to locate things to keep Bats as either Pets or is at least able to connect to them. It could have been better established but it is logical.
More like making a loud reverbating sound that shakes the walls and ceiling just might disturb them.
How convenient. Not only you explaining it away after the fact, but her controlling their flight path.
Bl dwarf magic!
@@nomdeguerre8464 You're right. Would have made way more sense for them to fly into the solid wall at the end of the tunnel.
@@totallynottrademarked5279 because they only had ONE exit, right? Just so happens it's the way the dig crew was coming. Got it.
As I said, how convenient.
@@nomdeguerre8464 Yes because they are digging a tunnel. A single path into the mountain. The other way would be most likely a dead end meaning they fly into a wall.
Regarding the Trail at the water: While there are only 30-50 extras in the foreground, there ARE crowds of people all over the cliffs behind, indicating that this is a big deal for a large mass of people.
Sad to see Celibrimbor be reduced to a sad end! Hopefully he will be redeemed in death!
It'll be interesting to see if he will be, the change to Celebrimbor's story line from a Redemption Arc in the Lore to what's shaping up to be a Tragedy in the show, has definitely not been a welcome change for me.
Well, does Sauron actually know which elves have the Three? If he does not, Celebrimbor certainly might keep that a secret as a last redemption 🤷🏻♀️ we can hope.
Doubt it, the real Celebrimbor went out fighting until he was captured.. This one doesn't scare a fly.
Sauron is already IN Eregion, this time. Celebrimbor is not redeeming anything lol
30-50 Numenorians? Do you not see the hundred if not thousands lining the top of the cliffs?
You can count them, probably less than 100.
@@TheReTurnersFlips I didn't see them when I watched it, only when people pointed out out here.
I really hope they don't have Isildur say "and I will die as one of them." to Elrond. During the Last Alliance Of Elves and Men.
There was another clear reference to the point in The Two Towers movie when Saruman reveals his Uruk-hai army to Wormtongue. Both the lines spoken at that point and the visual shots were the same as The Two Towers, just changed a bit (it would take a number beyond reckoning/just one legion then cut to shot overlooking a larger army)
This episode was so good. I watched it twice back to back. Every scene with Annatar and Celebrimbor is pure perfection.
This episode ranks as one of the worst of the series in my opinion. Regardless of celebrimbor and annatar. We went through the entire episode with the orc army moving all of 20 feet from the last episode. Kind of ridiculous.
Best episode of the season for me...
Honestly, Elendil is probably my favorite character in the series (right alongside Durin, of course). The actor has done a really great job with him and I feel as though he truly is an ancestor to Aragorn. There's something about him that just makes me want to follow him into battle. 😂
Also, I KNEW you were gonna say something about Bombadil saying Gandalf's line. I cringed so hard during that scene!
Not enough Arondir in this season. I loved him in season 1 but he's been absent character wise this season
14:33 and I believe the showrunners allude to Tom being Illuvatar's avatar. which we know from Tolkien's letters is not the case, apparently, but it makes so much sense within the books I myself believed that for years.
1st half had me down, harfoots, and budget gandalf. . .but Elendil lifted me up. saved the episode. of course annatar and brimby a solid dynamic. :)
There were a few scenes in this episode where I got the feeling Sauron wanted a taller tower to look out of.
"Eh, Elves have OK eyesight, I guess, but what I REALLY need is to be a giant, flaming Eye!"
I haven’t even had breakfast yet! How do you do these breakdowns so fast!!!????
not everything revolves around ur country almost dinner time here
@@mateocolak7145 Matt’s time zone is almost the same as mine
@@MitchellEvertsehe stays up Wednesday night til after midnight and watches the episode then.
You need to remember that this show has to appeal to those who have only ever seen the films.
This film appeals to no one who has watched the films as they are masterpieces and truly terrible television
I like how the show actually presents Elindil in a larger than life way with some really great lines. But do they really have to make half of the elves leads literally brainless... Galadriel literally goes from "Ok I'll help" and next second "IT'S A TRAP" Ackbar mode... Think faster and make up you mind jeez Galadriel
What this show has done to Galadriel might honestly be my least favourite thing about it. She is...a mess. An irredeemable mess.
it makes me sad what they did to Galadriel and Celebrimbor. Two of the most powerful elves portrait in that show as some of the dumbest...
Celebrimbor isn’t dumb, he’s being manipulated by Sauron, a master at it. He’s called the Deceiver for a reason
Celebrimbor is being manipulated to be fair, but I do agree. Galadriel is just such a jarring character. These two are some of the greatest elves of all time but we really haven’t had any chance to see their true power
@@Hannah-hq8ne he is really dumb though
@@karanmodh1572 Gladriel basically does nothing until she has her ring. Other than chase her cousins across the ice shelf when they left her clan behind and burned the boats. Pretty hot headed move considering it killed a bunch of her kin.
@@Hannah-hq8ne manipulated how? Plot magic? Because the dialogue is some of the most stilted I have ever heard. If Celebrimbor were not shown to be an indecisive buffoon, none of Annatar's manipulation is credible.
Perfect timing. Just finished th episode
Good point on the Bombadil misquote!
When he said precious I was half expecting him to look at the camera and give a wink
Did anyone else notice that Annatar’s wig looks better in this episode? The hair looks longer and fuller than previous episodes
Sauron is powerful AF
The man can probably Teleport
Yes, I agree. The show should save the references to "precious" for the one ring and nothing else. Gandalf says the ring's been called that before and saving that word for the right moment with Sauron and the one ring would be poetic. What they are doing cheapens it.
Fan service is like a drug, once writers try it they can't quit it. Not just on this show but countless others.
What if the fans are interesting and intelligent? I don't see how fan service is necessarily a bad thing. Everything fans like something it means it's bad? So they should do haters' service?
The Gandalf line from Tom barely even fit the situation, just had to stick it in there. It fit very well for the Gollum/Frodo/Bilbo dynamic but this time just was off.
In the books Bombadil was always a bit „accept your faith and don‘t be scared“ for Bombadil from the books it was a quite fitting line
@triko03 I agree with you that it could fit his character bc Jolly Tom would be a fitting guide for istari, given his wisdom, but in the conversation it was odd. The gandalf line works as a calming and wise thought in response to reckless death dealing or bloodlist. The quote does not discourage saving a life. "Some that die deserve life" is not a literal guide, it just means sometimes death finds those who don't deserve it, and to come to terms with unfortunate death. Not that giving someone life, or trying to save them, is the wrong choice.
It can sort of make sense if Tom wants wizard to just accept his friend will die, or that her death is set in stone, but I don't think Tom would ever do that, it's quite cruel.
If his friend died, then Tom would use those words to try to comfort him
I noticed that in the scene at the coast with Miriel has several hundred people/guards/etc standing on the cliffs behind the smaller group
what i dont understand is why didnt they start this show with annatar, then move into his halbrand form after the rings were made, its a move that puzzles me
i didn't mind the 'precious' from Annatar, i kinda like that it was a term originally from Sauron, but I agree about the references from the stranger and Tom...
Re: Tom saying the line… even if we first heard it from Gandalf in Fellowship book, why is it HIS line? Who taught Gandalf this wisdom if not the Valar… maybe Tom Bombadil, who learnt it originally from Eru Illuvatar?
Maybe Tom is just sharing a “Bible verse” to encourage our Stranger Istar on his way.
But I do recognize that omitting the context of the verse/wisdom is rather jarring for those unfamiliar with the original story. Only the Valar or Eru would know the original context.
elendil has such Ned Stark vibes this season
I'm watching video and when you said that in the Sea Trail there is very little people there. You can see on the top of the screen they are much more people on the top of the mountains. Just a small detail you could miss. Great video as usual
10/10 we're getting.... GANDALF THE BLUEEEE.....
The illusion on celebrimbor was pretty dope 👌
I am not minding the call back lines from the previous movies, mainly because I am not looking at them as call backs or member berries ( or whatever name people wish to call them), but rather as origins as to where these characters first heard these lines. It only makes sense in context of someone speaking them to the characters we later see use them in LOTR. All of us use phrases we heard at one point or another and liked, we are all influenced by our surroundings all our life, be that people or places or events. So at least in this case it makes sense to say," Tom said that to Gandalf, which seemed to him a very wise thing to say, and Gandalf over his many years has passed that phrase on to others who seem too quick to think they have power over life and death."
The only gripe I have with Rings of Power Elves is that most of the male elves have short hair...
Vanessa Kirby would have been a better cast choice for Galadriel daughter of Finarfin
I wish they would have cast Emma D'arcy from House of the Dragon. I think she looks and sounds a lot like a young Cate Blanchet.
The scene where Anatar calls the rings 'precious' is not delivered well. He should have also winked at the camera.
lmao XD😂😂😂
As an avid admirer of all things geography, I REALLY appreciate you taking the time to analyse those confusing facets of the Khazadum/Ost-in-Edhil Express. Perhaps Sauron knows about the Floo Network...
Like most abusers Sauron is undermining and isolating Celebrimbor from his support system, further reaching with his manipulation that I really liked being shown. How calculating of him. Despite the blatant callbacks to previous works for audience gratification I still enjoyed these episodes. :D
Edit: I like to think that Annatar mentioning "something more precious" is going to be like a worm in Durin III's ear, just making him view the ring as his precious-akin to the One. A bit of mind influence by way of words.
Just wanted to point out on the cliffs behind Elendil and Miriel in the sea worm scene, it looks like hundreds if not thousands of numenorians are there. Wondering how many other times this may have been missed?
Thanks for pointing this out! It is SUPER easy to miss those extras! Kind of odd that they didn't establish the crowd better in the wide shots.
Given that The Stranger's identity was a huge red herring in Season 1, having us believe he was Sauron when he wasn't, I wonder if they'll reveal that he's actually a Blue Wizard and are using the Gandalf hints as a misdirect.
Not that it matters either way, because if he is Gandalf the response is "well of course he is, you made it painfully obvious for a season and a half", and if he isn't Gandalf the response is "so what was the point in dicking us around for all that time".
There's nothing gained by this mystery box around his identity. It's just stringing people along because it's easier to write a mystery box than something compelling. No slight against Daniel Weyman though, who is doing a fantastic job with the material he's given. He gives The Stranger enough nuance despite the words on the page that I'm always interested when he's on screen.
Personally I feel him being a Blue Wizard makes the most sense. They're in Rhun, which is where one of the Blue Wizards went (the other to Harad). What makes the most _sense_ is for The Stranger to be Morinehtar, a name that means "Darkness-slayer" (there's a Dark Wizard in the area he needs to take on, geddit?). However there is also Romestamo, which means "East-helper", and they're currently in the East, so who knows?
Perhaps The Dark Wizard will be Morinehtar and his arc will be turning good again or something.
Or they'll just make them Gandalf and Saruman because fans will recognise those names.
My only real disagreement with you here is referring to the crowd of Númenóreans as a ‘small group.’ They panned out multiple times during that sequence showing hundreds if not thousands of of people lining the coasts and cliffs looking in at the ceremony.
Granted, this doesn’t take away from that being an issue amongst the other areas of the show, but I just wanted to point out that this example specifically doesn’t feed into that.
So do they have the rights to the silmarillion or not!? WTF is with this Morgoths crown!? They used it to make a collar for him then yeeted him into the Void!
So? 99% of the viewership does not know that and does not need to know it in the first place. Plus, if they do not have the right to use that part of the tale, they have to invent something else instead.
@@alexvinci169 I don't get what point you're making. Adapt source material if you're adapting source material. If you're just gonna make it all up...why the hell did Bezos spend all that money licensing the LotR IP?
They only have rights to LOTR and mostly using appendices. No access to the Silmarillion.
How I see reused lines depends on the specific line and context. The two big offenders, dealing judgment and precious, aren't that bad here. "Dealing judgment" really gave me a Tom taught Gandalf this line vibe, which Gandalf later passes on to Frodo. And given Tom is serving as a sort of mentor figure (I hope we haven't seen the last of him), I can buy this line. Honestly, it's more the word "precious" that irks me. That's exclusively a Gollum line! Sauron won't go using it. He'll more likely use "magnificent" or something along those lines.
The seven does not control the dwarves, at least not in the way the nine controls its wielders, and this was shown here to Sauron's own face when the king refused him. But there are other ways of controlling someone other than forcing their mind to submit to yours as we also saw, yes the king refused Sauron but only because he decided upon a path that would still serve Sauron's will- refusing to help the elves, thus estranging the two species further, and steering his people closer towards their own destruction, the Balrog. The question here is did Sauron travel to Khazad-dum to exert his will upon the king or did he already know what the king would say and simply wanted personal access to Narvi?
I'm starting to wonder if people at Prime only have one good writer (or group of writers) and this is why both seasons seem to have only one plot line that is honestly well written (Durin-Elrond in s1 and Annatar-Celebrimbor in s2) while all the rest keeps sounding like a cheap Lotr impression. Which is wild considering how much money they throw at this show.
Hi Matt,
While i did enjoy the episode as a whole, i too had my own nitpicks. However, the references part doesnt really bother me too much. It's their way of connecting to casual viewers and I can understand that aspect. For me, one nitpick is that Tom isn't as jolly as I envisioned. It's almost distracting to me in a way. I suppose this extends to scenes that include the Stranger as well because I want to retain my hope that he is Morinehtar and not Gandalf. The other nitpick i have is the scale, similar to your own thoughts. When you look at Numenor right now, it's hard to imagine that they'd amass an army so strong and intimidating that Sauron himself knows he can't defeat them. I really hope that in Season 3, they focus more on that.
Much like yourself though, the Annatar/Brimby story and the Dwarves are the absolute highlights and the biggest reason Season 2 is overall an improvement. I definitely will be looking forward to the last two episodes. I have a hunch that the scene of Brimby (all worn out) asking Annatar "Who are you!?" From the trailer is next episode and excited to see it.
By the way, Matt, i do not think Sauron stole Mithril from the Dwarves. That little vial he gives to Brimby isn't actually Mithril...i reckon it has something to do with him cutting himself.
Cheers!
Annatar (Sauron) is the original Slim Shady, y'all! 😭
I think they got bummed out about the copy/paste crowd complaints in season one so this season they're like well ok if you don't like copy/paste crowds then this is what you get.
I like to believe that both wizards are blue wizards and the dark one is gonna be “dark blue” and stranger will be good so he will be “light blue” I swear the dark wizard has a deep dark blue at the bottom of his robe 👀
'Why wear a crown that could destroy him' but then why wear a ring that could destroy him. The closer we are to danger, the safer we are.
I felt the need to make this comment BEFORE watching the video. Why? I wonder whether I am in the minority, but I actually love the second series so far. And as far as I can tell, it seems to be getting better with each passing episode. There seems to be a lot of hate about. I say 'seems' as I don't watch any of the hate stuff, though RUclips keep serving it up in my feed. I first read The Hobbit when I was 7, the LOTR aged approx. 11. I have read all the spin-off books, including Tolkiens Letters and I consider myself a fan of the late Great Tolkien and his vision. I don't know that he would be proud of what Amazon is doing to his vision, and I don't agree with it all, but the outright hate and loathing spewed out is neither helpful or proportionate. I hate a nasty and growing feeling that people are going to start call The Stranger "Grandelf" and it's going to get bastardised to Gandalf. You can play "fast and loose" with the cannon-lore, but a little bending is forgivable and I find the "King of the Uruk" to look a little too human. The second series is in my opinion epic and it is building to a very interesting conclusion. It seems that Sauron the deceiver does not need to lead an army of his own, to get it to do his bidding. The Orcs sack Eregion and Sauron can make off with the Nine and not have to worry about anyone else!
I will make a separate comment after watching this video, should I feel it necessary. Keep up the good work.