Season 1, Episode 4: “Big Waves”
The title of this week’s The Rings of Power refers to a prophetic vision that haunts the dreams of Miriel, Regent of Queen Numenor, in the opening scene. Miriel hears and feels a low growl as she welcomes a variety of what appears to be an elf mother and her newborn baby. She wakes up safely (and dry), but fears this will be the final end for Numenor: reclaimed by the Sea of Separation in an act of God’s wrath. And she feels she needs to do something about it.
Is Myriel correct? This raises a question worth considering as we move forward with this series. “The Rings of Power” is a prequel, and like most prequels, it’s designed to lead to a story that most fans already know. This first season introduced several characters from the Lord of the Rings novels and movies. Only three of him: Galadriel, Elrond, and Isildur. Their fate is sealed. Anyone who has read JRR Tolkien’s books belongs to Numenor.
But for me, the best way to approach a TV show like this is to treat it as a story that unfolds rather than as a collection of signs and clues that point to a foregone conclusion. I’m here. The ending is only part of it when it arrives. For now, I tend to look at Miriel’s ominous dreams as what drives the plot.
As with last week’s installment, “The Great Wave” leaves out some major characters entirely. (Unfortunately, no Harfoots.) Other than Númenor, we spend time deep underground between the orc-infested Southlands and the dwarves. Here are some takeaways and observations from this ominous episode.
There are many mysterious hoohas.
Last week, in the Orc Prison Pits, Arondil learned that a huge horde had been plundering the village on behalf of their master, Addar (Joseph Maul), in search of something unknown. At the end of the episode, we learn what that treasure is: a mysterious broken black sword that Bronwyn’s son Theo (Tyroe Muhafidin) had secretly hidden in the series premiere. It radiates a strange power that enchants Theo — much like how Sauron’s One Ring lures characters through Tolkien’s books.
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This half-sword is still deadly, as Theo learns when fending off Orcs while lurking in the abandoned fortress of the Sylvan elves and cleaning up for his starving people. When Theo returns triumphantly, he finds that his connection with weapons has brought him an unexpected ally. Waldreg (Jeff Morrell), an old tax collector.
Meanwhile, in the Dwarven Underworld of Khazad Dum, Durin finally reveals to Elrond the great discovery that made him so nervous around his old friend. Digging up is dangerous. In 11 languages, it is called “Mithril” and has the potential to make the dwarves who mine it incredibly prosperous. , and leave many dead.
So… the coveted weapon, the magic mineral. Folks, we’re starting to get into the high fantasy weeds here.
Soft power solves hard problems.
Durin hesitated to tell Elrond about Mithril, lest the other elves flock to Khazad Dum and start taking over the mines. has also claimed. Of course, this is not entirely true. Elrond wishes to recruit dwarven workers to build a forge for purposes not yet revealed in the TV show. His method of persuasion is simple. So far, he’s been a dear friend, giving Durin warm praise and sound advice… in the end, making him more likable.
It’s a motif throughout this episode, as the characters use diplomacy and calming rhetoric to advance their goals. The Queen Regent’s top her adviser, Farazon (Tristan Gravell), is a guild that hates elves by making her members feel ashamed of themselves as proud humans for being afraid of another race of potential. It is seen at its best when it quells violent riots. And the worst happens when Adar chats with his Arondir, calmly suggesting that everything the Elves know about Sauron and Orcs is just propaganda.
Elf privilege is real.
Even if Elrond wins over Durin, there’s an element of presumptiveness at the root of all his pleasant smiles and kind words. This sense that begging a dwarf to be meant to be a noble gesture, given that elves are a superior race as far as he is concerned.
And Elrond is just a half-elf who had to win the goodwill of the elves. Galadriel, by contrast, is a full-blooded commander and nobleman, accustomed to intimidating around other elves. As such, it’s especially difficult for her to defend the way Miriel keeps telling her what she can and can’t do, and this episode sees these two stalwart leaders clash face-to-face on several occasions, with Galadriel keeps spitting vinegar instead of honey. She accuses her Queen Regent of betraying her own father, her exiled king, who had allied with her elves. And she demands that the Numenoreans raise an army against Sauron. (“Finish the unfinished business,” she hisses.)
Finally, Miriel agrees to accompany Galadriel to Middle-earth, joined by a contingent of guardian volunteers (including Isildur, who has been expelled from the Seaguard). But make no mistake. No one is helping Galadriel just because he’s inspiring or charming. If anything, give Myriel some credit for insisting to the Numenoreans that they cannot rest forever on the past glory of his ancestors.
The dialogue in this show has real charm.
Writing dialogue for fantasy characters is not easy. If the language becomes too modern, the story loses its realism. Make them too old and they will become stiff. For the most part, “The Rings of Power” strikes a balance, combining grand statements that sound carved in stone with supporting characters and jokes that keep the show relatively loose. (Note the word “relatively”; the conversation can still be quite stodgy.)
Myriel says, “Will our bravery be limited to the graves of our sleeping fathers?” Be warned that being said, the lines are really bold and resonant. That being said, Galadriel says, “There is a storm within me that has driven me to this island for a reason, and you will not quell it, Regent!” It is
The future is already written… maybe.
When Galadriel left Lyndon in the season’s first episode, her king wondered if her obsession with Sauron “had caused the very evil she’s trying to thwart.” rice field. Conversely, in this episode, Galadriel warns the overly cautious Miriel that “avoiding this war may lead to your downfall.”
That’s what omens and visions are about. They are open to interpretation. Miriel has consulted Palantir, one of her Seven Seeing Stones of Middle-earth, and thinks Galadriel is telling her it’s bad news. But as she begins to formulate her plan to banish the elves, the petals of the Nimros tree begin to fall in bursts, perhaps indicating the Valar’s displeasure.What should I do?
So I ask the question again. Can Numenor be saved? The answer is there. you can google it. For now, what matters is what Miriel thinks and what she does next.