Thomas' Review | The Lord of the Rings: The Rings Of Power (1x06)

“The Rings Of Power delivers big on the action for a satisfying payoff.”

At the end of last week’s episode of The Rings of Power, the Orcs were ready to attack and the Númenórean ships were heading to Middle Earth. So what happens now?

THE FIGHT IS HERE

Some have been eagerly waiting for it and it is finally happening. The fight is here. The episode is built around the Orc’s assault on the Southlands. Thus, this assault has several steps. And this is definitely a satisfying payoff to all the build-up that has been happening since the beginning. It was a long reintroduction to Middle-Earth but it has been worth the wait. The action is brutal and visceral. Moreover, when elves are involved, you can be sure it is going to be badass. Arondir sure has some moves.

From the beginning, I have said that Galadriel’s storyline and what was happening in the Southlands was connected. In this episode, it all comes together with the Númenórean ships arriving. We get to see the Númenórean army in all its glory. Plus, we have more action scenes with Galadriel. This is exactly what we needed.

Obviously, this fight is not without consequences. It is undoubtedly going to be difficult to wait until next week’s episode. Because, this ending is a game-changer for Middle-Earth.

GALADRIEL

There is a lot to talk about Galadriel in this episode. Firstly her armor, it really feels like a Knight armor from our Middle Ages with an elven twist. She looks glorious and stands apart the others as she should – she is the commander of the Northern armies. Seeing her at the forefront of the story has been one of the great gifts of this series so far.

Secondly, the interrogation with Adar shows Galadriel’s darker side. She is a complex character. Even though, she is the true face of Good, there is also a tempest within her. It is something we have seen in The Lord of the Rings. And The Rings of Power plants the seeds for that.

WHO IS SAURON?

The question remains. However, this episode seems to cross off a possibility and points toward a suspect that would surely make sense. Adar was clearly too obvious to be Sauron. And if we can believe him, he isn’t the Dark Lord. Then who? For me, this episode has semented my theory of Halbrand being Sauron. There has been something off since the beginning with him. And his scenes in this episode makes him all the more suspicious. Everything seems to fall into place for him and the Southlands are exactly what Sauron wants. Furthermore, he knows Adar and what he says to him is quite telling. One thing is sure, we will finally get the answer with the final two episodes.