On The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power, a hard rains a-gonna fall – The A.V. Club

Cynthia Addai-Robinson (Queen Regent Mriel), Morfydd Clark (Galadriel)Photo: Matt Grace (Prime Video)

Trees dont just bear fruit and provide shade in Lord Of The Rings; theyre living, breathing, as we saw in episode one, moving things. J.R.R. Tolkien held trees in such regard that he took issue with the immortal bards shabby approach to walking trees in Macbeth. As a young man, he felt bitter disappointment and disgust that Birnam wood didnt explicitly march upon Dunsinane. Soldiers camouflaged by leaves and twigs wont cut it.

Since trees have such significance to its prime architect, its unsurprising that Lord Of The Rings would make them the centerpiece of conflict. Last week, Arondir considered sacrificing an old tree for the lives of his friends, and now, the show presents a classic Tolkienian image, white leaves falling from an ancient tree. Tolkiens trees are the Earths thermometer, taking its temperature and reporting its general health. If leaves are falling and trees are cut down, it will require some strong medicine and fast.

Ismael Cruz Cordova

Arondir

Markella Kavenagh

Elanor 'Nori' Brandyfoot

Sara Zwangobani

Marigold Brandyfoot

Megan Richards

Poppy Proudfellow

The Great Wave isnt as fleet-footed as previous entries and relies on a few too many surprises and occasionally forced cliffhangers to keep the action moving. Every scene doesnt need to end with a catastrophe to hold our attention. Yet, they do provide crucial leadership moments that will escort Galadriel into the final half of the season. Even still, it presents its hope with a tinge of the inevitable. We might quell the symptoms, but the sickness lingers.

Director Wayne Che Yip doesnt wait long to deliver the episodes titular star. Within moments, Queen Mriel, who is busy christening newborn Nmenreans in her chambers, witnesses a shower of white leaves from the pale tree in the kings courtyard. Moments later, a tsunami crashes on the island, and she awakens from the nightmare.

Things are changing in Nmenor. An Elf and a mysterious man landed on its shores and the star fall from weeks prior are bad omens. Distraught and frustrated, the men Halband bodied last week complained in city squares about Elves coming to their shores and taking their jobs. Aside from the ridiculous notion that Elves would spend their eternal lives working in Nmenrean bars and ports is laughable, but their fears shouldnt come as a surprise to those living in a world with humans on it.

Chancellor Pharazn (Trystan Gravelle) isnt having it, though. Adept in statecraft, Pharazn maintains things on a street level, shaking hands with shopkeepers and providing drinks and merriment for the island of men, cooling the hottest coals, as Disa would say. He knows everyone in Nmenor, and his affable charms have won him their trust.

Cynthia Addai-Robinson (Queen Regent Mriel)Photo: Prime Video

Mriel and Pharazn work in perfect tandem, even if their personal life is opaque, offering a revealing juxtaposition to Elrond and Galadriel. Galadriel, who tries and fails to convince the Queen Regent to join the Elves and fight Sauron, finds herself jailed for sedition. The Elf might be a skilled warrior and rider, but shes an awful diplomat, as Halbrand, her cellmate, points out. There is a tempest in me, Galadriel says as negotiations collapse. It swept me to this island for a reason, and it will not be quelled by you, Regent. Hard to believe that that didnt get her a meeting with the exiled Tar-Palantir (Ken Blackburn). Galadriel could really use a skilled diplomat like Elrond right about now. After all, politics requires strength and finesse.

Still, Galadriel will have it her way. After scaling Palantirs tower in a breezy dress and sandals, she finds Mriel waiting for her. Unfortunately, things are not what they seem. The people ousted Palantir and installed his daughter Mriel because of the kings hardline belief that Nmenor had defied the gods. As he grew older and more righteous in his beliefs, he repented by pledging fealty to the Elves, an unpopular opinion, leading to revolution and the installation of his daughter as queen. However, his decline was also a mental one. He now remains out of sight, bedridden, and unable to rule.

Palantir, meaning far sighted in an ancient form of Elvish, shares his name with the seeing stones. Thats no coincidence. Tar-Palantir is known as a clairvoyant, having prophesied the downfall of Nmenor, beginning with the death of the great tree and ending with a greater flood. Appropriately enough, Tar-Palantir has one of the seven seeing stones, and Mriel invites Galadriel to take a gander. From there, she sees the queens nightmare: The white leaves, the flood, and the citys destruction.

OrcsPhoto: Ben Rothstein (Prime Video)

Ancient, secret treasures like the palantir play a prominent role in The Great Wave. After taking last week off, Elrond is back with the Dwarves, checking in with his friend Durin, who has inexplicably been a little cagey about what hes up to in the old mines. The Dwarves have made significant progress on Celebrimbors tower, but something feels off between Durin and Elrond, a secret wedged between them. So our resident gumshoe, Elrond, is on the case.

Thankfully, we also get another few scenes with Disa, who protects her husbands secret. Hes discovered a new oar, mithril, a powerful, lightweight metal that could be used for weapons, defense, and other non-combat-based uses, in the old mine. Disa and Durins conversation on the bridge of Khazad-dm is beautifully shot, particularly the final profile close-up of Durin, with the beams of light framing his head, nose, and beard with a white, glowing border. Unfortunately, creepazoid Elrond saw the whole thing, including the lovely bit of flirting the couple does.

Elrond wants to know more. He confronts Durin, who makes him swear on the mountain not to tell another soul about the mithril. Holding it in his hands, Elrond reacts to the stone like he is gazing upon the Ring. Hes entranced by the stone, with its light coming from inside. But he offers it back, showing Durin that their friendship means more to him than a bit of rock. Robert Aramayo and Owain Arthur sell this connection hard, and its totally effective. (Wed like a bottle episode with these two yesterday, please and thank you.) Nevertheless, one of the deus ex machina moments happens when the mine collapses moments after their conversation. He and the remaining miners are fine, but to Durins dismay, his father, King Durin III (Peter Mullan) shuts down the operation. Dads.

Robert Aramayo (Elrond), Owain Arthur (Prince Durin IV)Photo: Ben Rothstein (Prime Video)

After a stirring piece of writing from Stephany Folsom, J.D. Payne, and Patrick McKay, Durin realizes these personal connections are more important than wealth, silver, or even mithril. My father single handily sailed to Valinor, Elrond tells him. Would he be proud of what I accomplished with his legacy or disappointed by the countless ways I failed to live up to it? Then one night, it struck me that I would only be too happy to hear any judgment, so long as it the opportunity to have one more conversation with my father. Do not waste what time you have left with yours. Elrond comforts like none other.

The Dwarves pursuit of mithril ended without tragedy, but theyre not the only ones hunting for treasure. Theo heads to town for food, and the Orcs head to town for that hilt of his. When hes discovered, Theo stabs the jagged pummel of the hilt into the back of his forearm. The blade flames on and begins to reforge. Thankfully, help is on the way. After being freed by Adar, who appears to be a fallen Elf with a real simmering vulnerability and terrifying calm, Arondir makes a sudden rescue. Arondir has a message for the town: Bow to Adar, or hes bringing the fight to them.

The end comes with a truce between Mriel and Galadriel. After the tree starts shedding for real, the Queen announces that she will escort the Elf to Middle-earth, and the connection between Elves and Men will reforge. But there is the feeling that all of this is too late. The wheels are in motion, and the stars are strange. Something is coming, and these factions can let their differences doom them or unite against the shadow.

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On The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power, a hard rains a-gonna fall - The A.V. Club