The Rings of Power Wrap Up: The Best of Season 1

 

The first season for Amazon's The Rings Of Power has officially concluded and, by the light of the Valar, what a truly a breathtaking visual masterpiece this was. I'm definitely not on the fence with all the naysayers, sceptic Sackville Bagginses, haters and foolish Tooks. I thoroughly enjoyed the first season of the Rings of Power and am eagerly looking forward to Season 2, albeit still a long, long wait. Here's my wrap up of, in my opinion, the best of Season 1:

Warning: Spoilers for Season 1 follow.

The Score: Just hits all the feels

Okay, it's not all Howard Shore but somehow Bear McCreary has managed to not only evoke the feel of the Second Age of Middle Earth but has done so in a way that pairs beautifully with the theme of light and dark, the spectacular visuals, location, action pieces, suspense and moments of pure exhilaration. From the haunting and enchanting tunes of Valinor that seems to capture the spirit of the Ainulindale and emphasize how deeply embedded the themes of music, harmony, notes and discord play into the works of Tolkien. There is the steady yet unsettling drumbeat of Nampat that drives the Orc theme forward, the captivatingly beautiful Numenor theme that evokes themes of water, wind, sails, majesty and the proud Island of Westernesse, the greatest civilization of Men. There is the moving Plea to the Rocks, a magical piece of music that makes the hairs on my neck stand up in much the same way as the original Dwarrodelf theme from the fellowship - again the idea of stone, of rock and mountain seems embedded into the music itself and is truly inspirational. There is, of course, the beautiful main title by Howard Shore which again seems to echo the Ainulindale and both harmony and discord in the theme.

And lastly, there are the wonderful Harfoots and their beautiful music that makes me wander often and often wonder:

"At last comes their answer

Through cold and through frost

That not all who wonder or wander are lost

No matter the sorrow

No matter the cost

That not all who wonder or wander are lost"

The Dialogue

It would be a harsh disservice to JRR Tolkien, a philologist and professor of languages, if the dialogue was not quite on par with his original works. While the writers have undoubtedly taken many liberties with the direction and storytelling, the overall dialogue used between characters within the show is noteworthy. The clever use of key words (no pun intended for those who understand the key reference) and language and even humor all add to the rich depth and clever writing that has gone into the show's construction. There are absolute gems that shine as worthy quotes, many that I would hope are remembered. These are some of my favorites:

"Can we turn back now? There are 110 things out here that could kill us." -Poppy

"Hundred-eleven if you count you worrying to death." -Nori

“Choose not the path of fear but that of faith.” – Galadriel to Queen Regent Miriel

“Do you know why a ship floats and a stone cannot? Because the stone sees only downwards. The darkness of the waters is vast and irresistible. The ship feels the darkness as well, striving moment by moment to master her and pull her under. But the ship has a secret. For, unlike the stone, her gaze is not downward but up. Fixed upon the light that guides her whispering of grander things than darkness ever knew.” - Finrod to Galadriel In Valinor

Young Galadriel: “But sometimes, the lights shine just as brightly reflected in the water as they do in the sky. How am I to know which lights to follow?”

Finrod: “Sometimes we cannot know until we have touched the darkness.”

“Where there is love, there is never truly dark.” Elrond to Disa

“It darkens the heart, to call dark deeds ‘good.’ It gives a place for evil to thrive inside us. Every war is fought both without and within. Of that, every soldier must be mindful. Even I, even you.” – Galadriel to Theo

“Look, we don’t slay dragons. Not much for diggin’ jewels. But there’s one thing we can do, I warrant, better than any creature in all Middle Earth. We stay true to each other. No matter how the path winds, or how steep it gets, we face it with our hearts bigger than oru feet. And we just keep walkin’. -Largo Brandyfoot

“True creation requires sacrifice.” – Celebrimbor

“Betimes, our paths are laid before us by powers greater than our own. In those moments, it’s our sake to make our feet go where our hearts wish not to tread. No matter the perils awaiting us on the way. Alone is just a journey. Now, adventures; they must be shared.” -The Stranger/Istar to Nori

Galadriel: The fiery Elven Tempest

My, oh my - this is Galadriel as we could never have imagined her. For most of the first half of the season we see her as a hellbent warrior elf, intent on hunting down Sauron and avenging the death of her brother, Finrod Felegund. Yes, that Finrod Felegund. Galadriel's story-arc is one third of the series story arc and arguably the strongest. Her character, beautifully portrayed by Morfydd Clark, is filled with so much of emotion, ambition and drive in her quest to rid Middle Earth of evil and uncover the deceit of Sauron that at times it is as if the fire within her is indeed reminiscent of the Noldorin Elves and line of Feanor. She starts off the series as, well, angry. One might even say she was Gal-Angry-elf for most of the first half. Her perspective shifts slightly after meeting Halbrand and their journey to Numenor and then back to the Southlands again. It is her eventual meeting with Sauron and the truth of acknowledging her own inner darkness and being able to overcome the temptation that really brings out her character in one of the most elegantly crafted finales ever. So, whether it is Galadriel facing down a pyroclastic flow from a recently erupted Mount Doom to Galadriel gleefully horse-riding along a Numenorian beach, there's no doubt in my mind that she is one of the shows best adaptations and I do hope to see much, much more of her.

Numenor: The Isle of Man

I was completely blown away by all the amazing set pieces in the Rings of Power but what really stole the show for me was seeing Numenor for the first time, seeing the legendary Island of Men, sons of Elros and forefathers of the Dunedain. The seafaring Numenorians take the front stage, dare I say outshining even the Elves in this first season of the Rings of Power. Sure, there's also the  political intrigue and ever-present shadow of doom and a few liberties with the writing such as 'How, exactly how did they get all the horses onto the ships?' but all in all, I enjoyed my brief Numenor vacay. 

Arondir & Bronwyn

Inter-species romance always sells. Mostly. Often. Okay...maybe not so much with Dwarves and Elves but Human-Elven shenanigans are always prime candidates to win that Valentine hamper. In this case, the romance wasn't really central to my liking or disliking these characters. Their story arcs are just brilliant on their own. Arondir as the warrior elf and Bronwyn as the actual true Queen of the Southlands. And, okay yes, the romance too. And it is not overly smooshy.

Halbrand:  Set Adrift On Memory Bliss

When we first encounter Halbrand, it's on a makeshift raft at sea. He rescues Galadriel and comes across as a new likeable unlikely Hero with a mystery back-story that had all of us 'tolkien' and speculating. Was he good? Bad? Lady Gaga? Sauron? Whoever we all thought he was, we all agreed on one thing: He was definitely important and not just some random stowaway who just happened on the overall story. He is also pretty bad-ass, able to stand his ground against Galadriel, Queen Regents, Orc Daddies and creepy fish monsters.

Orc Lives Matter

Definitely a first for any published works by Tolkien was the overall emphasis on Orcs as having a place for themselves in Middle Earth. And why shouldn't they be entitled to some scorched earth land, horse BBQ and restaurants with menus where meat is always an option? Adar, who regards himself as a father of Orcs, has some of the most internet-splitting dialogue. He split Sauron in half? He is the daddy of all Orcs? He has a Nampat remix on his Spotify? I found the Orc argument (the orcument) to be quite a nice addition to the storyline whereas in all the previous films they seemed more cannon fodder than actual character material. The Hobbit movies attempted this somewhat but the Rings of Power has a better case for the Orc lobby and makes it worthwhile.

The Harfoots

Let me just start by saying that if anyone and I sincerely mean anyone has any issues with the Harfoots, they can right about bugger off to Mount Doom. The Harfoots are the heart of the Rings of Power and one of the main draw cards that has made the show so memorable. Their simplistic, nomadic lifestyle and traveler-rules are refreshing amid all the chaos of war, orcs and village raids. They might be the ancestors of the Hobbits but already Nori, Poppy, Sadoc and the rest have etched a place in the warm fuzzies of my television heart as truly loveable characters. I have to admit, every time I saw the Harfoots on screen, I felt like just taking a 3 day work break and heading off into the forest for a camp with the family.

The Stranger

Oh I remember the early debates: He is Gandalf! No, he can't be because Gandalf doesn't arrive in the second age! He is Sauron then. He has to be, he killed those fireflies. But he is good? Or is he peril? Oh and why are those creepy mystics searching for him then? But wait, he is helping the Harfoots - he can't be bad right? Oh, but his magic is just too powerful. No, wait, all will be revealed in the final episode. Oh, he is Sauron. Haha! Knew it! Oh no wait, he is not Sauron - he is the Istar...So he is Gandalf? That 'follow your nose' quote? Come on! He has to be right? But then why is he early? Unless...unless...a Wizard is never late...nor is he early...he arrives precisely when he means to. So, yes, my money is on Gandalf.

The Sauron Mystery Box

The mystery box was fun for a first season. It had us guessing, speculating and wondering: WHO is Sauron? WHERE is Sauron? And yes, even WHY is Sauron? Well, the big reveal in the finale was one of the best reveals of all of TV. Like, we knew midway through the finale but we still clung to a small percentage of hope that maybe the showrunners were messing with us like they did with the Stranger reveal but then it turns out that nope...it's been Halbrand all along, right under our and Galadriel's pretty nose (gawsh, it is a real pretty nose), all this time, at her side. But the fun was in the guessing and I suppose a rewatch is now in order just so that we can all nod like the insufferable know-it-alls we are at the obviousness that was hidden up front. I do hope we get to see the Sauron back-story in season 2 and what Adar meant by the Dark Lord being split.

Durin IV & Disa: The rocking power couple

I don't care what anyone says, my rocking power couple (pun intended) for 2022 is definitely Durin IV and Disa. That's good love right there - from slow cooked mole stew to prayers to the rocks to their unyielding support for each other that is so mithril strong and firmly embedded in the deepest recesses of their solid marriage. They have each other's backs, they aren't afraid to share and show their feelings and best of all - they have a great humor. More Durin/ Disa in Season 2 please!

Durin IV & Elrond: The bromance that shines

While the Harfoots are the heart of the storyline, Durin and Elrond's friendship is the soul of the series. It's just contrary to everything we know about Elves and Dwarves from the Lord of the Rings books and movies but it works so, so well. Their friendship is also deeply rooted into the very foundations of the (middle) earth and their onscreen humor, dialogue and engagement is probably the best thing about Rings of Power. Elrond, like Galadriel, is shown a side that only further enhances the character we eventually see in the Jackson trilogies and Durin IV is just one of the most likeable Dwarves ever. This bit of dialogue actually had me choking up at one stage:

Prince Durin IV: “So this is goodbye then.”

Elrond: “We do not say goodbye. We say…

Prince Durin IV: “Namarie”  

Elrond: “It means more than simply farewell. It means, “Go towards goodness.”