The Rings of Power makes weird choices and missteps in “Partings”

The ore that could save the elves of Middle-earth

This brings us to the elves, who are entertaining Durin IV (Owain Arthur) at their great city of Lindon. As with much of the rest of the episode, the performances and set designs are fantastic. Robert Aramayo continues to be a scene stealer as Elrond, and it was nice to get a bit more of Benjamin Walker’s High King Gil-galad.

But again, there are some weird choices. Beyond just how jarring Durin’s con to swindle the elves out of their stone table is (and how odd it is that it doesn’t give Elrond, who has spent much of the episode ruminating on oaths and honor, any pause), the largest issue I had with this episode had to do with mithril. This legendary ore that featured prominently throughout Tolkien’s works was the reason that the great dwarven city of Khazad-düm fell, when the dwarves delved too greedily and too deep and all that. You might recall that it’s what Frodo’s lightweight armor is made from, which saves him from being skewered by a cave troll.

The Rings of Power introduces a bit of lore that describes how mithril was created during a battle between an elven warrior and a balrog. As it ends up, mithril is so special because it contains the light of one of the Silmarils, heavenly jewels of immense beauty and power which were fought over during the First Age. Gil-galad tells Elrond that unless the elves get enough mithril to swathe everyone in it and suffuse everyone with its light, they’ll diminish and have to leave the shores of Middle-earth by spring, which will leave the continent vulnerable to the forces of darkness.

I just can’t wrap my head around this one. Hardcore Tolkien fans, correct me if I’m wrong here, but I don’t recall mithril ever holding that kind of significance. It’s used to create wonders, of course, such as the magical gate to Moria which has to be opened by speaking the word “friend” in elvish. But that it could “saturate every last elf in the light of the valar”? It feels like the show is taking something everyone knows from The Lord of the Rings and trying to make it way more important than it actually is in the name of fan service.

Only time will tell what the payoff is for this, but right now it feels like an odd choice, and one that doesn’t quite click with the author’s works. There’s always a chance Gil-galad is running some kind of con. But if that were the case, that would be a pretty weird subversion on the character. Everywhere you look it’s weird.

War brews in the Southlands

The last place to touch on is the Southlands. After being let go by Adar (Joseph Mawle) in the previous episode, Arondir (Ismael Cruz Córdova) relayed the corrupted elf’s message to the humans: they have to either forsake their claim to their lands and swear fealty, or die. Arondir and Bronwyn (Nazanin Boniadi) have decided to fight, but a dissenting faction decides to go swear themselves to Adar.

These sections are enjoyable, although I did scratch my head a bit when Bronwyn suddenly abandons all hope and almost goes to hand over her son Theo’s (Tyroe Muhafidin) broken hilt, which we find out is crucial to Adar’s plans in some way. The scene where one of the humans asks Adar if he’s Sauron and he freaks out is great and one of my favorite parts of the episode. Córdova’s performance as Arondir has really grown on me as well, and I found myself paying extra attention when he was on screen.

I just wish we’d gotten a little more of this stuff, considering this is another nearly 70-minute episode. It feels The Rings of Power is inching forward, stretching events out as long as it possibly can. That’s not doing it any favors.

The Bullet Points of Power

• One of the most intriguing things in this episode was finally finding out a bit more about Theo’s sword hilt. Arondir says it is a key used to enslave the ancient people of the Southlands, and that it could be integral in Adar’s plan to become a god. Very curious to learn more about it.
• Elrond’s admission to Durin about coming to Khazad-düm for mithril is another example of forced tension. That conversation was a good one, but Elrond basically started it in the most artificially tense way possible, admitting guilt for something for which he was basically blameless. I really hope that when events kick up in the last few episodes of the season, there’s enough genuine tension that we don’t need these kinds of moments.
• Halbrand’s final turn to decide to go to Middle-earth was extremely reminiscent of the turn that Númenor took at the end of “Adar,” treated like a sudden reveal at the end of the episode. Both worked individually, but when you put the two episodes together it feels repetitive.
• The Númenorean parade at the end is pretty cool, giving us one more look at the city’s grandeur before we set sail for Middle-earth. Hopefully three ships is enough to make a difference in the battle ahead.

Verdict

I’ve complained quite a bit about the latest episode of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. I very much enjoyed the start of the show, but at this point it feels far too much like it’s dragging things out. I am looking forward to seeing where it goes next week, and it is far from a bad series. But issues with the writing are keeping it from being great.

Episode Grade: B-

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