"Rings of Power" Episode 4: Theo is - officially! - the worst (2023)

On this week's installment ofRings of Power, our story is all about parents and children – especially fathers and sons. So why wasEpisode from last weekcalled "Adar" (elvish for "father") instead of this one? Your guess is as good as mine. Luckily, The Great Wave has.some known Tolkien magicup your sleeve, from unexpected alliances to troubled teenagers. We break it all down below: what we loved, what we're still scratching our heads about, and what you need to know from the lore.

And the Rings of Power go on...

Miriel

This week's episode begins with a dream sequence: During a routine blessing of the Númenorean babies, a colossal wave overwhelms the island, engulfing Queen Regent Míriel and the members of her court. But as we learn later in the lesson, this is not a dream sequence: this is a vision of the future witnessed by a palantír (the seeing-stones used by wizards like Gandalf and Saruman).

All of this is revealed by Míriel Galadriel after a seriously bumpy week. The Lady of Light has officially exhausted her reception: after failing to persuade Míriel that Númenor must reforge his alliance with the elves in the fight against Sauron, Galadriel demands to speak to "Númenor's true ruler" - Míriel's father, the deposed Tar-Palantír . Her effrontery puts her in the slammer, though she breaks out in no time to force her way into the royal tower, where she finds a bedridden Tar-Palantír and an enraged Míriel. Finally, Míriel confesses the truth: her palantír has revealed that Númenor's downfall begins with Galadriel's arrival. Despite a moving speech about choosing faith over fear, Míriel decides that Galadriel must leave Númenor. But at last, after a sign from the Valar, Míriel is moved: she will personally escort Galadriel back to Middle-earth, and the forces of Númenor will come to the aid of the Southlands. I was encouraged by Elendil's recruitment speech in the town square, calling on Númenor's "brave sons and daughters" to take up arms. daughters! Eowyn's Influence! I can't wait to see what Galadriel, Míriel, and Elendil are up to on their long sea voyage to Middle-earth. Hope no one gets seasick.

Arondir

Armer Arondir.He fell in love with a human woman and was taken prisoner of war to protect her people, only to have to burden himself with finding her scumbag son. After an insightful conversation with Adar (more on that below), Arondir is dispatched with a message to the refugees of the Southlands: "Your people may live if you renounce all claims to this land and swear allegiance to them." The "he" is natural Sauron, which dispels all theories that Adar could be Sauron in disguise. Arondir's journey back to Bronwyn takes him via Tirharad, where he saves the useless Theo from orcs while he searches for food. Once again, the special Ring of Power for best stunt work goes to Arondir, who caught an orc's arrowwith his bare hands, then fitted it to his own bow and fired it back into the orc's chest. Sick!

Durin III and Durin IV

King Durin III and Prince Durin IV clashed with characteristic dwarven stubbornness this week. As Iallegedlythe dwarves have discovered mithril: "a new ore lighter than silk, harder than iron... a species perhaps more expensive than gold." This wondrous mineral promises to change the fate of the dwarven race, but there's only one problem: King Durin has his People forbidden from dismantling it as the process is notoriously dangerous. Enraged by his father's short-sightedness, Prince Durin continues to conduct secret mining expeditions until one nearly claims the lives of a group of dwarves.

Prince Durin has kept all of this a secret from his sidekick Elrond, but as it turns out Elrond is exactly the person he needs to talk to. In the episode's most poignant sequence, the gentlemen bond over their father issues. Elrond explains that the gods raised his father Earendïl to another realm in gratitude for his great deeds on earth (understandable!) and wonders if Earendïl would be proud of him or disappointed in him. "I would be very happy about a verdict, as long as it gives me the opportunity to just have a conversation with my father," he says Durin. "Do not waste what time you have left." Chastised, Durin begs his father's forgiveness; The king replies: "Forever I am with you, my son. Even in anger - sometimes especially in anger. There is nothing to forgive.” Reader, I am in tears! The mithril saga is far from over, but at least the durins are on good terms again.

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The special Ring of Power for the best line of the week goes to Disa. Deliberating on Prince Durin's secrecy, Elrond assures Disa that her husband is not sneaking around with another woman. "I know," Disa replies. "Who would have him?" Elrond tries to get Disa to reveal Durin's whereabouts, but our cunning dwarf princess is untricked by anyone, not even an immortal elf known for his intelligence. Gritting her teeth and calling him 'darling', Disa, lying right in front of Elrond's face, was a joy to behold.

Was in Durins Bart?

Who is Adar?

After last week's cliffhanger, Adar finally came into focus - and we still don't have any answers about this mystery man, although we have more leads. Adar is clearly an elf, although the scars on his face suggest he was tortured by Sauron - or maybe even Morgoth. I say Morgoth because it is clear that Adar is old enough for a possible encounter with this great villain, way back in the First Age. When Arondir reveals that he was born in Beleriand, Adar muses, "I walked down this river once when I was young." Remarkably, Beleriand was destroyed at the end of the First Age. Whoever Adar is, he has great ambitions and says to Arondir: 'You have been told many lies. Some go so deep that even the rocks and roots now believe them. To unravel it all would almost have to create a new world, and only the gods can do that. i am not god At least not yet."

Failsons of Middle-earth

Why are Isildur and Theo so terrible? As the great Amy March couldsayto them: "With every chance to be good, happy, and useful, you are lazy, flawed, and unhappy."

Tolkienheads know that Isildur is destined to die face down in the River Anduin. Perhaps a different fate would befall him if he had spent this week's sailing lessons listening instead of dreaming. Aboard a Númenorean ship, Isildur is hypnotically drawn to a shimmering landmass in the far western distance - a place he calls "the real Númenor". Could it be the easternmost shore of the Immortal Lands, a forbidden paradise that has long tormented and tormented the Númenoreans? For his negligence as a seaman, Isildur is fired, as are his two working-class buddies, who scold him for his entitlement. But don't worry: at the end of the lesson they will all join the Númenorean army and set off for Middle-earth. Nothing beats a joint war to mend fences, right?

Meanwhile, over in the Southlands, we have another troubled teenager. Rude to his mother, a thorn in Arondir's side and seemingly destined for corruption, Theo is The Worst. He puts his people in danger when he reveals his sinister broken sword to the orcs, who react with excitement and chase: "It's a boy! He's got the grip!” Then, after Arondir's rescue gets him safely back to the watchtower, he encounters a local Sauron sympathizer. This old crank says about the handle: "It's not a sword. It is a power created by the hand of the Master for our ancestors." All along I have thought that this was Sauron's broken sword - but given how it drains the blood of the man who wields it, this explanation makes a lot of sense. What power does the sword give Theo? Maybe we'll find out soon; As the old weirdo advises, "Starfall means his time is near." Sauron is coming, friends. Stay with us as all is revealed.