TV Review: "The Rings of Power: The Eagle and the Sceptre" (S2, Ep. 3)
The third episode of Amazon's series is a slow but an effective burn.
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Warning: Spoilers ahead!
Hello, fellow Tolkienites! I’ve now had a chance to watch the third episode of the second season of The Rings of Power and, while it doesn’t hit quite as hard as the first two, it’s nevertheless a strong outing. It deftly moves us into Númenor and Isildur, while also providing some more insight into the various conflicts roiling the Dwarves. It’s an episode that manages to achieve a nice balance between politics and intimacy, setting the stage for some of the larger conflicts to come, in both this season and the next.
Much of this week’s episode focuses on the politics and conflicts that are slowly taking over Númenor, poisoning the island nation from within. We’ve already seen the hostility with which Pharazôn and his acolytes view the Elves and anything associated with them, so it makes sense that this canny politician would start to gather his allies around him so that he can strike when an already-weakened Míriel is at her most vulnerable. Trystan Gravelle, like many other members of the cast, continues to grow into his role, giving us a steely and ruthless politician with his eye always on the main chance. He’s joined in his efforts by none other than Eärien (who betrays her father to join with Pharazôn) and by Will Keen’s Belzagar (hats off to Keen, who never met a villainous role he couldn’t play to the hilt). Credit is due as well to Cynthia Addai-Robinson, who continues to endow Míriel with a grace and a beauty that is very much in keeping with the Númenorean spirit.
And then there’s the climactic scene in which Pharazôn at last makes a bid for the throne himself, even going so far as to do it during Míriel’s coronation. There’s a lot to enjoy and unpack about this scene, beginning with the fact that the canny Pharazôn has garbed himself in a robe of deep rid, signifying that he, unlike his cousin, is hoping to lead his people into a new future. When an eagle presents itself–presumably to bestow its blessing on Míriel–he seizes this opportunity to turn the bird’s appearance to his advantage, paving the way for his ascent. While this might have seemed implausible to some viewers, I would remind everyone that we live in a time and in a country where an amazing number of people have fallen under the sway of a dictator-to-be, so this plot actually makes a great deal of sense. I am curious, though, as to whether Pharazôn will end up taking Míriel as his wife, but I guess we shall have to see.
The Númenor plot–like that of the Stranger and Nori–has always felt a bit ancillary to the other events taking place in this world, but I still see why it’s necessary. After all, Pharazôn is going to be key to later events of the Second Age, when he brings the might of this island nation against Sauron. While we’re clearly a very long way from that particular plot, it’s nice to see the showrunners and writers at least planting the seeds of these later developments. It’s also great to see Lloyd Owen continuing to turn in a spectacular performance as Elendil, who remains as loyal to Míriel as he has ever been, and it’s clear how much it costs him to see his own daughter align with his enemy.
While Elendil is doing everything he can to keep Míriel on her throne, his son Isildur is doing what he can to survive in the aftermath of the creation of Mordor. Fortunately for him, his horse Berek is as loyal as they come, and the beast manages to save him from the clutches of horrifying giant spiders (one of whom is most likely Shelob herself). Maxim Baldry continues to grow into this role, shedding some of the feckless boyishness that characterized his performance in the first season. I dare you to look into those soulful puppydog eyes and not find yourself falling in love with this character. His story in this episode may not have been the most complicated or action-packed, but it was still nice to spend time with him, to grow to love him and appreciate his loyalty. Of all of the characters who have appeared in this show, his story seems like it will be the most emotionally devastating, since he will eventually feel the siren call of the One Ring, just for it to lead him to his doom.
It’s also fantastic to see Arondir again, and Ismael Cruz Córdova is moody and beautiful and tortured as he was in the first season, particularly now that Bronwyn has sadly passed. I really enjoyed the mentioning of Beleriand and how he struggled to reconcile its destruction with his own survival and, while this exchange may not have moved the needle when it comes to his shattered relationship with Theo, who grows more embittered and angry about his mother’s death. I’ll be curious to see what they do with Arondir in particular, since so much of his arc was about his romance with Bronwyn. Presumably his fate will be tied to that of Isildur, for better and for worse, and I sincerely hope that he makes it through to the time of the Last Alliance (and, we can hope, beyond).
This episode also gave us some more insight into Adar and into the Orcs more generally. By now we know that Adar does genuinely want to create a homeland for his people and that he will do what he can to protect them. And, as we see, their loyalty and devotion to him is unflinching. I particularly appreciated that we finally got to see an Orc family since, as we know from much of Tolkien’s ancillary writings, that these creatures did indeed reproduce. This inclusion suggests that the Orc story in general will become yet another facet of the tragedy of the Second Age, as we know they will eventually become Sauron’s soldiers and slaves, totally subordinated to his terrible will. And, given that we know how quick they were to turn on him at the beginning of the Second Age, I daresay he will not be too forgiving when at last he manages to subordinate them to his power.
I’m sure that there are some parts of the Tolkien fandom who will complain about this and point out that giving the Orcs any kind of humanity–up to and including showing a mother and child–is antithetical to Tolkien’s vision. This, however, is to miss the point that the man himself often made about the Orcs. Though he remained unclear about their origins–whether they were Elves who had been corrupted or whether they were something else altogether–there are clues scattered throughout The Lord of the Rings that they aren’t exactly in control of their own affairs (most notably the conversation between Shagrat and Gorbag that Sam overhears). The show wisely points out that there is far more to them than meets the eye and that, like so many in Middle-earth, they are simply trying to survive the best that they can.
There’s no doubt, though, that the real heart of this episode–and I have a feeling this will be the case going forward–is the ongoing bond between Celebrimbor and Annatar/Sauron. After all, it’s their combined efforts to craft Rings of Power that will serve as the spine of this season, with consequences that will echo for thousands of years. I continue to be in awe of Charles Edwards’ ability to capture the many complexities and contradictions of Celebrimbor’s character, giving us an Elf who clearly yearns to make life better for his kind and for all of those in Middle-earth but who, like so many others of his kind, is also blinded and led astray by his hubris and his desire to create. When he sneeringly remarks that Gil-galad should keep his nose out of Eregion’s affairs, it’s not only a call-back to Bilbo’s snarling remarks to Gandalf concerning the One Ring (as many on social media have pointed out) but also a sign of the beginning of his downward spiral.
Lastly, it’s worth mentioning Disa and Durin, who make a few brief but meaningful appearances. These two continue to be some of my absolute favorites in this series, both because the actors themselves are fantastic and because their concerns are so much more grounded than those of the Elves (who are, by their very nature, more elevated beings). It’s nice that we finally get a bit of reconciliation between the two Durins, though there’s no doubt that all of them will come to regret their providing Celebrimbor with mithril and their entanglement with the Rings.
Overall, I thought this was a very good episode. I’m still a little concerned about how much story they’re actually going to be able to explore, given how little has actually happened in these first three episodes and how much is left to get us to the end of the season and, hopefully, further along in the timeline of the Second Age. If there’s one thing that Payne and McKay have shown us, however, it’s that they can be trusted to know what they’re doing.