The Rings of Power: Our In-depth Analysis of the Main Teaser

Mae govannen, mellyn! 

In these days Amazon has released the main teaser of The Rings of Power, and we at FoF could not miss the usual appointment with the in-depth analysis. Without wasting any more time, let’s dive into the trailer, analyzing it in detail.

This September the legend begins. #TheRingsOfPower pic.twitter.com/yz5YIdiEoA

— The Lord of the Rings on Prime (@LOTRonPrime) July 14, 2022

 

Our in-depth analysis of the trailer

There was a time when the world was so young……there had not yet been a sunrise…‘But even then, there was light.’

These splendid words from Galadriel introduce us to the blessed realm, precisely in the same shot shown by Amazon as the show’s first promotional image. The view of the wonderful city of Tirion is a real luxury for the eyes, and in the background we can admire the majestic Telperion and Laurelin, the trees of Valinor. A key detail of these first frames lies in the music, since the theme appears almost identical to that heard in Rivendell. The character we see in these frames should be Finrod Felagund, heir to the house of Finarfin and brother of Galadriel. The sacredness and beauty of this scene transport us directly between the pages of the Silmarillion, in one of the most beautiful images that Amazon has ever shown us.

 

This scene shows us Galadriel’s company on their way to the Forodwaith. In the distance we can see the presence of a snow-capped mountain, and the icy mists present in the surrounding landscape clearly indicate that the temperature is already very low. We can also see that the group is moving very fast, and this could mean that they have felt or sensed something nearby.

 

Also in this image we see Galadriel’s company traveling, but this particular shot reminds so much the passage of the Fellowship of the Ring towards the Caradhras. In the void below it is possible to admire the glide of a large eagle, which could be an important detail. This frame is one of those that winks the most at Peter Jackson’s works, even from a directorial point of view.

 

This image would seem to represent a splendid glimpse of Lindon. The color of the trees is very reminiscent of the frames seen in the first teaser trailer, where the coronation ceremony of some elves is represented. The architecture features the style and elegance typical of the eldar, in which the predominant color is a sparkling white.

 

We finally have a first look at one of the most anticipated realms of this show, Khazad-Dum. The overhanging rocks reminds so much of those seen in Erebor, in the prologue of The Hobbit. The stone constructions, however, seem rounder and more elegant, and what can be seen below appears to be an entrance bridge to the kingdom. Another interesting curiosity that we can see in this image is an organized mirror system that serves to illuminate the underground kingdom, reflecting sunlight.

 

We arrive at what could be a human village, since the background voice, at that moment, talks about men. We see some people dedicated to the cultivation and care of the fields, and we also notice some houses built in simple wood. This image focuses on the importance of agriculture to the human race, and a simple village makes the whole point.

 

This scene shows us perfectly what the harfoots lifestyle is like. We are talking about peoples who blend perfectly into nature, and who want to avoid any possible contact with the “high people”. This hobbit is well hidden in a field of grain, and in the background you can see the two hunters seen in the first trailer (probably some Lossoths who have gone south). The young halfling then prepares to whistle to send a signal to his people, probably to allow them to hide.

 

“The elves protect the forests; The Dwarves, the mines; Men, their crops; But we Harfoot have each other. We are safe”

These are the wise words spoken by by Marigold Brandyfoot. Highly meaningful words that show the simplicity and genuineness of these ancient hobbits, who lives in a world much larger than them and who ignores their existence. Tolkien never mentions hobbits in the Second Age, and this is probably due to the fact that this race did not do anything important in that historical period of Middle-earth, and that they probably only thought about hiding and surviving.

 

The trailer takes us, after a few months, to the Forodwaith, a place where Galadriel and his team grapple with an arduous climb. In this image we can see the blonde Nolde with an intense gaze on her face, and with her is an elf from her company. Shortly thereafter, the future lady of Lothlorien will plant her sword on the ground, looking into the eyes of what may be the last remaining warrior of the company, after the battle with the snow troll. Another possibility could be that the two of them are the first to make it to the top of the glacier, and that they are trying to organize the exploration. There are two other very interesting details: the first is the map that Galadriel holds in her hand (probably of the Forodowaith), while the second lies in the elf in front of her. The character in question, in fact, appears to be potrayed by Fabian McCallum.

 

Very interesting to note how much this trailer has given space to the mission of the Galadriel team. Some have thought that the second image could depict the crossing of the Helcaraxe, but this hypothesis is really remote, and everything leads us to think that the scene still concerns the nolde with her company. In the first image we can see the place where the group encounters the snow troll, which appears to be an ancient ruin. We know that the Forodwaith was formerly part of the domain of Morgoth, and was also home to many dragons after the War of Wrath. What does this mean? That the building we see in the first image dates back to the First Age, and it is very likely that it was an evil place and built by Morgoth.

 

Here we are in front of one of the most anticipated places of the show. What appears before us is probably the Eregion, specifically the capital Ost-in-Edhil. As we can see from the maps, the morphology of the territory shows us that the city of the elven master smiths is located right on Glanduin. It is not excluded that this place is an ancient elven city, which has become a human settlement, as reported in one of our leaks, but what is certain is that it is a city of great splendor and magnificence, worthy of an elven capital.

 

“You have fought too long, Galadriel. Put up your sword.”
“The Enemy is still out there…the question now is where?”
“It is over!”
“You have not seen what I have seen”
“I have seen my share”
“You have not seen…what I have seen”

We have come to a focal point of the trailer. Elrond and Galadriel talk about the possible return of evil: the half-elf is convinced that the darkness has been defeated, and invites Finarfin’s daughter not to worry further. The nolde feels that something is moving in the shadows, and with a stern tone she responds recalling the horrors she saw during the First Age, or perhaps in a vision of the future.

 

Here we have one of the most complex and fascinating points of the trailer. What we see in this scene is most likely a flashback, involving Galadriel as well. We understand this from the fact that as the image flows, we have the voice of Galadriel referring to her past, underlining the pains and losses he has suffered. It could also be a vision of the future, as the future lady of Lothlorien possesses powers that allow her to have visions of what will happen. The image is presented in a flaming red. and features several floating and dying bodies. The scene is tragic and very intense, and here we can hazard a couple of hypotheses.

• Some might speculate that this may be a flashback of the Dagor Bragollach, who we know is featured on the show. However Galadriel never participated in that battle.
• Is therefore plausible that this may be the famous Kinslaying of Alqualonde, dated in the First Age. In that sad episode she only arrived when it was all over, and this scene could only be a desperate sight of what happened. However, one version of the books reports that Galadriel opposed the forces of Feanor, fighting fiercely to defend her mother’s kin.
• A further hypothesis could lie in the sinking of Beleriand, which occurred at the end of the first age following the defeat of Morgoth. 
• The last hypothesis is that it may be a future vision, as Galadriel possesses these types of powers. It cannot be definitively ruled out that it may be a vision of the fall of Numenor or some other disaster that will occur several years later.

 

Here we are faced with a view of a port of Numenor, but the protagonist of the image  is without doubs the ship that is passing through it. We can see the refinement of the details of the boat, which are very reminiscent of the Egyptian ships dating back to 1700 BC and those that were in the Aegean Sea around 2000 BC. The golden color is predominant, symbolizing the refinement of the Numenoreans. Also noteworthy is the lighthouse that we see at the entrance, also rounded and very elegant.

 

Here we are in the majestic island of Numenor, in one of the port cities (probably Andúnië or Romenna). The greatness of the kingdom is strongly perceived, and the architecture refers to ancient Greece not only for the style, but also for the details. The dominant colors are white and gold, but the presence of blue enriches the city with beauty, and reminds so much to the buildings of ancient Babylon. In the foreground we find the statue of Earendil the Blessed, in a frame that is practically opposite, for the direction of the camera, to that seen in the first teaser trailer.

 

 

“Darkness will march over the face of the earth…It will be the end not just of our people…but all peoples”. 

These are the wise words of Gil-galad during a dialogue with Elrond. The High King of Noldor clearly senses the return of darkness, and the half-elven seems to be surprised to hear those words. As said by the showrunners, the Elrond of the show will, for obvious reasons, be much more positive than the one seen in The Lord of the Rings, and this will implicate a sort of initial naivety in the character. At the beginning of the series he is, in fact, convinced that evil is defeated, as evidenced also by the dialogue with Galadriel. However, he soon realizes that the peace he believed was being achieved was in fact an illusion.

 

In the next frame we see a large group of orcs led by Adar. The troops are moving from an underground position, which leads us to think that they have remained in hiding until the appropriate time. The orcs seen immediately behind the fallen elf are carrying a siege ram, and there we can also see a human that could be a hostage of Tirharad, possibly the leader of the village. We know so far that Adar is looking for an ancient relic, which may be hidden in that place. Another peculiarity of this frame is that the orcs, during their march, shouts “ADAR!” as a battle cry, Exactly as reported by our leaks. A detail that shows us how important this figure is for orcs.

 

After a few frames already seen in the previous teasers, we return to the harfoots, but this time the protagonist is the “Stranger”. We see his face for the first time, which appears neglected and bearded. Shortly before we see Elanor Nori Brandyfoot almost in tears, a sign that something unfortunate has happened to the hobbit community. The mystery of the “Meteor Man” becomes deeper and deeper, and leaves more and more disturbing doubts, but there is another detail that will surely have attracted everyone’s attention. The flames that are generated around the character after his landing seem to remember the eye of Sauron, however this could be a trickery of the production, and it is not excluded that this creature could be an original character.

 

In this beautiful frame we can see Elrond being escorted probably to the throne room of Khazad-Dum. The dwarven realm is as majestic as it is wonderfully elegant. Inside the kingdom there are waterfalls, mosses and vegetation that descends between the rocks, making it shiny and colorful despite the realm is located in great depth. The beauty of the dwarven architecture drops our jaws, and we can’t wait to see more. The striking detail of this image lies in the war masks that the dwarven guards wears, as well as sturdy, scaled armors. From our rumors we know that the dwarves will wear dragon scale armor, a detail that is nothing short of surprising as Durin’s people are the ones who most of all fought against those powerful creatures. It is also worth noting the care of beards, which always appear very long, exactly as often described in books.

 

‘I am sorry, but their time has come’ 

We finally meet Durin III (Peter Mullan), lord of Khazad-Dum. His deep expression and long beard exude royalty and power. What he says in this frame may be about some dwarves due to some misfortune or accident, but it cannot be excluded that he refers to some other free people during a dialogue in the throne room. The crown has a gothic look and features many spikes, a clear sign of strength and firmness.

 

This is a very important scene from the first season. We see Halbrand in the foreground, in what is most likely the throne room of Numenor. We know from our leaks that he and Galadriel will come face to face with Miriel and Pharazon after their shipwreck, and that they will have an intense discussion with them. The throne room is described as “A large circular room lit by real flames, huge pillars everywhere, three different levels, a circle of water around the central floor that flows through a large arch that opens onto the view of the city”. We also know that Galadriel and Miriel will be in harmony after the initial distrust, as the future queen of Numenor is a “faithful”, therefore educated to be friends with the elves.

 

Again we are talking about a scene that will be quite important in this first season. In this frame we see Galadriel leading the Numenor cavalry, and you might be wondering why? In one of our leaks we reported of a battle that takes place between the army of Numenor and the orcs, where Galadriel will apparently also attend, since at some point in the first season she will sail towards Middle Earth together with Miriel, Elendil, Isildur and Numenor’s army. In that battle the orcs occupies a castle, and the clash is described as a siege filled with smoke, fire and catapulted rocks. It is not over here, because in that leak we reported about a “dirty white blonde prince”, which at this point could be Galadriel herself.

 

Here is our first meeting with a young Isildur, struggling with work on a ship. Maxim Baldry will have a great responsibility for this role, as he will be among the absolute stars of the show. The young actor has proven skilled in roles that require great sensitivity and evolution, as we can see in Years and Years, and we are curious to see him in action.

 

In this frame we see Galadriel riding together with Elendil on one of the beaches of Numenor, as also shown by the Entertainment Weekly photos. Thanks to our leaks we know that Aragorn’s ancestor and the elf will develop an important harmony, since the human, like Queen Miriel, is part of the “Faithful”.

 

“The past is dead. We either move forward…or we die with it”.

These are the blunt words of Elendil during a conversation with an unknown character. During the show we will see a Numenor reached its maximum splendor, but which is increasingly plagued by internal political conflicts. Elendil is in fact in favor of friendship with the elves and is very devoted to the Valar, while Pharazon promotes a closed and populist politic, voted only to the power of Numenor itself. This aspect will presumably be very thorough in the series, as both characters will play a very important role in the story. The Rings of Power will allow us to face, for the first time on screen, one of the darker sides of Middle Earth politic, and the events of Pharazon and Miriel will certainly play a role of absolute importance.

 

Here we have Halbrand grappling with a spear. This mysterious character will live the events of Numenor together with Galadriel, and in all likelihood will fight alongside her, at least for part of the story. From the way he handles the weapon it is clear that the character is an experienced warrior, and the curiosity to see him in action rises. Also note the armor he is wearing, which appears to be the one seen in the promotional posters.

 

“This could be the beginning of a new era.”

This frame is nothing short of wonderful. On stage is Durin IV, who appears to have found a piece of Mithril. Khazad-dum reaches the pinnacle of his power and wealth in the Second Age, and this of course is also due to the monopoly on Mithril mining. The phrase uttered by the future King is quite eloquent in this sense, and all the joy for the discovery of the precious material appears in his eyes. Just to make a few small reminders, the Bilbo Baggins chainmail, given to him by Thorin Oakenshield, was made of Mithril, and is the same one that Frodo wears in the events of the Lord of the Rings. Another important observation to make regarding this frame is that Mithril will also represent the downfall of the kingdom in the future, as in digging the dwarves will awaken the “Flame of Udun”, one of Morgoth’s balrogs.

 

I know what you are thinking, and it is the same thing that I am thinking about. This scene, seen in this way, leaves very little doubt: this is, in all likelihood, the Oath of Feanor. The scene shows some Noldor raising their swords together, an element that clearly indicates that kind of stuff. If this scene represents that event, we might get a chance to see some footage of the War of the Jewels, which would literally drive us crazy. The long black hair of the elves in question leaves very few doubts about it, even judging by the sumptuousness of their armor and their glittering swords.

 

Here we are in front of one of the action scenes of the trailer. The protagonist is Arondir, who appears to be chained, as we also saw in the first teaser trailer. The Silvan Elf has probably been captured, and the orcs are entertained by watching him fight against many types of creatures. In this case we have a warg, and the place appears to be in the shape of an arena. On the right is a man leaning on the trees, probably for fear of being killed. Arondir performs a splendid stunt, somewhat reminiscent of the spectacular actions that we saw from Legolas in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.

 

Galadriel is also struggling with a rather challenging fight, in which we see her hitting the snow troll with two slashes of sword. The battle against the frightening creature promises to be brutal, and the clash will probably be extremely violent.

 

We finally came to the last scene of this main teaser, which shows us, once again, the hobbits. This frame could be dramatic, as we only see four harfoots, and this could mean that things have not gone so well for others. In our leaks we talk about an attack by a particular character on the harfoots group, and this could really explain the scene we are seeing. For now we can only speculate, but that implication is far from unlikely.

here we are at the end of the analysis of this very long trailer, which gave us emotions, curiosities and many details to explore. I wish to thank you for having accompanied me on this journey, and I give you an appointment at the next analysis.

Tenn’ enomentielva, mellyn