The Rings Of Power Episode 5 Review & Breakdown

Episode 5 of The Rings Of Power Season 2 has dropped and there is a lot to discuss as Annatar & Celebrimbor take centre stage in a ring forging focused episode of television. First let’s start off with the breakdown and easter eggs and then we will move onto the review.

Collaboration Between Elves & Dwarves

The early parts of the episode showcase the partnership between the Elves and Dwarves concerning the trade of Mithril and this whole moment is reminiscent of course to Thingol and his initial relationship with the Dwarves before they demanded the necklace. The early parts were good, but further down the line, relationships strained.

The Doors of Durin

Although showcased moreso as a avid Tolkien fan easter egg, we did see Celebrimbor unveiling the design of the Doors of Durin and there was emphasis from Narvi that the door was “known only to friends” which famously related to when in The Lord of the Rings, Gandalf has to speak ‘Mellon’ (friend) to open the door.

Annatar Wants More Rings

Episode 5 heavily showcases Annatar’s desire to have Celebrimbor create rings for men and it is quite clear initially that he is against it. The need to forge more rings is clear by Annatar and we are further seeing this deception by him over Celebrimbor by lying and saying the deceit they both showed towards the High-King caused the Dwarven Rings to be negatively tainted.

The Heroes of Men

A cool little easter egg for Tolkien fans is when Annatar mentions and name drops the human heroes of old and how there is still some bravery in men and this included Eärendil who although famously became a star, his actions of sailing to Valinor to ask for aid is legendary, Beren son of Barahir who was most well known for retrieving a Silmaril from the Iron Crown of Morgoth and Tour who supported with the Rise and Fall of Gondolin and established a relationship with the Valar Ulmo.

Ar-Pharazôn, not Pharazôn

In the scene with Kemen it is made clear that Pharazôn has taken the sceptre and has finally become ruler and has established his position after declaring himself in the throne room in the last episode.

Elendil Forever a Faithful

This episode further reinforced the honour and strength of Elendil and his faith towards the Faithful and is clearly showcasing and foreshadowing his future leadership in heading the Faithful towards Middle-earth and being integral to the process.

Disa Uncovers a Peril

Disa after following the jar that she had lost and continued to roll down the cave, she uncovers what seems to be the familiar creature from Season 1 which is of course the Balrog. Furthermore, when this Peril and potential problem down in the deeps is mentioned to King Durin, he in Dwarvish fashion does not pay too much attention and this is all clearly hinting towards the Dwarves potential demise.

The Beginnings of the Unseen (Wraith) World

We see for the first time ever someone putting on a ring and disappearing and this is of course Mirdania putting on a ring of power which made her invisible and more importantly sent her to the unseen world which of course would be later accompanied by the Ringwraiths/ Nazgul. She is also the first person to ever put on a ring and see the most fundamental form of Sauron which she described as being similar to the fundamental form Frodo saw which during the Third age which was Sauron as a massive flaming eyeball.

Valandil’s Death

Isildur and his best friend will now end up never meeting but of course it should be made clear that probably at some point Isildur will be made aware of the death and in the future name one of his children Valandil as well.

Review

Season two, episode five of The Rings of Power was arguably one of the best episodes of the season. We finally got to witness the forging of the rings, with Annatar taking center stage, and we spent more time with the dwarves, who, until now, had the least screen time. This added depth to their storyline, which was great to see. It was also refreshing not to have Rhûn featured in this episode. Rhûn has had a significant amount of screen time, and its absence allowed the episode to flow more freely and strengthened the overall narrative. While it was disappointing to see the creation of the Doors of Durin feel rushed, watching Annatar’s full deception of Celebrimbor play out was a true highlight. The scene where Mirdania described her experience after  removing the ring, while Annatar was in the next room, was absolutely spine-chilling and stands out as the best moment of the season so far.