The Rings of Power: Our In-depth Analysis Of Episode Eight “Alloyed”

“Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.”

It is impossible to start this article differently, given the end of the season finale, and it is so, my dear Mellyn, that I want to welcome you to the last analysis dedicated to the episodes of the first season of The Rings of Power. This last chapter sees the return of Wayne Che Yip to direct, while in the writing to take the helm is the great Gennifer Hutchison, known for her work in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. Without wasting any more time, let’s dive into our usual analysis.

I mean they ARE very pretty. I'd like one. It would be…precious to me #TheRingsOfPower #TheLordOfTheRings pic.twitter.com/rxEIybzUbU

— Fellowship of Fans (@FellowshipFans) October 17, 2022

Eregion

As Elrond and Celebrimbor discuss the disappearance of the Elven people, Galadriel arrives with Halbrand after a six-days riding, determined to have her “business partner” healed. Our protagonist manages to clarify past problems with Elrond, expressing all the inner conflicts she is experiencing right now, despite the fact that she considers her choices wise. Halbrand heals from his wounds and accidentally encounters Celebrimbor at his forge, where the two start talking about combinations of minerals. Feanor’s nephew realizes that man is very prepared in the forging and knowledge of precious stones, so much so that he considers his advice to enhance Mithril through less precious minerals, in order to increase its value. Amazed and fascinated by Halbrand’s advice, Celebrimbor begins to see the light on what to do, and that’s when the Southlands man says, “Take it as … a gift”. These words begin to bring certainties and many emotions into our minds, since the concept of “gift” in books is very important. The improvements to the forge continue day after day, but despite this Gil-galad orders to dismantle everything and leave the city, as he thinks it is too late to save the situation. Elrond is able to gain additional time and this allows Celebrimbor, Halbrand and the Eregion loremasters to arrive at the solution: the manufacture of rings that can act as conductors of light and power of the elven race.

Galadriel, however, begins to harbor deep suspicions about Halbrand. His relationship with Celebrimbor become too strange, and the blacksmith’s words about the powers of the unseen world envelop the heart of Finarfin’s daughter like a dark cloud. For this reason she decides to do secret research on the dynasty of the Southlands, discovering that the line was broken a thousand year earlier, and therefore Halbrand lied about his origins. The two later meet on the banks of the Glanduin, and it is in that moment that the man from the Southlands reveals himself as Sauron. The dark lord enters Galadriel’s mind to try to get her to his side, but the nolde manages to resist the temptations and pushes him back, unleashing his wrath. Sauron leaves Galadriel helpless in the river after having exhausted her psychologically, and leaves the Eregion to return to Mordor. It is important to underline the care of the dialogues that take place in Galadriel’s head, since they refer both to Jackson’s films and, above all, to the books. Galadriel in fact in the “Lord of the Rings” underlines how much she knows Sauron and his intentions, and how long she has fought his attempts at deception and corruption. In my opinion the show has therefore built very well the relationship between Sauron and Galadriel, which goes very well with the texts, and for this I feel very satisfied on this front.

Fortunately Elrond manages to find and rescue her, and together they rush to Celebrimbor, where the forging of the three elven rings finally begins. Honestly, dear Amazon, I would have preferred more time to be given to the forging of the rings and the scenes in the Eregion, because they really represent the closest point to tradition, as well as one of the most beautiful of the entire first season, in my opinion. By letting go of my whims and returning to the show, Elrond discovers the truth but knows he understands that Galadriel can’t talk about it for obvious reasons. Meanwhile Narya, Vilya and Nenya are finally ready, but it is not clear if the rest of the rings have been forged or not … if you have understood it please let us know in the comments.

#tropspoilers
In the land of Mordor, where the shadows lie #TheRingsOfPower pic.twitter.com/sdP2r7t5bQ

— Fellowship of Fans (@FellowshipFans) October 14, 2022

Rhovanion

The Stranger came to Greenwood the great, who thousands of years later would have been called Mirkwood. The mysterious character is cunningly lured by the mystics, who followed him to put themselves at his service, believing that he is Sauron. Dazed by these revelations, the meteor man begins to unleash his energy, but is temporarily put to sleep by a spell from The Dweller, who wanted to calm him down. The hobbits try to save him but they too are deceived by the same transformation spell used previously, and it is at that moment that a small confrontation arises between the three mystics and the brave harfoots, who try in every way to distract the dark creatures and save the Stranger. The situation becomes agitated, and Sadoc loses his life due to a mortal wound, but precisely in the most desperate moment, the Stranger takes the staff of the mystics and with a powerful light spell banishes them from the world, thus making it definitively understood that it is of one of the Istar (sorcerers). The scene allows us to guess that the mystics were probably human beings who had played with dark magic, and that is why the spell of the stranger manages to reveal their terrifying form from the unseen world. Another interesting detail is that one of them talked about a certain place located in Rhun, where the constellations that the meteor man is looking for could be visible from there, and give him the answers he is looking for.

Bridie Sisson appreciation post#TheRingsOfPower pic.twitter.com/UUT4v5ZIMC

— Fellowship of Fans (@FellowshipFans) October 17, 2022

Back at the hobbit camp, Elanor is pushed by her family to leave with the Stranger to accompany him on his mission. The scene is very moving because we see all the affection of the harfoots towards the young Nori, who is finally fulfilling the dream of her life: to travel beyond the borders of the routes of her people. We have an interesting conversation between her and the “Meteor Man” about his origins, and he himself confirms that the word “istar” actually means “wise” or “sorcerer”. After leaving everyone behind her, including her great friend Poppy, Nori sets off with the Stranger towards new horizons, not before being told by the “Big Fella”: “When in doubt, Nori Brandyfoot, always follow your nose” . An iconic phrase, which has remained in our minds for more than twenty years now, and which in the past belonged to Gandalf (In the scene of Moria in “The Fellowship of the Ring”). Is the identity resolved then? Yes and no, because despite everything it could still be an attempt to mislead the production.

Final Toughts

Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten Numenor. We saw too little, however, and it was not worth using a full paragraph for two small scenes. However, it is important to remember that Tar Palantir appears to be dead, and this can certainly begin to open the doors for the rise of Pharazon. The issue related to Earien and Palantir will obviously be clarified in the next season, but it seems clear that she too will understand which destiny Numenor is heading towards, and this may lead to further conflicts with the future king.

The episode ends beautifully with Sauron’s arrival in Mordor, in a shot that is very reminiscent of Peter Jackson’s first trilogy. The poem sung of the ring as the dark lord comes into his kingdom is a touch of class that concludes in a stylish way the last episode of this first season. I will not go to considerations on the whole season (I will express myself on that later), but we can certainly say that surely the forging of the rings would have deserved more space and depth, as I have already written a few lines above. The question of the rings must also be clarified, as well as the fate of Numenor and Khazad Dum, but this is the beauty of a TV series, keeping you glued to stories for years, and we can’t wait to discover them.

The Rings of Power certainly brought beauty, attention to detail and courage with this new Middle-earth, and that’s undeniable. Without a doubt there are problems, certainly many things could have been managed differently, but we will deal with this later. For the moment I would like to thank you for being with me on this journey through the episodes, and I invite you to follow us again for further analysis.