The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power – Adar Review

Our latest journey into the realm of Middle Earth (or, rather, Middle Earth and the island of Numenor, as the kingdom no longer communes with their forbearers within Middle Earth) brought more of the same for the series (albeit with 100% fewer dwarf interactions, which is a major downgrade in my book). The Elves and Men continue to be the more interesting of the arcs – namely Galadriel’s journey to Numenor, complete with a well-done expository history lesson in how Elrond’s brother opted to go out with the Men rather than stay with the Elves (lest we forget – largely because it didn’t come up in the films – Elrond is, after all, only half-elf, so while he stayed with the Elves, his brother left and embraced his humanity, dying long ago and helping to found the island and kingdom of Numenor back during the time when the Men and Elves worked alongside one another), and the continued subterfuge surrounding just who Halbrand really is (more on the theories in a bit). Our other Elven POV character, Arondir, introduced us to the series’ take on Orcs (very similar to those from the films), who are following a mysterious Adar, who we get a blurry glimpse of at the close of the episode. And then there’s the Harfoots, continuing to serve as the innocent lightness within an increasingly dark story – and a piece that, while potentially linking to the main storyline of the Men and Elves through the Stranger (more on theories as to who he might be later), still feels pretty out of place in this world and this story.

Again, I’m not trying to stomp on the Harfoot characters – the actors are doing a great job crafting these more simplistic characters without making them cloyingly sweet or annoying. But every time the story switches over to this arc, it feels like the narrative wind is taken out of the show’s sails. We don’t need this look at the innocence of Middle Earth – not at this stage in this particular story. When this arc is surrounded by political machinations and trying to survive orc attacks, well, it just doesn’t work. The use of the Hobbits within the Lord of the Rings was two-fold. First, it showed the reader that there were places within Middle Earth where those untouched by the darkness were able to thrive. These folk were pure of heart – not pulled by centuries of lore, talk of destiny, or the pressure of the people they served. They simply wanted to protect their own and could be trusted to complete their tasks. They were simple, but not simple-minded. And the second, key element: They were the stand-in for the reader. We may be men and women, but we (likely) aren’t kings or those descended from a long royal line. We certainly aren’t Elves or Dwarves. And we definitely didn’t understand their world or their histories prior to picking up the story ourselves. But were we to be placed in the Fellowship, we, like the Hobbits, could play our role and be entrusted with the greatest hope of the whole realm. We want to see ourselves as pure like the Hobbits – nervous and a bit lost in the face of this new and complex world we’ve entered after a lifetime outside of it. But eager to be the hero.

In this story, the Harfoots don’t quite serve the same purpose as Bilbo or Frodo and Sam. Nori is meant to be our POV character here – we are meant to see ourselves in her actions with the Stranger (Of course you would help him! Of course you would hide him!), but without a real link to the main action – how are the Elves or Men goings to find them and get them involved? – this piece just feels like a nice sojourn into the pastoral. We can see that there are those wholly untouched by the past wars and who have no clue the danger that is waiting to pounce at an inopportune moment. And we know that once we find out who the Stranger is (Sauron? Gandalf? Some other wizard?), the Harfoots – or at least Nori – are going to get swept up into the main narrative in some manner. But what good can the Harfoot people serve in this particular story? There’s no need for someone pure of heart within this particular tale (which, presumably, is about getting the peoples of Middle Earth to work together to forge the rings, only to be tricked by Suaron in disguise, setting the stage for the One Ring – something the Hobbits had zero knowledge of). So, where do they fit in, other than as a means to usher the Stranger into the main action? That’s the major question I’ve been mulling and I have yet to find a satisfactory answer to it.

Far more successful was the introduction of Numenor this week – with the deftly handled exposition (note to House of the Dragon: you can artfully explain key historical plot points without setting the scene in a brothel and having naked women) to the confirmation that Galadriel isn’t as dim as she might seem when it comes to dealing with Men. Sure, she was a tad forceful with the Queen Regent – and definitely needed the save from Halbrand – but once she found her person in Elendil and took the time to get the lay of the land (and discover that there are still those who share some loyalty toward the Elves), she found herself on more solid ground. Now, she’s certainly not out of the woods yet – and the reveal that Halbrand is potentially the lost king of Men (and potentially the future Witch King – if he’s not Sauron in disguise) put her in more danger than before she made that discovery – but she’s in a better position to get to know the people of Numenor. Or, really, get to know Isildur, the young, brash sailor who will one day come to possess the One Ring. For an arc containing so many characters whose fates we know extend beyond this particular moment in time, this story worked exceptionally well. The characters feel the most fleshed out – the most complex and interesting – at this early stage in the series. Part of that is due to our familiarity with someone like Galadriel (along with Morfydd Clark’s great work in the role), but this piece of the story just flows so much more easily than the other arcs. It feels more real and more consequential. I would gladly watch an hour just dealing with Numenor’s place in the current layout of this world.

Slightly less successful – if only because it felt more like a steppingstone episode for this arc than a real storytelling moment – was the tale of Arondir and his fellow Elves’ captivity by the Orcs. The reveal that the Orcs are following Adar, Elvish for “Father,” lends a bit of mystery to this story arc and hints that there might be Elves working in league with the dark remaining forces of Sauron – even if it’s unlikely that Adar is Sauron in disguise (although he could be – who knows at this point). There were Elves who were turned into Orcs per Tolkien’s lore – so, perhaps this is a nod to that (or something even more sinister). But until we see just who Adar is and what he wants, well, this piece of the puzzle is more a work in progress than a fully realized story point. That doesn’t mean the fight sequence with the Warg wasn’t fun – it was – or that it wasn’t interesting to see Orcs again – it was – but this just felt a tad unfinished until we see just who is pulling the strings.

So, three episodes into the epic story of the Second Age of Middle Earth and the show is churning along fairly well. And, while the comparisons aren’t necessary, thus far, The Rings of Power has done a hell of a job on building character alongside the story – something House of the Dragon has absolutely failed to do on any level. So, point to Prime Video in the clash of the fantasy epics. But there’s still more to do before The Rings of Power feels like a fully-formed world with characters who feel necessary throughout. I’m not sure the Harfoots will ever really fit as anything more than bargain basement Hobbits, but I’m willing to wait it out and see how the Stranger influences this arc. And I can’t wait to see Galadriel’s next move in this tension-filled chess game with the people of Numenor. Oh, and let’s see who Adar is and what he wants. Even with one bum arc, we have more than enough interesting characters and motivations to keep us busy.