It’s strange to think that we’ve already seen three-quarters of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power on Amazon Prime Video. Depending on who you ask, the Amazon adaptation is either an enjoyable ride or an unforgivable slander to J.R.R. Tolkien. One thing’s for certain: many will hold their breath for the finale to the $1 billion venture that has left mouths agape in wonder and amusement.
As Amazon Prime Video prepares fans for the conclusion to the first season of their ambitious Middle-earth undertaking, the lore veterans come together to debate the nature of the latest reveals, including Adar’s origins as one of the Moriondor.
This is your daily roundup of Lord of the Rings developments.
‘The Rings of Power’ finale tease: One poster to rule them all
Less than two weeks remain until the Rings of Power finale brings the show’s first eight-episode run to a definitive close. That is, until J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay return with another batch of episodes next year, or the year after that. While it feels like the threat of Adar’s (Joseph Mawle) orcs has been dealt with and the enemy subdued, there’s definitely something larger at work here, and the remaining two episodes are likely to get into it. Maybe we’ll finally get to see Sauron, or even realize who he’s been hiding as all this time. At any rate, you can check out the entire ensemble in this new promo poster that Amazon has released.
Who are the Moriondor? Adar’s origins, explained
This Friday’s outing finally revealed Adar’s origins as one of the first Elves to have been enslaved by Morgoth and twisted by his evil. That makes him an ancestor of the Orcs, which is probably why they call him “father” in Quenya. Is that all there is to the so-called Moriondor, roughly translating to “sons of the dark”? We try to get into the origin of this name and how Orcs came to be according to Tolkien’s own writings, but ultimately, it’s safe to assume there might be more to this twist reveal than the writers are currently letting on.
‘The Lord of the Rings’ fans think Morfydd Clark’s Galadriel is the same one we’ve always known
One of the many criticisms The Rings of Power faces these days involves none other than the main character Galadriel (Morfydd Clark). In eesence, many Tolkien enthusiasts simply can’t believe that their heroine used to be so reckless or foolhardy in her youth, but upon closer examination, they’ve come to realize Galadriel was always like this. She just got better at hiding it as she aged, though not completely. We remember the time Frodo offered her the One Ring all too well, and that brief slip was dangerously close to the darkness she’s facing in The Rings of Power.