Summary
In another action-packed installment, Episode 2 picks up where the first left off and adds a couple of layers to the world the characters inhabit. There is a little less exposition this time around and a bit more action.
This recap of Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 1, episode 2 contains spoilers.
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The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 1, episode 2 recap
Episode 2 picks up where the first left off, with each of the characters separated and making important discoveries. Along the way, we will learn more about the threats our heroes might face, make some new friends, and be exposed to some new mysteries. Let’s get to the action.
Galadriel is left alone, floating in the sea gazing at the area where the gate to Valinor was just a few minutes ago. She turns and swims away.
Galadriel swims her way back to Middle Earth and as she does something stirs in the Sea. She readies her knife. It’s a shipwreck, the survivors of the wreck pull her aboard, wanting to know who she is and why she is wrecked. A ship approaches, or so they think. It’s the worm that wrecked their boat approaching to finish them off. Galadriel leaps into action swimming clear of the wreck, it’s too late for the others though. Only one survivor remains on a raft, he pulls her aboard and they introduce themselves. His name is Halbrand.
In the Shire, Nori is standing over the crater, staring at the man, when her friend Poppy appears behind her, startled, Nori falls into the crater. She screws up her courage and makes her way toward the man. He stirs, cries out, and grabs her arm, as he does, a wind swirls, gathering dust and putting out the flames left behind the meteor before collapsing, leaving the fire to resume. Nori tells Poppy that they need to get the man to safety.
Meanwhile, Sadoc and two older ladies from the village discuss the meteor and agree that along with the travelers, this constitutes a sign.
Nori and Poppy are pushing the man up a hill in a wheelbarrow. They struggle with the weight and speculate about the man, arguing about the wisdom of this adventure. Poppy believes it’s foolish but Nori remains convinced this is the right thing to do. Whilst they argue the wheelbarrows rolls away and they chase after it.
Nori studies the unconscious man, she believes his arrival is fate, her fate.
Arondir and the healer are surveying the burnt-out village. What happened here? Whatever it was that dug it, wasn’t human. They discover a passage underneath one of the burnt-out houses. Arondir urges his companion to warn others, whilst he investigates the passage.
Elrond is with his new friend, Celebrimbor, the master armorer, discussing the nature of creation and blacksmithing. Celebrimbor reveals that his collaboration with Elrond will be to help him construct a tower, a forge capable of producing material so beautiful and awe-inspiring that it will lead to peace. This undertaking will require huge amounts of manpower, the kind that the Elves don’t have.
Elrond suggests an alliance with the dwarves. They travel to visit Elrond’s friend Prince Durrin. At the door, they are underwhelmingly dismissed, despite Elrond’s confidence that they would be greeted warmly. Elrond resorts to an ancient rite, ensuring his entry. He sends Celebrimbor back home whilst he attends to matters of diplomacy.
Elrond is guided into a kingdom set into a cave and walked along a bridge until he comes to face Pince Durrin. The ancient rite has been invoked, it is to be a trial of endurance, both men must swing an anvil until one of them falls. If Elrond is successful he can ask a single boon, if he fails he is banished forever.
The ritual begins and the Dwarves all cheer!
The contest continues. Eventually, it looks as though Elrond is defeated after his pickaxe breaks, he is handed a new one but retires from the contest. Durrin escorts Elrond to the entrance. Baffled as to the coldness of his welcome, Elrond finally gets the cause of the amnity from Durrin. Elrond has been an absent friend, Elves live hundreds of years whereas Dwarves do not, it has been many years since Elrond saw his friend. Begrudgingly, Durrin allows Elrond to make his apologies and it appears as though he can make amends. Durrin agrees to hear Elrond’s proposal.
Nori runs through the meadow to check on her mysterious new friend. He is now awake and scratching symbols into rocks. Nori approaches him, startling him, he turns and lets out a roar that stirs the winds, much like the one he uttered in the crater. They agree on a truce and introduce themselves. The man seems to be unclear about who he is, suffering from some sort of amnesia. Nori offers him snails to eat, and after uncertainly trying one, he devours all of the remaining snails, shells and all. The man sketches something out on the ground with a stick, agitatedly, he’s trying to warm Nori of something. Poppy appears to tell Nori that her Father has slipped and broken his ankle. Nori heads back to the Shire, disconsolate.
Nori and Poppy visit the man, and they tell him about the Hobbit’s plans to migrate. The man has some sort of telekinetic powers and he knocks the lantern from Poppy’s hand, releasing the fireflies from it. He speaks to the bugs in an unknown language and Nori makes her way to him, watching as they escape and become stars. They realize that to help the man, they can help him locate the right constellation of stars.
Galadriel and Halbrand are stuck on their raft. He speculates about how Galadriel ended up where she was. He is from a land destroyed by Orcs, they share an understanding. She proposes that he tell her more so that she can find and kill the Orcs that destroyed his home. Halbrand and Galadriel fight the storm together, eventually, she falls overboard, unconscious. Halbrand dives after her and drags her to the surface.
Bronwyn has made her way home and tells her friends about what they saw. The villagers decide that they would like to take their chances with whatever it is that destroyed the other village rather than risk having the Elves back. Meanwhile, her son, Theo is enraptured by an Orc.
Arondir is investigating the tunnel and hears strange noises. He makes a break for it, chased by something we can’t see until he comes upon a flooded section. He swims through it, climbing out of the other side. He waits to see what it was and if it is upon him.
Bronwyn runs back to her home, where she discovers a similar tunnel and her son, Theo missing. She calls after him and finds him hiding in a cupboard. He urges her to get help. She hears something climbing out of the tunnel and slowly the figure emerges, revealing an Orc. The Orc stalks around the house, whilst Brownwyn and Theo hide in cupboards. As the Orc is about to discover Browyn, Theo attacks the Orc from behind. There is a fight in the house that ends with Bronwyn taking the head off the Orc.
She presents the head at the Tavern and declares that there will be a party heading to the Elven tower in the morning.
The ending
Durrin takes Elrond’s request to the King. The King is skeptical, worried that Elrond’s arrival is too well timed to be a coincidence. They walk to a chest which opens and contains an item that we can’t see.
Theo is alone in the house and he unwraps the Orc’s sword we saw earlier. A trickle of blood runs from his hand towards the hilt of the sword and the sword begins to reconstruct itself. Just then his Mother calls him, “Are you ready?”. Disturbed, he joins the group headed for Elven Tower.
Back to the raft and Halbrand and Galadriel are asleep. A ship pulls alongside them with the figure of a man standing over them.
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