Summary
On your marks, get set, fight. Battle (and Galadriel) comes to Middle-earth at last!
This recap of the Prime Video series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 1, episode 6, contains spoilers.
After The Rings of Power season 1, episode 5, things are building towards the climax of season 1, and in this week’s installment, we finally get the chance to see some of our heroes show off what they can really do. After much build-up, this week’s episode focuses on the merging of two plotlines, that of the humans in the Southlands fighting the Orcs and the Numenorians led by Galadriel making their way to Middle-earth, there is plenty of action and even a little romance to get stuck into.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 1, episode 6 recap
The orcs have gathered on the fringes of the fort. Adar addresses his mass of assembled Orcs with a rousing speech promising them that they face a battle with the humans that will heroically help to restore the Orcs to the top of the food chain. They march (in wonderfully disciplined formation I must say) to the gate of the tower and find it, empty. It appears as though the remaining humans have fled the tower. As the Orcs search, we see that Arondir hides behind a wall waiting for just the right moment to attack.
He springs up and lights an arrow, aiming it for a trap they set on the tower, with the Orcs trapped inside the fort, the tower is set to collapse on top of them, crushing them all. Outside, the surviving humans cheer and make their way back to fortify the village against the inevitable Orchish backlash.
Isildur is resting uneasily aboard his ship to middle earth and makes his way to the deck. He is greeted by Galadriel who informs him that land will soon be visible from his vantage point. They are approximately one day from land and another day’s ride to the vale.
Arondir is testing the limits of the magical orcish sword hilt that Theo has been carrying, he concludes that it is too powerful to be destroyed, and their only hope is to hide it from view forever. The villagers are preparing for another assault from the Orcs, and have plans for another ambush. Arondir gifts Browyn some of the seeds she sourced him and explains to her that there is an Elvish tradition to plant them before a battle, as a symbolic gesture of the importance of creating new life in the face of death. He accompanies this with a speech telling Bronwyn that he intends to spend his life with her and Theo when this is all over and they have a lovely little smooch.
As night descends, the humans await the invading Orcs and prepare for battle. Finally, over the horizon comes a procession of torches. The Orcs make their way into the village and the humans get set to spring their trap, Brownyn makes the first move, killing one Orc and sending a flaming cart into a mass of others as they struggle to put out the fire, Arondir and a small group of humans on rooftops pepper the Orcs with bows and arrows. Still, the Orcs move forwards, heading directly for the Tavern full of the most vulnerable.
Arondir continues to defend his position and finds himself in a one-to-one fight with a really big Orc, who after a protracted exchange, he finally overcomes with the help of Brownyn, who at the crucial moment appears and stabs the Orc from behind. They hear cheers from all and appears that our humans have won the battle and repelled the Orcs from the village. Arondir bends to inspect one of the bodies of an orc and discovers that they were not Orcs after all, but their fellow villagers, those that had defected to the side of Adar. Villagers start falling prey to ranged attacks and it becomes clear that the Orcs are still lying in wait, ready for the second wave of attack. The humans retreat into the Tavern, to safety. Bronwyn has been wounded and needs medical attention. Theo and Arondir, work together to pull the arrow from her wound, Bronwyn survives, just about.
The Orcs launch their assault on the Tavern, with Adar at the head of the attack. Fortunately, it seems as though the soldiers from Numenor, with Galadriel at their head, are on their way. Adar strides into the Tavern and confronts Arondir, he wants the Orcish hilt and is prepared the kill everyone in the Tavern to get it. Just as Bronwyn is about to get killed for it, Theo steps in and gives up the sword to Adar to save his Mother’s life. The Numenorians arrive but perhaps a little too late. They sweep into the village taking out Orcs as they do, there is much opportunity for our heroes to do lots of heroic, badass things and it’s fantastic. Eventually, it comes down to a chase between Adar and Galadriel, she pursues him through the forest, insistent that he shall not escape with the hilt. Coming the other way is Halbrand, who trips Adar’s Horse and throws him from its back. They have met before it seems and Halbrand means to finish him for his crimes. Galadriel stops him in time and persuades him to spare Adar.
Galadriel is interrogating Adar and wishes to know where she can find Sauron. Adar explains to Galadriel that after the fall of Morgoth, Sauron had great ambition, but something was thwarting him, something that he could not overcome but was willing to sacrifice many Orc’s lives to try. Adar, after much time, finally rebelled and killed Sauron. Sceptical, Galadriel taunts Adar and promises him that she will hunt down and kill all the Orcs before finally allowing him to die. Halbrand interrupts them just as Galadriel is poised to stab Adar.
Halbrand and Galadriel finally have a moment to compare notes (and their pain). Halbrand confesses that he might just be redeemable after all, with Galadriel at his side.
The ending
At the post siege after party, Brownyn is introduced to the Queen regent who congratulates her for her heroism. The Queen introduces the people to Halbrand, their rightful king. All hail the true king of the Southlands!
Arondir comforts Theo, who confides to Arondir that whilst in possession of the hilt, he felt a strange power which he still craves. Arondir hands Theo the hilt back and tells him to give it to the Numenorians to discard on their way home. Theo wraps the hilt to reveal a simple handaxe. It was all a fake out and the pub landlord has the hilt! He uses the hilt as a key to open the damn which instantly floods.
Isildur and his Father are sharing a nice moment of post-battle father-son bonding when the wells burst and flooding begins in the village. It would seem that all the tunnels the Orcs have been building were to destabilise a volcano and wipe out all of Middle Earth.
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