Darkness Reigns in “The Rings of Power” … for Now
“Doomed to Die” Shines as Penultimate Episode in Season 2
What makes a cinematic battle compelling? While the destructive forces and overwhelming armies can be riveting in their own way, we need emotional stakes. On-screen battles derive their worth from the characters we care about, not the hordes that clash on the field.
“Doomed to Die,” the last episode before the season two finale, highlights the personal amid the spectacular. Numerous emotional beats and connections bring home the weight of the war, most of which work within the adaption and Tolkien’s original.
Penultimate episodes can be judged by how well they function on their own and how well they raise the tension for the finale. In both senses, “Doomed to Die” shines brightly through the mud and shadow of the siege of Eregion.
Spoilers for “Doomed to Die,” episode 7 of The Rings of Power season 2
“Doomed to Die” draws on the oldest story, the same one J.R.R. Tolkien himself drew on—light vs. dark. This has been the consistent narrative of The Rings of Power.
In the first episode, Galadriel’s brother Finrod whispers to her the secret to recognizing true light as opposed to counterfeit reflected light. “Sometimes, we cannot know until we have touched the darkness.”
Initially, that line struck a dissonant chord. It seemed to indicate that you can only truly know light if you’ve participated in darkness. To paraphrase the false argument the Apostle Paul refutes, we must sin so that grace may abound.1
In the season one finale, Sauron tries to use Finrod’s words in this way to lure Galadriel to his side, which makes it evident this is not the correct way to understand the statement. Instead, Finrod was preparing Galadriel for the lessons learned in painful, dark moments.
In those times, we will often be able to see the light most clearly. There’s a reason C.S. Lewis said pain was “God’s megaphone.” Darkness doesn’t complement the light. Rather, darkness, pain and suffering serve as a contrast to help us see light and goodness in their true, radiant nature.
While all of Eregion is collapsing, Celebrimbor reminds us of the power of light over darkness. But first, he has to open his eyes to the darkness that has been blinding him for weeks.
Initially, the “greatest of elven-smiths” believes he and his entire city exist in an idyllic, serene state … until he notices a mouse scurry across the floor the same way multiple times.2 He marks a candle and discovers time is seemingly standing still. A glimpse of his reflection heightens Celebrimbor’s concern until Annatar returns to ask about the status of the nine rings for men.
The “glitch in the Matrix” with the deja vu mouse seems to reveal Sauron is being stretched too thin.3 He’s trying to keep Celebrimbor in his delusion, provoke Adar and the orcs to attack, lead the elves in their defense, and stoke the greed of King Durin to keep the dwarves occupied. His power is limited, which is perhaps why he feels he needs the rings and eventually the Ring.
While Celebrimbor may be free from the mental captivity, he and the rest of the elves of Eregion are not free of Sauron’s manipulation. Celebrimbor tries to warn the others, but Sauron has already poisoned their minds. He tells them all that Celebrimbor has lost his mind, and they are alone.
Mirdania gently touches his arm and notes they’re not alone. Annatar looks down at her arm and tells her she will be “duly rewarded” when the time comes. Her reward is for Sauron to flick her off the side of the city wall, making it seem as if Celebrimbor did it, to her gruesome death at the hands of the invading orcs.
With the illusions down, Sauron resorts to threats. Finish the nine, and the city will be saved. The “otherwise” is left unsaid.
Back at the forge, in a moment that feels achingly similar to domestic abusers, Annatar blames Celebrimbor for his mistreatment. “Since you forced me to torment you to bring them into being, I am but a victim of your obstinance,” he says. “And you, the true author of your own torment.”
Much like with the orcs, The Rings of Power has given complexity to Sauron but has not diminished his evilness. In fact, the personal interactions have only made him seem more demented and twisted. An evil all-seeing eye controlling an army is one thing, someone masquerading as your friend only to betray you and then blame you for the betrayal cuts deeper.
For their part, the orcs have traditionally been canon fodder, but as sentient beings, they too want something more with their lives. Many of them, including one of Adar’s top leaders Glug, begin to question why so many of them need to die in this siege. Yet we see one cut the throat of a horse just to torture it and Elrond. They are no less evil because they want to live, but they are more interesting on-screen characters.
In seeking to destroy Sauron, Adar has become Sauron. He tells the orcs that he loves them “with what is left of my heart.” And because of that love, he will lead them into a battle where scores of them will die so they do not “become Sauron’s slaves.” For the orcs, what difference does it make? This will be the tragedy of Adar. More than likely, he will be betrayed by his own children. They will willingly turn to Sauron.
Before the orc armies can overtake Eregion, Elrond and Gil-galad arrive with an elf army, but Adar has Galadriel. In a mediation, Adar says he will free Galadriel if Elrond gives him the elvish ring he has. If not, Adar will kill her. Elrond refuses. He turns to Galadriel and says, “Forgive me.” She says, “Win.” A perfect encapsulation of the two characters. But then they kiss, as he slips her his cloak pin.
Nothing about this works. The music swells as if this is some long-awaited moment, but no one wanted this, including the actors. Even within the context of the show, they are purely friends and have never given any indication that it is more than that. If you go outside of the show and into the lore, this gets even worse.4
Since we’re discussing what didn’t work, there’s a few other issues in this episode. One was new and other a lingering problem. For the first time, Adar’s face often seemed more CGI. Especially on the battlefield, he looked like the orcs from The Hobbit trilogy.
Also, why can we never get an effective crowd shot at Eregion or Númenor? We’ve seen great visuals of orc hordes and dwarf gatherings. But in Eregion, we only ever see a handful of elves. We never get the impression this is a giant, bustling city. The same happens with Númenor. “Doomed to Die” is a great episode, but those quibbles hinder the heights it could’ve reached.
Back to the positives, Galadriel escapes Adar’s camp with the help of an arriving Arondir. When she arrives at Eregion through a hidden “old dwarven tunnel,” the guards are attempting to place Celebrimbor back in his tower by the order of Annatar, “the Lord of Eregion.” Celebrimbor has escaped with the nine rings by cutting off his thumb to remove his shackles.
This ties him with several Middle-earth characters who lose fingers or hands in their fight against evil, most notably Frodo in Mount Doom. Celebrimbor has finally placed the good of others above his own ambition. He demonstrates his true character and begins his redemption.5
Watching Celebrimbor’s descent has been heartbreaking, but he was given the heartbeat of this episode and the series. Galadriel apologizes for her role in Sauron’s rise. She says she was not strong enough. He replies:
Neither of us were strong enough. There might not be anyone in Middle-earth who is. But perhaps the elves need only remember that it is not strength that overcomes darkness, but light. Armies may rise, hearts may fail, yet still light endures, and is mightier than strength. For in its presence, all darkness must flee.
Even in the darkest moments, light endures. We need that reminder because this episode gets dark.
The elves appear to be outmanned and outmaneuvered, but Elrond had previously gone to Prince Durin and appealed to his friend. The dwarves will be there by the first light of day.
Durin rallies all of Khazad-dûm to join the fight because “dwarven loyalty is a force stronger than any sorcery.” Unfortunately, as he is set to lead his army to Eregion, King Durin begins to attack his own people. Narvi tells Prince Durin, “You take that army to Eregion now, and Khazad-dûm might not be here when you return.”
The orcs have finally break through the walls of Eregion and spill into the city. Gil-galad leads less than two dozen elves into an oncoming swarm of orcs. All Elrond can do is knell in the mud and mutter, “Durin will come.”
Across the battlefield, Adar stabs Arondir before towering over the heartbroken Elrond. He takes Nenya from around his neck and tosses him to the ground. In this moment, we can remember the gift that Galadriel will eventually give Frodo on his quest—the light of Eärendil’s star.
Elrond’s father leads this guiding star across the heavens and Galadriel will use its light to assist Frodo. “It will shine still brighter when night is about you,” she tells him of the vial containing the light. “May it be a light to you in dark places, when all other lights go out.”
Dawn has come but brought no light to help in the battle. Maybe in this instance, light and help will come from underground, through dwarven tunnels, maybe?
As someone terrified of rodents, I too would be roused from a delusion of a perfect world, if I saw a mouse.
… like butter scraped over too much bread.
Spoiler: Galadriel has already mentioned that she is married to Celeborn. We know they are together by the events of The Lord of the Rings. But even leaving that aside, Elrond marries Galadriel’s daughter Celebrían. Elrond couldn’t think of any other way for this to work than to kiss his eventual mother-in-law?
Unfortunately, if the show follows the book lore, his redemption will not end well. “True creation requires sacrifice,” but often so does opposing evil. Tolkien’s eucatastrophe brings hope in times of despair, but not everyone gains a happy ending.