**Spoiler Warning** Rings of Power S2E5 - 'Where Is He?'

[Formendacil]

Yay, I'm... caught up? Posting on a Tuesday, anyway, with all the episodes behind me, though--once again--I watched a few days ago and thus have to decipher what I wrote:

1. The pile of cast away materials is good visual storytelling--as is the mouse.
2. Are you going mad, Celebrimbor?
3. Nice new dark out fit, Annatar
4. Is there a point to a mad Celebrimbor, I wonder?
5. Is that a statue of Fëanor?
6. Runes on the body--it's funny that they wouldn't be able to read them in Eregion, but it's an accurate use of them to gouge writing onto things--even corpses.
7. Annatar really is one of the joys of the show this season--which is a bit of a turn-around, given how I didn't love Halbrand last season and disliked him as the revealed Sauron. But as Annatar, it's been excellent.
8. Actually, I like this Adar scene too--I like that he calls Sauron the Deceiver.
9. Now that's a Minas Tirith shot in Númenor!
10. Is the plan to sending Elendil to sea--to give him the Amandil story? [answer: nope]
    in
11. I like the actor, but this isn't Tom.
12. I'm not sure the adventure with the Harfeet really fits the rest of the show this season, which has become a lot closer to the "real" events of the Second Age--but even here there's been a bit of a turn to the text with smials and Hobbits emigrating from the East.
13. I'm guessing right now that the Stranger is Gandalf if these are all going to be Gandalf quotes. Don't much care for "quotes we know well reappearing in a new prequel context" writing.
14. I'm not sure I like Tom suggesting friendship and destiny are opposed--that is certainly not Gandalfian, anyway.
15. Well, yes, Durin... armour of mithril IS a thing.
16. Mad King Durin is fun to watch. Sad Prince Durin less so.
17. I wonder if we're going to see a chronologically-dislocated founding of Erebor.
18. Blind Míriel is more interesting than Queen Míriel was. The hints of romance with her for Elendil is another theft from Amandil.
19. I'm not getting my Narvi/Celebrimbor bromance, am I? There just isn't enough time.
20. I doubt the book validity of this scene by the sea (trial by sea seems a bit barbaric for Númenor, but I like that the writers haven't shied away from including the Valar.
21. I don't love Míriel doing this--the place-taking from Elendil. Her motivations/character seem off from the book to me. There's a fundamental uncertainty in her loyalties in the book: she's not a traitor, like Pharazôn; she's definitely Tar-Palantír's daughter, but there's some suggestion that she doesn't entirely hie to her father's way, that there was some love or complicity with Pharazôn--some regret at least when things all come down. I dunno... she's a blank slate to be projected upon, but this isn't my projection, anyway.
22. Uínen the Craken?
23. Some definite Denethor vibes with the planting, Pharazon.<---not at all sure what I meant.
24. I guess we don't get to see Galadriel travelling through the Dwarrowdelf to Lórien for her first visit after being kicked out of Eregion--a vivid image to me from Unfinished Tales, but unlicensed, I suppose.
25. The Deceiver indeed (Annatar giving Celebrimbor the false vision)
26. I thought you might have stolen some<--Yeah, no idea.
27. "The Silmarils, well, they will merit little more than a whisper" --that's some meta commentary! The Silmarils--or the Silmarillion ARE quite overshadowed by the Rings (and by the Lord of the Rings).
28. Is that the Sauron theme from LotR movies playing--or can I not the music apart anymore? There are definite Isengard vibes here musically anyway.

[Huinesoron]

Originally Posted by Oddwen

I can't remember what happened between he and Raftwurst last season. Did he make the connection between this years' "King of the Southlands" and last years "Halbrand"?

I'm pretty sure they fought, and had a "you took everything from me"/"I don't even know who you are" moment (where Halbrand seems to be referencing his family being murdered but PSYCH it was actually him being stabbed with a purloined hat, who knew). I dunno, it would be quite clumsy writing if they expected us to get that Adar knew both the name and the face of Halbrand, but hadn't put the two together.

Maybe the wolf told him? Does Adar speak wolf?

Originally Posted by Form

23. Some definite Denethor vibes with the planting, Pharazon.<---not at all sure what I meant.

Pretty sure that's "the palantir"; Ar-Hypocrite goes to play with it and has a vision of... can't remember but it wasn't cheerful. We did get another go of the "reality shatters around you" version of using the palantir, which is a spectacular visual effect.

hS

[Formendacil]

Originally Posted by Huinesoron

Pretty sure that's "the palantir"; Ar-Hypocrite goes to play with it and has a vision of... can't remember but it wasn't cheerful. We did get another go of the "reality shatters around you" version of using the palantir, which is a spectacular visual effect.

Ah, yes--definitely!

Discerning what a forgetful poster meant in his own crabbed notes is no mean feat!