The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (S2 Ep7) “Doomed to Die”
Ok, if there is anything to help my Rings of Power predicament come into focus it is a Penultimate Episode!! And by all accounts, this looks like a doozy. I feel like I saw more marketing for this episode than the whole series. Last week had some good steps in the Sauron story but it looks like this week we have our first large-scale battle so are the pieces coming together?
Yes!! Where has this been? Seriously this is by far the best episode in the series and it all comes down to focus. Well, that and a badass credits song. This really had all the hallmarks of a great penultimate episode. Massive stakes, big-time action, some things to tie up in the finale. Good stuff it focused on everything that has been good about the show and ignores the weak parts. I’ll try to keep the GoT comparisons to a minimum but it felt like one of the big episodes in that show where we completely ignore other stories we have been following to the service of the massive moment. No Numenor this week, no Stranger check in we are laser-focused on the Adar, Sauron, Rings, Dwarves interweaving story. Sauron finally plays his trap card on his goal to get those final 9 rings made and seeing the plan come together is pretty satisfying. It’s amazing what a good battle episode can do as it covers up all the weak performances, the sterile look of the show and the incompetent performances. Just the pure action was varied and dynamic and fun to watch. One sequence with the giant troll was especially impressive as it doesn’t just stomp through the rank and file it picks them up, it flings them, it stomps them, it uses them as shields. Each movement looks well throughout and plotted. It seems like a lot of the attention for the season, and probably the budget went to this episode.
More of this please, I get you want to build up but it should not have taken almost 2 seasons for us to get some moments like this and if the show can learn and capture this high going forward it may build up some momentum. I say that fully knowing next week we will probably have to check in at Numenor and with the Stranger will will already heavily bring down the finale. But for now? For this week? I feel rewarded for my investment in this mystery of a show.
Observations
- We haven’t seen Elrond in like 3 weeks.
- They did that day night transition shot practically which is super cool
- Where did Sauron get that Mythril from?
- Bro is cooked
- I really dig this arc dude sippin’ tea as the city burns.
- Temu Galadriel doesn’t stand a chance
- That half-oxidized armor is pretty tough too
- Not sure how real that is but pretty clever Adar.
- What is with that mouse?
- Why put on all that show just to put the weapons down.
- What does this chick do?
- Got lazy with the mouse
- My brain does that with my house too. Eventually, it all hits me “ohh this place is a mess”
- He really going out like that?
- Oh shit! Smooth move Sauron.
- Lord of the Rings loves a good last-minute save.
- Orcs just want to vibe in this show haha
- Kinda outta nowhere with that kiss or is that all part of the show?
- So the backup has backup coming
- Aww, that was a good horse
- Haha, that was dope
- This guy is just not about this life
- That guy just always saving the day
- I can’t believe this show has commercial breaks just randomly in the middle of action like a YouTube Video
- So that whole Mutiny thing isn’t happening?
- He needs to pull a Death Star and build a weakness into the rings
- We got a Saw situation folks
- Where is that water coming from?
- Well, she took a few shots.
- I don’t know who this is but she’s about to have a moment
- That arrow line maybe would have been better not 12 seconds before the payoff
- Yea, he’s kinda the dark lord and stuff
- Dude, that thing is brutal.
- Haha, spittin’ arrows at them is savage.
- Awkward
- Oh dang, that is not many elves left.
- Yo, what is this song on the credits!/!
