# Amazon Lord of the Rings series; The Rings of Power **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** middle-earth, amazon-prime, tv-shows-scripted\ **Created:** [March 3, 2019, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497 "2019-03-03T20:01:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 45
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2022, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/883 "2022-10-01T02:44:26Z")
That is exactly what they are telling us. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2022, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/884 "2022-10-01T02:50:56Z")
Good thing he had better luck with the Mordor ignition than Bronwyn did with her flint. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2022, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/885 "2022-10-01T03:08:06Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > And now the key or whatever was turned, the mountain…became Mount Doom and the surrounding area got lava-ey and became Mordor? Yeah. What I’m wondering is who was able to set all this up ahead of time, and why were they waiting for someone to turn a blood sacrifice evil magic sword key in a rocklock before it was set off? Was Morgoth a (60s TV show) Batman villain? (Cue the spinning Silmaril between scenes.) ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2022, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/886 "2022-10-01T03:48:01Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > Yeah. What I’m wondering is who was able to set all this up ahead of time, and why were they waiting for someone to turn a blood sacrifice evil magic sword key in a rocklock before it was set off? uh, his name is _Sauron_ … ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2022, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/887 "2022-10-01T03:55:27Z")
Galadrial’s speech to Adar is basically Morgoth’s speech to Hurin - I will keep you alive and curse your people, and you will watch them suffer and it will be your doing. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2022, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/888 "2022-10-01T07:16:42Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Are they telling us that the humans were living in Mordor before it got Mordored? And now the key or whatever was turned, the mountain…became Mount Doom and the surrounding area got lava-ey and became Mordor? Called it. > [@Smapti](#): > > “The Southlands” is definitely meant to be southern Mordor… The village Arondir has been looking after is called Tirharad, which identifies its inhabitants as Southrons, and the map they showed in the establishing scene clearly includes Mordor. > > There was a brief shot in the first episode of a lone snow-capped mountain which could potentially be a pre-volcanic Orodruin. > [@Atamasama](#): > > Yeah. What I’m wondering is who was able to set all this up ahead of time, and why were they waiting for someone to turn a blood sacrifice evil magic sword key in a rocklock before it was set off? Well, it wasn’t all set up ahead of time. Adar had to have the orcs dig the trenches and tunnels across the Southlands to channel the water from the Ostirith floodgate into the bowels of Orodruin. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2022, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/889 "2022-10-01T07:21:18Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Well, it wasn’t all set up ahead of time. Adar had to have the orcs dig the trenches and tunnels across the Southlands to channel the water from the Ostirith floodgate into the bowels of Orodruin. Good call. 👍 ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2022, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/890 "2022-10-01T10:18:24Z")
It does seem pretty Sauron-ish to have a backup plan, even if somewhat over complicated. Are we not doing spoilers here? ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2022, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/891 "2022-10-01T10:22:04Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > > [@Atamasama](#): > > > > Yeah. What I’m wondering is who was able to set all this up ahead of time, and why were they waiting for someone to turn a blood sacrifice evil magic sword key in a rocklock before it was set off? > > Well, it wasn’t all set up ahead of time. Adar had to have the orcs dig the trenches and tunnels across the Southlands to channel the water from the Ostirith floodgate into the bowels of Orodruin. Hmmm. I guess that maybe sort of kind of makes sense. It still feels weirdly complex. And how’d they lose the key. And why does holding it impart a feeling of power. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2022, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/892 "2022-10-01T10:23:09Z")
> [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > It does seem pretty Sauron-ish to have a backup plan, even if somewhat over complicated. Are we not doing spoilers here? > Spoiler policy: please use spoiler tags if your post contains spoilers and you post it within 24 hours of the episode being released. So no spoilers from a few hours ago until the next episode drops. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2022, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/893 "2022-10-01T10:25:25Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > Galadrial’s speech to Adar is basically Morgoth’s speech to Hurin - I will keep you alive and curse your people, and you will watch them suffer and it will be your doing. Yeah, that seemed like the speech of an evil person. Adar was much more sympathetic in that scene. I wonder if Galadrial will have any character development or will remain a bitch who drives her soldiers to despair and expects the world to be handed to her. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2022, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/894 "2022-10-01T10:27:33Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > And why does holding it impart a feeling of power. It’s the Shadow. It’s seductive, like the Dark Side in Star Wars. Artifacts associated with Morgoth or Sauron are like that. See the One Ring, which corrupted everyone it came in contact with over time (as well as the non-elven Rings of Power). The Shadow is having its effect on Galadriel also, I believe. Her need for vengeance is transforming her. I expect to see that struggle being a story arc for this show. You also saw a similar situation when Frodo offered the One Ring to her in the Lord of the Rings, and she managed to overcome its lure with great difficulty. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2022, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/895 "2022-10-01T10:30:09Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Yeah, that seemed like the speech of an evil person. Adar was much more sympathetic in that scene. I’d like to modify my previous Dragon Age comparison of Adar. He’s not Corypheus. He’s the Architect. > **[The Architect](https://dragonage.fandom.com/wiki/The_Architect)** > > “I do not seek to rule my brethren. I only seek to release them from their chains.” The Architect is a unique darkspawn emissary, seemingly being the first darkspawn to develop a will of its own. It is unusual in that it does not appear to be subject... ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2022, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/896 "2022-10-01T10:58:07Z")
It’s Theo who said the key made him feel powerful. I didn’t hear that as a magical effect, but a teenager-with-something-special effect. If it had a magical feeling, Arondir and Galadriel would have felt that the key wasn’t in the wrappings. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2022, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/897 "2022-10-01T11:38:44Z")
Good point. Were they trying to imply romantic feelings betwixt Galadriel and Halabrand? I hope not. More likely comrades in arms. And was “the king that was promised to us” an actual lore-thing? Or did they mean Sauron? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2022, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/898 "2022-10-01T11:55:41Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > Yeah. What I’m wondering is who was able to set all this up ahead of time, and why were they waiting for someone to turn a blood sacrifice evil magic sword key in a rocklock before it was set off? Who built that key hole and mechanism? Why was it built? How did they come to the decision to make it? Is it magic or something? ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2022, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/899 "2022-10-01T11:56:53Z")
Seems more mechanical than magical. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2022, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/900 "2022-10-01T12:03:39Z")
That’s kind of Tolkieny. He was not a fan of the industrial revolution. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2022, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/901 "2022-10-01T12:26:14Z")
I enjoyed the episode. The showrunners are clearly aware of the “Always-evil races are dumb” argument and lent into it. > [@susan](#): > > I didn’t hear that as a magical effect, but a teenager-with-something-special effect. If it had a magical feeling, Arondir and Galadriel would have felt that the key wasn’t in the wrappings. Maybe you have to give it blood to get that feeling? > [@Mahaloth](#): > > Is it magic or something? It’s a sword that comes into existence from thin air when fed blood. I’d say it’s _ **definitely** _ magic. Thereafter it’s pure physics: water+magma=steam=pressure=Doom. We’ll leave aside the existence of that magic magma chamber with all that free headroom as a “me,a geologist” problem. Rule of Cool and all that. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2022, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/902 "2022-10-01T13:05:21Z")
Sauron was a fire Maiar, wasn’t he? Like Gandalf? I’m probably mixed up. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497.md?page=44) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497.md?page=46)