Alloyed
This article is about a current event; it is subject to frequent revision as more information becomes available. |
| Alloyed | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Director | Wayne Che Yip |
| Writer | J. D. Payne Patrick McKay and Gennifer Hutchison[1] (written by) |
| Music | Bear McCreary Main Title by Howard Shore |
| Studio | Amazon Studios |
| Released | 14 October 2022 |
| Runtime | 1 hour, 12 minutes |
| Gallery | Images from The Rings of Power (TV series) |
| Navigation | |
| Previous: The Eye |
Next: TBD |
- "Season One Finale. New alliances are forged."
- ― Official Synopsis, Amazon Studios
Alloyed is the eighth episode of Amazon Studios's television series, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. It is the final episode of the first season and it was released on 14 October, 2022.
Synopsis[edit | edit source]
Harfoots[edit | edit source]
The Stranger wanders through large rocks in Eryn Galen, the Greenwood, hearing Elanor Brandyfoot's reminder that he's not a peril, he's good, as he holds the beautiful apple in his hand. He chases a mysterious grey figure who has stolen his apple through the woods that appears to be Nori but transforms into one of the Mystics. They greet him by the name of Sauron. The three Mystics surround The Stranger, telling him that they are here to help him draw back the veil placed on his mind by those who cast him down. They show him the constellation he has been seeking and identify it as The Hermit's Hat, only visible from the far east in Rhûn. As they call his power upon him, a great wind arises. The Dweller blows on him and he collapses.
Nori, Poppy Proudfellow, Sadoc Burrows, and Marigold Brandyfoot peek through the trees to see two of them stringing up The Stranger. Nori goes to release him just as Sadoc stumbles upon the unconscious body of the real Stranger and realizes it's a trap. The strung-up figure turns into Dweller and attacks. The other two throw a knife at Nori, and miss, piercing Sadoc. As they are about to kill Nori, The Stranger arises and a wind sweeps through the trees. The Mystics attempt to calm him but he throws them back in a shockwave.
After a battle in which the Mystics corner the Harfoots, Nori reminds him that he is here to help and is defined by his actions. He rises and rescues the halflings, banishing the with his power. They burst into clouds of butterflies and disappear.
The Harfoots offer to carry the injured Sadoc back to camp, but he replies that he's about to go wandering off trail and would like to sit awhile and watch the sun come up.
In the Grove, Nori and the Stranger discuss his identity. He reveals that the word they called him, Istar, might be translated as "Wizard". Mourning the loss of Sadoc, the Harfoots make ready to continue, much more lightly burdened, on their journey. Nori's parents hand her her pack, and tell her that she belongs out with the Stranger. After many personal farewells, she departs.
Númenóreans[edit | edit source]
Back in Númenor, Pharazôn talks to Kemen, Eärien and the rest of the Builder's Guild about the dying Tar-Palantir. Eärien is assigned to draw the King's portrait when he grabs her arm and warns her that if the old ways are not restored, the island will fall. She approaches a veiled object, round and covered with a black cloth, and pulls the veil back.
On their ship, Elendil finds Míriel attempting to memorize the layout of the ship to hide her blindness. The two come to terms with the enormity of the cost of being part of the Faithful and reaffirm their commitment. As they sail into Númenor, she senses something is wrong and demands to know what he sees. The entire city is hung with black banners in mourning of the king's passing.
Eregion[edit | edit source]
Celebrimbor and Elrond await the arrival of Gil-galad, despairing over what to do with so little mithril. Suddenly Galadriel and Halbrand ride in, looking rough, and explain they've been on the road six days since the battle. She and Elrond discuss her abandoning the ship to the west. Halbrand visits Celebrimbor's workshop, where he finds the mithril sample and suggests an alloy to amplify the qualities of the mithril.
Celebrimbor presents the idea to the Gil-galad, Elrond, and Galadriel, suggesting a crown, but is rebuffed by the high king, who says it is too late and orders him to disband the city and return to Lindon. Galadriel calls out a phrase of Celebrimbor and asks if Halbrand has been there. Celebrimbor brushes her off. Elrond has better luck pleading with Gil-galad for a stay of three months, and the forges are lit in Celebrimbor's workshop. Halbrand and Celebrimbor work together over the anvil while Galadriel looks on in increasing suspicion.
Smoke pours from the furnace as the metals refuse to bond. Halbrand suggest being gentler and Celebrimbor latches onto the idea with renewed energy. The scholar from the library earlier calls Galadriel away and Halbrand seems to sense something is wrong.
He finds her standing by the Glanduin with a document and tells her they are making something smaller. Two somethings. Galadriel demands to know he is, having proved that the line of kings of the Southlands was broken a thousand years ago. When she tries to point out all the good things he did, he turns them back on her, pointing out how they were her doing. She demands his name, and he responds, "I have been awake since before the breaking of the first silence. In that time, I have had many names." From this, Galadriel infers that he is Sauron.
She attempts to stab him but instead falls and wakes up in a dream, addressed by Finrod. Only Finrod is just slightly off. It is Sauron/Halbrand inside her mind. He attempts to justify himself to her as Finrod but she rebuffs him. When he calls her back, she is suddenly on the raft at sea with Halbrand again. He invites her to join him, using her words against her. They fight and she finds herself sinking into the sea as she had before, only this time there is no rescue from Halbrand.
Gasping, she awakens in the stream, pulled out by Elrond. She holds her knife to his chest, demanding he prove who he is, and he tells her where they first met. She races to Celebrimbor's forge to tell him that they must make three rings to provide balance. He requests her knife to provide the gold and silver of Valinor.
Galadriel mourns the melting of her dagger. The rings are slowly forged in the workshop. Elrond, while out, discovers the document Galadriel had thrown in the stream and recognizes what she had discovered about "Halbrand".
Mordor[edit | edit source]
Halbrand walks into the smoke and fire of a black volcanic landscape.
Cast[edit | edit source]
Credited[edit | edit source]
- In order of appearance (in episode credits)
Trivia[edit | edit source]
Below is a list of trivia from Amazon's "X-Ray" feature that accompanied the episode.
- Scene 2 - "Most of the details and elaborations told herein are derived from 'The Lord of the Rings', its prologue entitled 'Concerning Hobbits', and its Appendices, A through F, where the intrepid traveler may journey to discover even farther horizons."
Production[edit | edit source]
Differences[edit | edit source]
Reception[edit | edit source]
References
- ↑ "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (TV Series), Alloyed (2022), Full Cast & Crew", IMDb.com (accessed 3 December 2022)
External links[edit | edit source]
- Episode analysis on Rings of Power Wrap-Up (with Alan Sisto, Sara Brown, and James Tauber)
- Episode analysis on Rings & Realms (with Corey Olsen)
- Scoring Alloyed by Bear McCreary
- Sauron centric season two (spoilers)
- Interview with Sauron actor (spoilers)
| The Rings of Power series' episodes | |
|---|---|
| Season 1 | 1. A Shadow of the Past · 2. Adrift · 3. Adar · 4. The Great Wave · 5. Partings · 6. Udûn · 7. The Eye · 8. Alloyed |
| Season 2 | TBD · |
