Rings of Power Episode 7 Liveblog

You know, all these white people covered in ash world  look a lot more problematic if it wasn't for the red filter

NO NOT THE HORSE

oh gross people burning to death too

OH GOD ONTAMO NO

At least Valandil hasn't earned his namesake yet

Join the army, they said. SEE THE WORLD they said

A good, hands on queen

Oh no I hope Isildur will survive

Poppy's song is delightfully macabre

Oh shit did their orchard get volcanoed too?

Oh now they think the stranger is useful

It's cool how Nori and her family all seem to be wearing basically the same outfit. Clothes are hard when you have to make them all yourself

Elrond is doing a diplomacy!

He is no common elf! Ooh I love how they're leaning into his halfelvenness

Kneeling even!

King Durin is being really stubborn about this. There hasn't really been a lot of variation in this plotline, just Prince Yes, King No

Oh Durin....he just wants to save his friend...

GO OFF QUEEN

Durin is loyal and filial, he's just a great guy

Their marriage is so great

SAY IT. SAY 'HER BEARD' Maybe only the great dwarven matriarchs have proper beards

It's weeks to Lindon, Elrond, you can stay for dinner

'Go towards goodness'  ....and I think that's beautiful

So mithril....does cure leaf?

Doesn't mean this wasn't Sauron's plan all along

Chill, Theo

See Galadriel, this is what everyone else sees when they look at you

Everything is not your responsibility! Tho I guess if that is what you came to Middle-earth for the first time.....

Berek!

Miriel does not look good

Mindfullness, Theo.

I love the Galadriel Theo roadtrip. Good friendship

Oh look she regrets killing orcs, or at least considers it an evil. Progress!

She's...giving him her dagger?

These orange filters are really making a statement

Miriel REALLY doesn't look good

Oh shit

Greenwood the great!

Is he sending the Stranger to Dale? Proto Dale?

It's the nicest way he can say "please don't help us anymore"

It's so fun  to see the different ways they have of showing the size difference

Oh boy, he asked about her brother

WHAT

Sorry??????????

Excuse me???????????????????

SHE'S ALREADY MARRIED

Little disappointed not to see the romance, but I'll be glad to see him show up eventually!

So like, where has he been all this time? And why did she stop looking for him?

You gotta replace it with something better, Theo

He has a point, Galadriel. Problem of Evil and all that

Adar? We get Adar?

Nope :(

Smells like Elves

I guess the volcano makes it harder to track by scent

Durin can't possibly mine the mithril all by himself

OMG ELROND'S HAIR LOOKS SO GOOD WHEN IT'S ALL MESSED UP! DO THAT MORE OFTEN!

Elrond! You threw the fight??

Elrond's got a little bit of everything in him. Might be some Dwarf in there.

YOU HEAR THAT ELROND? HE WANTS YOU TO BE PART OF HIS FAMILY.

Far side of what?

That's a lot of mithril

Oops, busted

I guess other people do talk to King Durin

Oh no, Elrond got banished :(

You were ill formed when you were born? HARSH

Now we're getting some real good father son talk

Consigning your allies to death is not tempering! Not everything is a test, some things are just important

NO YOU

Shit, did Durin just get disowned? Are we kicking off a coup?

Poppy has such good songs!

He did bring it back to life!

Oh no is it more wolves?

Worse! Big jobs!

Love the cat ears on the cultist, don't love the brunhilde breastplate

Did she just lie to them? Are they bad news?

Hey, don't touch her hair

Um. She just put the torch out with her hand.

EVIL

NOT THE CARTS

Oh it's the Numenorean camp

I love that the dude armor also has boobs

What's that, Berek? Isildur fell down a well?

Listen to the horse!

Oh, Elendil, there's no sense regretting decisions made in good faith

Theo's ear! Half elf Theo....disconfirmed?

Don't just go wandering into tents, Theo

Oh it's the sick tent, guess Bronwyn might be there

Wow, not going light on the injury showcase there

Now now, we've already done "I thought it was them but turns out it wasnt"

Bronwyn! ARONDIR! HUGS!!!!

I guess the blindfold might be helping some.

NOW KISS

Oh shit now it's started. Let's do a war!

She couldn't bear to put her father's real name on this though

Awwww, Elendil

Harfoots don't give up! They rebuild!

I'll point out to all the haters that people may have WORRIED about being left behind, but no one actually WAS. Revealed preferences!

Oh, now she's going on her big walkabout

Marigold?????

And Sadoc too??????

Malva????????

Shit, I guess Isildur's gonna have a time getting back to Numenor

Pelargir exists! Numenoreans have been hear before!

Galadriel had to face the music eventually

Yeah Galadriel, remember? Their king? The guy you manipulated into coming here against his will?

Uh, I thought elves only had artisans? He can't do the 'as long as it's pretty' thing

Guys just get up and walk with open wounds around here

And ride??? What wound does he have that needs special treatment but that he can ride a horse to??????

Awww she gave up the dagger. She is healing, and so is Theo

Disa's getting her Lady Macbeth on. Such a good wife. I love her.

Go away Balrog, it's not your time yet

Ugh, knew they couldn't resist the temptation

Adar!!!!!! :D

MORDOR. Oh I like the thing with the text.

We're almost done!! I can't believe it!!!

i would like to say that ozzie COULD have been better as i do love his character but MAN did they fucking butcher him in the new episode

he is the embodiment of lust, making him the WEAKEST sin is well a sin and also since he’s apart of the seven deadly SINS he should be ya’ know POWERFUL because in that episode he just feels like some rich guy akin to every other rich guy in this show, he should be a guy that the whole cast are afraid of(and honestly the same thing happened to bee where she’s a deadly sin and NO ONE is acting like she of any importances)

how i would fix him personally is well not make him soft uwu boy i do like the fact he cares about fizz but well he’s powerful we should FEEL how powerful he is make some imps or succbi be cowering near him, fizz not sprouting jokes and blowing a BLOW HORN in his ear give us the feeling that he’s not to be mess with, and the stolas and ozzie team up honestly should be studied on how to kill a character, they shouldn’t made ozzie just be the same hight as stolas and i mean that IN EVERYWAY POSSIBLE because stolas seems to be scared of him thats good but ozzie ya’ know is chill about everything i mean stolas didn’t cause anything but him being chill is very stupid. thats my take of everything about ozzie and honestly im curious on what your take of fixing him is

So I’m not against Ozzie being nice and soft to Fizz, but him in general being the nicest sin and a cool “chill” dude does bother me. Again, these characters are supposed to be the rulers of Hell and I refuse to believe they’re just nice, it’s how I felt for Beezlebub. Same for Leviathan since Viv confirmed she wants him to be a chill surfer dude and so far the only sin she plans to be an asshole is Mammon. In Ozzie’s case, it’s also weird seeing him say how “lust shouldn’t be forceful” when I feel like the writers are confusing love and lust again. He’s also called the “deadly SIN” for a reason, he’s normally supposed to represent the sin itself, how sinners let lust consume them, in a bad way.

For Viv’s interpretation, I genuinely have no idea. Despite being called the “sins”, I feel like the seven sins in this show aren’t connected to the sinners at all, since they’re all in the Pride Ring and Lucifer was the one confirmed to be ruling over them, so we’re only left to believe that the sins tend to the hellborns. We know that Ozzie rules the Succubi’s, I guess you could say those are the types of demons for his ring, but I thought that the whole reason he gave the succubi’s crystals in the first place was to let them tempt those on earth….and yet he’s saying “lust” shouldn’t be forceful. See how it kinda doesn’t make much sense for his character? Then again there’s not a lot we know about Ozzie, outside of Viv describing him as chill and nice. For his job, all he seems to do is handle the sex objects that hellborns use. I’m not against the idea of him being an inventor/tinkerer either, these are interesting concepts, I just feel like not much is done with them. There’s still tons of empty gaps for this character, even after the new episode we still barley know him, so it’s kinda hard to say on what I think would “fix” him.

All I can say is just make him more threatening and intimating, which is funny because Stolas CLEARY was intimidated by Ozzie in S1E7, but Oops really makes you wonder what he was afraid of in the first place, especially if you’re going to paint him as the “weakest sin”. What if…as a better contrast to Blitz and Stolas, what if Ozzie was nice to Fizz, but mean and threatening to everyone else? His workers, other demons, basically a guy you don’t want to mess with, a person who takes his business seriously (whatever that would be lol). And while Fizz loves him, he questions their relationship and if he should be getting involved with a sin. There’s a lot you can do, I’m just kinda tired of characters in Helluva being “just good” and “just bad”. It’s very black and white and this is Hell.

I really enjoyed the reference to lotr. :)

The Rings of Power S1E7, directed by Charlotte Brändström.

The Fellowship of the Ring, directed by Peter Jackson.

The lighting of the Mountain of Doom remained burned in her memory years had passed since he coming of the Shadow, and every trace of orc blood etched itself into her skin and her blade like acid. Even now as splatter scars tingued her lips, the niss sighed as she repeated the prayer to Yavanna Kementari in Sindarin. She was Nolda, one of the Deep Kin, and just like the rest of her dour clan she was filled with wroth.

--- Rings of Power S1E7 "The Eye", the name alone reminds me of the old story of Balor of the Burning Eye. A powerful giant king from Celtic myth and how it pays into Sauron's great burning eye. In the Shadows of Mordor story the eye was formed from Celebrimbor's soul burning against Saurons. So what will the eye form like in the Rings of Power. I watch the recap with a mixture of frayed nervous and expectation as I watch a ash filled cataclysm once again consume Artanis, Galadriel. As the dancing bits of the intro filled my vision, I know, something new is about to happen as we listen to the singing of what I assume still are Firstborn. We snap into vision of Galadriel covered in ash, her eyes even having her lashes bathed in the burning remains of what lies around her. Perhaps only her elvish constitution and her powerful spirit is what gives her strength. Most if not all of the humans are like dead as a burning inferno flairs in the background. A sea of orange tinted light and passing sreams of blackened smooth as a screaming horse passes by. Many a Atani, the SEcondborn have fallen. Burned by the fires of the awakened Oroduin (Mount Doom). Words fill the air as some call for help and Artanis calls for Elendil and for Halbrand. Instead she finds heo, the kid who haes elves, and takes him with her. The burning of the Southlands obviously in a way shows us what kinds of terrible things can happen to those who fight against the shadow. It is not unlike the great crashing wall of water that will one day consume all of Atalantë. Our heroes do their best as Valandil and Ilsidur withness Ontamo's dead body. They sneak into a burning husk of a building to free a woman and some villagers. Tar-Miriel is amongst the rescues, making me think even more that this great heroine while threatened will not fall yet. Suddenly the husk falls upon Isildur and we switch to the Harfoots. OUr wily hobbits have seemingly reached the grove. The stranger is pulling one of the cars as the Brandfoots notice something is wrong. They see that the awakening of doom has spat debris that has come to burn the Grove. All of the fruits that once lived there are nearly gone and the Harfoots move to ask the Stranger for help. We can see that Nori is scared, and as we watch the Stranger work his match as he seemingly empowers the tree with some power of sort. Instead he has cracked the great tree and a branch falls upon Dilly and Nori. And as we switch we see Elrond now. He has come to speak to King Durin and offer to access to the mines. He tells him that as a Half-Elf and bows to ask him to help the Noldor. Mithril to empower the Elves, and a bit of Khudzul is spoken in the back as we watch the move. The Dwarf-Lords of Durin's Folk consider his offer. Five Centuries of timber from the Elf-Forests. Durin speaks up, about Auel the Valar of Smithing. He tells that all Khazad are born of fire and rock. They fight the change and at the same time they must be consumed over time. Prince Durin begs his father to help his friend, and yet we can see the wisdom in the King. Beneath the Mithril awaits Durin's Bane a Balrog which will consume the fire of all Khazadum. Disa is forging something and angrily beats the ingot with all her fury. And it's an ax, I should have noticed that. I do think it's kind of shitty that they are saying let the Elves' die. Which makes me wonder if maybe Thranduil has a similar mind when he watches the burning of Erebor. Prince Durin and Elrond have their farewells as Elrond must make way back to speak to the High King. Both Durin and Disa have tears in their eyes as Elrond prepares to make his way home. He leaves he halls of the Longbeards with ill-hope. What can he do if his people are fading. Its sad as their actual hope is to return home, mayhap the Doom of Mandos Valar of Judgemet still sits over them. After tossing away a bit of Mithril he nears a blighted leaf and the two see that there is a fucking logic in GilGalad's plea. Back in soon-to-be Mordor, we see Theo and Galadriel watching over the Orcs. Theo is determined to go after them as Galadriel tells them there is no where to save. This is now Gogoroth, the land in which Baradur will be built. THe survivors meet up and begin the long trek home. Elendil learns of his sons supposed death (we know he's not dead because he's in fucking LOTR the books and movies). "FIll not it with guesswork." Galadriel and a fugue grieving Theo head to the where the refugees are likely to go. The two have a conversation as Galadriel offers her sword and speaks to the boy as a war weary veteran. He sees the Elf-Made sword with a sort of awe as he meets an elf that doesn't treat him as a problem, but as someone that can be taught the woes of their life and how to learn from it. The survivors meanwhile head slowly back to their camp. Tar-Miriel, is obviously in shock and we can see that likely her eyes have been damaged. She says all she can see is grey, definitely damaged. Elendil and Valandil sit there in their own level of shock and grieve for the Queen's sight. For they are bade not to reveal to the rest of the company of her injury. Sadoc informs the Stranger of where he can go to find his stars. A Place called Greenwood the Great. He is leaving, and thus as he takes his final farewell he stumbles away. Realizing hat his powers are a peril to the rest of the Harfoots. But as Sadoc Burrows walks away we see a single blooming flower and realize that yes, his lore has brought about life in the failing Grove. Nori comes to offer him an apple a final bit of peace and fights back her fear at his power. This is how the Free Peoples react to the Powers of Middle-Earth as she is shaking as he takes it. NOri regrets her actions as she speaks to how she stayed on the trail. She gives a just a Hobbit speech to her mother as she works to repair and smooth out the wheels of their cart. IN the same night THeo speaks to Galadriel and we learn of her missing husband. He talks of how the Power of what I know is a Morgul blade is his fault since he let the enemy have it. But the truth is, it is Waldregs fault and the Orcs plans that brought about this under Adar's direction. They keep up their contemplative discussion as she seeks silverlining and Theo still gives for his lost home. Orcs appear, and THeo foolishly draws the sword gaining their attention. An Orc (obviously not a Snagga) heads over, and we can see how their form is that of a warped in bred Elf (the Elves haveve fucking eyes trope!). They sniff the air and all the fool can scent is ashes. perhaps ehy have a bit of advantage. Yes, the Orcs can walk in the day because of the ash filled sunrise, but they cannot smell their prey easily. Deep in the mines of Khazadum Durin and Elrond work in the mine. A massive chunk of Mithril sits in the Elves hands as he stares at the ore and two keep talking. Eldron admits he threw their Sirin-targ match and lets loose that he was winded. The two chat a bit as Elrond starts reciting Son of Durin and Son of Durin. Durin thus mentions the secret names of the Dwarves, which is something we never saw in the OG trilogy. This is a thing of the books did mention and as they work harder he is told to wait. With an opening we see what could be a massive seam of mithril. Enough to power the end of the blight of the Elves, and perhaps create great riches for all of Khazadum. But what leaves beneath in these massive veins. They turn to see the King and he's pissed. HIs son bades him to look and we can see the Elf is being tossed post-haste from all of Khazadum without any farewell. Their secret work has resulted in Elrond Peredhel's outcast from the home of Durin's Folk. Even in his sweat-covered tunic. He seems to like it is all worth it. The King and Son hold a quiet discussion as the King recalls the Prince's labored breathing. He tells of how he saw a great grey beard enough to summon all the banners of the Khazad. And finally, Durin reveals how he feels. King Durin reveals his racism for the Elf. A great huff of Dwarven anger rages as the King seems to disinherit his own son. The amulet he wore is cast down from him as Prince Durin picks it up and stares at it. King Durin tells the former Prince to leave the crest as he walks away. The Harfoots awaken to a song, Poppy is singing as she tells Nori to look outside. As we must have known via FORESHADOWING the Grove has come back to life as if Yavanna herself did the work. A look of realization strikes the girl as she sees all of the bounty the Stranger has helped the Harfoots with. They gather as much as they can to eat, but as well to refresh their stores. Again, Poppy sings and sees something in the water. Leaning her forehead, the music grows harsh as she disappears at seeing a massive footprint. Those hunting the stranger have found the Harfoots, what doe they want? The Harfoots move to hide as the Hunters from Rhun walk about the trees. THey look out over it and come to touch the tree. THeir leader takes the bloom and stares out over the greenwood and points in the same direction Sadoc did when he gave directions to the Stranger. The entire Harfoot caravan watches them as NOri pops up to misdirect them and suddenly they are gone. Okay, creepy shit indeed. Too bad they are behind and right above her. After some threats the hot torch from Nori's father does nothing to the leader of the Hunters he just conjures up flame to burn all of their caravan. Yeah, these are NOT nice people. The entire walking village is no more as their bounty is lost all because these fools are after the stranger. Dammit, Back in the Southlands the refugees and the surviving expedition arrive in the Numenorean camp. Isildur's horse refuses to work with anyone, the horse knows his rider isn't fucking dead. Berek's actions causes Elendil to nearly sob as he comes to grips with his sons death. Even Valandil knows that there is nothing they can do but let the Meara go out into the world to find his rider or to run free as he wills. These are the forehorses of fucking Shadowfax. Elendil curses Galadriel's arrival and yet, Valandil appears to be reflecting on what happened, and Galadriel waits as Theo pushes into the camp. THere has not be a single sign of Arondir or Bronwyn. I wonder if they are alive, THeo stalks into the medical tent to see the dead and dying. Many lie scared, and blood fills the air with amputated limbs. He thinks he sees his mother (the music draws dire here). Our vision sets on a head, a brown hair and as he leans in, Bronwyn appears still bandaged and alive. FUCK YES BRONWYN lives on! No one is gonna beat my girl down as in pops in Elf Daddy Arondir! Theo's eyes fill with silent tears as he hugs the man. as Galadriel asks to see Tar-Miriel. THe Queen-Regent now wears a blindfold for her damaged eyes. Elendil gives off a gruff face blaming the elf (I'm going to say it again this was Waldreg's fucking fault). The Elf-Knight kneels before the Queen, and Elendil is intent on just going home dour. Miriel even in her burned and frayed state doesn't appear to blame Galadriel. "Do not spend your pity on me Elf." The Queen swears that Numenor will return and Elendil is beside himself with rage. As he has fucked off in his grief in his head and yes, we know this man is not a war ready type. This was his first serious fight and he has lost his son. And what do people do when they lose family in such horrible situations. At times they blame some, which is very reminiscent of how Nori sits there still in grief. Elanor still the eternal optimist (fuck we need more of these types) pulls up his Took Pants and declares, that we are fucking Harfoots! Nori decides that she is going after the Stranger as well will Poppy. THeir mom decides to join and they look to Sadoc. Malva tells the old sod to fucking go as he decides to be a debbie downer and says they are all going to die. THus our little Fellowship of Harfoots settles on the path to find our wayward wizard. Bronwyn says that they are heading to Pelargir, aka what we will call Umbar in the THird Age. And, turns out, Halbrand is alive! Go Southron King. He talks about how he will not the lands of the South be condemned to burn. The South-King pops up as everyone bows to him, once a bit of sour pus he now has resolve to reunite his people. Which includes a very small band of refugees. His wounds will need Elf Medicine and thus he needs to travel to the Elf-Lands of Lindon. Both Halbrand and Galadriel ride off as Theo calls "Strength to the Southlands" Fading from the Sword in Theo's hand, an axe forged by Disa comes into view as she says that the King is being foolish. She's right, and already the mithril is creating division in the Halls of Khazadum. Disa is right, they will dig, and sadly this grand ambition she speaks of will awaken. Turning to the Old King he sits in his room and sees the blight healed leaf and tosses it into the grand depths of the Mithril veins. It flitters downward deep and deeper still to the places of the Nameless Things Before it lands on the sleeping Balrog, Durin's Bane. Adar gathers before hils children as Waldreg is ever the happy lapdog. Adar speaks and we see how the Southlands have died and become Mordor. Gay Canon Okay, Galadriel and Tar-Miriel would be an interesting set up. But really I'm still pushing for her and Earien. Writing Miriel's blindness and eye injury would be difficult for anyone who lacks understanding of disability. So as a writer I'm going to say please treat this issue with respect and yes, speak to people with more understand. A great instance of respecting a character trait and one that should be shown to a sensitivity reader. Hottakes:

The more subtle magic of the Stranger really comes in well in this episode. I like how the sprout pops up without being noticed and an explosion of bounty comes.

The Hunters are definitely not good as they deal in fire, but also burn all around them in a way of punishment. None of the Istari or even the Valar would do such a thing intentionally. These are serants of Morgoth or Sauron most definitely.

Now, Isildur's seeming death is an obvious red herring, he can't die since anyone who knows shit about LOTR knows he has to go off and found Gondor.

Disa talking about the King's frailty really does set up how she will make a grand Queen.

King Durin is a man fated to uphold tradition, but we can see how his actions are styming his son. Instead of respecting his kid he has turned him away. An action which will cause problems.

Elrond walking away in defeat was such a fucking sad king, the man is a true brother to Prince Durin.

Daaamn, I like how we got a bromance with Galadriel and Theo.

Nice bit of foreshadowing of turning Southlands into Mordor.

After alot of thought a lot currently on the Halbrand-is-Sauron bandwagon. Everything for him seems to well timed.

Celeborn can't be dead since he's alive in Fellowship, so where is he?

The Rings of Power (S1E7)

Overthinking is a killer.

A Fresh Start

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/v7fY2qV

by goldberry (WildWren)

On the road to Pelargir, Bronwyn and Arondir process traumas old and new and discover they still have much to learn about each other. Set after S1E7.

It was not an easy thing for her to hear. It made her overly aware of herself — every curve and plane and angle of her own frame. It was still unfathomable to consider that such a thing might be possible between them — might have already happened — might, by desperate necessity, happen again.

It was not that Bronwyn had no sense of self-worth; she was old enough to have learned her own value. But her congress with men had always been sacrificial in nature, a ritual offering she made of herself to win protection from some greater suffering. In light of this experience, she had few tools with which to fathom her current situation.

Words: 3380, Chapters: 1/2, Language: English

Series: Part 7 of Arondir and Bronwyn Missing Scenes

Fandoms: The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (TV 2022)

Rating: Mature

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/M

Characters: Bronwyn, Arondir, Theo

Relationships: Arondir/Bronwyn (The Rings of Power), Arondir & Bronwyn & Theo

Additional Tags: Bronwyn POV, Post-Finale, Canon-Compliant, Negotiating Intimacy, Processing Trauma, Hurt/Comfort, Masturbation, Fantasizing, awkward attempts at dirty talk, subtextual shades of undernegotiated d/s kink, the dynamic is /very/ soft your honor they simply have no idea what they are doing, Miscommunication, sexual anxiety, sexual cultural barriers, mentions of intimacy trauma, intimacy trauma doesnt go away just cause you have a good partner, bronwyns still working her stuff out, internalized shame

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/v7fY2qV

The Rings of Power (S1E7)

They say things happen for a reason, but we still want to know what that reason is and why it happen.