Episode 3 ‘Adar’ of the Rings of Power focused on three main locations, highlighting mantras, some familiar names and new faces, and a spectacular new location reveal. Let’s dive into the Tolkien Tidbits!

Here are the topics I’m covering in today’s post:

• A Few Overall Thoughts
• The Southland’s Sunny Orc Camps
  • Who is Adar and other memorable moments from the Southlands
• Numerous Thoughts on Númenor
  • These Men Are Not Like You
  • Elendil – Truly a Star
  • Elendil’s Children
  • A Guarded and, at times, Giddy Galadriel
  • Smooth and Subtle Halbrand
  • A Halbrand and Galadriel Romance?
• Harfoots and Company
• A Few Final Tidbits

A Few Overall Thoughts

• I’m starting to get more into the show, and am enjoying the music more too!
• This episode felt darker and more violent than the Middle-Earth I’m used to.
• I really enjoyed the Elrond and Durin storyline in Khazad-dum from Episode 2, so found myself missing it in this episode. I’m also super excited to see what the show does with ‘Celebrimbor’s project’, so am eager for that storyline to get going.
• Númenor made up for it though. I loved exploring this land, its peoples and its histories, plus I’m a big fan of Elendil!

The Southland’s Sunny Orc Camps

Episode 3 opens with Arondir in an orc camp in the Southlands. It’s clear that the idea of the orcs’ inability to stand the sun is significant. There’s good characterization of the orcs and they’re clearly not the same orcs from the LOTR movies. But there are some similarities – the orcs’ sounds and laughs remind me a lot of the LOTR movie orcs.

I’m a little confused as to how so many elves have been captured and subdued by the orcs. If elves are as strong and ninja-like as Galadriel and Arondir would suggest, I’m just not sure why they’re not able to make more headway in getting the upperhand in this situation. Especially when the orcs have the disadvantage of not being able to go into the sunlight. There are portions of work areas the elves occupy where there’s direct sunlight. The tapestries used to cover other areas for the orc’s protection also don’t seem that effective to me, making me think the elves could better use these things to their advantage.

It feels an odd combination to me. Maybe I’ve just been spoiled by Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli, who took down hoards of orcs wherever they went. Arondir clearly is a very skilled fighter and he pulled out some pretty sweet Legolas-style stunts while trying to take down the orc captors.

Who is Adar and other memorable moments from the Southlands:

• I love the scene where Arondir asks the tree for forgiveness when he has to cut it down. A brilliant moment by actor Ismael Cruz Córdova, who I later found out improvised the whole thing.
• The orcs complaining about ‘Sun duty’ made me chuckle. 
• Fun fact: this orc is played by Jed Brophy, who also played Nori in The Hobbit movies (not Harfoot Nori here in ROP – see, it’s kinda confusing right?). Plus, a number of other characters in the LOTR movies, including an orc. Looks like the practice is paying off!
• Adar – Theories abound about who this name is referring to. It’s chanted by the orcs, speculated to be a name of Sauron, and also happens to be the title of this episode. It’s still up in the air about who Adar is. But we do know that the name means father in elvish. Which seems strange to me that the orcs would use the elvish language for such an important figure.

Numerous Thoughts on Númenor

For me, Númenor was the highlight of the episode, and the whole show thus far. To start off, the ships look awesome. I love the design and detail. It gets even better when we get to the city itself. The scene where Galadriel and Halbrand enter the city on the boat under an archway, and then the camera pans up to display the whole glorious city – so good. The aerial shots are spectacular. And Númenor at night is just as much a knockout. This is ROP at its world-building best.

The statues add a very nice touch, a flashback to the Argonath, the Pillars of Kings statues that Aragorn points out to Frodo at the end of FOTR. Except, instead of their hands held out in warning like the Argonath, Númenor’s statues have their hands stretched out, as if open in welcome.

The music is also strikingly primordial. I’m appreciating more and more how Bear McCreary’s music in this Middle-Earth feels almost like the older, more ancient predecessors to the LOTR soundtrack. The only thing I didn’t really love about Númenor is the mantra (yes, another chant going on here) of the sailing cadets, ‘The Sea is always right.’

Finally, the whole Númenor sequence really gave me Aladdin and the city of Argabah vibes – the design of the city, the music, and even Galadriel jumping from wall to wall. Anyone else?!

These Men Are Not Like You

As Galadriel and Halbrand walk into the city, Halbrand notes, ‘Since when did Men like me build kingdoms such as this?’ Galadriel replies, ‘These Men are not like you.’ She explains that Halbrand’s ancestors stood with Morgoth, while other men stood with the Elves. To those men, the Valar gifted the island of Númenor. This background history from Galadriel seems very accurate to canon, and I like how it felt very natural. There are other moments we get narrative exposition full of helpful information for us as viewers, but doesn’t make a lot of sense in the story-telling (like Elrond telling Celebrimbor about Fëanor’s history with the hammer, as if Celebrimbor wouldn’t already know).

Elendil – Truly a Star

Elendil is one of my new favorite characters. I thought he came across really well in this episode, aside from his outburst with his children in one scene. In Tolkien’s canon, Elendil is the first king of all the Dúnedain, founding and ruling over Gondor and Arnor. You may remember him from the scene in the Prologue of the FOTR where he was killed and his sword Narsil broken into pieces (we saw Narsil again when Boromir cut his finger on her shards in Rivendell). 

Speaking of Narsil, I couldn’t help but notice that the Queen Regent Míriel (who is serving in place of her father Tar-Palentir) gives Elendil a sword. I immediately wondered if this could be our first glimpse of the famous Narsil. We shall see.

But back to Elendil. When the Queen Regent asks him the meaning of his name, he replies ‘one who loves the stars’, the Quenya translation. She presses him further, and he reveals it also translates to elf-friend in the ancient tongue of the Eldar. I love when Tolkien’s love for languages is showcased through moments like this.

Elendil’s Children

Looking again at Tolkien’s canon, Elendil marries and has two sons: Isildur and Anárion. Isildur, of course, plays a critical role in the history of the One Ring, as seen in the FOTR. We get glimpses of a young Isildur in this ROP episode. The most fascinating piece of foreshadowing to me is when Isildur hears his name whispered seemingly by the island. This reminded me of the way the One Ring sometimes tempted characters by whispering their name (like Aragorn) in the LOTR movies. I’m interested to see if this is something equally sinister.

In ROP, we also get the newly created character of Eärien, Isildur’s younger sister. I like the actress playing this role. I do wonder why exactly they decided to add her to the story. But it seems there could be some cool storylines involving her, so I’m curious to see more.

A Guarded and, at times, Giddy Galadriel

I always imagine elves as having quite a different air about them. But the elves in ROP’s Middle-Earth don’t feel very different than humans. ROP may be deliberately portraying elves, and Galadriel in particular, this way to make them feel more relatable to viewers. Her riding scene, for example, doesn’t feel very elf-like to me, though it does portray her genuine joy in riding.

This was the first episode I also really noticed Galadriel’s height. As a short person myself, I have nothing against them! Tolkien’s writings, however, describe Galadriel as over 6 feet, and elves in particular as generally tall figures. With all the size differences in Middle-Earth that the filmmakers have to play with (hobbits and dwarves vs men and elves), I can’t help but feel it wouldn’t have been too difficult to lessen the height differences between Galadriel and those around her, if desired.

The interactions between Galadriel and Elendil in this episode are gold. Their time in the Hall of Lore is probably my fav in the whole episode (the detail and set design!). Here we learn some important things, and get a few interesting Tolkien lore references too: 

• Sauron’s mark is, as many guessed, a map of the Southlands – which we know is where Mordor eventually will be
• Galadriel can read black speech? Helpful for being able to read Morgoth’s plan for instating Sauron as his successor. But surprising that she would know such a dark language.
• We learn that Elros assembled this library, and see him on a tapestry with another familiar looking character. Galadriel mentions she knows both of these characters, but was always closer with Elros’ brother. Did you realize that his brother is Elrond? Elros and Elrond are twins. 

Smooth and Subtle Halbrand 

I am so intrigued by Halbrand’s character. So far, I keep getting mixed signals on this guy. In this episode he struck me as smooth and subtle, reminding me of how Morgoth and Sauron are both described in The Silmarillion.

In his introduction to the Queen Regent, Halbrand was able to smooth over tensions between her and Galadriel, after sticking his foot in it a bit with his own awkward introduction, which I found pretty endearing. At another point, Halbrand sweet talked his way into getting liked by the people of Númenor so he could steal a golden crest. On first viewing I missed why he stole the crest. But it seems like Halbrand was angling to get into smithwork. He mentioned to the craftsman that ‘no one knows the craft of smith work more than I’ (very interesting btw), but is told ‘until you’ve earned your guild crest, you can’t forge steel in Númenor.’ Lots of ominous feelings going on here.

On the flip side, I’m also getting lots of Aragorn vibes with Halbrand’s storyline. Galadriel believes him to be the exiled heir to the kingdom in the Southlands. Halbrand points out being ‘short an army’ (Aragorn in ROTK much?). Halbrand’s line ‘I am not the hero you seek,’ also reminded me of when Aragorn says to Eowyn in ROTK, ‘I cannot give you what you seek’. It’s quite a different context, I’m aware. But Aragorn and Eowyn actually bear some resemblance to Halbrand and Galadriel, no? Speaking of an ill-fated romance…

A Halbrand and Galadriel Romance?

I did occasionally get the sense that the show was building on the possibility of these two becoming…well, something. The moment Halbrand steals back Galadriel’s dagger for her is what really made me think, hmm, maybe there is something here after all.

I’m really hoping they don’t do it. I’m also not gonna lie, I can see the appeal of them as a couple, especially given what they’ve already gone through together in just a couple of episodes. But I have to say it, where on (Middle)-Earth is Celeborn?! In canon, Galadriel would have married Celeborn in the First Age, so would very much be unavailable at this point.

Harfoots and Company

It would seem, from this episode, that the Harfoots are a people who will let nobody walk alone, but will very much leave people behind.

We get our third chant of the episode with the Harfoots, as they repeat many, many (9!) times the mantra: ‘Nobody goes off trail and nobody walks alone’. Each locale in this episode has its own chant or mantra. I don’t personally find any of them particularly strong. Almost ironically, as the chant fades into the background, we hear Marigold talking to Largo about her fear of being left behind.

I can understand that those who are weak and injured could burden the Harfoots if they proved to be a barrier to the group moving on. It’s a very ‘survival of the fittest’ mentality. However, it does seem quite harsh to me that the Harfoots would just leave their own people behind if they couldn’t keep up.

The Harfoots’ Memorial Service, honouring all the Harfoots that were left behind, only grew my discomfort. Sadoc’s opening speech definitely gave me Bilbo’s birthday speech vibes though.

A few more thoughts on the Harfoot storyline in this episode:

• Nori’s full name is Elanor Kellamar Brandyfoot. Do hobbits have middle names?
• Nori’s father, Largo, had a previous relationship (who he sadly ‘lost’) named Rose, another familiar-sounding hobbit name.
• Nori mentions – or more like blackmails Poppy with – something called ‘Fireweed’. I haven’t heard of it before, but it made me think of Firewhiskey from Harry Potter. Maybe combined with Pipeweed or something like that to make Fireweed.
• Sadoc’s remark that he’s heard of beings turning into stars. This immediately brought to mind Eärendil’s story (spoiler: he’s turned into a star). But I did think it was crazy, and quite far-fetched (maybe?) that a hobbit would know that kind of elvish history.
• Nori had a couple more Bilbo-in-The-Hobbit moments for me:
  • With the Stranger/’Meteor Man’ storyline, it’s clear that Nori wants to help him find his own people and home. This reminded me a lot of how Bilbo spoke in The Hobbit about helping the dwarves get back to their own home.
  • Another moment was when Nori said, again about the Stranger, ‘There’s a reason he came to us,’ but also acknowledges that she doesn’t think it’s because she’s anything extraordinary. ‘I know I’m not special. I know I’m just one little Harfoot in a grand wide world.’ This really emphasizes to me the theme that hobbits have always been at the heart of LOTR. It’s the work of small people, who often go unnoticed, that can make the biggest difference in the world.

A Few Final Tidbits

• There were a few more LOTR-sounding movie lines that stood out to me:
  • ROP Míriel: ‘The Faithful believe that when the petals of the White Tree fall, it is no idle thing, but the very tears of the Valar themselves.’
  • LOTR Aragorn: ‘Not idly do the leaves of Lorien fall.’

• ROP Revion the elf: ‘There is more at work here than we can yet see.’
  • LOTR Gandalf: ‘There was more than one power at work, Frodo.’

• ROP Pharazôn: ‘An avalanche can start with one stone.’
• LOTR Gandalf: ‘The coming of Merry and Pippin will be like the falling of small stones that starts an avalanche in the mountains.’

• Two personal fav quotes of mine from the episode: 
  • Galadriel to Halbrand: ‘Ours was no chance meeting. Not fate, nor destiny, nor any other words Men use to speak of the forces they lack the conviction to name. Ours was the work of something greater.’
  • Nori and Poppy exchange: ‘There’s head-sense, Poppy, and there’s heart-sense.’ ‘There’s common sense and nonsense.’

That’s a wrap for my Rings of Power review on Episode 3’s Adar – stay tuned for Episode 4!

In case you missed it, check out:

• My First Impressions post, for more of my initial thoughts after watching these first two episodes
• My Rings of Power Review for Episode 1
• My Rings of Power Review for Episode 2