"The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" had, in just two debut episodes, proven it could survive under the beloved banner of Peter Jackson's original trilogy, of which I am one of millions of diehard fans.
The series - whose first two episodes I previously reviewed in detail - has also proven that it can take calculated and well-read detours from J. R. R. Tolkien's original books that inspired it. Such manipulations may not have sat well with some fans, but I for one believe that scripting such an ambitious story in the 2k era demands some change for two core reasons:
a. The intricate and irreplaceable prose of Tolkien's work cannot in all fairness be fully adapted to the screen. In this regard, the imaginations of fans are superior even to Amazon Studios' resources.
B. Curtailing such a lengthy and almost divinely detailed story required clever detours, which I believe is what the writers, directors, and producers of this show did. And they managed to do it better than expected.
That said, we delve right into the character of Adar, who does not feature in Tolkien's original stories but which the team saw fit to make the cynosure of episode 3 "Rings of Power". This was yet another interesting deviation from canon, as mentioned earlier.
To understand the significance of Adar's entry into the plot - though only near episode's end, and that too barely - we need to consider the story of the Orcs after they dispersed en masse following the defeat of Morgoth. A new power was indeed rising, namely Sauron, and it prompted the disbanded orcs to unite under the sorcerous shadow of their former Lord's pupil and successor.
The orcs were considered fallen Elves in Tolkien's book "The Silmarillion" in which numerous plot-revisions were yet incomplete. Tolkien's son Christopher did his best to fill in the blanks and gave fans a version of the tale that came as close as it possibly could to what Tolkien may have envisioned, in this case for the orcs.
The word/name Adar means 'father', which now points to a clever possibility as to how the orcs came to be, not to mention their racial hierarchy. In my opinion, Adar has little to do with Sauron except that he may play an integral role in gathering the orcs to his cause. Adar may well be Sauron's number-one intermediary.
The "Rings of Power" thus started to peel off another important layer that revealed the show's trajectory. Galadriel previously learned of the orcs' presence in the Southlands, an area which would much later become the dreaded Mordor, i.e., Sauron's HQ. Adar may also lead Sauron's forces in his expansionist campaign to take over the Southlands and remake it into Mordor. Galadriel's discovery in the far North about dark and sorcerous experimentations on orcs also tied in well with Adar's entry.
Now, there is the off-chance that Adar is indeed Sauron. I say this because the Dark Lord has been known to shape-shift in Tolkien's stories, and do so rather convincingly. It was how Sauron even took on the guise of the fair Elf Annatar in whose skin he was able to glean the precise techniques he needed from Celebrimbor when the master-smith created the original rings of power. Sauron later made his One Ring in secret and made sure that it had the power to control and corrupt all the other rings given to the Elves, Humans, and Dwarves.
Only time will tell more, but I personally feel that the "Rings of Power" showrunners may have decided to let Adar be the 'red herring' fans will assume was Sauron. Until future episodes reveal the Dark Lord's full diabolical plans, of course. I also feel Adar is his own character, because to make him Sauron in disguise would be to once again meddle with Tolkien's lore, especially what he wrote about this iconic villain. Such a task may prove too risky in the long run for screenplay writers, even those as talented as the ones who scripted "Rings of Power" for Amazon Prime Video.
Director Wayne Che Yip did excellent work on episode 3. Writers Jason Cahill and Justin Doble typed up a great screenplay. S01E03 "Rings of Power: Adar" also boasted excellent production design, great music by Bear McCreary, and notable VFX - what they did with Númenor was *chef's kiss*. Editing and sound effects were quite good. Hair-makeup and costume were exemplary - the looks they created for the orcs were credible and brilliant, to say nothing of their attention to sundry Númenorean nuances.
I covered more crew and cast-related details in my dual-episode review, so I shall stick to the bare minimum in this one.
Galadriel, played by Morfydd Clark, continued to impress. Halbrand (non-canonical character), played by Charlie Vickers, was notable. Queen Regent Míriel, played by Cynthia Addai-Robinson, was outstanding. Arondir (non-canonical character), played by Ismael Cruz Cordova, was superb. Watchwarden Revion (non-canonical character), played by Simon Merrells, was good. Captain Elendil, played by Lloyd Owen, was great. Pharazôn (who will later canonically become the last king of Númenor), played by Trystan Gravelle, was memorable. Isildur, played by Maxim Baldry, was great. Eärien (non-canonical character), played by Ema Horvath, was interesting. Nory Brandyfoot, played by Markella Kavenagh, was good. Marigold Brandyfoot, played by Sara Zwangobani, was notable. Largo Brandyfoot, played by Dylan Smith, was quite good. Poppy Proudfellow, played by Megan Richards, was great. Sadoc Burrows (non-canonical character), played by Lenny Henry, was memorable.
The so-far-secret presence and work of the orcs - including kidnapping, enslavement, and forced labour - were revealed in this episode. Mysteries gradually came to light and added to the rich lore, both traditional and modified, that has come to define "Rings of Power" in recent days.
The great port-city and island-kingdom of Númenor (aka Elenna-nórë or Westernesse) was at last revealed in glorious detail. It was absolutely stunning! Much of the architecture was so evocative of Gondor's Gates of Argonath (or Pillars of Kings) and of course Minas Tirith (or the Tower of Guard). They also had a large beacon tower that reminded me of the warning beacons of Gondor, and a tree that called to mind the great White Tree of Gondor (the one in E03 hailed from the same legendary species). The Númenorean ships were also designed to perfection. I was riddled with goosebumps watching Númenor's reveal sequence unfold.
The coming of Elendil was also superb. He will later (in Tolkien canon) become one of the greatest warriors of the Dúnedain, not to forget the first King of both exiled realms Arnor and Gondor. He will also later die alongside Gil-galad (the Elven King) during the Siege of Barad-dûr (War of the Last Alliance, late Second Age) perpetrated by Sauron.
Remember that guy at the fiery pit in Mount Doom, Mordor? The one who inspired all those memes? The one who refused to listen to Elrond - in Jackson's original trilogy - when he was asked to cast the One Ring into the fire? That man is Isildur, and we see his younger version making a memorable entry in this episode. Along with his brother Anárion, Isildur will (in Tolkien canon) later go on to rule Gondor in the south. He will also become the one to cut off the finger that held Sauron's One Ring - this will happen much later in War of the Last Alliance after he "picks up his father's sword". Many ages later, his heir Aragorn will come to reclaim his rightful place, as witnessed in Jackson's original trilogy. Isildur's character-entry thus added something momentous to "Rings of Power".
The (low-key) Harfoot harvest festival was showcased this episode. While it brought distinct 'Bilbo Baggins on his eleventy-first birthday' vibes, it more importantly held deeply emotional elements worth watching. One could tell from where the Hobbits later derived some of their traditions.
Every design of the orcs, including performances and voiceovers, made me feel nostalgia for Peter Jackson's original trilogy. The orcs in "Rings of Power" were familiar yet fresh, in a manner of speaking, which only added to the thrills contained in episode 3, and promised plenty of action and intrigue in future episodes to come.
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