I blame The Long Night. Make things painfully dark so you save money on CGI/cinematography. It’s a scourge.
Let it flow man. I love it because I hardy remember anything but when you guys post it’s always a “oh shit that’s right” moment.
What? Adar gave the hilt to that Waldreg fuck and then rode the opposite way with the decoy when the Numenoreans arrived.
So “Udun” is all over middle earth. It’s the Sindarin word for hell and what the Sindar, one of the Elf races, calls Utumno - which is Morgoths original and most vile fortress. Gandalf calls the Moria Balrog “the flame of Udun” in their showdown. Udun is also a valley in Mordor cause by volcanic activity so named in honor of Sauron’s master’ original hideout
I’ve got Halbrand at 95% chance if Sauron, 5% witch king. Technically Sauron should still have to go back to Numenor with Ar-Pharazon as a prisoner to corrupt him and cause Illuvatar to sink Numenor.
Ok. So our Sauron options: 1) Adar and he’s just posturing saying it’s not him. Once he heard the water and realized Mt Doom would start Doomin he broke out of those chains pretty easy. 2) Halbrand. I thought he was the front runner on Numenor. Obsessed with smithing, took out 4 Numenoreans easy. I like the idea that he’s Sauron and him and Adar are acting in tandem to corrupt Galadriel to become Sauron’s top general. I’m still betting that whatever he did comes to light and his redemption fails and becomes the witch king. (Was his and Galadriels conversation at the end then confessing they want to bang? That’s the read I had.) 3. The stranger. I still think there’s something in that first episode when Galadriel says the flames can’t produce heat because of the evil, then when the pre-hobbits fall into his burning hole the flames aren’t hot. Would it make sense that Adar wasn’t lying, he killed Sauron, but then the Valar sent him back (like Gandalf). For goodness to prevail the gods know there needs to be an evil to unite against? 4. Theo. Kid just sucks so bad I hope he’s evil. In the trilogy we had a Theoden-King now we have a Theoden-Twat? Theoden-Shit for brains? Theoden-I intentionally fuck up anything I touch? At least his mom is hot. 5. Someone we haven’t met yet?
Enjoyed that a lot. Saw nothing that obviously made him Sauron. Maybe I am dense. Also did not see anything that was filmed too dark. maybe your TVs suck. Felt like I am watching a different show, Great episode.
I really liked that episode. Highs, lows, twists, and some culminating actions to what’s been a slow burn. That said, I think the girl playing Galadriel is doing a good job with what she’s been given but I hated the quasi genocidal, bloodthirsty warrior princess that came out in her conversation with Adar. It’s not just this ep, they’ve just infantilized her and made her so one dimensional the whole time. She’s the wisest, most learned of the Noldor who sat under the Valar themselves and some of her greatest powers are her perception and discernment of others, their character, and current events. Yet, all she does in this show is “alright let’s go kill all the orcs, revenge, revenge, revenge”. A real disservice in my opinion
Felt like I was watching The Long Night for most of that episode. Could barely see anything. Halbrand is definitely Sauron trying to corrupt Galadriel imo.
Watched in darkness and didn’t have a problem with seeing what was going on the big orc not having a weapon and Galadriel horse maneuvers should’ve been fixed or just cut hell of an episode, def team Halbrand will be the Witch King Sauron is not getting introduced this season
When the Numenoreans were charging and chaos ensued he left the tavern with the hilt in hand and called/reached out to Waldreg-fuck and said something like “Waldreg-fuck I have a task for you”
tHe ShOw Is BoRinG anyway: - don't think Halbrand is Sauron, it's all a red herring (blacksmithing, king, etc). Sauron can't be in two places at once, how's Halbrand going to show up to Celebrimbor and say yo, I know how to make awesome shit want to learn while Galadriel just sits there. in the books, Sauron never fools Galadriel. she doesn't seem him as Sauron, obviously, but she is wary of him from day one and never believes his line of bullshit (man, they're going to gaslight the fuck out of her on this show if that stays true to form). - do think Halbrand is a Nazgul. he'll get a ring next season and then we'll know - Maiar can't really be killed, they tend to get flung back so... - Adar really did kill Sauron (fucking cool btw) and Sauron was flung back and now he's a Harfoot friend. he's probably about to go bent psycho next episode, he'll "feel" something related to what just happened and probably kill some Harfoots. also, I like Arondir more and more. elves aren't a monolith, it only makes sense that one who fell in love with a human and spent a ton of time around people develops his humanity more and becomes less robotic/elf-like. all the elves we meet are basically hyper do-gooders which is cool, a universe with ultimate evil needs ultimate good but seeing a bit of leeway from that path is nice. lore alert: so what Galadriel called Adar (Moriondor) is made up for the show but there is something called the Avari. when the elves first awoke, there was only 144 of them. eventually they were asked to follow the Valar named Orome into the West. the elves were originally born on ME and then the War of the Valar tore it to fuck and back so Orome wanted the elves to come with him to a better place. discussions were had but look, you don't tell Valar no. except some elves did, about a third of those 144. they were called the Avari ( "Refusers" ). Tolkien has never been outright on the origin of orcs but a popular one is that they came from the Avari, essentially what the show just explained to us. there isn't any outright proof that Adar is an Avari, he may come from that line, but just for a frame of reference if he's an Avari he is like 3500 years older than Galadriel (she's about 5000 years old if we say this is SA ~3000 based off Elendil being alive). idk the lore geek in me was flipping out during that scene.
You guys know so much more than me but I remember reading somewhere in hobbit/LotR/Silmarillion that the original orcs were fallen elves that Morgoth corrupted
kinda yea kinda no, I think. Sauron created the mechanism to turn Orodruin (which Melkor made) into Mount Doom and I think it was to remain that way until Sauron was properly prepared and then the key would be turned. however, I'm guessing since Adar has been alive for a long time and hung out with Sauron for what is probably centuries at one point while Sauron was being a mad scientist, he became aware of this and after he slew Sauron (still believe him here, no reason to lie and he's old enough to know he didn't kill some rando like Galadriel thinks) he essentially wanted an orc-land and so that's where we enter in episode one with the tunnels and whatnot.
I think Adar wanting to create an home for the orcs is a simple enough motivation that it works for me
It was interesting as soon as Halbrand was made king of the Southlands, future Mordor home, that area began it's transformation into future day Mordor with the eruption of Mt Doom.
He said he had something for him to do, but then the Calvary showed up Halbrand definitely did the swap. They specifically showed him capable of doing this. The blacksmiths pin he grabbed, and then made a huge scene of it, and him grabbing the dagger without anyone noticing. the scene with adar and the old man was definitely supposed to make you think that’s what happened
As someone who has only read the hobbit and none of the other books, my perspective on who is eventually Sauron is solely being shaped from what the writers are giving us, and IMO they are setting up the non-book reading audience to believe that Adar will become Sauron/is actually Sauron. I’ve seen no outright indication that Halbrand is Sauron, so if that’s the route we’re headed they want to make it a big shocking reveal to most non-readers. Episode 6 was by far the best of the series so far. Series was sitting roughly at a 6.5/10 before that episode, but Udun realllllllly showed off the budget that I thought could make this show amazing. Also agree with thread that Bronwyn is a dime, Theo can get fucked, and Galadriel’s motivations seem off.
Actress had a major role in Counterpart, if you want to see more of her. Really good show, only a couple seasons so it's easy to binge.
I guess I’m just assuming there was a reason they had two scenes that made it clear to the audience the guy was good at taking things without people noticing
It was weird how Halbrand somehow got in front of Adar, but that kind of dumb stuff happens in movies all the time
My only complaint with the budget on this show is they didn't seem to spend enough on costumes. The armor looks pretty lacking. Even compared to a similar show like House of Dragons. Obviously I don't expect it to look anything close to the films.
Maybe it’s a creative choice because they aren’t master forgers yet but the clunky midevil elf armor rubs me the wrong way compared to the ornate armor they had in the trilogy.
yeah, I guess I am assuming he had time from when he knocked Adar off the horse and put a spear in his hand. Idk, just feel like there was intentional misdirection happening there
think you're overcomplicating things on a show that hasn't yet shown to want to be an overcomplicated show. for one, he isn't a good thief at all because the blacksmith notices immediately that he was robbed. Sauron doesn't fail at something so simple. old guy gets away in the confusion because the Numenoreans aren't aware half the village sided against the other so old dude fleeing battle would be wholly ignored. at a quick research, it most likely is just Green Man. it's a pagan symbol from Britain and is meant to welcome the spring, something wood elves would totally be into so it fits thematically. if it's meant to be anyone in particular it's probably long forgotten, sort of like the heart trees in GoT.
My juggsian research indicates she is a Scientologist so in retrospect fuck her, but still enjoy ogling her thangs
the armor is better in the last episode but man, go look at what the commander of the Northern Armies was wearing as she sailed West or the armor they were in when Gil-Galad was handing out commendations (both ep 1), it's like something out of a college play.
Sounds like a you thing. Everything I've seen looks great and I am sure they are sparing no expense to get the vision of what they want correct.
you can't seriously tell me this looks like how a species skilled in war and smithing for literally thousands of years would armor themselves. it looks cheap and plastic-y.
didn't register at all. I don't recall the context of the scene to be honest, but nothing stood out to me as an issue. so far. I'm starting to wonder if some of your TV;s look like shit though because the amount of complaining about the dark in the last episode was ridiculous compared to what I watched. I had no issue whatsoever, so I know it is not the actual filming. What episode and time was this so I can see how it looks on my screen?