The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power 1×06 “Udûn” sees Galadriel trying to destroy the darkness and it in turn pushing right back, sweeping the Southlands with its fire and destruction. And as shocking as it is to the entire cast of characters, we the viewer knew that there was false hope on the horizon. A hope where they would meet, everything would seem perfect, and then the haunting truth would be revealed: they played into the very hands that they were trying to stop and brought upon their own destruction.
“Udûn” also speaks to the commitment of the creative minds behind The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. You have been moving these pieces slowly but surely across the span of 6 episodes. And if this is what you can do with so little time, in comparison to other shows that battle season after season for this type of cohesiveness, imagine what this show can do with multiple seasons under its belt. It’s going to be wonderful and change the very fabric of fantasy on TV and I for one can’t wait to live every moment of it.
Galadriel, My Girl, That’s a Volcano
Galadriel is a baddie. Always has been, always will be. But she was pulling some new shit in The Rings of Power 1×06 “Udûn.” Like seriously, there’s a big fire/ash cloud coming at her from a volcano and she’s like, “I’m just going to stare this down while looking fabulous. No problem.” And I love her even more for it. Because she isn’t just a baddie. She’s an iconic baddie. And I wouldn’t have her any other way as the first season of this Prime Video show starts wrapping up.
For our hero, this moment is actually a shock to her very core. She’s been fighting this evil for so long, chasing it with every fiber of her being. And after all that time, after all that bringing together of people, this is the result. This is the culmination. She thought she was bringing hope to the Southlands. But in her mind, all that she’s brought is pain and destruction. With that comes Galadriel questioning her mission and everything that she’s been fighting for, leaving her untethered and without hope.
Where Galadriel goes after The Rings of Power 1×06 “Udûn” is going to be more than complicated. It’s going to be life-changing and define the elf that Galadriel is and will be when The Fellowship meets her in the future. Because she will do everything in her power to make sure she rights her wrongs with the knowledge that nothing will fix what happened to the Southlands. They are lost. But she can make sure that this evil is contained and doesn’t end up ravaging other lands, stealing lives, or destroying entire communities.
Arondir and Bronwyn is Officially My Ship
The Rings of Power 1×06 “Udûn” has given us one of the best romances in Arondir and Bronwyn. So what that it’s only been 6 episodes? It’s not about the number of episodes that a show has put out when it comes to developing a ship. It’s about the quality of the content. And what we’ve seen is that Arondir and Bronwyn are grounded in more than love. They’re grounded in understanding, patience, and a promise to each other to fight with every fiber of their being for themselves, each other, and their little family.
You can see just how committed Arondir and Bronwyn are to each other in their preparation for battle. Yes, in the big moments where they plan their counterattack against Arda and the orcs that are coming for them all. That shows their teamwork and commitment to their family. But I can’t stop thinking about that quiet moment by the tree where they basically vowed to each other that they will make this through for each other and with each other. Top that with the tender kiss and you’ve got a ship that has cemented itself as one near and dear to my heart.
When Bronwyn was injured, bleeding out right in front of him, Arondir used his knowledge and every prayer in his body that his love would survive. And when she breathed in, signaling that she would make it out of this battle, it made my heart grow three sizes as Theo came in to celebrate that joy. Hopefully, they’ll hold onto that moment. Because what comes next isn’t easy. A volcano never is. But the real problem is where do they go next if their home is destroyed and will they have an opportunity to build that life together?
Caring for Isildur for the First Time
I’m not going to lie, connecting with Isildur has been hard. Maxim Baldry has been fantastic as an actor. But his character, dear lord has his character frustrated me no end. I know logically that things are a journey. But the way he destroyed his life, that of his friends, and then was like, “Hey, dad. Nepotism maybe?” grated on my nerves. Isildur is also overshadowed by the incredible work done by Lloyd Owen as Elendil. Now that character I can watch whole seasons worth of material on Prime Video.
That all changed in The Rings of Power 1×06 “Udûn.”
Isildur dedicates himself to a cause and truly comes to understand it from a different perspective in the moments on the sea and in the Southlands. He then allows it to become part of himself, starting on the long road ahead of him to the leader of many people that we have come to know because of the books by J. R. R. Tolkien. The fact that he connects with his father and sees him as more than just the guy who makes the rules is the icing on top and everything I’ve wanted for this character.
Question is, where does Isildur go now? Sure, he’s got the leadership road and all that that he’s started. But he’s been just gliding along. And it’s going to be interesting seeing him not only follow in his father’s footsteps, but walk next to him. And I can already imagine the look on Elendil’s face when Isildur becomes that man. This episode was a preview of the bond they can have. It can only get better from here on out. Right? Well, after they survive the Southlands and the chaos that has found them.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power premieres new episodes each Friday on Prime Video.
They took J.R.R. Tolkien‘s iconic world of middle, and turned it into a disaster they’ve bastardized it and ruined it, this must be deliberate it’s a horrible depiction of middle earth and the characters. I know you need to change it here and there but they don’t do that, they’ve changed everything and put their own messages in there, they should’ve stayed true to the source material, they would’ve had a massive hit on their hand, Jeff Bezos needs to fire everyone of these people and get new writers directors one that have nothing to do with wokeism and ain’t afraid of the mob and Hollywood saying where’s our representation you ain’t got one this is fantasy and it’s Tolkien’s world,, The inclusive part is everybody will enjoy it because it came out of his mind and his heart not ours, and in this article saying I can’t wait to watch it unfold says to me this is a damage control gaslighting article saying it’s one thing when it ain’t, grow a pair and tell the truth they messed it all up.
Well said! Pretty much everything I was thinking.
“Aronwyn” is our favorite ship. I’ve been a LOTR fan since I rolled up an elf in D&D in 1978 and the DM said “Play an elf, read the book.” I’ve been writing and illustrating them since, and massive credit to Ismael Cruz Cordova for doing the hard work to understand the archetype, do the stunts to perfection, and give us those wonderful expressions and emotions, and to Nazanin Boniadi for being just awesome. (kudos to Tyroe as Theo too, may they all live long and prosper). Arondir is the most elvish elf that ever elfed.
The Isildur/Elendil dad/son thing is developing well.
Galadriel on a horse was fabulous (it’s a double cream dilute, not a white horse).
I feel a lot of complainers are members of Short Attention Span Theater. They need to put down their phones and pay attention, and watch it a few times to catch the details. This is long form storytelling, much like the books.