The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power 1×07 “The Eye” kept love and hope at the forefront while showing us how hate can ravage lands and make them uninhabitable. This penultimate episode also was a stunning show of talent from the actors on screen but also to those creatives behind-the-scenes who work on the technical aspects of things to help sell this story. Together, they create something unforgettable and something I personally can’t wait to see more of.
Surviving the Destruction of the Southlands
The aftermath of the destruction of the Southlands in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power 1×07 “The Eye” really gave us some of the best scenes of the season. A lot of them had to do with Galadriel, there’s no denying that. The shot of her eye-opening, covered in ash with everything covered in a red/orangish light, was mesmerizing. And from a technical side of things, I kept wondering, “How the hell is this not falling into the actors’ eyes?! Hell, how is she not coughing?” Which, kudos to every department that made those moments so terrifying and yet real.
But it wasn’t just Galadriel that gave us some of the best scenes in “The Eye.” There was Theo’s reunion with Bronwyn and Arondir as well. I didn’t know how badly I needed them to all have a family hug until they reunited. And I will admit that I cried when Theo thought his mother was dead for her to appear behind him. Then it was full on tears at the relief in his eyes when he saw Arondir too. They are a family and the war that is coming for them will be fought side-by-side as proof that love and family can defeat the darkness of this world.
Then there was Queen-Regent Miriel and Elendil. Talk about ripping out my heart and stomping on it. First, Queen-Regent Miriel kept her head held high and kept being a baddie even though she had lost her sight in the Southlands. Her mission, her people, and being a strong leader were more important. And Elendil, well he broke my heart looking for Isildur, grieving his loss, and letting that horse go. Hopefully, these two will lean on each other for support as they face the hard times ahead. And I’m not talking romantically. If it happens, cool. If it doesn’t, that’s fine too. But they have come on out on the other side of things together and hopefully, they will keep moving forward together.
Sauron, The Stranger, and Nori
Look, I’m super scared for The Stranger after The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power 1×07 “The Eye.” I’ve always known he was something powerful. You don’t drop from the sky like that, survive, to just go about your business and be a regular dude. That man has a destiny and a future that will change the entirety of the Southlands for the better or just blow it all to smithereens. And the Eminem wannabes, well, they want that power and are going to do anything they can to take a hold of it and bring back Sauron.
Which, the wannabes didn’t have to go that hard on the Harfoots. These kind beings were just minding their business and defending their people. They were ZERO percent of a threat. But the wannabes chose to cause the Harfoots pain by destroying their homes and anything they had to survive. That speaks of malice in the wannabes hearts born out of causing pain and destruction for shits and giggles. And those kinds of beings are the most terrifying in Middle Earth. Because they don’t care about balance. They care for themselves and their goal. Nothing else.
Nori going after The Stranger to warn him of the wannabes is proof that love and hope still exist in this world and will not be squashed by tall beings in white robes and kinky-looking metal. Love and hope will continue living on and will get Nori where she needs to go. It will also give her and Poppy the strength to keep their small but mighty team of Harfoots on the right track to make big changes in this scary turn of events. Do I think all of them will survive? Nope. But will their love and hope to do the right thing live on? Absolutely.
Durin and Elrond Being Besties
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power 1×07 “The Eye” has finally convinced me that Durin and Elrond are besties. Before, I felt like there was surface-level respect for each other and a bond born out of knowing each other for a while. It was nothing serious in my eyes. Boy did that change quickly as I saw Durin and Elrond fight for what they believed in, side by side, and during some truly moving and quiet moments.
It goes to show you that it’s not dwarvish power, elvish intellect, or Harfoot wits that move mountains and change the world. It’s friendship. Because these two right here, they love each other. And Durin went directly against the wishes of his father to help the person he loves. He even went as far to almost tell him his true Dwarven name and told his father that he and Elrond were basically blood brothers, something that pissed off the dad big time.
My biggest hope, as The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power starts its final turn into the season 1 finale, is that both Durin and Elrond remember those moments in the mines. Because things are going to get hard and they will be facing pressures from their own people that could drive a wedge between them and make the oncoming war even harder. But together? Oh, together they can conquer all of this and make it so that their people and families, not only survive, but thrive.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power premieres new episodes each Friday on Prime Video.
