The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power episode 7 review: The birth of Mordor!

3/5

Story: After the events of the previous episode, the Southlands have become covered in fire and ash. The disaster has left several dead and more wounded as the Southlanders, Númenoreans, and Galadriel try to regroup. Elsewhere, The Stranger bids farewell to the Harfoots as he sets on his own journey, but the mysterious white-cloaked beings are on his trail. Whereas in the Dwarven kingdom, Elrond and Prince Durvin try to convince King Durvin to let the Elves mine Mithril in order to save the Elves from extinction.

Review: The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has been a mixed bag so far. The series, despite stellar performances, and great visuals has been shackled by its inconsistent pacing. While episode six was easily the best episode of the season, the following did not live up to the standards set by its predecessor. Episode seven is certainly not devoid of quality but it is yet another episode where the story could’ve easily been condensed and added to the runtime of other episodes.

Galadriel’s arc continues to evolve, but for some reason, there is a sense of ambiguity surrounding how her story will fit into the finale. It is unclear whether this is by design to give her grand entrance for the battle in the finale if there is going to be a battle at all. Elendil and Queen Miriel have a lot to contemplate after how the events unfolded in the Southlands. Elendil does have a major part to play in The Lord of the Rings role, but the series is yet to flesh out his arc.

Surprisingly, the best parts of the episode involved Elrond and Prince Durvin. These scenes were elevated by the excellent performances of Robert Aramayo and Owain Arthur. In fact, these actors and their characters are responsible for elevating the episode. However, their storyline could have also been a lot more crisper to pack more of a punch towards the end of the season.

The first scene of the episode is very significant for the series and for the entire lore of The Lord of the Rings. But the series could’ve arrived at this juncture a lot sooner. This also leaves the finale which is airing next with very little intrigue or anticipation.

Verdict: The penultimate episode of the season certainly offers a few bright moments, but for a series of this magnitude more is to be expected. It remains to be seen how the finale will unfold next week.