‘The Rings of Power’ Episode 8 – Will the Real Sauron Please Stand Up?
The Rings of Power Episode 8 lays all the cards on the table.
Last week’s Rings of Power was all about the price of doing what’s right. It was a slower episode that dealt with the aftermath of the Mount Doom eruption. It also acted to tie up, for this season at least, both the Dwarven and the Southland plots. This week we get back to the Elves and some major reveals.
The shadow of spoilers lies over all that follows – BEWARE.
The Rings of Power Episode 8 Ties Up Our Time With the Harfoots
Over in Harfoot land, the three white-robed people have found the Stranger. They tell him that they have come to serve him and that he is Sauron. Then, because he’s lost his memory they tie him up. The four Harfoots aren’t having any of this. They go to help the Stranger and a big old fight takes place. There is magic. Shapeshifting. Stabbing. It’s a good old time. Eventually, the Stranger gets his hands on the magic staff and goes after the others.
It turns out they were wrong. He’s not Sauron, he’s G…good! He blasts them away and saves the day. Sadly Sadoc was injured in the fight and died. Afterward, Nori asks him why the baddies called him “Istari“. He says it means his a wizard, and there are others of his kind out there. They are off in Rhûn and he has to go find them. In the end, he and Nori set off on an adventure to the east together, saying goodbye to the Harfoots.
Black Flags Over Númenor 
Rings of Power Episode 8 takes us back to Númenor, where Eärien is given a chance to design a statue of the King, who everyone knows is going to die soon. While working on it she has a short conversation with him and is let into the hidden palantír room. Meanwhile, Elendil and Miriel reaffirm that they are willing to make sacrifices in pursuit of doing good and saving their people. They arrive home to find that the king has died.
It’s Time For RINGS a Crown of Power 
Lastly, the bulk of Rings of Power Episode 8 deals with the Elves and their troubles. Galadriel and a wounded Halbrand show up in Eregion and ask Elrond and Celebrimbor for help. Halbrand is healed and Elrond and Galadriel have a nice heart-to-heart. Halbrand then talks to Celebrimbor and gives him the idea to try making an alloy with the limited mithril.
The group pitches the idea to Gil-Galad. By making a circular object, say a crown, they can… amplify the mithril’s power and save the Elves. Gil doesn’t think they have time and turns them down. But then Elrond asks him again for just three months and he agrees. The group sets to work, but it goes poorly at first.
The Last Temptation of Galadriel 
With the work going poorly, Halbrand continues to offer needed advice. As this is going on, Galadriel notices that some of what Celebrimbor is saying sounds awful similar to what Adar told her Sauron was looking for. This makes her suspicious and she sets to scribes to dig up dirt on Halbrand. She soon finds that the last king of the Southlands died 1000 years ago and had no heirs.
When she confronts him the truth comes out. Halbrand is Sauron. He then tempts her to join him. First with visions of her brother, Finrod. Finrod claims that Sauron is trying to heal the world and she should let him do it. She doesn’t buy that.
Sauron then tempts her directly. They’ve worked well together and she’s helped him a lot. Why not join forces and rule together? Together he says, they can save and protect the world. She will keep him on the path of good and all will be well. She rejects him however and gets dumped in a river. Elrond saves her and Sauron/Halbrand flees.
The Rings of Power Episode 8 Gives Us 3
Galadriel goes to Elrond and Celebrimbor and tells them Halbrand is a bad guy, though not who he is (Elrond seems to figure it out). They ask her if they should finish the project and she agrees they need two. It turns out the crown idea was never going to work. Halbrand/Sauron had suggested making two crowns, but Galadriel says no to this, two will always divide them. They need to make three, three rings. Melting down her dagger for the perfect gold and silver in it the group then forges the 3 Elven rings and save the day. The Rings of Power Episode 8, and indeed the season, ends with a shot of Sauron arriving at Mt. Doom.
On The Rings of Power
via Amazon
I was pretty skeptical back a few episodes ago when they told us the thrust of the elf plot. The whole “big tree is dying and we need mithril to save it or all the elves will die” seemed silly. And it still kind of is. But I do feel like they managed to tie it back a little more into the established lore. We know that the Elven rings have always been connected to preserving their realms in Middle Earth. When they lose their power due to the destruction of the One Ring, the Elves are forced to leave Middle Earth for good. This kind of gives us a reason behind that.
Some Thoughts on Rings of Power Episode 8
Charles Edwards (Celebrimbor), Robert Aramayo (Elrond)
This was yet another really good-looking episode. Some amazing visuals here. I guess the people chasing the Stanger were Wraiths of some kind?
I felt like the Harfoot goodbye went on for just a little too long. But I really liked the temptation of Galadriel. I thought it was visually impressive and presented her with a real dilemma. Moreover, it tied in nicely with her speech to Frodo and her mirror in Fellowship.
While we don’t know how truthful Sauron was being in their conversation, I like the idea that he thinks he is saving Middle Earth. This jives with what Adar said in Episode 6, so I tend to believe it. Clearly, salvation and domination go hand in hand for him, but I like him having more motivation than just “I’m evil!”
I guess I always thought the other rings were forged around the same time or before the Three. This seems to disagree. I also thought Sauron and Celebrimbor worked together for longer than a few days, but sure.
I’ll be back with some season wrap-up thoughts later, but for now:
1/1 Rings for the Dark Lord
