'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' Season 2 Episode 7 Recap: War Comes to Eregion (2024)

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' Season 2 Episode 7 Recap: War Comes to Eregion (1)

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'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' Season 2 Episode 7 Recap: War Comes to Eregion (2)

Editor's note: The below recap contains spoilers for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 Episode 7.

Can you believe we're already one week away from the Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 finale? Where does the time go? It feels a little premature to speculate on the success of the season overall, so I'll save that for next week, but I will say, with everything ramping up in tension the way it is, I hope we get some sort of temporary resolution for each of the plot points, because otherwise, if we have to wait another two-plus years for answers, or even just emotional catharsis, then that's a whole other conversation about pacing. But that's also putting the cart way before the horse. For now, let's dive into Episode 7.

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The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

Adventure

Fantasy

Action

Drama

Epic drama set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien's 'The Hobbit' and 'The Lord of the Rings' follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared re-emergence of evil to Middle-earth.

Release Date
September 1, 2022
Cast
Morfydd Clark , Charlie Vickers , Charles Edwards , Markella Kavenagh , Daniel Weyman , Ismael Cruz Cordova , Megan Richards , Robert Aramayo , Robert Strange , Cynthia Addai-Robinson , Lloyd Owen , Owain Arthur , Tyroe Muhafidin , Alex Tarrant , Benjamin Walker , Trystan Gravelle , Maxim Baldry , Sophia Nomvete , Ema Horvath , Nazanin Boniadi , Geoff Morrell , Peter Mullan , Sara Zwangobani , Lenny Henry , Leon Wadham , Dylan Smith , Thusitha Jayasundera , Maxine Cunliffe , Anthony Crum , Beau Cassidy , Joseph Mawle , Peter Tait , Sam Hazeldine , Bridie Sisson , Jed Brophy , Ciarán Hinds , Amelia Kenworthy , Kevin Eldon

Seasons
3

Story By
Patrick McKay, John D. Payne
Writers
Patrick McKay , John D. Payne , J.R.R. Tolkien , Justin Doble , Jason Cahill , Gennifer Hutchison , Stephany Folsom , Nicholas Adams

Network
Amazon Prime Video
Streaming Service(s)
Amazon Prime Video

Franchise(s)
The Lord of the Rings
Directors
J.A. Bayona , Sanaa Hamri

Showrunner
John D. Payne , Patrick McKay , Louise Hooper , Charlotte Brändström , Wayne Yip

Things Aren't What They Seem for Celebrimbor in 'The Rings of Power' Season 2 Episode 7

We open in Eregion, where Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) is enjoying a fortifying cup of tea on his balcony. To his eye, the city is still at peace, with nothing to concern him except the forging of the Nine Rings. The crumbled mithril has been coming in handy, and the work is progressing nicely. As he finishes the ninth ring, he notes a stone has fallen off his hammer, and ducks down to look for it. On the way back up, Celebrimbor catches sight of his own reflection and is shocked by what he sees: he looks tired, dirty, and not at all like someone who's had the freedom to pursue their craft safely. The reflection jars him, but then Annatar (Charlie Vickers) arrives, and it snaps the illusion back in place. Celebrimbor tries to explain what had him on the floor, but even that falls apart as he sees the stones are all where they should be.

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Celebrimbor thanks Annatar for taking over running things, so he can focus on his work with newfound clarity — something the rest of us would call "gaslighting" — and adds that the rings will be done in a few days. As relieved as Celebrimbor seemed with regard to his work, doubt is beginning to creep in where Annatar is concerned, however much he can't put his finger on it yet — and not a moment too soon, as outside Eregion is in flames, with the Orcs attacking from just across the river, their efforts overseen by Adar (Sam Hazeldine). Mirdania (Amelia Kenworthy) and the leader of the Elven troops ask Annatar for Celebrimbor's orders. He tells them that Celebrimbor refuses to authorize a counterattack, and that he will be assuming command instead. While the captain summons the troops, Annatar confesses to Mirdania that Celebrimbor no longer has the mental faculties to help them.

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Their quiet — tragically one-sided on Mirdania's part — moment ends when those in Eregion notice the Orcs are no longer targeting the city, but instead the mountains across the river to create a dam that would permit a ground assault. As the mountain crumbles and the city burns, who should arrive but Arondir (Ismael Cruz Cordova), a one-man army up against a war already significantly in progress? Up in his tower, Celebrimbor marks his desktop candle with a line after noting that a mouse he saw earlier has skittered back in, following the same sniffing pattern it did before.

Durin and Elrond Reunite in 'The Rings of Power' Season 2 Episode 7

'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' Season 2 Episode 7 Recap: War Comes to Eregion (3)

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In Khazad-dûm, Narvi (Kevin Eldon) brings King Durin (Peter Mullan) word of the siege on Eregion, news which delights the ring-addled king, who is looking forward to treating with the increasingly desperate Elves. But that's not his most pressing concern right now. No, that honor belongs to Prince Durin (Owain Arthur) and Princess Disa (Sophia Nomvete), who are still holed up in the mines to prevent any further digging. King Durin wants the pair of them gone, as their presence is costing him the ability to unearth even more wealth. Narvi leads the miners down to Durin and Disa, where he tells the couple that the miners stand with them, for the good of their home, as even he can see the king is not himself. Narvi also passes along the news that an Elf waits outside to speak with Durin, an Elf who has previously been banished from Dwarven lands.

Durin returns to his and Disa's home, where Elrond (Robert Aramayo) has been snuck in. After a whole season of getting to see these two together, only to spend all of Season 2 apart, it really underscores how much I've missed seeing their friendship. It was a true highlight of the first season, allowing each of them to be a little more lighthearted than they were normally, and it's a treat for it to come back now, despite the dire circumstances they find themselves in. The two compare notes on who's had it harder since they saw each other last, with Durin offering the coup against his father, and Elrond finally admitting that the Elves are on the verge of losing their fight — and that he needs Durin's help to win.

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With Eregion's river dammed, the Orcs are able to flood in on foot, though the archers put up a good fight. Mirdania watches from the ramparts as a war machine — called a Ravager — is wheeled in. Inside his tower, Annatar finds Celebrimbor sitting away from his desk, and the smith silences his questions, instead forcing him to look as the same mouse returns, performing the same sniffing pattern. The candles, too, he notes, haven't actually gone down at all. Annatar explains that he was just trying to give Celebrimbor the peace he sought, but to Celebrimbor, his actions feel more like a curse. Annatar, he realizes, was not sent by the Valar, and he demands to know his true identity.

Celebrimbor Figures Out the Truth in 'The Rings of Power' Season 2 Episode 7

'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' Season 2 Episode 7 Recap: War Comes to Eregion (4)

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Annatar grows angry and demands Celebrimbor finish his work on the Nine, but the smith hurls a hammer at Annatar's head. The tool crashes through the window instead, awakening Celebrimbor to the sounds of war and chaos beyond. With the illusion broken, he sees now that all of Eregion is in shambles, his workshop included. Even the mithril he thought he was using turns out not to be mithril at all, but rather Annatar's — or should we say, Sauron's — blood. No wonder the nine kings of Men turn into Nazgûl, if their rings were forged with Sauron's blood. The cat's out of the bag now, and even without a confession, Celebrimbor knows exactly who he's dealing with.

He finally makes his way to the ramparts and finds Mirdania. He confesses everything to her, about how he was put under a spell by Annatar to finish the rings, and how he's now broken free, but, to someone who was sold on the illusion of Celebrimbor's mental distress, as Mirdania so effectively was, his confession sounds like the ramblings of an unstable man. He sees the Orcs trying to break through the wall and orders the foundations reinforced when Annatar catches up to him at last. Celebrimbor also orders Annatar arrested, telling them all that he's Sauron, but without the context of having witnessed the tower scene — or having seen Season 1, where we got the Sauron reveal in the first place — Mirdania and the captain of the troops don't believe Celebrimbor's claims, and instead hail Annatar as their savior.

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Even Celebrimbor's assertion that Annatar's blood runs black doesn't hold up, as the Dark Lord casts an illusion to make it run red. Mirdania tries to comfort Celebrimbor and usher him away, but Annatar takes minor control of his body, so Celebrimbor's efforts to pull back instead force him to hurl Mirdania over the wall and directly in front of Orcs, who kill her quickly. Annatar quietly tells Celebrimbor that if he finishes the Nine, then he will leave Eregion alone. Celebrimbor is about to be hauled away when a horn in the distance heralds the arrival of Elrond, High King Gil-galad (Benjamin Walker), and the rest of the forces from Lindon, bringing relief to the besieged city.

Related

'Rings of Power' Season 2 Shows How Long Elrond Has Been a Hater

"Destroy it!"

1

Elrond and Galadriel Kiss in 'The Rings of Power' Season 2 Episode 7

'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' Season 2 Episode 7 Recap: War Comes to Eregion (6)

Elrond leads the charge towards Adar but pulls up at the last second when the leader of the Orcs reveals the ace up his sleeve: Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) in a cage, knife to her throat. His forces pull up short, and Elrond ventures into the camp to negotiate. Adar demands to see Galadriel's ring, but Elrond says he didn't bring it with him, and Galadriel tells her old friend that he should have just charged through, regardless. Adar tells Elrond he needs the ring to stop Sauron, but Elrond points out that laying siege to Eregion has essentially done Sauron's bidding for him. To Adar, the whole city, and everyone in it, was already lost once Sauron took root there, and the city is beyond saving. Galadriel, however, is still able to be saved, and Adar offers Elrond that possibility in exchange for the ring, warning that Elrond cannot defeat him in battle.

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With his ultimatum, Elrond slides the brooch off his cloak and tells Adar he'll see him on the battlefield. Adar agrees, saying he'll arrive with Galadriel's head on a pike. Adar then grants Elrond permission to say goodbye to Galadriel, and Elrond approaches and kisses his old friend — with swelling romantic music, dramatic camera angles, and all — slipping the brooch into her hand before pulling away with an apology and leaving her behind. Walking out of the Orcs' camp, Vorohil (Charlie Rix) asks Elrond why he'd choose to fight when they're so outnumbered, and Elrond tells him that Durin is set to bring a legion of Dwarves to help them at dawn the next day. I know the speed of travel in fantasy is often dictated by nothing more or less than the needs of the plot, but Khazad-dûm, Eregion, Mordor, and Lindon all feel really close together if everyone is getting around that fast. Does this matter? No. Have I spent too much time thinking about it? Yes.

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Down in Khazad-dûm, Durin assembles his warriors, telling them Sauron has returned, and the Elves need their help to defeat him. As he does, we see Galadriel picking herself free with Elrond's brooch, while Celebrimbor, now in chains, finishes the rings under Annatar's watchful eye, and King Durin surrounds himself with the riches pulled from his mountains. Durin's speech rouses the Dwarves to action, and they agree to march with him to Eregion. Later, once the forces are assembled, Durin — armed, armored, and ready to march to Eregion — is approached by Narvi, covered in blood. Narvi tells him that the King attacked his men, killing them all, and that he intends to dig, freeing the beast that Disa saw in the bowels of Khazad-dûm. He begs Durin to recall the army, saying that if he leaves with them now to help Elrond, there won't be a home for them to return to.

Adar Risks It All for Victory in 'The Rings of Power' Season 2 Episode 7

'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' Season 2 Episode 7 Recap: War Comes to Eregion (7)

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The war continues to rage on the outskirts of the city, as Elrond directs his forces towards the walls of Eregion. He falls off his horse but doesn't break his stride until the poor beast is killed, at which point he brutally kills the Orc responsible, and continues toward the wall on foot. Despite the setback, Elrond's forces are faring pretty well, as one of the Orcs reports to Adar that they're struggling to break through the wall and that Elrond's efforts are significantly slowing them down. Adar, however, does not want to retreat, as doing so would mean Sauron will escape — and, speaking of escape, he arrives back in his corner of the camp to find Galadriel missing, and some of his men dead.

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Cloaked like an Orc, Galadriel sneaks through the camp, largely undetected. While Adar leads funeral rites for their fallen brothers, Galadriel slips away at last. But it's far from a clean getaway, as two Orcs obviously sense something is up and pursue her out, no doubt spotting that wayward lock of blonde hair poking out. She manages to scale out of the trench before they can attack and runs immediately into Arondir. She tries to lead him towards the city, and towards Sauron, but Arondir tells her he's come to face Adar, despite the odds being massively against him, as he has nothing left to live for. Galadriel promises that he'll get his chance to fight Adar later and that he is needed elsewhere.

Back in Eregion, Annatar oversees Celebrimbor's work on the Nine, and promises that this will all be worth it in the end. Annatar tells him that it pains him to treat Celebrimbor the same way Morgoth treated him, describing it as torture — so he's self-aware, at least — but adding that his vision for Middle-earth is different from Morgoth's, as he is striving for perfection, where the other sought destruction. This little foray into self-awareness ends, however, when Celebrimbor asks why Annatar would then choose to torture him, given the treatment he received himself, and Annatar points out that, really, this is all Celebrimbor's fault since he's the one who forced Annatar into torturing him after refusing to make the Nine of his own free will. So, if you think about it, Annatar is the real victim here.

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With the order given to finish the Nine, and with a disembodied voice whispering to him from within the rings, Celebrimbor takes matters into his own hands and casts the Nine into the fireplace, then scoops them all out to assess the damage. Not only are they not damaged in the slightest, they aren't even hot to the touch. He scoops them all into a bag in horror, then chops off his own thumb to escape from Annatar's chains before fleeing into his ruined city. His escape is seemingly short-lived, though, as he falls off the elevated walkway and is found by some of his soldiers, who escort him back to his tower for his own safety under the orders of the new Lord of Eregion, Annatar.

Galadriel Escapes With the Nine in 'The Rings of Power' Season 2 Episode 7

'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' Season 2 Episode 7 Recap: War Comes to Eregion (8)

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Galadriel arrives in the nick of time and orders Celebrimbor released, reminding them all who the true lord of Eregion is; fortunately, they aren't too far gone and actually listen to her. Celebrimbor confesses what he's done, forging the Nine to enslave Men to Sauron's will. He tells her that this is his fault, as he overlooked his own suspicions because he wanted what Sauron was offering, much as Galadriel did when Sauron was still in his Halbrand guise. The two realize Annatar knows something is wrong, and Celebrimbor gives Galadriel the rings, urging her to flee the city and promising to buy her some time, with the soldiers promising to fight at his side as well.

With only one episode left in the season, this conversation sums up my general frustration with Galadriel's arc this season, especially as it pertains to Sauron. There's a lot of conversation happening around her in the show, with her friends and colleagues wondering if her judgment can even be trusted, as Sauron has worked his way into her mind and may or may not be influencing her through her ring. While we do get glimpses of the ring speaking to her and advising her, I find myself now wishing that the Sauron connection had been more explicit throughout. I joked early in the season that my shipper heart would love for them to perceive each other in visions before they meet face to face, but here we are, with one episode of the season remaining, and they've barely seen each other, either in the real world or in visions. For a dynamic that was supposedly so strong and so charged that the fate of Middle-earth is to be forever altered by it, it's a shame that not a lot of time was actually devoted to exploring the fallout any deeper than a general sense of doom. But I guess we'll see how this lands next week.

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Meanwhile, Elrond and one of his fellow commanders, Rian (Selina Lo), attempt to hold their position, but Rian is killed before either of them can get too far. She uses her last breath to fire an arrow into a barrel of oil, causing an explosion to buy Elrond some time. Even Arondir arrives to assist the Elves in their darkest hour, taking Galadriel's advice, and not a minute too soon, as Adar orders the troll being kept among their forces to be sent in. The Elves do their best to fight the troll off, as he indiscriminately kills both Elves and Orcs — to the Orcs' dismay, that Adar would put his so-called children in such danger.

Up in his tower, Annatar finds that Celebrimbor is gone, and more importantly, the rings are gone as well. The Master-smith arrives shortly after to tell him that the rings are gone, and further refuses the order to go out and bring Annatar the rings. His soldiers surround Annatar, but this moment of victory does not last, as the dark lord reveals all of them are under his power, and drives the point home by having them fatally turn their weapons on one another, leaving him alone with Celebrimbor once again.

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Elrond and Arondir, with Gil-galad's help, manage to bring the troll down, but by then Adar and his closest fighters are ready to enter the fray. Elrond isn't too worried, as dawn approaches, and with it will bring Durin and the rest of the Dwarves. Except... Durin is nowhere to be seen. The horizon is empty, save Vorohil, arriving on horseback with an arrow lodged in his shoulder, bringing the news that Durin has recalled the army to Khazad-dûm and shut the gates. With no help arriving, the Elves close ranks and charge the Orcs. Arondir makes his way to Adar at last, but doesn't get much of a chance to fight before Adar stabs him twice — he's fine, he has to be — and leaves him for dead before going to find Elrond instead. Annatar may have ended this episode empty-handed, but the same can't be said for Adar, as he heads into the season finale with Nenya in his possession at last.

The first seven episodes of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 are streaming on Prime Video now.

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'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' Season 2 Episode 7 Recap: War Comes to Eregion (9)

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The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

War comes to Eregion in the penultimate episode of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2.

Pros

  • Elrond and Durin are reunited at last!
  • The truth about Annatar is out, setting things up for the finale.

Cons

  • Sauron and Galadriel's connection hasn't been explored to its full potential at all this season.

Watch on Prime Video

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  • The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
  • The Lord of the Rings

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