That’s how I remember it too. But given the way they seem to be playing with events, characters and both of those within a compressed timeline it’s hard to guess.

I really genuinely don’t hope we’re left with cliffhangers at the season finale.

There’s what, three cliffhangers potentially in play? It’s dragging the ass out of it if by the finale we dint know who the stranger, halbarad or Adar is


Not to mention the creepy alien looking blonde kid/cult leader(?) who went to the Star crater when the stranger fell

Yeah it's really hard to speculate how they are going to ultimately explain who some of these characters are since they are making so much of the story up even ignoring material they have actually access too. I mean Gil-galad asking Elrond to break a vow was really outrageous considering what oath's mean in the legendarium and how far people would go not to break them and the dire penalties tangibly and spiritually to those that did break them. I mean did the writers even watch Return of the King never mind pick up one of the books? It's character assassination really.

Then the power set that the stranger has doesn't jive with anyone it's like Valor level stuff. He can control fire, ice, heal himself and send out psychic shockwaves. That's doesn't describe anyone really. No idea about the cult people unless.....maybe the stranger is one of the blue wizards....the other blue wizard came earlier and went east fell under the influence of Sauron and sensing his brother's arrival sent the cult people to fetch him. That's such silly fan fiction it might work lol.

I'm pretty sure we are right about who Halbrand is but there is nothing keeping them for doing a fake out.

Adar I'm assuming is a captured/tortured/turned elf who is trying to build his own power base separate from Sauron but I could be way off with that too. Who knows....not even sure the writers know lol.

Was he not Elrond oathbeaker at some point?

No can’t say I’ve ever heard of that. The only thing with Elrond and oaths I recall is he insisted the fellowship not swear oaths to each other and be free to come and go. The making and breaking of oaths is serious business. He was also directly affected by the oath of Feanor rather negatively.

Brilliant thanks Bada. Love your analysis keep em coming. My Tolkien is mad mad rusty if not forgotten

In a span of about 60 seconds:

So the whole point of the sword is to open a dam? Kinda lame.

Oh, they're gonna wipe out the village? Okay, I guess.

Ohh shi--

That was just bad. All over the place bad.

Episode title is Udun as in ‘flame of udun’ which Gandalf names the Balrog on fellowship.
I expect we’ll see lots of balrogs next episode

This show is a hard watch. Difficult to see great characters distilled into inferior versions. Yikes.

Udûn could mean a couple things. There is a valley in Mordor (depicted in the last episode?) called Udûn. When Gandalf addresses the Balrog and says Udûn he is presumably using a shortened version of Utumno which was Morgoth's original Fortress and home of the Balrogs. So the episode title could be about Balrogs or it could just be fallout from that valley in the last episode. Durin's Bane wasn't awakened until the Third Age but that probably doesn't mean anything with this show.

There’s a shot in the trailer of a balrog we haven’t seen yet.

Remember duriins bane and they’re mining right now. ‘The dwarves dug too deep.’

We even saw Elrond sensing something just looking down a hole in the last episode.

We’re getting balrogs. They’re playing all hell with the timeline.

Maybe the stranger is here to vanquish them

His whole thing with ice n all

I thought that episode was good, if a bit long--I guess it was just over an hour but it felt longer. I think the show suffers when it holds its focus on one thing for too long--I miss the harfoots whenever they don't appear. And dwarves.

I understand and agree with most of the criticisms the show is getting but, for whatever reason, I don't care. I'm enjoying it pretty thoroughly and dont find myself nit picking the way I have with Book of Boba Fett or Obi-Wan (although "nit picking" is too neutral a term for the way I experienced those two dumpster fires).

Production values certainly help and I think the acting and stunt work have been solid. I mentioned this before as well: there's a lot of baked-in goodwill because of how well these mesh with Jackson's trilogy.

I will say, though, the recurring "saved from death at the last second" thing they pulled two or three times in this episode was a bit much.

We’re about to see Galadriel and that whole village survive a pyroclastic volcanic flow.
They’re gonna either explain that away or just move along nothing to see here.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv ... 235231978/

I've enjoyed each episode more than the one prior.

Almost the complete opposite for me. I had high hopes from the world building of early episodes, but the payoff has fallen completely flat. I don't care about any of the characters except for Galadriel and the standard of acting is quite poor across the board. A lot of it is just so jarringly corny.

I liked the joining of these two groups, Southlanders & Their King, with his fancy friends. I was done with that weird island.

Now more Dwarves.

This. The wife and I haven't watched the last two, just doesn't seem worth spending our limited TV time on when HoD is pulling a Better Call Saul over on HBO.

I've fully given up on this show too. House of the Dragon is far better.

Told yis

The actors playing the dwarves are really solid.

That reveal at the end was a bit much but I suppose it’s for the LOTR noobs in the audience.