Recap / The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power - S1 E4: "The Great Wave"

Lady Galadriel tries to convince Númenor that the evil of Sauron cannot be allowed to endure, but Queen Miriel has troubles of her own as the political wheels of Númenor turn, guided by the hand of Chancellor Pharazón. Elrond must deal with the secrets dwarves keep under the mountain while maintaining his delicate friendship with Prince Durin. In the Southlands, Theo tries to survive while Arondir comes face to face with the enigmatic Adar, whose ambition might yet scorch all of Middle-earth.

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• Abandoned Mine: The mine shaft where Mithril was first found had been abandoned due to age, and was reopened due to the discovery of Mithril. After the mine is found to be highly unsafe and prone to cave-ins, Durin III orders that it be sealed up again.
• A Father to His Men: The corrupted elf leader of the orcs. When mercy-killing a fatally wounded orc, he shows genuine sadness. 'Adar' actually means 'father' in the Elvish language and they treat him with an almost religious reverence.
• And I'm the Queen of Sheba: When Galadriel claims Halbrand is a missing heir to a kingdom, Míriel snorts "And I suppose Elendil is a Rhûnic emperor."
• The Anticipator: In the moment she heard Galadriel escaped her imprisonment, Miriel expected Galadriel to sneak into the king's chamber and waited for her there, catching her right in the middle of the act.
• Arrow Catch: Arondir catches an arrow mid-air and fires it back at his pursuers.
• Badass Boast: Subverted. Galadriel tries to impose her will on Queen Miriel when she asks for an audition with her father, calling him the true ruler of Numenor.
  Miriel: And with what authority do you speak, Elf? That of your people? Or are you a castaway, grasping for a handhold in a tempest?
  Galadriel: There is a tempest in me. It swept me to this island for a reason. And it will not be quelled by you, Regent. [Galadriel is promptly locked in the cell next to Halbrand]
• Bad Is Good and Good Is Bad: Adar tells Arondir that he was told many lies as the truth.
• The Bet: Valandil and Ontamo made a bet offscreen about what Isildur was going to ask from them. Valandil wins because he bet on Isildur asking him to get him into the military campaign to Middle-earth now that he has been promoted.
• Blatant Lies: Disa lies Elrond that her husband went to mine quartz Chasm when he visits them again. Elrond doesn't buy it.
• Bond Villain Stupidity:
  • Adar releases Arondir to deliver a message, together with his weapons, which he promptly uses to thwart Adar's plans to recover an artifact from the village.
  • When Arondir Theo and Bronwyn exit the woods, they are given plenty of time for a dramatic pause before the pursuing orcs realize they can throw arrows from afar without the sun hindering them.
• Black Speech: The Orcs carry the body of the orc wounded by Arondir, chanting ‘Nampak uglursha’, to mourn their fallen comrade.
• Blatant Lies: Disa lies to Elrond that Durin is mining Quartz Chasm, but Elrond notices that Durin left without his chiseling axe and that Disa is preparing Durin's favorite meal when he would take two days only to descent into the chasm. She explains with a fake smile on her face that Durin did not take his axe because the quartz is pried, not chiseled, her stew needs to set awhile, and Durin doesn't need entire days to go down into a mine like unprepared outsiders.
• Catch and Return: As noted above, Arondir catches an arrow mid-air and repurposes it as a projectile.
• Chekhov's Gun: The lullaby Disa's children keep on singing turns out to be some sort of password to open the mithril mines.
• Contrived Coincidence: Arondir rescues Theo just in the nick of time, and then they run through a very dense woods directly into Bronwyn.
• Conveniently Placed Sharp Thing: When Adar approaches him, Arondir finds a sharp stone and hides it in his hand planning to attack his captor. It's subverted in the end because Adar decides to release Arondir.
• Conveniently Timed Attack from Behind: Arondir saves Theo just when he is about to get killed by an orc then escapes with the boy the orc camp.
• Crash-Into Hello: Eärien bumps into Kemen and pours the washing water on him by mistake. Kemen takes advantage of the situation and asks her on a date.
• Crystal Ball: This episode features one of the seven Palantíri, held by Míriel in her dying father's chambers, while the other six are missing.
• Dare to Be Badass: The last scene in Numenor consists of officials asking who will join the Queen Regent in her expedition to the Southlands.
• Did Not Think This Through: Galadriel requests resources from Númenor and, when she doesn't get them, proceeds to disrespect Queen Regent Míriel, demanding to speak to the "true ruler" i.e. The King. The end result of this is her being jailed for sedition.
• Disproportionate Retribution: The commander of the Numenorean Sea Guard kicks Isildur and his two friends out when he deliberately lets go of a rope, when the other two had nothing to do with it.
• Double Entendre: A little exchange between Durin and Disa imply they have a kinky marriage behind the curtains. When Durin compliments her cunningness being a good reason to marry her instead of Margid Rustborin, Disa asks her husband what other reasons he had to take her as his wife. He promptly responds he will tell her later. Disa asks him keep quiet.
• Dream Intro: This episode starts off with Miriel dreaming that she is celebrating a holiday centered around new-born babies. She is blessing the babies when the palace starts to shake, and the dream suddenly turns into a nightmare where Miriel sees the city being taken by The Great Flood. Then, she wakes up realizing that it was a dream.
• Deus ex Machina: The petals begin to fall off Numenor's white tree as Galadriel is leaving empty-handed, signaling the Valar's discontent with her treatment.
• Does This Remind You of Anything?: The commoner Numenorians are not thrilled to have strangers on their island, especially an Elf. Their xenophobia is rooted in the biological advantages the Elves have, as according to the rousers, they don't sleep or tire (both these claims are actually false in Tolkien canon). They fear the Elves will take their jobs and trades and are ready to start a mutiny against Miriel, accusing her of being an Elf-lover. And then, there is Ar-Pharazôn's Anti-Elf Rousing Speech.
• Dreaming of Things to Come: Queen Míriel foresees a great wave annihilating Númenor.
• Event Title: The Great Wave.
• Evil All Along: The old barkeep, Waldreg, in Tirharad reveals himself as a Morgoth worshipper to Theo and eagerly waits for Sauron's return.
• Feeling Oppressed by Their Existence: The commoners go bonkers only from a single Elf being on their island, and they reach some Insane Troll Logic conclusions and accuse the Queen of being a Category Traitor without any rational basis. Ar-Pharazôn takes advantage of their xenophobia and manipulates the public opinion to his benefit.
• Failed a Spot Check: Halbrand lampshades that Galadriel's self-righteousness often makes her blind to important social cues. She is so furious for being locked in a cell that she fails to realize what actually caused Miriel to order the imprisonment. Míriel seemed perfectly willing to ignore Galadriel's breaking of rules and only lost her temper when Galadriel asked to speak to the Queen's father.
• Flaming Blade: Once Sauron's sword absorbs Theo's blood, flames surround it as it rebuilds itself.
• Friendship Moment: Elrond and Durin have a sweet moment in the mines, when Durin gifts Elrond with mithril, to be a token of their friendship.
• Gaussian Girl: Adar is introduced displaying this quality to show how the Orcs perceive him. He is the only Elf who is being blurred.
• God Is Displeased: After Tar-Palantír became king of Numenor, something changed and he started to accuse the Numenorians of angering the Valar and must renew their relations with the Elves.
• Hitler Cam: Ar-Pharazon is filmed from billow when he gives his Rousing Speech to show the huge power and influence he has over Numenorians.
• Hot-Blooded: Halbrand has the perfect description for Galadriel, a colt in full gallop who charges at every obstacle in their path.
• Ignored Epiphany: Tar-Palantir's revelation that the Valar were displeased and that Numenor needed to repent was so unpopular it nearly caused a rebellion and he was forced to abdicate the throne and give it to Miriel. Miriel herself is aware that Numenor is doomed, but it's heavily implied that her sending forces to the Southlands is a way to try and get back in the Valar's good graces while making it sound more like they're going to help their fellow Men rather than going at the behest of an elf.
• Interscene Diegetic: The One-Woman Wail we hear while the orcs are chasing Arondir, Theo and Bronwyn through the woods, belongs to Disa, which is a plea to rocks to let the miners get out alive.
• Interspecies Friendship: Elrond and Durin IV, despite the hostilities between their races, are very good friends.
• Join or Die: Adar releases Arondir from imprisonment so he could deliver his terms to the Southlanders who took refugee in the Ostirith watchtower: Adar will allow the Southlanders to live if they forsake their claim to the lands and swear fealty to him, otherwise, he will kill all of them.
• Mercy Kill: Adar puts out of his misery a mortally wounded orc while in tears.
• Mythril: The reason Disa and Durin were so secretive is thar rhet have discovered the mythril.
• Momma's Boy: Isildur hauls off and punches his friend dead in the face when he insults his dead mother.
• Mythology Gag: There are several easter eggs in Trophy Room Miriel leads Galadriel to show her palantir.
  • A sword similar in design to the Narsil from The Lord of the Rings.
  • A depiction on the wall of Luthien and Beren holding a Silmaril in his hand.
  • The swanshield and Dramborleg-the great axe, which both belonged to Tuor.
  • The original dragon-helmet of Dor-Lomin.
• Neutral No Longer: Queen Míriel decides that Númenor can no longer afford to stay unconcerned with Middle-earth's troubles, and thus Númenor now sails to war for the first time in millennia.
• Never My Fault: The guildsmen that Halbrand brutally beat in the previous episode end up claiming, as part of their anti-Elf screed, that he attacked them unprovoked on Galadriel's orders.
• The Paranoiac: King Durin III tries to put doubts in his son's head about Elrond never having any ulterior intentions about his visit.
• Personalized Pledge: When Durin demands a promise of silence, Elrond swears upon the memory of his father.
  Elrond: I swear on the memory of my father, Eärendil the Mariner. Anything you tell me here will end in my ears alone.
• Portent of Doom: As Galadriel is about to be sent away on her ship, everyone is stunned to see the White Tree suddenly shedding its leaves like falling snow. This, combined with her dream, convinced Míriel that refusing to aid Galadriel will lead to Númenor's fall.
  Míriel: The faithful believe that when the petals of the White Tree fall, it is no idle thing. But the tears of the Valar themselves as a living reminder that their eyes and their judgment are upon us.
• Rabble Rouser: One of the citizens that fought Halbrand tries to stir up a mutiny against Queen Miriel and call her Elf-lover.
• "Rashomon"-Style: Elrond has a different version from his friend about how he met Durin when Disa asks him. Durin told her that he saved Elrond from two hill-trolls, but Elrond's recounts him being the one who saved Durin from three hill-trolls, and is implied that his version is the truer one.
• The Reveal:
  • Arondir was born in the lost continent of Beleriand.
  • Adar is, in fact, a corrupted Elf.
  • The secret that the Dwarves have been hoarding is the discovery of the wondrous metal, Mithril.
• A Round of Drinks for the House: Ar-Pharazôn commands free drinks for the crowd of Numenorians to gain them on his side.
• Rousing Speech: Ar-Pharazôn is a skilled orator and takes control of the crowd of angry townsfolk immediately.
  The crowd: Elf-lover!
  Ar-Pharazôn: And if the Elf were here now, what would she see? Men of Numenor, or a gaggle of mewling children? We are sons and daughters of the Edain, of Elros Tar-Minyatur, whose host conquered Morgoth himself. But now one Elf, a castaway, could threaten us? Look down, each of you, at guild crests you bear. The heritage of mighty hands. Of men who laid the Sea Wall, who raised Armenelos, triumph of our civilization. But now one Elf could threaten us? My friends... Trust in me. For by the calluses on my hands, I swear that Elven hands will never take Numenor's helm. She will remain, as always,a kingdom of Men. [crowd cheering].
• Screw This, I'm Outta Here: At the sight of dead animals and hearing scary sounds in Tirharad, Rowan gets scared and abandons Theo in the village.
• Secretly Dying: The King of Númenor, Tar-Palantír, is bedridden and non-verbal, not expected to last for long. Míriel has kept his condition a secret to keep the precarious political situation stable.
• Shout-Out:
  • Adar paraphrases Colonel Kurtz whilst talking to Arondir, asking him if he was born near a specific river and saying he once walked down said river when he was young.
  • The construction work of Celebrimbor's new forge tower bears a great resemblance to Pieter Bruegel's famous Tower of Babel-painting◊.
• Starts Stealthily, Ends Loudly: Theo sneaks among the orcs by hiding behind anything he can, but is discovered right when he is about to escape.
• Super-Senses: Elrond is able to eavesdrop on Durin and Dísa by reading their lips from hundreds of yards away. Later he's able to figure out the location of the hidden door to the secret mine with ease, implying that he can perceive something that the audience can't.
• Sword of Plot Advancement: Turns out Theo found Sauron's sword, and he is chased by the orcs for it.
• Traveling at the Speed of Plot: Durin's chambers were previously implied to be in the western end of Khazad-Dûm, as they were easily accessible to Elrond as soon as he entered from Eregion. But in this episode he reaches the old mines, said to lie under Mirrormere, in what appears to be in scant hours, even though Mirrormere lies on the eastern side of the mountains, at least two days' underground journey away.
• Unobtainium: As it turns out, Durin is mining none other than than Mithril, fabulously beautiful, resistant and lightweight metal.
• Vagueness Is Coming: Miriel has constant vision of Numenor being destroyed by Valar, and thinks that Galadriel's arrival is a bad omen.
• You Remind Me of X: Celebrimbor is taken aback by how much Elrond is the image of his father.