Recap: ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ Episode 8 – ‘Alloyed’

Charlie Vickers (Halbrand) in Prime Video's 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.' Photo credit: Ben Rothstein/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.

At last it’s here – the first season finale of ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.’ It’s been a helluva ride so far, but the show has saved its biggest surprises for ‘Alloyed.’

Things kick off with a lonely Stranger (Daniel Weyman) making his way through a rainy Greenwood. There, he runs afoul of the three mysterious cultists/witches who’ve been hunting him this season. Their names (at least in the show’s credits) are the Dweller, the Ascetic, and the Nomad (Bridie Sisson, Kali Kopae, and Edith Poor), and they’re creepier than any orc, uruk, or warg we’ve met thus far. Upon finding the confused mystic, they proclaim him “Lord Sauron.”

Meanwhile, Galdriel (Morfydd Clark) rides with a recovering Halbrand (Charlie Vickers) to Eregion, where Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) and Elrond (Robert Aramayo) despair over their failed attempt to procure Mithril from the dwarves. There’s more elf guilt when Galadriel arrives. Elrond tells her he should never have let her go on the ship bound for Valinor.

Soon back on his feet, Halbrand strikes up a friendship with Celebrimbor over their shared passion for metallurgy. The Southlander suggests the elves use an alloy to enhance the properties of the small amount of Mithril they already possess.

(L to R) Charles Edwards (Celebrimbor), Robert Aramayo (Elrond) in Prime Video's 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.' Photo credit: Ben Rothstein/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.

Back in Numenor, Chancellor Pharazon (Trystan Gravelle) summons a select group of artists, to compete for their portrait to adorn the grave of the dying King Tar-Palantir (Ken Blackburn). Elendil’s daughter Earien (Ema Morvath) is one of them. When she’s granted an hour to sketch the monarch, he awakens to warn her of trouble coming to Numenor. She then finds Miriel’s palantír.

In Eregion, Celebrimbor and Elrond inform the High King Gil-galad (Benjamin Walker) they intend to use what little mithril they have to create a crown for him to wear, which will give him – to Galadriel’s horror – “power over flesh.” He rejects the idea and tells them recent events have accelerated their people’s impending demise, and that they must leave Middle-earth immediately. But Elrond, ever the king’s favorite elf, convinces him to let their plan move forward.

Galadriel begins harboring doubts as to the suddenly spry Halbrand’s motives, and sends a messenger to fetch her the necessary records to investigate Halbrand’s lineage.

Back in the Greenwood, the witches tell the Stranger the constellation he’s searching for is “The Hermit’s Hat,” which is only visible far to the east, in the lands of Rhun. Then the three take him prisoner, believing he’s not yet come to realize he’s Sauron. Nori (Markella Kavenagh), Poppy (Megan Richards), Marigold (Sara Zwangobani), and Sadoc (Lenny Henry) appear, and try to rescue the Stranger. Together, they battle the witches, and the Stranger is almost defeated.

Daniel Weyman (The Stranger) in Prime Video's 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.' Photo credit: Ben Rothstein/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.

But Nori gives him one of her power-packed pep talks and he rises, seizes the Dweller’s staff, and uses it to send his foes back to the “shadows” from whence they came. (Which looks a lot like the ghostly realm of the Nazgul.) With their final words, the stunned trio call him “Istar.” Sadroc, alas, is mortally wounded in the battle, and watches his last sunset.

On their ship, a still grieving Elendil (Lloyd Owen) and the now blind Queen-regent Miriel (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) further bond over their losses in the Southlands. Startled by the sudden tenderness she shows him, the sea captain decides against quitting her service. They return home to Numenor to find black banners of mourning hanging from every spire in their city. In his chamber, the Chancellor stands by the late king, and it’s not hard to see the gleam of opportunity in his eyes.

In Eregion, Celebrimbor can’t get any metal alloys to mix with Mithril in his experiments. Halbrand suggests a gentler approach: “coaxing them together.” Galadriel’s messenger returns with the records she requested, and she learns the Southlands have been without a king for a thousand years. The last one had no heir. Halbrand has been lying to her.

He finds her and enthusiastically tells her they will need two objects to hold the combined metals’ enormous power – both of which will be smaller than a crown. She confronts him with her discovery...and Sauron at long last stands revealed! He shows her a vision of her brother still alive, and she rejects it. Then he taunts her by asking her what she thinks the elves will do when they find out Sauron lives because of her. He leaves her to drown in a river bank. But Elrond saves her at the last moment, and she tells the elves that Halbrand has left them.

(L to R) Morfydd Clark (Galadriel), Charles Edwards (Celebrimbor) in Prime Video's 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.' Photo credit: Ben Rothstein/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.

Upon learning they will make rings of power, she tells them they must make three, believing “One will always corrupt. Two will divide...” “But with three,” agrees Celebrimbor, “there is balance.” The master smith then melts down her dagger for the purity of its gold and silver from Valinor.

At the Harfoots encampment, the Stranger and Nori once more bid their goodbyes. He tells her “Istar” means “wizard.” But as she leaves him, she’s shocked to find her family believes she should leave with him. Many farewells follow, before she heads off with the Stranger, who quotes a phrase long familiar to ‘Rings’ fans – “When in doubt, always follow your nose.”

Elrond adds his small shard of Mithril to Celebrimbor’s mix, and the alloys are melted and molded. He then discovers Halbrand’s secret, while elf craftsmen forge the three rings. He falls silent upon seeing their brilliance – which fades into the eye of Sauron, as Halbrand reaches Mordor...

Alongside the finale’s surprising twist concerning Halbrand (and the not-so-surprising twist that the Stranger is a wizard) is another reveal – singer Fiona Apple belting out the end credits song! (As Enya and Annie Lennox did in the ‘Lord of the Rings’ films.) The alt-pop chanteuse brings a welcome chilliness to J.R.R. Tolkien’s fabled ‘Ring Verse,’ which opens his trilogy of novels. It’s a chill we’ll carry with us during the long wait for season 2.

See you next year, Ringers!

Morfydd Clark (Galadriel) in Prime Video's 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.' Photo credit: Ben Rothstein/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.