Hi, I'm Melanie, a random person from Idaho who happens to be obsessed with Payne and McKay's The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. On my blog (Beyond Darkness) I will attempt to peel back the layers of the show, dissecting scenes, characters, Bear McCreary's incredible score, and the great volumes of text that inspired the writers, penned by Tolkien himself.
This is an ongoing (and updated) list of everything I have posted so far on the blog.
"It is difficult to say anything without saying too much: the attempt to say a few words opens a floodgate of excitement. [...] I shall inflict some of this on you; but I will append a mere résumé of its contents: which is (may be) all that you want or will have use or time for."
- J.R.R. Tolkien, From a Letter by J.R.R. Tolkien to Milton Waldman, 1951
“The purpose of this blog is not only to give me a place to compile my thoughts, but to possibly provide a bit of assurance or comfort to an
All of the following skims the very surface of what I want to talk about (and there are still things I want to cover that are not even menti
Galadriel's Obsession Part 1: Chance-meeting
"Before theorizing about anything else in the show, I believe the most important thing is to determine by what means Sauron and Galadriel were brought together. This topic was not simple enough for a single post, so it might take several parts, or an on-going conversation."
Galadriel's Obsession Part 2: Finrod's Death
"Everything already made sense on the surface, but when I looked deeper into the reason for Finrod’s death, I found there was much more than met the eye. From Galadriel’s perspective, the dagger was special because it was Finrod’s, and she viewed it as a symbol of his task—now hers. However, on the boat, we saw a peculiar attachment as she struggled to let it go. The reason behind this is simple. 'The most important truths often are,' said Finrod, but we must learn to discern them for ourselves; J.D. and Patrick will not always be there to speak them to us. First, we must trace this back to the source."
Galadriel's Obsession Part 3: Vengeance
"Thanks to Thingol naming the Silmarils in desire, there is a chance that Sauron noticed a great power being moved from slumber, yet he could not discover their secret 'no matter how much blood he spilt in its pursuit.' Fëanor’s vow loomed over everything, and Beren’s oath was underneath; but Finrod’s was the reason they were there. There was enough information and evidence for Sauron to pass on a story to someone who did not know the truth, even if he did not truly believe it himself: 'The head of this company vowed to seek me out and destroy me. But I found him first.'"
Sauron knew exactly why Galadriel kept fighting, but he wanted her to stop galloping for a moment, realize what had kept her fighting for ce
In Sauron’s case, sincerity does not mean “care or regard for others.” If he believed he was doing good, it only went so far as to say, “I w
The following is an attempt to unravel the mysteries of Sauron’s past. His designs begin to branch in two paths around the time of Finrod’s
Sauron was directly asked for his name only twice: once by Galadriel, and earlier by Tamar in episode 3. To Tamar, he gave a universal rule.
Sauron adored Morgoth in the beginning; he was not forced to his allegiance; he was not turned evil against his will. So, what exactly was t
Sauron Unchained: Blood Oath
"'But could Morgoth afford to permanently ban him? Physically enslave him and risk turning Sauron against him?' (liveinfarbe).
The risk becomes greater when you consider Sauron's subsequent aversion to Morgoth, implied by the enmity he exhibited each time Morgoth was mentioned in the first season. Of course, we know the end from the beginning, but Morgoth did not. Would he have taken the risk? Would it have even mattered? [...] Let's examine the nature of Sauron's attachment to Morgoth."
Gandalf gave a pattern by which we may discover how Sauron rebuilt himself in the Second Age. There was a defeat, there was a respite, he to
This Wandering Day was written for the Harfoots, but it can technically apply to almost anyone in the show and books: Hobbits, Dwarves, the
There is a fairly famous concept from the Bible that says, “By their fruits ye shall know them.” For our purpose here, we will say that by t
—FROM TUMBLR—
Sauron's Conditional Use of Names
Invisible Hand: in which the Boat scene parallels the final Raft scene
Always Watching Pt. 1 & Pt. 2: Sauron's-eye-view
A Shadow of the Past: in which the prologue parallels Sauron's threat
Foe vs. Enemy: Morgoth is the Foe, Sauron is the Enemy
Sauron Unchained: in which we learn of THAT first sunrise
Prince of Cats: Tevildo's characteristics in the Rings of Power
A Solace and A Burden: the origin of the dagger in the Silmarillion
In the Darkness, Bind Them: to the power of Morgoth
My Thoughts on Haladriel/Saurondriel
More on Sauron and Love/Sincerity
Means of Mastery: Sauron's Influence in Off-screen Meetings
Disa's and Bronwyn's Character Arcs
Bronwyn Continued
A Bit About Theo and Arondir
What's the Deal with Gil-galad?
Gil-galad and Celebrimbor at Odds
Sauron Rebuilt: in which we see how exactly Sauron rebuilt his power
