TROP Rewatch: Reforged

Rings of Power Rewatch Event

[troprewatch]

Rewatch: Reforged

What is it?

Reforged is a Rings of Power centric fanworks event running concurrently with the TROP Rewatch.

Each episode has a prompt to inspire you. All types of fanworks are welcome, from fanfic to art to gifs, edits, moodboards and more!

The prompts are entirely optional— feel free to mix, match, or ignore entirely if your rewatch inspires a different idea.

There is no deadline for sharing your works. Post at any time with the tags TROPRewatch and TROPReforged on Tumblr. Feel free to tag us as well; we’ll be reblogging along the way!

You can also post works to the AO3 collection.

Season One Prompts

Season Two Prompts

See the full schedule for the TROP Rewatch here.

Rules

Please do not submit anything AI-generated. We want to see your creativity!

All ships, characters, kinks, etc. are welcome.

Be kind to one another: no hate speech or discrimination will be tolerated.

Please label any NSFW/18+ work accordingly.

HAVE FUN!

[hobbitinnumenor]

Two new chs of my current series are live!

Ash and Dust

Theo and a certain sword a certain Elven commander gave him, found months later🗡️💪🏼

Spider

Isildur escaping a burning, collapsing hut to find himself underground...and fiiiind...something else 😱🕷️

🙏🏻✍🏻✨🤓

Ty again to @troprewatch for the prompts!

[hobbitinnumenor]

Next two chapters of my TRoP series are live!

Family and Friends

Miriel, her father, and a certain🔮...🌊👑

Blood

Arondir Thoughts and Yearning 🏹🌿❤️‍🔥

Ty to @troprewatch for the prompts! (Yes I'm getting to this months after the event, been busy with other WIPs lolol)

[erulasse23]

TROP Reforged — 2.6 Hammer

[Annatar & Celebrimbor, fluff & crack, rated G, 239 words]

Celebrimbor uses Fëanor’s hammer for an unintended purpose.

“Move it higher. A bit to the left. No that’s… that’s too far. Bring it back to your right. Well now it’s tilted.”

Celebrimbor scoffed, whipping his head around to glare at Annatar. “I’m sure it looks perfectly adequate,” he said tightly. “No one cares about these paintings anyway.” He turned back to the wall where he had pinned a small canvas with one hand and with his other hand, brought a nail to line up with the hanging on the back of the frame. “Good?” he asked Annatar, without turning to meet his eyes.

“Yes, fine,” said Annatar, sounding mildly annoyed.

“Hammer,” Celebrimbor requested, setting the painting down and holding out a hand behind him. There was a moment’s pause. “Oh for— did you forget the hammer?”

“No, no, just be patient, it’s… here,” Annatar said.

Celebrimbor turned. Annatar had produced a hammer from seemingly thin air, a hammer that looked shockingly similar to…

“No,” he said flatly.

“Why not?” Annatar blinked at him, the picture of innocence. “What’s wrong with it?”

“That— that’s Fëanor’s hammer, I don’t even know where you got that. It should be in my workshop, like always.”

Annatar shrugged one shoulder. “It is yours, is it not? Use it.”

“It is not meant for re-hanging fallen paintings, Annatar!”

“It is a hammer; you have a nail. I fail to see the issue.”

Celebrimbor cursed under his breath. “Fine! Fine, just, give it here.”

[hikarielizabethbloom]

Trop Rewatch || Season 2 @troprewatch

Week 8 || fire&light

Fire and light Galadriel's thoughts during the final ep.

[saurongorthaur9]

TROP Rewatch: S2E1 "Shadow and Flame" for the @troprewatch

Final episode! Rewatching and jotting down my thoughts!

Disa looks so heartbroken and fearful as Prince Durin goes after the king. Someone give her a hug.

"It's not our mountain." I like this idea - that they do not own the mountain but rather are its caretakers, the ones it allows to live within it. Again, it shows that respect to nature that is integral to Tolkien's works.

The slow-mo shot of King Durin attacking the balrog is pretty spectacular.

I notice the Dark Wizard very pointedly did not answer Gandalf's comment about hearing that he wished to ally with Sauron.

"Pity will not defeat Sauron." Utterly brilliant line, considering that in the end it is literally pity that defeats Sauron.

The Dark Wizard is so smarmy. I'm so glad Gandalf didn't buy it for a minute.

The shot of the white petals falling as the music swells sorrowfully gives me chills every time.

The cloak that Elendil gives Miriel is so pretty, and it looks so comfy and warm.

The long continuous unbroken shot of the orcs pouring into Eregion is very fun to watch, especially the bit where the camera follows the arrow.

I'm really glad they didn't make the torture scene more graphic and gratuitous. The torture itself doesn't take away from the emotion happnening in the scene and the battle of wills taking place, which I think very likely would have happened if they had made the torture the focal point of the scene.

Sauron, my man, giving Celebrimbor the innocent puppy eyes WHILE YOU ARE ACTIVELY TORTURING HIM might not be the best approach here.

Celebrimbanner! I know some people were disappointed that they didn't go all the way, but I was personally completely satisfied by the clear Celebrimbanner imagery.

"You are their prisoner." I love how this reflects what Tolkien himself said about Sauron in his letter to Milton Waldman, that Sauron himself was as much a slave to the One Ring as anyone else. And I love how Celebrimbor turns the title "Lord of the Rings" into a mockery and a curse in his literal final breath.

Sauron sounds so deeply bitter when he says "I have many names" to Glug. He's definitely feels some deep self-hatred over his less-flattering names right now.

Theo and Isildur's little heart-to-heart is going to be all the more heartbreaking if they go where I think they are going with that plotline (that Theo is the King of the Dead who Isildur is going to curse).

If Kemen doesn't get solidly beaten up at least once in Season 3, I will be disappointed.

Kemen's face when he sees Isildur is absolutely exquisite. The panic, the horror, the "oh crap oh crap oh crap", the "what am I going to do?!?!" It makes me crack up.

"After all they're only trees." Congrats Kemen, you have achieved the ultimate standard of Tolkienian evil - disregard for trees.

Ultimately, I think Adar's character arc and the framing of this season with Sauron's death in the first episode and Adar's almost identical death in the final episode work very well. At the same time, it would have been very interesting to see him live one more season so that we could have seen what happened with his treaty with Galadriel and the elves. But I also think the fact that he had just come to peace with both Galadriel and himself makes his death immediately afterwards all the more gutting. I will definitely miss him enormously next season, and I hope we get some flashbacks. He was a truly great character from the moment he first appeared to his last moment.

Ugh, the way Sauron's eyes light up and his little smile when he sees Galadriel vs the absolute horror in Galadriel's face when she realizes he's standing behind her - I feel feral.

Adar still calling the uruks his children and reaching out for them even as he dies. He truly, truly loved them, which makes it all the more heartbreaking.

As a librarian, I can say that I totally get Elrond's crash out.

The whole bit with Sauron saying "Surely you of all elves must understand that to find the light we must first touch the darkness" and shoving Galadriel back against the wall did not need to be half that seductive.

Sauron literally falling head over heels over that little wall will always be funny though.

Oh Glambrand. That moment is devastatingly effective though - I remember the way I gasped even when I suspected that something like that was coming. The contrast of his smug little smile and Galadriel's shock, horror, and her little lip wobble is amazing.

I love that you can tell that Morfydd and Charles Edwards were having an absolute ball getting to play Sauron shapeshifting as their characters. And they both nailed it.

"I see you." I LOVE how they incorporated Sauron's most iconic line from the LOTR movies and gave it more meaning. Just as Adar told Galadriel in their scene a few episodes ago, it is that he sees the heart of you, your desires, your dreams, your fears. That's what makes him such an intimidating villain.

The warmth that creeps back into Sauron's face and the relief in his eyes when he smiles at her in the moment when he thinks she's actually giving in is both so creepy and so tragic.

Glug learning the hard way that he can't talk to Sauron the way he talked to Adar. It's sad seeing him learn in real time just how much he had taken for granted with Adar.

I love the montage during Poppy's speech. The music is so beautiful, and I love the weight that the scene gives to the whole season, allowing the realization to truly sink in that things will never go back to the way we saw it in Season 1. The weight of the loss and "what's broke is broke" feels very true to the heart of Tolkien.

"We're not so different at all if you ask me." Another very Tolkien moment. This little mortal halfling saying this to a literal angelic demigod. But in the end, they are all part of the same world and the same fight against evil. Each of the free races recognizing that they are all in this together is what knits the Fellowship together and what ultimately defeats evil.

I love the way Gandalf's eyes positively sparkle when he says the name "Gandalf" for the first time. I'm looking forward to watching him grow into the Gandalf we all know and love over the rest of the show.

The way Durin, Disa, and Narvi all look over at the rings at the end of their scene is very concerning. I'm not 100% sure who it will be, but I'm certain one of those three is going to end up using a ring and being corrupted by it. (I'm afraid it's going to be Disa.)

I never fail to choke up when Galadriel says "I would remember the council of our dear friend Celebrimbor" as the music swells so sweetly and sorrowfully. I'm going to miss Celebrimbor so freaking much. I can't even properly describe the haunting, poignant feeling I get when Galadriel says that line. It's like it really sinks in that he's gone and the full tragedy of what we watched him go through this season finally hits.

I love the credit music for this episode. It's one of my favorite tracks from the season that I listen to on repeat.

There were some things I wish had been different this season, but overall, watching this season is an exhilarating rush and a dream come true in many ways. I am eagerly awaiting Season 3!

Thank you @troprewatch for organizing this rewatch. It's been fun!

[adarswidow]

Trop rewatch. 2x08 – "Shadow and Flame"

We have reached the end, and this is the last scene analysis I will write on Adar (perhaps not, as I may revisit scenes later, but for now, at least). Thanks to anyone who read or shared. It has been challenging and fun, and it has given me new realizations along the way. I will continue doing these, focusing on Uruks once the show returns. And thanks to @troprewatch for hosting a lovely event that kept the conversations and excitement for the show going during the hiatus, prompting me to write these posts.

I’m not going to lie, writing about Adar’s final moments in detail was really hard and brought tears to my eyes. In my opinion, Adar is the best show invented character (and there are plenty of good ones!) and I will forever miss his character. The addition of Adar has changed how many of us view the orcs and their history throughout the ages, and he will forever be a beloved addition to Tolkien adaptations.

No more flames, no more darkness

In the season finale, Galadriel is brought to Adar in the woods, kneeling down and turning his back with Nenya on his finger. We find him in a tender and emotional moment, and before having even seen his face, we notice something different about him. It’s almost like a spiritual moment of prayer; we can only imagine what the ring is making him see in this moment, showing him a  moment of clarity within himself. Maybe he saw flashbacks to his life, visions of what was to come, or simply just giving his mind clarity and epiphany. We can imagine it might have been an overwhelming moment, too, reliving parts of his past. Perhaps frightening too.

He reveals his healed face, and Galadriel is shocked to see that all his scars are gone, and he appears as his old elven self.

“It would seem, even wounds that have endured an age, can sometimes yet be healed. When last I looked like this, I was known by another name. A meaningless name. A name I was given. Adar is the name I earned. Help me earn it back.”

This is such an important line in order to understand Adar, as it shows his belief in hard work and not being given something for granted. I believe this is essential to understand his belief system, and it shows a philosophy within orc culture, too. He often speaks of what they have endured as Uruks, and he is right to point out that nothing came easily for them. Being created in mockery, they had to work so hard for their self-assurance and resilience. Even his name, something many take for granted, he had to earn and fight for.

He understands that his actions towards his children have deprived his right to the name. He needs to earn it back again, and he asks Galadriel to help him do just that. I think this idea of self-worth through achievement shows how Adar doesn’t know unconditional love; how could he? We can assume he has never known that kind of pure, unqualified love, and if he did, it was such a long time ago that he does not remember what that felt like or even what it is. Even if he loves his children, that love is much different from the one to elves and men. It would be rooted in suffering, dark and utilitarian, as a reflection of their corrupted nature.  This i why others races of ME can never truly comprehend it.

Even though the ring heals Adar, he chooses to give back the ring to Galadriel (he chooses the light in embracing his own darkness). There is the possibility that he knew what was going to happen to him – the ring had previously given Galadriel foresight – so perhaps Adar was aware of what was going to happen to him. And if not, maybe just that it was crucial for Galadriel to have the ring in her possession; he might have known something about the future that informed his decision. It could also be that he simply returned it because he had seen the light, and being healed, he did what was right.

As discussed by Sam Hazeldine himself in the Nerdist interview, I also like the idea that Adar was not prepared for what Nenya would actually entail. He saw the ring as a weapon and means of destroying Sauron, but once he put it on he experienced something unexpected. Reliving things that had been long lost to him, perhaps traumatically restored to his eleven form. As he points out there too, Adar didn’t want the Uruks to see him in his elven form as they would have become more skeptical of his motives (more than they already were), and it becomes clear that is why his back is turned when he asks them to leave him and Galadriel alone.

His face changes back to his Uruk form once he returns it, but his mind is forever changed by the healing powers of Nenya. He promises to never make war on Middle-earth again which is a admirable idea in theory – but I wonder what his children would have thought of it had they not been under the influence of Sauron and ruined those plans so quickly.

Adar forgives Galadriel, and she forgives him. He knows he has done horrible deeds, and that is why he does not even have to think about forgiving her.

I like how, yet again, light and darkness are such prominent themes in this scene. Galadriel will remember Celebrombor’s words from the previous episode later, but I think it is applicable here too. Strength is not what defeats darkness; it is light.

“It’s never too late, not even for me”

They are interrupted by Uruks arriving with an injured Glûg. Adar tells Glûg it’s never too late. He is talking about both of them here, but really, it’s already too late, because Sauron has already influenced his children and turned them against him, and this entire exchange is a scheme on their behalf. You can see in their eyes and the way they speak how they have changed, even before Glûg takes the first stab. Amazing acting by the supporting orctors once again!

When Adar realizes he has been betrayed, there is a pain in his eyes you can only notice in a second, but it is there. They stab him many times, more times than necessary which makes the betrayal even more heartbreaking. This scene is a good parallel to what we saw back in the season premiere, when their roles were exchanged.

Sauron appears, standing over Adar, telling him they are not children anymore. It’s an obvious reference to his influence, but more than that, I believe it’s a promise of what he will make them into. Disposable soldiers in his war (already in this episode, he shows that his way to lead them will be much different).

At this moment, I believe that Adar only felt regretful that he had failed his children. Failed to protect them from Sauron. Not sure he ever could, but the important thing here is that he never blamed them or felt betrayed; he most likely more so felt that he had betrayed them.

Even if Adar’s life ended here, you have to wonder how these events prior to his death impacted whatever comes after. Perhaps Adar’s afterlife would look different than the other orcs', but we can ponder on the different possibilities from what we know of him.

Tolkien never decided fully on the nature of Uruks, and therefore, the details of their afterlife would be vague too. It gets even more complicated with an original orc like Adar, who was once an elf and in this case also was healed by Nenya in his last moments. In the case of Adar, because he was healed, it is possible he was judged in the Halls of Mandos as an elf – but he also had done many evil deeds as a Uruk created by Morgoth so naturally it would be more complicated. There are also possibilities that their death could mean complete erasure of existence. A third option that might be even more devastating is that he would reject the summons and become "houseless". Perhaps a more likely scenario for Adar if he had not been healed, as his nature was more stubborn and evil by default.

I personally like the idea of him going the Halls of Mandos in Valinor, for a very long period of judgment and maybe even healing.

[troprewatch]

TROP Rewatch 2.8: Shadow and Flame

We have come to our last week of the TROP Rewatch! Season two, episode eight: “Shadow and Flame.”

This week’s optional Reforged prompt is Fire & Light.

We have had such a lovely time and loved seeing all of your creations. Please continue posting with the hashtags TROPRewatch and TROPReforged or tag us in your post as we will still be monitoring and reblogging over the next few months for anyone who wants to use the prompts.

[saurongorthaur9]

TROP Rewatch: S2E7 "Doomed to Die" for the @troprewatch

Rewatching each episode and jotting down my thoughts along the way!

In the opening sequence of Celebrimbor working on the Nine, the foreshadowing with the metal cutter is excellent. The way it lingers on it just a little longer than necessary and the way the music gets subtly darker and sharper.

The Mr Mouse moment is still so cute. It really highlights how gentle and pure Celebrimbor is underneath the flaws of his pride and ambition.

Annatar's "please" and smile after Celebrimbor compliments him almost looks genuine.

I'm struck by how absolutely hollow and empty Annatar's expression is as he's walking through Eregion with the fire blazing all around him. He almost doesn't look alive.

Nice moment of acting when Narvi looks slowly down at King Durin's ring then back up at him and you can see the resignation and slight hardening in his eyes as he decides that he's going to have to stand against the king.

I still wish we had gotten to see the moment of Elrond telling Prince Durin that Annatar is Sauron. It would have been such a delightful "I just knew it!" moment for Durin. In fact, if anyone knows if there's a fanfic showing this moment, I'd love the rec :)

Love the disbelief in Durin's voice and face when he says "I'm about to overthrow my father" as if even he can't believe it.

Annatar's "captivating" still cracks me up. I will miss you sarcastic Annatar.

Cool detail that you can see Celebrimbor break through the barrier of Annatar's illusion with a little grey shimmer across the screen.

Celebrimbor's choked sob right as he falls against the table and the "mithril" bottle is so heartbreaking.

Love Annatar's smug smirk as he reveals himself to Celebrimbor, but it's also so creepy. He's absolutely getting a high out of Celebrimbor's fear and horror.

The way Mirdania recoils away from Celebrimbor when he tries to touch her is heartbreaking. Even worse in light of what's about to happen and that she dies thinking Celebrimbor killed her.

Oh gosh, Annatar's innocent little face when he shows his red blood is so punchable.

I remember feeling downright sick the first time I watched this episode when Annatar kills Mirdania. It was the first moment I truly loathed Charlie's Sauron. I fully expected him to kill her at some point, but I didn't expect it to be so off-handeded/casual/callous.

Love the music and the imagery of the elven cavalry charge, especially how they play with light and dark in the shot from above.

"Dwarven loyalty is stronger than any sorcery!" Great line, and one of my favorite "motivational speeches" from the show so far. I think it captures the heart of who Tolkien's dwarves are.

Elrond's sorrow and anger for his horse feels very Tolkien (the man who included a side note paragraph to specifically let his readers know that Bill the Pony was OK.)

Glug saying "You told us you loved us" in such a heartbroken voice and Adar's answer is so poignant. Possibly one of my favorite uruk moments.

Love the mournful horn in the music that almost sounds like a wailing voice in the overhead shot of the uruk pyres.

Galadriel's graceful parkour out of the uruk trenches is so satisfying to watch.

Galadriel and Arondir having their "there's some good in this world and it's worth fighting for" moment :)

Still forever screaming over Sauron talking about Morgoth and using almost the exact same phrasing I used in my own fic about them years and years ago.

Brilliant acting from both the Charlies in this scene, especially in the "you can deceive even yourself" moment. The way Sauron's face gets so hard and cruel when Celebrimbor says that is exquisite.

I really, really, really like that they didn't focus on the gruesomeness of Celebrimbor chopping off his finger, but they rather focused on his defiance and emotional agony. His "who has the stronger will?" line goes so hard.

The scene between Celebrimbor and Galadriel is exquisitely beautiful and exquisitely Tolkien. It's scenes like this that make me disgusted even more with the whole "ROP is an insult to Tolkien's legacy" crowd. Like, how do you get more Tolkien than this? (Other than the Winterbloom scene in Episode 4.) "It is not strength that defeats darkness but light" - that is quite literally the whole theme of LOTR and Tolkien's works. You don't win by having the bigger army or being the bigger, stronger person - you win by friendship, hope, and love. It's such a beautiful scene - the tenderness between the two of them, the shared understanding, horror, and grief, and also the shared strength of will to keep fighting even to the bitter end.

Sauron screaming from the tower is weirdly funny though.

Yeah for my girl Rian and her badass Borormir moment!

The building distrust of Glug in the episode feels very organic. The dark look he gives Adar as Adar orders Damrod to be sent out onto the battlefield and also later when Damrod is killing orcs is chilling.

And now, perhaps my favorite Sauron scene in ROP to date! No more Halbrand. No more Annatar. This is just pure, unadulterated Sauron. That smirk as he's wielding his magic undoes me every single time. This is what I've dreamed about since I was a teenager newly infatuated with the Sauron I'd just read about in the Silmarillion for the first time. Finally getting to see my Sauron on the screen.

A good job was done with how just...gleefully cruel...Damrod is, especially that completely unnecessary bit with him tossing the uruk in the air and then batting him away like a baseball with his club.

Wish we had gotten to see more of Gil-galad fighting with Aiglos, but maybe we'll get that in Season 3 and 5. I love glaives, such beautiful weapons.

I love you chef uruk who has to make sure his roasting chicken is properly tended to before grabbing his weapon and rushing out onto the battle field.

Adar sure looks fine leading the uruk army out on the field. Also catching Arondir's arrow in midair was very hot of him.

Can't believe there's only one episode to go!

[lilyhandmaiden]

TRoP Reforged 5: Songs and Tales

The Harfoots had a song for everything. They sang walking songs and resting songs, foraging songs and cooking songs, wake-up songs and bedtime songs. Songs about where they were going, and songs about where they had been.

*

The people of the Southlands had their own stories, told in whispers late at night, about what had happened long ago when a dark god had walked among them—about what had been lost, sacrificed, taken. About how their ancestors had survived. But the tower, always present, always looming, told its own story: You are bad. You are untrustworthy. You are the enemy. The darkness is in your blood.

*

People said that Númenor was built on the sea, but truly Númenor was built on a story: the foundation myth of Elros Tar-Minyatur—somehow both a boy and a warrior, both an Elf and a Man—who followed a star to an island as far across the Western Sea as any mortal could go. 

*

As the herald recounted the tale at his High King’s command, a subtle change came over his countenance, so that by the end, there was something in his eyes that looked like yearning. A desire to believe.

Such was the power of the Silmarils. Even as a story, they enticed the mind, the imagination, the heart.

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Perspectives from Gandalf, Bronwyn, Pharazôn, and Gil-Galad.

[hikarielizabethbloom]

I've finally done it! Thanks to @troprewatch for giving the push I needed with this rewatch! I can't believe we're almost done!

Their story is so sad! And I'm gonna mourn the loss of Bronwyn forever!

[hikarielizabethbloom]

Trop rewatch || Season 2 @troprewatch

Week 7 || They were doomed to die

[adarswidow]

Trop rewatch, 2x07 – "Doomed to die"

PART 2 - darkness, loss, and new day

“With all that is left of my heart.”

As night falls, they are still working on breaking through the walls, and Glûg reports it’s tougher than they expected and that many Uruks are dying. Adar wants them to keep going, claiming they will get through “at any cost”. We see the hesitance and doubtfulness in Glûg that has been present ever since Adar decided to attack Eregion. But here it has definitely reached its peak with him desperately asking if he still loves them. There is a desperation in Glûg’s voice when he calls out his Lord-father’s name.

As much as the cuts to Glûg almost get a bit comedic, in this moment, we really feel his pain. And we see a different kind of pain in Adar’s face. Two things can be true, of course, but Glûg is not satisfied with this answer from Adar. He will continue to express his dissatisfaction later when Adar orders them to bring in Damrod, too, and the hints that he will be the one to kill him are extremely obvious.

This aspect of orcs revolting against their leader is nothing new, and is one thing in particular that stays true to how Tolkien described orcs. Orcs were known for disobeying orders when out of their master’s reach, and even under a leader like Adar, it seems unavoidable. But of course, they are also under Sauron's influence here, and it’s getting worse as they get closer to him.

​

“In flames they return to darkness.”

Adar is, however, not ignorant of the lives they have lost. He mourns them in a ceremony for his fallen children; a tear falls down his cheek as they are burning their bodies, and he says the words “Nampat, ushtha-ish hul-agda u burzum” (again, I thank Bear McCreary for providing it written out on his blog), surprising even Galadriel, who is hiding under a cloak to witness it. This shows the depth and multitudes of the character that we have known Adar to be. Even in the midst of battle, he takes time to mourn. Accompanied of the sound of his theme, it leaves us in an emotional moment, reminding us of his softer side in the middle of this battle episode.

A show invention to display a burial ceremony like this for orcs, but it tracks with how cremation is often used as a practical, grim necessity in times of war, and a symbolic rejection of traditional, reverent burial rites. The imagery of ash and (destructive) fire is often used by Tolkien to characterize the Orcs' environments and nature, so to me it does track with how we can imagine possible rites would have gone down.

The scene reminds me a lot of the scene in season one, where Adar helps an Uruk end his suffering.all They seem to all pay respects to their brothers and sisters,  a big contrast to how we see orcs in the third age. I like these additions, telling us more about their culture.

Sunrise and victory

Adar marches into the break of a new dawn with his children, but we see hesitation in Glûgs face yet again. He does not want to march with his Lord Father. The sun rises over the battlefield, and Adar fights his way through it, disowning and silencing a revengeful Arondir quickly. Finally, as promised, he meets a resigned Elrond on the battlefield. Adar’s strength is demonstrated as he lifts Elrond with one hand, taking Nenya from him.

We are on day three of the battle, and I really like how the show dealt with the movement of time in these episodes because having light and darkness as such constant themes of what happens when feels so intentional. “I am v tired” is a quote that fits this scene, but also in the light of day, there is finally a victory for Adar, taking over the city as well as claiming Nenya for himself. The episode ends on a very strange CGI Adar holding up the ring (production reasons I have always guessed since he had that face before touching Nenya). In retrospect know what will happen, it feels less victorious, of course. A closing thought for this episode can also be:  What is victory, really? Adar has lost so much, and in this siege, he has lost what matters most (his children and their belief in him). But yet... he will find something in Nenya that you could say is the real victory.

@troprewatch

[adarswidow]

Trop rewatch, 2x07. "Doomed to die"

PART 1 - daylight Once again, the season ends on a siege that Adar is responsible for. I decided to divide this into two parts again, as the scenes shot in daylight versus nighttime have thematic significance. I picked out the scenes/moments to ponder on that I found have the most significance for Adar and his children. Promises of victory

We see Adar with his children continuing their attack on Ost-in-Edhil in daylight, showing the passage of time. Adar stands still watching as his children work the trebuchets to dam the river. His face is strained and resolute, and there is a calmness about him that demonstrates his clear sense of purpose and determination in their success.

Around him, his children are working hard, and I like how they show the heaviness of their work; everything is taking its time, and in that way, it all feels very real and probable. The extras are doing a lot for these scenes so I will shift focus to them here.

“Supporting actors are not celebrated enough. Just in general, they make the scene really come alive, and things feel really real. It’s very hard being a supporting actor. I think it’s particularly hard to be a supporting orc. It’s incredibly physical. You have all this make-up, it takes hours to put on, and we are so lucky to be with them because it just boosts us so much.”  - Interview with Morfydd Clark and Sam Hazeldine

The extras are doing an incredible job here, and we really understand what Morfydd meant when she said this. These scenes do a fantastic job of showing the Uruk’s excitement about the battle as well as the heaviness of it. It’s probably my favorite representation of orcs in action in any adaptation of Tolkien’s work for this reason. Drums are banging as they run to attack the city, and again, we can notice how freely the orcs move as a significant characteristic of these Uruks under Adar. The way it's filmed makes it feel very alive and present, almost like we are there in person. This is mainly done in the way its filmed with shaky camera and ground-level shots. In contrast, Adar’s posture remains static and calm, and the shots of contrasts well with his position in relation to his children.

I want to shout out the drummer boy especially, one of my favorite orc extras, who seems to really enjoy himself. The score works so well with the way he plays the drums. Of course, it is very intentional, as Bear noted on his blog:

“I had fun providing the Orc his signature drum sound, recording a unique hide drum to cut through the chaos of my percussive arsenal. The Orc actor starts off with a steady rhythm I used as the basis for a powerful march, but after a while he speeds up dramatically. Inspired by the delightful smile on the Orc’s face, I interpreted him as taking his own little drum solo, just for the sheer joy of musical expression! As a result, the drummer starts off in sync with the percussion, but after the camera pulls wide, he breaks out into an upbeat, syncopated rhythm. Every band has a drummer that takes a solo when they’re not supposed to. Hey, Orc Drummer—this is your time to shine!"

“Welcome, Commander Elrond.”

Before we move on to the tent scene, let’s take a moment to appreciate the contrast in the light vs. dark on the battlefield. Visual storytelling at its peak. A huge overall theme of the show, and Tolkien in general, is choosing the light over darkness, so I like the nod here that Adar stands in a path in between them, having the opportunity to reach for both. But in choosing the path of revenge and letting it consume him, he has chosen darkness.

After Elrond meets Adar on the battlefield, he is invited to negotiations in the orc camp. Adar uses a neglecting tactic to persuade Elrond that does not seem to work. Adar is not offering an allyship; really, he is asking them to let him deal with Sauron alone, but aid him with the ring. There is no true, genuine offer of working together. He refuses to see the benefit of it outside them giving him the ring.

He further manifests that he won’t hesitate to harm Galadriel with his threats, implying that Elrond is unwise to think he can win over Adar, referencing Melian and his old age (he is much stronger and experienced in battle than Elrond, though). Elrond sees through Adar’s scheme, sensing the same fears that Glûg expresses throughout the episode. He plays on Adar’s weaknesses as a leader who will do anything to take Sauron down, even losing his children along the way.

Adar looks offended when Elrond tries to show that he has an insight into the pain of his children.

“My children have endured cruelties your bravest couldn’t bear to hear spoken aloud.”

That might be true but​ the Uruks present react to Elrond implying that Adar would risk their lives so freely, but Adar chooses to ignore his words to show strength. Strength vs. light is a theme that is very present, and I will get back to that in the next part but let's just say Adar only sees strength in victory in this moment.

We can tell here that it is not only Glûg who shares this worry of losing his fellow Uruks, and it makes me wonder if there could have been more of an “overrule Adar” campaign in the Uruk camp had we spent more time there. Glûg is the only one who voices it out loud, but he is clearly not the only one thinking it and the concern will only grow as we move into the night.

@troprewatch

[troprewatch]

TROP Rewatch 2.7: Doomed to Die

This week’s Rewatch takes us to a Season Two, Episode Seven “Doomed to Die”. We are nearing the end and hoping for more season three news every day!

Your optional Reforged prompt this week is Captive / Escape.

Happy creating!

[hikarielizabethbloom]

Trop rewatch || Season 2 @troprewatch

Week 6 || Where is he?

"You see, it is not his lies which must be extinguished. It is him."

Bonus gif: where is he?

[saurongorthaur9]

TROP Rewatch: S2E6 "Where Is He" for the @troprewatch

Rewatching each episode and jotting down my random thoughts on the way! Fair warning - there's a lot of gushing over my pretty, precious, princess darling (Sauron) in this one lol.

The highly dramatic way that Arondir sheathes his sword after killing the three orcs is very aesthetically pleasing.

Mr Mouse! I remember how random I thought that shot was when I first watched the episode. And I like the detail that it's showing us that Mr. Mouse is indeed real, not just an illusion of Sauron's.

The black and gold dress!!!! The hairbow!!!! *wild screams, cheers*

Very nice detail that you can clearly see there's no creasing hammer behind Celebrimbor in the shot where he's talking about it going missing, then it cuts to Annatar, then back to Celebrimbor and the hammer is there.

The way Celebrimbor says "I am well" is just hauntingly heartbreaking. You can tell even he doesn't believe it, but he's trying to convince himself. Babe, you are not well.

Annatar's smile and lingering predatory gaze on Celebrimbor as he says "At once" is so deliciously creepy.

I love the shot of Mirdania, Annatar, and Malendol from the back walking towards the gates - Annatar is so freaking huge.

Love the detail of how deliberately Annatar says Mirdania's name, as if to point out that he remembers it, in contrast to Celebrimbor forgetting it.

Annatar's skirt lift as he turns away from Mirdania and heads up the stairs is adorbs.

Adar's feast actually looks so tasty. 10/10 would eat with him.

Such great micro-acting from Morfydd in this scene. The absolute horror in her eyes and face as Adar is talking about Sauron's eye boring a hole and slithering in, and then her little lip quiver as if she is about to cry right after she says "a dull grey" are gut-wrenching.

The way Galadriel viscerally recoils from Morgoth's crown is a nice touch, indicating the horror stories she has probably heard about that crown for most of her life (mostly from Maedhros).

I like how deliberately gentle Adar is when he chains Galadriel. It's almost as if he's trying to remind her of how not gentle she was with him when their positions were reversed to guilt trip her even further into trusting him.

Belzegar is giving me extra strong Mouth of Sauron vibes in the trial scene.

Love the whole journey that Elendil's face goes on in the lingering few seconds as he's deciding whether to betray everything he believes to save his life.

Pharazon's eyes are downright poisonous after Elendil defies him. Truly terrifying and creepy. Can't wait to see him clash with Sauron.

Nori and the Gund's conversation is very touching, especially the Gund's line about it not just being where they live, but it being their home, especially in light of the Hobbit and LOTR, and knowing how much Home means to Bilbo, Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin, and what a driving factor it is for them on their quests.

Merimac's accent is really quite cute.

When I first watched S2, I wasn't wild about the whole test thing with Gandalf and Tom, but it's grown on me. I think the emphasis that friendship, and chosing friendship, is what is going to save the world, not some highfaluting idea of Destiny is extremely Tolkienian. It brings new meaning to the scene in the Two Towers when Aragorn tells Gandalf that Sam went with Frodo, and Gandalf says "Good, very good."

I love the whole scene with Annatar and the Durins, one of my favorite Annatar scenes in fact. Annatar is SO ridiculously sexy and tall and sleek. And I love Prince Durin just sassing the heck out of him the whole time.

Brilliant micro expressions from Charlie when King Durin tells him no, and you can see the moment the fake smile drops out of his eyes and they turn positively murderous.

I swoon especially hard in that shot where Annatar is walking away with that absolutely DIABOLICAL smirk. There are some truly excellent Annatar smirks this episode, but that one might be my favorite. (I said I'd be doing a lot of Annatar gushing this episode.)

I'm not sure quite what it is, but King Durin's eyes look extra dark and beady in the scene where he's talking to Prince Durin, following Annatar's departure. He almost looks animalistic.

Once again, we're seeing a bit of a darker streak from Disa, in her willingness to disgrace King Durin, even if it is for a good cause. I'm very curious what they will do with her next season. I just have a bad feeling that she's going to break all our hearts.

Elendil's hands are SO huge. They completely envelope Earien's face.

Elendil and Miriel's conversation about faith feels so Tolkien, especially Elendil's line about ceasing to be the man Miriel wishes to save if he betrays what he knows is right.

Disa's dramatic cloak swishes <3<3<3

Prince Durin passes the quintessential Tolkien Wife guy check every time.

Miriel looks absolutely angelic coming down the stairs in the white dress. She almost looks like she's glowing.

The moment when she's pulled down by the Sea Worm always gives me anxiety. She doesn't get a proper good breath before it pulls her down and it pulls her so deep. I don't have thalassophobia, but this scene makes me understand it.

Adar does have a fair point in asking "what about the uruk?" and not wanting to work with people who are just going to turn on him and slaughter him and his people the moment they've finished with their mutual enemy. The way he played Galadriel in this scene was pretty dirty though, preying on her willingness to humble her pride and learn from her mistakes.

I will always love the deliberate choice to show Celebrimbor all alone in the room as he goes to open the door to his balcony, only to have Annatar pop out from literally nowhere the next second.

I still remember the way I screamed "No, he didn't!" at my TV the first time I watched the episode and Celebrimbor pushed Annatar.

Love getting to see Sauron's sorcerer side here. Very much hoping for more of that in Season 3 and beyond.

I love the shock on Celebrimbor's face when Annatar says the Silmarils will merit little more than a whisper. It's ironic that in a way Annatar is correct - people in our world in general are more familiar with the rings than the Silmarils.

The shot of Sauron's vision dropping around him is still magnificent, and I love that it was done with practical effects.

For some reason, I really love the music and the longshot of the fireballs flying towards the city.

Extremely good episode all around, probably my second favorite ROP episode to date.