In the previous episodes of “The Rings of Power,” we saw that Celebrimbor wanted to build a tower, but he didn’t have adequate manpower to do that. Elrond tells him to take the help of his old friend, Prince Durin, and that’s how they land in Khazad-Dum. Galadriel was trying to convince Queen Regent Miriel to aid her in fighting for the cause of the men of the Southlands and save Middle Earth from perishing by reuniting their forces against the Dark Lord, Sauron. Arondir, on the other hand, was taken hostage by the orcs. He was eager to know who Adar was, whom the orcs treated with so much reverence. Episode 3 of “The Rings of Power” left us on a cliffhanger, where the identity of Adar was still kept hidden, and a lot was yet to be deciphered. So, let’s analyze Episode 4 of “The Rings of Power,” titled “The Great Wave,” and try to ascertain the fate of Middle Earth.
Spoilers Ahead
What Was Durin Hiding In Khazad-Dum?
With the help of the manpower that Celebrimbor and Elrond got from the kingdom of dwarfs, the construction of the tower began in full force. Celebrimbor, though, still felt that there was something that the dwarf prince was hiding from him. Elrond went back to Khazad-dum, in the hope that his old friend and ally would tell him what the secret was that he and his father, King Durin III, were hiding from the rest of Middle Earth. At the palace, Elrond meets Princess Disa, who tells him that her husband has gone to mine Quartz Chasm. Elrond knew then and there that she was not speaking the truth. Elrond had noticed that Durin had not taken his ax, with which he generally used to mine. Also, Disa was cooking her husband’s favorite meal, which meant that he would be back soon, and the mining of Quartz Chasm took at least four days. Disa had answers for everything, and he negated whatever Elrond wanted to imply. Elves had sharp ears, and Elrond was able to hear the conversation that Disa and Durin were having, from far away, without being noticed. Durin spoke about mining something in the old mine that raised suspicion.
Elrond went to the old mine below the Mirrormere, the lake which was just adjacent to the entrance of Khazad-dum. Elrond was able to open the door using the phrase that Durin’s children were repeatedly saying while they were playing. It was such an unusual phrase that it had caught his ears, and he was judicious enough to realize that it could be the passcode for entering the old mine. He finally saw what his friend had been secretly mining. It was a precious shiny metal, superior to any other element that existed on Middle Earth. It was as light a feather yet so strong that the mightiest of bows could also not penetrate inside it. Durin asks Elrond to take an oath and not reveal the secret to anybody. Durin told his friend that his wife, Disa, had detected it during their routine activity of mining the gold. Durin wanted to continue mining this magical element, which was called Mithril in the Elvian language, but his father, King Durin III, was opposed to the idea. It was so because it was hazardous to mine, and he didn’t want to risk the lives of his people and his son. Suddenly, there was an explosion, and the workers were trapped inside. The rocks were sacred to the dwarves. They offered their customary prayers to the great mountains, requesting that they give back the bodies of miners. A miracle happened, and the miners were taken out alive. Prince Durin was really angry at his father for not allowing him to mine for Mithril. Elrond makes him understand that he wanted the best for his son. He says that we often take what we have for granted, and then later, when we lose it, we regret not understanding its value while it still existed. Durin went to apologize to his father, who graciously accepted his apology. Prince Durin tells his father that Elrond had asked him to accompany him to Lindon the day after. King Durin III was a learned man. He asks his son what he thought about Gil-Galad sending Elrond, all of a sudden, to Khazad-dum. The father-son duo believed that Gil-Galad had some hidden agenda which either Elrond didn’t know of, or he was hiding it from them. It was decided that Prince Durin would go with Elrond and try to find out what the real intention of the Elves was.
What Was The Significance Of The Hilt? Who Was Adar?
Adar finally came out of the shadows and met Arondir. The orcs bowed their heads in reverence, a sight that was rare. Adar could speak black speech as well as Quenya, which was one of the many languages that the Elves spoke. Arondir, on being asked, told him that he was from Beleriand, which was destroyed in the first age. Adar could very well be a Dark Elf. He had pointy ears, and he knew the geography of Beleriand quite well. He said that he had been there when he was young. Arondir naively asks him why he was called “the father” by the orcs. Adar says with a lot of conviction that Arondir and his people had been told a lot of lies, and it had been so long that nobody any longer remembered what the truth was. He says that to cleanse the world of its vices, a new world had to be created. He told Arondir to go to the men of the Southlands, who had once fought on the side of Morgoth, and tell them that their lives would be spared if they once again decided to side with Sauron in the battle that was going to destroy the whole of Middle Earth. Maybe Sauron had promised Adar to make him a god, as he says that the power to create the world resides only in the gods, and he was not one yet. Maybe he had a hope that if he helped Sauron in his endeavors, he would be remunerated in the desired fashion.
Bronwyn, her son Theo, and the other mortals who survived the wrath of the orcs were taking refuge in the Watchtower, named Ostirith, from where the elves kept an eye on the Southlands. Bronwyn was having an argument with two men named Waldreg and Treadwill. The ration was almost going to be over, and they had no way to get more supplies. Theo came up with a solution and said that they could try going to Waldreg’s cellar, outside the Watchtower, during the daytime, when the orcs couldn’t come out, and try to get as much ration as they could. But Bronwyn was in no mood to push her own child into the mouth of danger. Theo didn’t listen to his mother. He went with his friend Rowan, without telling anybody. They did get the ration, but unfortunately, the sun hid behind the clouds, and the orcs came and attacked Theo. He hid in a nearby well till it was dark. In the meantime, Rowan was able to escape and reach the Watchtower. Bronwyn knew that her son was in danger. Theo was about to be killed by an orc when Arondir arrived there and slaughtered the devilish creature. Bronwyn also came running from the Watchtower to save her son. The trio somehow managed to make a near escape due to the orcs getting stranded at the threshold of the forest, as the sun had once again come out.
The weapon in the shape of a trident that Theo had taken from the barn earlier was actually a Hilt. It was the same weapon that the orcs and Adar had been searching for. We came to know that Waldreg owned that Hilt before Theo took it. He bore a similar mark on his arm as Theo did. Waldreg was a follower of the dark lord Sauron. It was through him that Adar knew of everything that was happening inside the Watchtower. He hadn’t killed the mortals because he needed to make them join his army of orcs. Everything signaled towards the return of Sauron. Waldreg says that the hilt was not an ordinary sword but a yielder of immense power. Waldreg also refers to the meteor man, who fell near the establishment of the Harfoots. Though the Meteor man was not Sauron himself, his arrival on Middle Earth was indicative of the fact that the dark lord would soon regain his powers and take Middle Earth under his control.
‘The Rings Of Power’ Episode 4: Ending Explained: Why Did Queen Miriel Decide To Go With Galadriel?
Queen Regent Miriel was constantly getting visions about the doom of Numenor. She saw that the great land was getting submerged under huge waves. She feared that sooner or later, that time would arrive. She was in a dilemma about whether to help Galadriel and the elves, like her father, Tar-Palantir, had, or to abstain from doing so, as her people wanted her to do. In the meantime, Pharazon was trying his best to get a hold of things on the ground level. We see him meeting the traders and the commoners. He has a way with words. There were a few people who disapproved of the actions of the Queen to keep Galadriel and Halbrand as guests, and they were igniting the others to rebel against the throne. But Pharazon arrived at the scene and stopped their fervor from becoming a threat to the throne. He assured them that the Elves would never take over Numenor as long as he was alive.
Galadriel asked the Queen Regent to once again form an alliance between the Kingdom of Elves and Numenor. She tells the Queen that Halbrand was not who she thought him to be. She says that he was heir to the throne of the Southlands. She pleaded to let him lead the Southlanders and assist him in the fight with Sauron. The Queen was very clear that Halbrand would face the consequences of his actions. Galadriel demanded an audience with Tar-Palantir, the Queen’s father. Galadriel was charged with sedition and locked in prison. Halbrand, who was in the adjacent cell, mocked her and told her that she seriously needed to be more manipulative. He tells her that her blunt and crude ways do not work well in the realm of mortals.
He gives a very valuable piece of advice, as he himself was an excellent diplomat. He asks Galadriel to show the Queen how she could overcome her fears and then bring her to her side. Pharazon arrives to spell out the decision made by the Queen. Galadriel was to be sent back to her realm with armed escorts. But she was not somebody who could be contained by mortals. She breaks free and goes straight to the tower where Tar-Palantir was kept, only to find that the Queen was already present there. The King was in bad shape, incapable of understanding and processing things. The Queen finally said what her great fear was. Her father came to know of a secret because he was trying to once again forge their relationship with the Elves. A crystal orb was given by the elves to the Numenoreans, who at that time followed the old ways. The orb was called Palantiri. Tar- Palantir brought Miriel to the tower and made her privy to the ghastly visions that had been haunting him. There were seven Palantiri that existed on Middle Earth, out of which six were lost or hidden. One was still preserved safely in the tower where Tar-Palantir lay. Queen Regent Miriel makes Galadriel touch it, and she too gets the vision of Numenor getting submerged under the huge tides. Galadriel tries her best to convince her to choose faith over fear. She gives her a means to do that, just like Halbrand had told her to do. But Queen Miriel didn’t agree. She almost sent Galadriel back to her realm, but just then, something happened. The white tree of Numenor, Nimloth, started shedding its leaves. Queen Regent saw Elendil in the eye, and she knew what it meant. It signified that Valar didn’t approve of the decision. The Queen called Galadriel back and decided to support her in her endeavors. She knew that she had the means to overcome her fears once and for all. She gave the offer to the people of Numenor to come and be a part of her crusade. She didn’t force them and allowed them to decide for themselves. Isildur, along with his colleagues Velandil and Ontamo, who had been dismissed from the navy, were the first ones to join the army. An expeditionary force was created, and it was decided that they would sail to the Southlands and aid the men in the war against Sauron.
Halbrand roamed freely in Numenor. He was released from captivity. Now, if he is actually Sauron, who has disguised himself as a mortal, then it would be intriguing to see what havoc he wreaks in the absence of the Queen. The upcoming episodes of “The Rings of Power” will reveal how he manipulates Pharazon, gathers an army of ardent followers, and launches an onslaught against the Elves and the men in the Southlands.
