‘The Rings Of Power’ Episode 5: Recap & Ending, Explained: Galadriel & Halbrand Leave For Middle Earth

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The fifth episode of “Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” titled “Partings,” resolves the dilemma that resides in the hearts of the elves, the men, and the dwarves. Somewhere, everybody realized that evil was rising, and, in order to survive its wrath, they needed to unite their forces. The time to fend for personal interests had passed. Queen Regent, Galadriel, Arondir, High King Gil-Galad, and others knew that Sauron was one of the greatest Maia, and facing his forces was going to be a mammoth task. Middle Earth stood on the brink of war. An alliance of men and elves was the need of the hour. The people stuck in the tower of Ostirith were given a clear warning by Adar. They were told to either join the army of orcs or be slaughtered. Numenor was also divided. Queen Regent wanted to appease the general public by not helping the Elf, and on the other hand, she also knew that the vision she saw in the Palantir was not a mere figment of her imagination.

Spoilers Ahead


The Unknown Wizard-Like Powers Of Meteor Man

Nori and her family were still with the rest of the Harfoots. The Meteor man had come to their rescue. Had he not been there, Nori’s family wouldn’t have been able to match the pace and ultimately would have been left behind. The Meteor man is still trying to understand who he is, where he came from, and what his purpose is. Nori tells him that, contrary to what he might think, he is not evil. She tells him that he was a savior without whom her family wouldn’t have survived. Things were getting strange, and Malva was observing a lot of anomalies. She was trying to convince Sardoc Burrows to leave the Brandyfoots behind because she feared that with the Meteor man staying with them, something bad and evil would occur. Just then, Nori and Poppy noticed the footprints of a huge predator on the damp ground. The wolves of Middle Earth were large predators who looked like a fusion of a wolf and a wild boar. One such pack attacked Nori, Poppy, and Malva. It felt like their end was near. The wolves were about to pounce on them when something extraordinary happened. The meteor man stood gallantly in front of the snarling, wild beasts. He banged his fist into the ground, and the wolves fell at a distance. The Meteor man saved the Harfoot clan. It seemed like every time he used his powers, something changed inside him. He got visions of the day when he had fallen from the sky, and he lay in the center of that magical fire. Nori also had the same visions when she touched the Meteor man. She was scared beyond her wits. She didn’t understand what it all meant. She didn’t have the answers to anything. She still didn’t know whether the Meteor man was an evil spirit or had come down to earth to help their kind. At times she found him friendly, and at times she was scared by thinking what he was capable of. 


Adar’s Orc Army Wages A War On The Southlands

The orcs had completed digging their tunnel, and Adar was all set to wage war against the Southlands. Bronwyn was trying to convince her people to unite and fight against the evil forces. But the group was divided into two factions as Waldreg, who had sworn his allegiance to Sauron, influenced the weaker minds and asked them to surrender. Frankly speaking, it seemed like it was a more prudent thing to do. The mortals of the Southlands didn’t stand a chance against the army of orcs led by Adar. There were people who hadn’t lifted a sword in their entire lifetimes, and they didn’t know how they would survive in front of an army of these horrifying creatures. Arondir knew that before going to the actual battle, they had to fight a psychological war. He knew that he had to keep hope alive if he wished to save Middle Earth from the wrath of Sauron. Waldreg tried to influence Theo to come with him since he had the hilt. But Theo stayed with his mother and Arondir. He showed the hilt to Arondir, who knew that it was not just an ordinary weapon. He realized that it was a key of sorts that could unlock some tremendous and unknown powers. Adar had talked about two things. Firstly, he spoke about his aspirations of becoming a god and how he expected that Sauron would someday grant him that boon. Secondly, he talked about making Middle Earth into a place where darkness could reside forever. Arondir knew that he desperately needed the key as it would help him realize his dark dreams. Bronwyn and Arondir knew that the army of orcs would arrive in less than a day’s time. They were not prepared for the battle, but they had no other option left, other than to face their fears head-on on the battlefield.


Elrond And The Dilemma Of His Oath

Durin IV had come to Noldor as he had sensed that High King Gil-Galad was hiding something from him. He also knew that Elrond was unaware of the real intentions of Celebrimbor and the High King. Gil-Galad told Elrond that he needed to tell him if he knew anything about Mithril, the magical ore discovered in the mines of Khazad-dum. But Elrond had sworn to his friend, Durin, that he wouldn’t reveal his secret to anybody. Elrond was in a dilemma. On the one hand, there was his duty; on the other hand, there was his friendship. Gil-galad tells Elrond about the song of the roots of Hithaeglir. It was said that a battle was fought on the peaks of the Misty Mountains. The lost Silmaril was believed to be hidden in a tree. There was an Elven warrior on one side, and on the other side, there was Balrog, one of the most faithful servants of Morgoth. It was said that the tree was struck by lightning, which in turn forged a unique ore that the elves called Mithril. The dwarves had found it. Elrond is informed by Gil-Galad that the substance is critical to their survival. He said that though their souls were immortal, they would perish eventually if they didn’t have that ore in their possession. Elrond still didn’t understand the intricacies of the prophecy. He was told by Celebrimbor how his father believed in himself. Earendil had the conviction that he would be successful even if the odds were not in his favor. Celebrimbor wanted to imply that Elrond should do the same. He wanted Elrond to tell them if the dwarves had found Mithril or not. Celebrimbor apologizes to Elrond for not letting him know the real intention of sending him to Khazad-dum. Elrond didn’t know what to do or say. He went to Durin and told him the truth. He told the prince of Khazad-dum about his dilemma and why it was so difficult for him to choose. Durin valued the bond he shared with his Elf friend. He told him that he would give him Mithril. Elrond couldn’t believe his ears. He thanked him, but Durin told him to not get too excited as he still had to convince his father to grant them permission.


‘The Rings Of Power’ Episode 5: Ending Explained – Galadriel And Halbrand Leave For Middle Earth Finally

Queen Regent Miriel was told by her father to not go to Middle Earth as something terrible awaited her. She asked him persistently what it was that he saw, but the old man didn’t tell her anything. The Queen was in a dilemma. She didn’t know whether to help Galadriel or not. There was another problem besides the Queen’s indecision. Halbrand did not want to go back to Middle Earth. He tells Galadriel that his clan had once surrendered to the dark powers, and that is why he didn’t want to face the horrors of his past once again. Galadriel had promised the Queen that Halbrand would be crowned the King of the Southlands, as he was the rightful heir to the throne. She had assured Queen Regent that he would lead the men into battle and fight alongside them. Galadriel knew that she had to confront Halbrand and convince him to go to Middle Earth with them. The Queen had already given them five ships and five hundred men. Halbrand puts forth a counterargument and suspects that Galadriel was doing it because of vengeance. Galadriel tells him that it is not so. She says that her own army couldn’t understand her motivations. They couldn’t differentiate between her and the evil that was rising in the deep and dark abyss of Middle Earth. She says that she couldn’t be at peace unless and until she proved to everybody that she didn’t have any ill intentions and that she was of sound mind when she told everybody that evil was rising. Halbrand finally agreed, and it gave Galadriel renewed hope that they would be successful in their endeavors. Trumpets were blown, and war cries were heard in the Numenorean sky. The valiant soldiers of Numenor sailed to save the Southlands and fight against evil. They didn’t know if they would survive the wrath of the dark lord. All they knew was that they were ready to either defeat the darkness or die trying on the battlefield.

Pharazon, on the other hand, was brewing a different ambition altogether. He was of the opinion that if they helped the mortals in the Southlands, then they would get to be in a position of influence and have a say in the matters of state. He told his son Kemen that they could exploit the rich lands of Middle Earth and take all the resources that they could get from there for their own personal benefit. His son, Kemen, wasn’t happy about the fact that his father was taking orders from an Elf. He tried to convince him to revolt against the decision of the Queen. He had seen his father have a way with words. He had seen him wooing the masses and turning them in his favor. He wanted his father to wave his magic wand once again and take matters into his own hands. Pharazon knew that sooner or later, he would control the reins, but he didn’t want to do anything in haste. Kemen was restless and wanted to do something about the situation. He went and destroyed two ships, and in turn, the Numenoreans were forced to sail to the Southlands with a fleet of only three ships. Isildur had seen Kemen when he was trying to burn down the ships. Surprisingly, he didn’t tell his father or anybody else about the incident.

The character of Kemen is not mentioned in the accounts of J.R.R. Tolkien, and hence it would be interesting to see where the makers take it from here. In the upcoming episodes of “The Rings of Power,” we will get to know about the fate of the soldiers who sailed in those ships to Middle Earth and whether they are able to defeat Sauron and his forces and save Numenor from its destined doom.


See More: ‘The Rings of Power’ Episode 6: Recap And Ending, Explained: Why Did Adar Want The Hilt?


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Sushrut Gopesh
Sushrut Gopesh
I came to Mumbai to bring characters to life. I like to dwell in the cinematic world and ponder over philosophical thoughts. I believe in the kind of cinema that not necessarily makes you laugh or cry but moves something inside you.

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