Rings of Power has spent its entire season reminding us that it, at its core in manners similar to Lord of the Rings as a whole, is a story of enduring hope. It takes a lot of time to allow its heroes to wallow in the fact that the dark is really, really bad.
The aftermath of last week's finale in the battle for the Southlands is the focus of "The Eye" In the opening scene, Galadriel wanders through the ruined aftermath of Theo and Bronwyn's village, or even further away, as hunks of molten rock from doom.
Elrond and Durin, who have quietly become one of the show's most beautiful and enduring relationships, are torn asunder as their pleas to Durin's father to mine Mithril are heard. It keeps getting worse and worse, and this is not just a momentary incident of despair.
Isildur is lost to a crumbling house in the ruins of the village, and his father's relationship with Galadriel is hurt by it. The crumbling of that house left Miriel blind. Theo and Galadriel were separated from the remaining survivors as they tried to make it back to the Nmenorean camp and were harassed by now-freely- Nori and her sister were almost crushed by falling debris when the Stranger tried to breathe magic into the ashen trees of the Harfoot's orchard home, but he took his leave of the halflings entirely because he was so horrified at his potential to harm.
This wallowing in the rise of evil feels different to what the show has done so far. We don't need the last- scene reveal that the Southlands have become Mordor, as their name on the screen burns out to be replaced with a new title, as we have spent the entire episode exploring what that means. In Galadriel and Theo's self-doubt, we see it in the decisions made by people who were angry and afraid. Rings of Power has challenged its characters with seemingly overwhelming despair before, but "The Eye" feels like the first time that they won't.
This is a story in the Lord of the Rings. Our heroes have to because the world of J.R.L.D. is a source of hope and not despair. The sparks are forged in small bonds of fellowship. The relationship between Elrond and Durin is stronger than ever, even though the elder Durin tried to destroy it. At the Nmenorean encampment, Theo is able to put his doubts to rest after meeting Galadriel. Even though Elendil has changed her relationship with Galadriel, her bond with Miriel is still hard to break. The Sadoc have to convince the stranger to help them by setting out on roads that have never been traveled by Harfoots.
Things have to get worse in the story of the Second Age coming into Rings of Power's first season finale next week and in plenty of times to come past it. In "The Eye," King Durin's hesitation over Mithril proved to be correct, as the teasing of the Balrog proved to be. Halbrand doesn't do much to quell the "is this guy Sauron in disguise" theories by being found on the road back to the camp by the Nmenoreans with only one injury. In the midst of The Rings of Power's lowest point, the show still shines with a hope that all of our heroes will need soon enough.
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