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Noria
Hithlum
Sep 21 2024, 7:39pm
Post #1 of 8
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As we come to the penultimate episode of the season, I feel like a number of what once seemed to be loose threads, some times in the form of characters, from both seasons have been drawn into the weave of the story and now make more sense. For instance, Celebrimbor, who was a secondary if crucial character in Season 1, is now one of the main characters and it’s his story that driving the show. But that’s not surprising.
Another loose thread introduced in Season 1 was Earien. She is a character who seemed to me back then to be relatively useless in terms of storytelling. The only noteworthy thing about her was her pretty much ignored opposition to the mission to Middle-earth. This season she has come into her own as a catalyst and maybe a pawn in the brewing conflict in Numenor.
Anyone who has lived for any length of time has experienced grief, and anger can be a component of that. Earien’s anger makes her want to strike out at the person she holds responsible for her loss – Miriel – even though everyone who went to Middle-earth volunteered specifically for that mission. To do that she meddles in politics and starts a chain of events that has many negative impacts, including the death of her friend and her father’s loss of position, imprisonment and near execution.
I doubt that the original order to disband the Sea Guard came from Earien, but she directed its execution. She apparently wants to eliminate any vestige of Miriel’s power but what did she think that destroying her father’s vocation would do to him? Valandil too, for that matter.
There is still love between them but Earien has put herself and her father on opposite sides of a chasm, divided by completely incompatible beliefs and a struggle for power. To be fair, Elendil followed Miriel onto the path he is now following but he understands what that means. The final irony for Earien may be that she gets to witness the increasing closeness between Miriel and Elendil.
Earien is pretty good with the scheming but not so much with the thinking. Logically, her anger should be directed against Isildur himself, possibly Elendil and certainly Galadriel, but grief doesn’t see reason. In Season 1 Earien seemed like a callow girl, open, loving and aspiring, then frightened when the war talk started. Now, for all her rich attire and unearned position, she looks like a bitter, aging woman, like someone who knows it’s all going wrong but doesn’t quite grasp why or how. Emma Horvath is a better actress than I gave her credit for.
Similarly, Leon Wadham is doing a good job of completely revealing Kemin as a truly despicable, if clichéd, character: weak and petty, jealous and vindictive, impulsive and cowardly, yearning vainly for his father’s esteem. He wants Earien and who knows how that will go. Also like Earien, he’s more than a bit pathetic.
Earien exemplifies “be careful what you wish for”.
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Michelle Johnston
Mithlond
Sep 22 2024, 3:07am
Post #2 of 8
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Improvement - driven by many things.
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To be frank Leon and Emma offered rehearsal level performances in S1.
They are the most improved actors in S2. it's interesting to consider why, other than the obvious one, of settling in that often happens with multi season shows.
One of the issues with S1 was portraying the iconic character of Isildur as a confused teenager drawing Earien and the way she spoke to him into the same lightweight fest. They were not guesting on Friends. Again Isildur, like so many, has revealed something in S2 (the circumstances of the death of his mother) which makes his S1 performance more understandable but they should have communicated Earien profound and deep love of her sibling more effectively rather than tableau a typical family growing up vibe.
Looking back, the plotting of Kemen, Isildur and Earien was fine it was just the writing was poor. The plotting now, like a lot of this show, looks better from the vantage point of S2.
I agree with all your insights about character and every day we witness inconsistency and about changes from our fellow men. it is just you have to be careful in art to make the distinction between being in control of your character as opposed to swinging them around to suit the overall story. The crowds reaction to events in Numenor suggest they have the attention span and recall of a gnat. If I was Elendil I would tell them to .... off.
Miriel and Elendil carry Numenor and Ar Pharazon is well acted its just his arc suffers from missing script.
Contrast that with the Dwarves. One thing they got completely right with that thread was to put the camera on three characters everything else is texture and the textures seem consistent.
But thank you Noria for giving a shout out to one of the most improved performances and your right Kemen is pathetic, the complete opposite of Faramir, but Leon is doing his stuff.
My Dear Bilbo something is the matter with you! you are not the same hobbit that you were.
(This post was edited by Michelle Johnston on Sep 22 2024, 3:08am)
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Hopefull Harfoot
Ossiriand
Sep 22 2024, 4:42am
Post #3 of 8
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I thought Earien and Kemen somewhat extraneous but also likeable in S1. Naive youngsters out of their depth. Kemen the disappointing son and Earien mourning and mostly afraid of her own potential further loss. The high point, blowing up the ship.
In S2 they seem much colder and calculating and fully under the dominion of Al Pharazon. Earion willing to betray the queen and even her father and friends.
I don't remember either character in Tolkien's works, so can't see anything to compare them to.
To be honest my gut reaction has been to want them to drown in the destruction of Numenor unless something happens to change them before the event. But my guess is they will drown.
51 years since I first read The Lord of the Rings
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NecromancerRising
Hithlum
Sep 22 2024, 4:53am
Post #4 of 8
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Indeed, in Season 1 Earien and Kemen didnt work for me at all. Not because of the actors of course, but the writing for them had absolutely no impact in the storyline. The only thing that you could make out for her is her reluctance and disapproval of Numenoreans sailing to Middle Earth,and (i dont remember well) a pass to the builder's community of Numenor
Season 2 gave both a purpose, and especially Earien making her a more complex character and the lack of understanding regarding the events that are unfolding is clearly depicted in her eyes.She wants to be a part of the story. She is dragged down by Pharazon,she is griefing for Isildur and her father, but still unable to grasp what is completely right or wrong.
P.S I predict she will be the architect of Morgoth's temple in season 3, judging by season's 1 reference about gaining and apprenticeship to the builder''s community of Numenor. The most important question is, if she will totally embrace evil, or she will balance between evil and right.
"You cannot find peace by avoiding life"
(This post was edited by NecromancerRising on Sep 22 2024, 4:54am)
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Felagund
Nargothrond
Sep 22 2024, 8:09am
Post #5 of 8
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P.S I predict she will be the architect of Morgoth's temple in season 3, judging by season's 1 reference about gaining and apprenticeship to the builder''s community of Numenor. The most important question is, if she will totally embrace evil, or she will balance between evil and right.
I remember this coming up in S1 discussion in 2022 and, like you, I reckon it's the main (or only) reason why in S1 the showrunners dropped in that Eärien was joining the the builders' guild. It feels likely that Sauron will work his insidious charm on Eärien and Kemen, seducing them both, perhaps similar to his interactions with Celebrimbor and Mirdania. Both have 'father issues', which perhaps provides Sauron with his 'way in'. One becomes his architect and the other becomes one of his Nazgûl? It's the bit of the show where the showrunners will have most leeway, given that they're 'invented' characters and thus don't have an arc/ending like Ar-Pharazôn that has to end in a particular way.
Speaking of the Nazgûl, I wonder how their corruption will be depicted. Durin III is being shaped by his Ring of Power pretty quickly. As for human Ring-bearers, perhaps their behaviours and then, enforced servitude, manifest fairly early on but the fading away into the Unseen takes longer? A longer transition makes most sense to me, as Kemen (or whichever of the Númenóreans gets the jewellery) wandering around Númenor as a wraith, as opposed to an 'ensnared' Ring-thrall, would strike me as a bit strange.
Welcome to the Mordorfone network, where we put the 'hai' back into Uruk
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Michelle Johnston
Mithlond
Sep 22 2024, 8:44am
Post #6 of 8
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Given the contraction of the timelines I suspect they will remain corporeal throughout out the show and it will make their fall so much more interesting.
Annatar has already set out his stall from Rhun to Numenor, in Earien, Kemen and Belzagar he has obvious targets and in the East to.
It is in the centre of middle earth that it becomes interesting. But this is a Sauron who gets everything done through everyone else. That is I am sure how the nine will work.
Elendil, Isildur, Arondir have their work cut out in S3, along with the Elves.
There is then issue of the Elf of the Wand. Once he has fully understood his job description what part will he play?
My Dear Bilbo something is the matter with you! you are not the same hobbit that you were.
(This post was edited by Michelle Johnston on Sep 22 2024, 8:45am)
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Felagund
Nargothrond
Sep 22 2024, 9:32am
Post #7 of 8
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agreed and some more speculation
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Agreed - there's a distinction between 'ring-thrall' and 'ring-wraith' to be had and perhaps the disembodiment of bearers of the Nine will be something we don't get until S5, with one of those bearers freaking out as they notice that their hand or some such is starting to fade away before their very eyes. That would be my strong preference - a longer and more subtle transition. Opportunity for a bit of Macbeth-descent-into-madness there too, if our writers are Shakespeare-inclined?
From Númenor to Rhûn. Lots of speculation about Theo, which throws in a bit of the centre/south. Not sure I'm as convinced by the Theo angle but I can also see it fitting. Outside of the TV show, I've always assumed that Sauron scooped up a future Nazgûl or two from Harad. I have a feeling that the show will open up the South at some point (a widely-held view, I suspect), not least because Amazon does have access to the Umbar landing part of Ar-Pharazôn arc - via 'Appendix A' and 'Appendix B'.
What's going on in the geographical 'centre' - yes, this is defo very interesting to me too, and comes with lots of scope for the writing team. Not least because, as far as humans are concerned, it's sparse in terms of what Tolkien wrote - at least for the pre-Akallabêth era of the Second Age. Will we get new characters and peoples introduced later in this series or S3 etc in this region, ripe for corruption? Proto-Dunlendings, proto-Hillmen etc? Or is team Theo and the Southlands remnant population in Pelargir the proxy for all of the above? For now, running rings (pun almost unintended) around the Eldar of Lindon and Eriador is how Sauron is directing things in the 'heartlands' of NW Middle-earth.
With Elf of the Wand (love the phrasing!), I'm partial to Blueness, with the Stranger investing heavily in deterring some of the corruption out East and not bringing him in the Middle-earth 'mainstream' for a boss-fight with Sauron or something similar (or setting out the survey pegs for the borders of a proto-Shire/Sûza-t). That kind of confrontation needs to be focused on the Children of Eru, Eldar and Edain, fighting Sauron on the slopes of Orodruin, in my view. In short, confine the Stranger to a climactic confrontation with the Dark Wizard and then a narrative fade linked to the busy, sub-surface work of patiently building up Middle-earth's resilience to any resurgence of incorporated Evil. I do reckon there's visual/narrative merit in having the Stranger ultimately saying 'There's work to do' and walking off, rarely to be seen again by the show's other main characters. But I doubt my version would make for good, high stakes/high finance TV though, I'll readily admit!
Welcome to the Mordorfone network, where we put the 'hai' back into Uruk
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Michelle Johnston
Mithlond
Sep 22 2024, 10:21am
Post #8 of 8
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When they wrote the basis book for the mortal ring bearers they would have had Bronwyn on board. Theo being pulled from her by Sauron or even the "Witch King" would have been interesting. They would not have worked up nine Kemen's but a range of characters, some eager, some on the brink and others profoundly manipulated with some of those tragically being pulled towards the abyss.
I agree with your view on Strandalf. For me Blue on Blue would be much better but I would not lay odds on that.
I think at the very least the Proto Hobbits will not trouble the councils of the wise, the story will remain cellular. Rhun has hardly got started, there is plenty to occupy the players before we move to the final on Orodruin.
My Dear Bilbo something is the matter with you! you are not the same hobbit that you were.
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