The Season 2 finale of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Energy instructed a grand story that captured viewers’ consideration. This episode featured a dramatic battle between Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) and Sauron (Charlie Vickers), revealed the true id of the Stranger (Daniel Weyman), and wrapped up the plot surrounding Khazad-dûm.
Because the finale unfolded, the fiery beast that had been sleeping deep throughout the mines lastly awoke. Whereas the collection has hinted at this second, most followers are already conscious of the destiny that awaits the Dwarven metropolis as a result of Fellowship’s experiences within the Mines of Moria a few years later.
The Balrog is a vital creature in J.R.R. Tolkien’s tales, particularly concerning Khazad-dûm’s historical past. Nevertheless, the modifications made in The Rings of Energy create a big plot gap for the collection.
The Rise of Khazad-dûm
Within the collection, Khazad-dûm is proven at its peak. That is the time when mithril is found, promising nice wealth for the Dwarves residing there.
The collection chooses to introduce Khazad-dûm throughout this golden interval slightly than follow the established timeline in Tolkien’s writings. As a substitute of following the timeline that Tolkien created, The Rings of Energy rushed to depict the autumn of this nice metropolis.
The story escalates too rapidly. Durin III (Peter Mullan), influenced by the greed introduced on by his ring, begins to dig deeper into the mines. This digging disturbs the monster that resides under, often called Durin’s Bane, finally forcing the Dwarves to desert their residence.
Whereas the quick tempo of the story might clarify a few of these modifications, it doesn’t present the Dwarves with sufficient time to totally exploit their mithril and earn the wealth that they’re meant to realize. This lack of time to ascertain their fortune earlier than going through challenges with the Balrog finally harms Khazad-dûm’s popularity.
The Finale: A Struggle for Survival
Within the Season 2 finale titled “Shadow and Flame,” the plot takes a severe flip. After acquiring one of many Seven Dwarven Rings, Durin III turns into more and more grasping. He pushes the Dwarves to use the mines of Khazad-dûm past protected limits.
When he learns in regards to the warfare between Sauron and the Elves, he sees a possibility to mine mithril to create unbeatable armor. This armor would supposedly carry immense wealth to Khazad-dûm.
As Prince Durin (Owain Arthur) observes his father’s descent into greed, he fights again to cease Durin III from bringing destruction to their metropolis. Progressively, different Dwarves start to know the seriousness of the state of affairs. They be part of Prince Durin and his spouse, Disa (Sophia Nomvete), in opposing the King. Nevertheless, the tensions escalate within the Season 2 finale.
When Prince Durin almost leads the military away from Khazad-dûm, the King retaliates by ordering his guards to confront the rebels. He clears a path to the mine they’re making an attempt to guard so he can proceed digging regardless of the warnings from his son. In a essential second, Durin III breaks down the ultimate barrier, revealing a shaft stuffed with mithril. Nevertheless, this motion wakes the Balrog, and it quickly launches an assault.
In a second of bravery, Durin III decides to surrender the Rings which have prompted so many issues. He sacrifices himself in an try and confront the Balrog. Throughout this chaos, a partial cave-in saves Prince Durin. Nevertheless, this is not going to preserve the Balrog contained for lengthy.
With the creature now totally awake, it poses a extreme risk to the Dwarves’ underground residence. The hazard is simply too vital to disregard, resulting in the near-imminent fall of Khazad-dûm, particularly as exterior threats proceed to develop.
Tolkien’s Timeline vs. The Rings of Energy
Whereas The Rings of Energy is rooted in Tolkien’s authentic model, there are key variations concerning the timeline of Khazad-dûm. In Tolkien’s writings, the autumn of Khazad-dûm happens after many generations.
The Dwarves’ greed for mithril leads them to dig too deep, awakening the Balrog, however this takes place within the Third Age of Center-earth. Nevertheless, The Rings of Energy continues to be within the Second Age throughout its occasions.
In response to Tolkien, after the invention of mithril within the Second Age, Khazad-dûm thrived for hundreds of years. The traditional Balrog remained undisturbed till 1980 years into the Third Age. The Dwarves skilled prosperity and constructed a robust popularity throughout this time.
In Tolkien’s account, the Balrog earned the identify Durin’s Bane after killing Durin VI, not Durin III as proven in The Rings of Energy. A 12 months later, the following King, Náin I, additionally dies. The individuals of Khazad-dûm are compelled to flee their ancestral residence, although it had been one among Center-earth’s richest cities for millennia.
The risk posed by the Balrog is relentless, and after being woke up, it is not going to lie in wait. Which means The Rings of Energy has dedicated to the autumn of Khazad-dûm generations sooner than Tolkien meant.
The Influence of Timeline Modifications
The modifications to the timeline not solely launch the Balrog too early but in addition don’t alter the remainder of Khazad-dûm’s historical past to compensate for this.
Within the collection, Prince Durin and his father have simply found mithril. In Season 1, they stored this mineral a intently guarded secret, and few knew of its potential. Solely a restricted variety of objects have been crafted from mithril, together with the Rings of Energy and the Doorways of Durin.
Though Durin III desires of crafting extra mithril objects and bringing wealth to the town, these desires stay plans that Prince Durin doesn’t help. On this new timeline, earlier than information of the useful resource spreads all through Center-earth, the Dwarves discover themselves in disaster. The fast launch of the Balrog robs Khazad-dûm of its standing and significance.
Khazad-dûm is spectacular upon its introduction, and maybe in The Rings of Energy, that will probably be its solely declare to fame. Nevertheless, the town wants mithril to attain the legendary standing seen in Tolkien’s tales. The collection has not allowed this to occur, leading to a lack of the town’s wealthy historical past and significance.
Over hundreds of years, the Dwarves used mithril to construct wealth, because the ore is extremely wanted all through Center-earth. By shifting up the Balrog’s involvement by roughly 10,000 years, Khazad-dûm falls lengthy earlier than it could possibly earn the legendary popularity it’s meant to have.
The Rings of Energy Season 2 is now obtainable for streaming on Prime Video within the U.S. Because the collection continues, followers will probably be desperate to see how these modifications affect the unfolding story and what they imply for the way forward for Khazad-dûm and its inhabitants.
The Season 2 finale of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Energy options an epic battle between Galadriel and Sauron, alongside the awakening of the Balrog in Khazad-dûm. As Durin III succumbs to greed after buying one of many Seven Dwarven Rings, he disturbs the Balrog whereas trying to find mithril.
Regardless of Prince Durin’s efforts to cease his father, the state of affairs escalates, resulting in a harmful confrontation. The collection diverges from Tolkien’s timeline, depicting the autumn of Khazad-dûm a lot sooner than meant, which raises questions in regards to the metropolis’s significance and legacy in Center-earth’s historical past.