Southerners have it very black.
Spoilers for ‘Rings of Power’ episode 5 below
‘The Rings of Power’ finally brings good news for Galadriel (Morfydd Clark). For some time now, he has been banging his head against a brick wall in a desperate attempt to communicate with just about anyone who wants to listen to what he has to say about the seriousness of the danger that lies ahead in Middle-earth.
It seems that his insistence has not been in vain. Now, flanked by a zealous army of Númenor soldiers, Galadriel advances into the Southlands, intent on ridding its citizens of the orcish plague. Hurrah! And yet, is it possible that another revelation was made in this very episode that has already sealed the fate of the southerners? Well, at least from the group of Bronwyn and company, at least.
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Not long ago, Bronwyn (Nazanin Boniadi) and her gang headed to Ostirith’s watchtower to escape the orcs. The elf Arondir (Ismael Cruz Cordova), previously captured by the orcs, was freed to return to the watchtower with a message from Adar (Joseph Mawle), leader of the orcs. Give up your lands and swear allegiance to Adar or be disemboweled and they will feast on your entrails. Bronwyn managed to temporarily give his people something of value, but they chickened out after Waldreg’s speech, and half went with him to swear his allegiance to the dark.
We’re not saying Waldreg had the right idea (it stinks of bad intentions), but standing your ground and fighting to save that particular place may be futile, and here’s why. Anyone who has done a bit of research (yes, you) has probably seen Tolkien’s map. Thus, you will be aware that the rural Southlands (as they are known in the second age) will eventually become Mordor by the time of the third.
The Southlands will be knee-deep in orcs and Sauron will go mad. Also, Theo’s stolen hilt suggests that the watchtower could be a pivotal stronghold for Sauron in the future.
When Theo (Tyroe Muhafidin) finally confesses to Arondir that he has been hiding the hilt, Arondir’s face recognizes him. He takes the hilt to a tall stone milestone with carvings and confirms his suspicion. It’s a key “conjured by some forgotten craft of enemies to enslave your ancestors,” he tells Bronwyn.
That same key fits somewhere inside that milestone on the watchtower and when asked about its purpose, Arondir speaks of the claims the enemy made and says:
The enemy commander spoke of becoming a god, of giving the orcs a home in these lands.
His connection to Sauron and the location of this landmark make it likely that he is, in fact, Barad-dûr.
For those who need a little refresher on Tolkien. Barad-dûr (translation: “dark fortress”) served as Sauron’s central stronghold in Mordor. It was the dark lord’s base of operations in Middle-earth from the second to the late third ages.
Tolkienists will be quick to point out that Barad-dûr was officially built during the second age (i.e. the events now taking place in ‘The Rings of Power’) before later being destroyed during Sauron’s war against the Elves and the Men (“It was at this moment, when all hope seemed lost, that Isildur, son of the king, takes his father’s sword and etc etc”).
This would mean that rather than simply existing now, fans would expect to see Barad-dûr built in future episodes/seasons. But there is a way it could still be (or become) Barad-dûr.
The lore of ‘The Lord of the Rings’ may have been slightly altered to push back the construction date of Barad-dûr. So it could be that Sauron built Barad-dûr during his last time in Middle-earth when the Southerners were on the side of the orcs.
If that’s the way ‘The Rings of Power’ bets, they’d have to explain why the existing Southerners in the current ‘The Rings of Power’ know nothing of this story. They may not have been aware of its significance (we doubt Sauron would have shared all of his plans with them). Still, we will need clearer answers.
‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ broadcasts an episode every Friday on Amazon Prime Video Spain.
Source: Fotogramas
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
