Oh boy, I had tried my best to be optimistic and hopefuly but this has been one of the most egregious episodes yet. I really want to like this, but it is making it difficult.
- Silmaril = Mithril
Let's just start off with how silly this is. While the depiction of the last Glowing elf vs. the Balrog over a tree on top of the Misty Mountains was great visually, the incorporation of the Silmaril is another disregard to the stories that came before RoP. The whole "Elves are dying without this miracle drug Mithril" is also really reaching and creates a silly conflict between the dwarves and the elves.
- Numenor, land of the hundreds
Now this can easily be debated, but I have felt Numenor to be rather lacking. Where are the great fleets? the giants of men? It feels so self contained to a small market/harbour and that they are only sending 300 volunteers to save the men of the south feels underwhelming.
Additionally, Galadriel has just felt so weird there and basically forcing her way through the plots and windows of other characters, and then showing off with the sword dancing/training scene.
- Will the real Sauron please stand up
Now, I am intrigued at Adar's anger towards being called Sauron and I think there is some factionalism amongst the Orcs, or rather the leaders of them.
Not sure what to think of the three white-robed people, but I did notice their iconography to resemble the one eye.
I am pretty sure the Stranger will be Gandalf, and since Sauron is also a Maiar they are establishing how a Maiar can be turned into good or evil.
But, I am starting to feel like Halbarad will be Sauron, but still not ruling him out as the Witch-King or the King of the Dead just yet. We know that Halbarad was exiled from the southlands, in which we see Adar taking over. Now we saw that Adar hates the name Sauron, so that leads me to believe that Halbarad has met Adar before.
Secondly, we are shown Halbarad's skill as a smith... maybe he might start making some rings(which also leads me to believe that the pouch he had around his neck contains rings since they made a distinct metallic sound).
This could also tie into the movies, in particular Galadriel's reaction to being offered the One Ring. This might be leading back to her and Halbarad being companions and she had a choice to choose him over vengeance.
So the finale I imagine would be the fight between Adar and Halbarad, who allows for the Numenoreans to establish their colonies like Umbar and brings him to take the Annatar-character place.
I am seriously debating about continuing to watch the episodes, if not to watch the trainwreck, or if there will be some redemption. I know with copyright limitations they have to be careful on what they can present, but it feels like they are pushing it or disregarding a lot openly.