GOTHMOG: A dizzy insect within a palindrome? He is there.
??U??: A chaotical month surrounds a brief country, for her.
??R??: A confused gang-member reveals him.
TAR-MIRIEL: A returning element is inside a measuring unit, after a rodent. See her!
??N??: A disoriented country and returning musical symbol reveal him.

No, not Barding. There is a different synonym for a gang-member. ;)

(Also, 2 and 3 are connected by more than just the theme. ;))

Is the gang-member simply Turin, because he was one?

Nope. I gave you a big hint.

DROGO, from DROOG? (Good job I like 'A Clockwork Orange!')

PRIMULA ... Yes, that has APRIL surrounding ... MU. Can't think offhand of a country that starts that way, but ....

It's a country abbreviation for Mauritius.

GOTHMOG: A dizzy insect within a palindrome? He is there.
PRIMULA: A chaotical month surrounds a brief country, for her.
DROGO: A confused gang-member reveals him.
TAR-MIRIEL: A returning element is inside a measuring unit, after a rodent. See her!
??N??: A disoriented country and returning musical symbol reveal him.

Can you guess the theme?

Three are connected to water and one to fire, but I don't recall Hurin being connected to either. Unless he was in the Battle of Sudden Flame.

Wrong, it has to do with manner of their deaths.

OK. They all drowned.

I hadn't realised that Hurin and Gothmog drowned.

I wonder if 'returning' means in the sense of being a palindrome, and the musical symbol is 'minim.'

Nope. The musical symbol is something we used in our clues frequently.

AMANDIL did not return. I guess he either drowned or died of thirst or starvation.

A LAND MI.

Nope. Think! Which musical symbol do we frequently use in clues in this thread?

Well ... notes.

Not clefs or keys or flats or sharps, as I recall.

Exactly. You know this, so use it.

I did. MI is a note. I used it in Amandil.

GORLIM has MI returning. GORL sounds like GAUL, an old name for France.

Yes, I know it's not right. He is cruelly put to death, but we are not told how.

But the only other two named males I can think of who drowned are AMROTH (no N) and AR-PHARAZON. Hang on. He has ROHAN for a country. Is ZAP musical, though? ;)

I think it might be the actual word NOTE. The clue suggests it's backwards rather than scrambled; are there any names ending with ETON?

(Isildur also drowned, but that's not much help. Arguably so did Deagol, but again...)

hS

I thought of Isildur, but I thought the orc-arrows were what killed him. And of Deagol, but the culprits there were Gollum's fingers.

Does anyone drown in any of the poems or smaller/non-M-e works?

People who dare to knock on the door of the Mewlips 'sink into the slime,' but that doesn't of itself guarantee full drowning.

Here is one hint that would make it easy: 5 is 1's killer.

Ecthelion.

Note + Chile.

GOTHMOG: A dizzy insect within a palindrome? He is there.
PRIMULA: A chaotical month surrounds a brief country, for her.
DROGO: A confused gang-member reveals him.
TAR-MIRIEL: A returning element is inside a measuring unit, after a rodent. See her!
ECTHELION: A disoriented country and returning musical symbol reveal him.

THEME: Characters who died by drowning

Over to Pervinca!

Here we are, then:

1. ‘Goodness me, my lettuce-draining implement!’ we seem to hear him cry, (roughly speaking).
2. He’s not nearly as stern as he sounds.
3. He failed to meet her, we hear, beneath Henry Irving’s lissom larches. (Initially).
4. For him: an actress from ‘Alfie’ – pale warmth circulates - and a fireplace sings differently, and in disharmony.
5. French king returns – hear a word of praise for him!

3. Underhill?

Give me more.

Mister (sounds like 'missed her') Underhill (already explained)

1. ‘Goodness me, my lettuce-draining implement!’ we seem to hear him cry, (roughly speaking).
2. He’s not nearly as stern as he sounds.
MR UNDERHILL: He failed to meet her, we hear, beneath Henry Irving’s lissom larches. (Initially).
4. For him: an actress from ‘Alfie’ – pale warmth circulates - and a fireplace sings differently, and in disharmony.
5. French king returns – hear a word of praise for him!

Is the theme nicknames?

No. More specific than that.

Oh, I see.

5. Iorhael (Roi backwards + Hael, which sounds like hail)

1. ‘Goodness me, my lettuce-draining implement!’ we seem to hear him cry, (roughly speaking).
2. He’s not nearly as stern as he sounds.
MR UNDERHILL: He failed to meet her, we hear, beneath Henry Irving’s lissom larches. (Initially).
4. For him: an actress from ‘Alfie’ – pale warmth circulates - and a fireplace sings differently, and in disharmony.
IORHAEL: French king returns – hear a word of praise for him!

4. Daur, from 'dour'.

And the password: Maura.

1. Master, though I don't see how ster=lettuce-draining equipment

???M???: ‘Goodness me, my lettuce-draining implement!’ we seem to hear him cry, (roughly speaking).
DAUR: He’s not nearly as stern as he sounds.
MR UNDERHILL: He failed to meet her, we hear, beneath Henry Irving’s lissom larches. (Initially).
???R???: For him: an actress from ‘Alfie’ – pale warmth circulates - and a fireplace sings differently, and in disharmony.
IORHAEL: French king returns – hear a word of praise for him!

PASSWORD: MAURA
THEME: FRODO

Not master. What do you drain lettuce or boiled veg in?

Also, you need an expression of surprise for the 'Goodness me!' to begin it with ... although 'Ma' is actually right for the 'my' bit.

Colander?

Yes. Now put them together.

Macolander?

Something needed on the front.

What is Frodo known for?

Quest of the Ring?

Yes, but what as?