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The Eagle and the Sceptre

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"The Eagle and the Sceptre"
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power episode
Cover art for the episode's soundtrack album
Episode no.Season 2
Episode 3
Directed by
Written byHelen Shang
Cinematography by
Editing byAndy Morrison
Original release dateAugust 29, 2024 (2024-08-29)
Running time67 minutes
Cast
Episode chronology
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The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2
List of episodes

"The Eagle and the Sceptre" is the third episode of the second season of the American fantasy television series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Based on J. R. R. Tolkien's history of Middle-earth, primarily material from the appendices of the novel The Lord of the Rings, it is set thousands of years before the novel in the Second Age. The episode primarily follows characters from the island kingdom of Númenor. It was written by Helen Shang and directed by Louise Hooper and Charlotte Brändström.

J. D. Payne and Patrick McKay were set to develop the series in July 2018, and a second season was ordered in November 2019. Filming began in the United Kingdom in October 2022, with Brändström returning from the first season and Hooper joining her. Production on the season wrapped in June 2023.

"The Eagle and the Sceptre" premiered on the streaming service Amazon Prime Video on August 29, 2024.

Plot

[edit]

After his son Isildur is presumed dead in the eruption of Mount Doom, sea captain Elendil returns to Númenor with the blinded Queen Regent Míriel and other survivors. He attempts to take Isildur's horse Berek with them, but the horse refuses to go and Elendil releases him. Berek returns to Mordor and finds Isildur, alive, in a nest of giant spiders. Berek awakens Isildur, who fights a particularly large spider and escapes. Elsewhere in Mordor, Adar asks the Hill-troll Damrod to join his army in fighting Sauron.

Celebrimbor and Sauron, posing as Annatar, invite Prince Durin IV and Princess Disa to Eregion and reveal their plan to create Rings of Power for the Dwarves. Durin IV does not trust Annatar and reluctantly brings this proposal to King Durin III, who agrees to give the Elves the mithril they need to create more rings.

In Númenor, many citizens express their disapproval of Míriel's ascension to the throne following the death of her father, King Tar-Palantir. This is due to her decision to go to Middle-earth, which led to so many deaths, and also due to her blindness. Lord Belzagar counsels Míriel's cousin Pharazôn to claim the throne for himself. Pharazôn is concerned that there is not enough public support for such a move, until Elendil's daughter Eärien reveals that she has Míriel's palantír (crystal ball).

Leaving Mordor, Isildur comes across a young woman named Estrid. On their way to Pelargir, an old Númenórean colony, they are attacked by wild men who steal Berek. The pair are saved by the Elf Arondir. In Pelargir, Arondir holds a funeral for Bronwyn, the human healer he fell in love with, who succumbed to her injuries from the battle before the eruption. Bronwyn's son, Theo, dismisses Arondir's attempts to comfort him. Isildur bonds with Estrid over the deaths of their respective loved ones, not knowing that she bears the brand of Adar. Theo and Isildur attempt to steal Berek back from the wild men and almost succeed, until Theo is attacked along with the wild men.

During Míriel's coronation, Eärien reveals the Elvish palantír and causes outrage among the people who are widely against Númenor's old Elvish ways. A Great Eagle arrives at the coronation, a rare and powerful omen for the new ruler. However, Belzagar claims that the Eagle's presence signifies support for Pharazôn instead.

Production

[edit]

Development

[edit]

Amazon acquired the global television rights for J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings in November 2017. The company's streaming service, Amazon Prime Video, ordered a series based on the novel and its appendices to be produced by Amazon Studios in association with New Line Cinema.[1] It was later titled The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.[2] Amazon hired J. D. Payne and Patrick McKay to develop the series and serve as showrunners in July 2018,[3][4] and Helen Shang joined as a writer by the following July.[4] The series was originally expected to be a continuation of Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film trilogies, but Amazon later clarified that their deal with the Tolkien Estate required them to keep the series distinct from Jackson's films.[5] Despite this, the showrunners intended for it to be visually consistent with the films.[6] A second season was ordered in November 2019,[7] and Amazon announced in August 2021 that it was moving production of the series from New Zealand, where Jackson's films were made, to the United Kingdom starting with the second season.[8] The season's all-female directing team was revealed in December 2022: Charlotte Brändström, returning from the first season; Sanaa Hamri; and Louise Hooper.[9]

The series is set in the Second Age of Middle-earth, thousands of years before Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.[10] Because Amazon did not acquire the rights to Tolkien's other works where the First and Second Ages are primarily explored, the writers had to identify references to the Second Age in The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and its appendices, and create a story that bridged those passages.[6] After introducing the series' setting and major heroic characters in the first season, the showrunners said the second would focus on the villains and go deeper into the "lore and the stories people have been waiting to hear".[6][11] The season's third episode, titled "The Eagle and the Sceptre", was written by Shang and directed by Brändström and Hooper.[12]

Casting

[edit]
Further information: List of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power characters

The series' cast includes Cynthia Addai-Robinson as Míriel,[13] Owain Arthur as Durin IV,[14] Maxim Baldry as Isildur,[15] Ismael Cruz Córdova as Arondir,[16] Charles Edwards as Celebrimbor,[17] Trystan Gravelle as Pharazôn,[18] Ema Horvath as Eärien,[18] Tyroe Muhafidin as Theo,[19] Sophia Nomvete as Disa,[20] Lloyd Owen as Elendil,[21] Charlie Vickers as Sauron,[22] and Leon Wadham as Kemen.[23] Also starring in the episode are Peter Mullan as Durin III, Alex Tarrant as Valandil, Will Keen as Belzagar, Sam Hazeldine as Adar, Nia Towle as Estrid, Kevin Eldon as Narvi, Robert Strange as Khruge and Glüg, Ken Blackburn as Tar-Palantir, William Chubb as the High Priest of Númenor, Kirsty Hoiles as Niluzor, Benjamin Walker as the voice of Damrod, Nazanin Boniadi as Bronwyn, Gabriel Akuwudike as Hagen, and Murray McArthur as Ammred. Jonny James plays unnamed Orcs in the episode.[24]

Filming

[edit]

Filming for the season began on October 3, 2022,[25] under the working title LBP.[26] Episodes were shot simultaneously based on the availability of locations and sets.[27] Alex Disenhof returned from the first season to work with Brändström as director of photography,[28] alongside Laurie Rose.[29] The production wrapped in early June 2023.[28]

Visual effects

[edit]

Visual effects for the episode were created by Rodeo FX, Outpost VFX, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), DNEG, The Yard VFX, Midas VFX, Monsters Aliens Robots Zombies, Untold Studios, Atomic Arts, and Cantina Creative.[24][30] The different vendors were overseen by visual effects supervisor Jason Smith.[30]

Music

[edit]
Main article: Music of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

A soundtrack album featuring composer Bear McCreary's score for the episode was released digitally on the streaming service Amazon Music on August 29, 2024.[31] McCreary said the series' episodic albums contained "virtually every second of score" from their respective episodes.[32] It will be added to other music streaming services after the full second season is released.[33]

All music is composed by Bear McCreary:

Season Two, Episode Three: The Eagle and the Sceptre – Amazon Original Series Soundtrack
No.TitleLength
1."Shelob's Nest"4:50
2."Númenórean Grief"4:19
3."Enter Damrod" (featuring Jens Kidman)0:57
4."Mithril for Rings"4:14
5."The Road to Pelargir"3:52
6."Funeral Pyre and Reconciliation" (featuring Raya Yarbrough)4:31
7."Isildur and Estrid"3:04
8."The Wild Men"2:02
9."The Great Eagle and the Forging"6:46
10."The Rings of Power – Title Announcement Trailer" (Bonus Track)1:05
11."The Rings of Power – Season Two Overture" (Bonus Track)1:26
12."The Rings of Power – London Premiere Season One Fanfare" (Bonus Track)4:18
Total length:41:24

Release

[edit]

"The Eagle and the Sceptre" premiered on Prime Video in the United States on August 29, 2024.[34] It was released at the same time around the world,[35] in more than 240 countries and territories.[36]

Reception

[edit]

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported that 86% of 7 critics gave the episode a positive review, with an average score of 7.5/10.[37]

Keith Phipps at Vulture gave the episode three stars out of five and said the decision to release the season's first three episodes at once made sense, stating: "Each involves a certain amount of table-setting but also an escalation of the action, particularly in this episode". He highlighted the quick rise and fall of Míriel and felt the series was "ready to really get moving", but was less positive about the number of characters and complex motivations for viewers to keep track of in the Númenórean storyline.[38] Arezou Amin of Collider gave the episode 8 out of 10 and said "the ball [is] well and truly rolling" on the season's stories. She found the politics and scheming of the Númenórean stoyline to be compelling and well told, and was also positive about how nuanced the episode's story of grief and loss is. On the other hand, Amin was critical about how little the Dwarves had to do in the episode.[39]

Writing for Gizmodo, James Whitbrook said the episode did a "noble job" catching up the audience on key plotlines from the first season, and highlighted the story of the Southlanders and their grief following Bronwyn's death. He thought Isildur's encounter with Shelob was "completely unnecessary but suitably creepy". Whitbrook was more critical of how quickly the episode moved from introducing Pharazôn's plotting to having him undermine Míriel at her coronation, feeling that storyline was one the series could have spent more time exploring.[40] Matt Schimkowitz at The A.V. Club praised the episode as the best of the season so far, partially attributing this to the focus on Isildur who is "the closest thing we've got to a regular human on the show". He enjoyed the spider sequence, calling it a "blast", and also enjoyed the introduction of an Orc wife and baby in the episode.[41]

Leon Miller of Polygon felt the episode was "more of the same" from the first season, with some changes from Tolkien's lore that worked in context and others that did not. He said the Pharazôn storyline made the series more interesting, but was concerned that it was not getting the time it needed. Miller had negative thoughts about the Southlanders storyline, feeling its "you're not my dad" scene between Theo and Arondir and the meeting of Isildur and Estrid were both beneath the works of Tolkien. Despite this, he found the episode to be "inexplicably watchable" and thought the same would hold true for all but the "most die-hard Tolkien truthers".[42]

Companion media

[edit]

An episode of the aftershow Inside The Rings of Power for "The Eagle and the Sceptre" was released on August 29, 2024. It features actress Felicia Day, the host of The Official The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Podcast, interviewing cast members Addai-Robinson, Gravelle, and Horvath about the making of the episode, with some behind-the-scenes footage.[43][44]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (November 13, 2017). "Amazon Sets 'The Lord of the Rings' TV Series In Mega Deal With Multi-Season Commitment". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 13, 2017. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  2. ^ Otterson, Joe (January 19, 2022). "'Lord of the Rings' Amazon Series Reveals Full Title in New Video". Variety. Archived from the original on January 19, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  3. ^ Goldberg, Lesley; Kit, Borys (July 28, 2018). "'Lord of the Rings': Amazon Taps 'Star Trek 4' Duo to Develop TV Series". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 28, 2018. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
  4. ^ a b White, Peter (July 27, 2019). "Amazon Sets Creative Team For 'Lord Of The Rings' TV Series Including 'GoT' & 'Breaking Bad' Producers – TCA". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 27, 2019. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  5. ^ Hibberd, James (August 5, 2022). "Peter Jackson Says Amazon's 'Lord of the Rings' TV Series Ghosted Him". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 6, 2022. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
  6. ^ a b c Robinson, Joanna (February 14, 2022). "10 Burning Questions About Amazon's 'The Rings of Power'". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on February 14, 2022. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  7. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (November 18, 2019). "'The Lord Of the Rings' Series Gets Early Season 2 Renewal By Amazon, Sets Season 1 Hiatus". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 19, 2019. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  8. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (August 12, 2021). "'The Lord Of The Rings' To Move Production To UK From New Zealand For Season 2". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 12, 2021. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  9. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (December 14, 2022). "'The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power' Sets All-Female Directing Team, Reveals Episode Count For Season 2". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 14, 2022. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  10. ^ Oller, Jacob (March 7, 2019). "Amazon Confirms Lord of the Rings Show is Second Age Prequel to Films". Syfy Wire. Archived from the original on March 7, 2019. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  11. ^ Watson, Fay; published, Jack Shepherd (June 17, 2024). "Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power showrunners say season 2 is "all about the villains" and everyone might not make it out alive". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on June 17, 2024. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  12. ^ Matadeen, Renaldo (August 31, 2024). "Rings of Power Reveals a Key Part of Sauron's Origin and Makes Adar Scarier". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on August 31, 2024. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  13. ^ Thompson, Avery (December 29, 2022). "Cynthia Addai-Robinson Reveals Why Her 'People We Hate At The Wedding' Role 'Felt Fated' (Exclusive)". Hollywood Life. Archived from the original on December 29, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  14. ^ Lane, Carly (December 1, 2022). "'The Rings of Power': Ismael Cruz Córdova, Markella Kavenagh, & Owain Arthur on Elf Wigs, Mithril, and Season 2". Collider. Archived from the original on December 2, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  15. ^ Radish, Christina (October 9, 2022). "'The Rings of Power's Maxim Baldry on His Favorite On-Set Detail & The Role Grief Plays in Isildur's Arc". Collider. Archived from the original on January 25, 2023. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  16. ^ Hatchett, Keisha (December 17, 2022). "Rings of Power Stars Explain Why Poppy Didn't Go with Nori, Tease the Elrond and Durin Scene You Didn't See". TVLine. Archived from the original on December 17, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  17. ^ Weintraub, Steve (October 18, 2022). "Charles Edwards Talks 'The Rings of Power' Finale, Filming the Creation of the [Spoiler], and Celebrimbor's Storyline". Collider. Archived from the original on January 25, 2023. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  18. ^ a b Leigh, Janet A. (December 23, 2022). "Rings of Power season 2 potential release date - Lord of the Rings". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on December 30, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  19. ^ Pometsey, Olive (December 9, 2022). "Tyroe Muhafidin is The Rings of Power's brightest Gen Z star". The Face. Archived from the original on December 9, 2022. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
  20. ^ Campione, Katie (April 15, 2023). "'Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power' Team Talk Crafting The Look & Sound Of The Second Age, Tease Season 2 – Contenders TV". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 15, 2023. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  21. ^ Barraclough, Leo (June 18, 2023). "'Rings of Power' Cast Slams Racist Backlash at Monte-Carlo Television Festival, Teases 'Action-Packed' Season 2". Variety. Archived from the original on June 18, 2023. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  22. ^ Echebiri, Makuochi (October 15, 2022). "'The Rings of Power': Sauron Actor Teases Season 2 Character Arc". Collider. Archived from the original on January 25, 2023. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  23. ^ Amaya, Erik (March 20, 2023). "Everything We Know About The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on April 2, 2023. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  24. ^ a b Shang, Helen (August 29, 2024). "The Eagle and the Sceptre". The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Season 2. Episode 3. Amazon Prime Video. End credits begin at 1:01:44.
  25. ^ Hibberd, James (October 3, 2022). "'The Rings of Power' Season 2 Starts Production in the U.K." The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 3, 2022. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  26. ^ Prime Video (May 14, 2024). The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power – A Look Inside Season 2 | Prime Video (video). Event occurs at 1:25. Retrieved June 1, 2024 – via YouTube.
  27. ^ Goldfinch, Alexander (February 14, 2023). "Charlotte Brändström: "Väldigt spännande att få jobba med Christoph Waltz"". MovieZine (in Swedish). Archived from the original on February 25, 2023. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  28. ^ a b Grobar, Matt (June 21, 2023). "'LOTR: The Rings Of Power' Director Charlotte Brändström & Production Designer Ramsey Avery On Lighting's Role In Helping Viewer To Navigate Middle-Earth And A "Darker And More Dramatic" Season 2 – The Process". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 21, 2023. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  29. ^ "Who, What, When & Where". Cinematography World. No. 12, November 2022. p. 22. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  30. ^ a b Frei, Vincent (August 26, 2024). "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power - Season 2". The Art of VFX. Archived from the original on August 30, 2024. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
  31. ^ "'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' Season 2, Episodes 1-3 Soundtrack Albums Details". Film Music Reporter. August 28, 2024. Archived from the original on August 29, 2024. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
  32. ^ McCreary, Bear [@bearmccreary] (September 2, 2022). "For the episodic albums, you get a playlist much closer to the narrative arc of each episode. Virtually every second of score is here. Some cues have been combined into suites to create continuous musical tracks (keeping Harfoot cues together, Elven cues together, and so on)" (Tweet). Archived from the original on September 3, 2022. Retrieved September 3, 2022 – via Twitter.
  33. ^ McCreary, Bear [@bearmccreary] (August 30, 2024). "Just dropped 3 new soundtrack albums for #TheLordOfTheRings, one for each new episode. Bonus Tracks: 2 Comic Con overtures, London premiere fanfare, and the title reveal trailer! Exclusively on @amazonmusic until the finale, after which they stream everywhere!" (Tweet). Archived from the original on August 30, 2024. Retrieved August 30, 2024 – via Twitter.
  34. ^ Toby, Mekeisha Madden (May 14, 2024). "'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' Season Two trailer and release date revealed". About Amazon. Archived from the original on May 14, 2024. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  35. ^ "'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings Of Power'; Prime Video Reveals Rollout Schedule". Deadline Hollywood. August 16, 2022. Archived from the original on August 16, 2022. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  36. ^ Bradley, Bill (September 2, 2022). "How The Rings of Power Showrunners Handled a Massive Global Debut". Adweek. Archived from the original on September 4, 2022. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
  37. ^ "The Eagle and the Sceptre". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  38. ^ Phipps, Keith (August 29, 2024). "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Recap: When Coronations Go Wrong". Vulture. Archived from the original on August 29, 2024. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  39. ^ Amin, Arezou (August 29, 2024). "'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' Season 2 Episode 3 Recap: The Return of the Queen". Collider. Archived from the original on August 29, 2024. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  40. ^ Whitbrook, James (August 29, 2024). "Rings of Power Season 2 Premiere Recap: Doom Is Coming". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on August 29, 2024. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  41. ^ Schimkowitz, Matt (August 29, 2024). "The Rings Of Power returns with an expansive, violent, and big-hearted premiere". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on August 29, 2024. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  42. ^ Miller, Leon (August 29, 2024). "Rings of Power season 2 still can't quite get Tolkien's world right". Polygon. Archived from the original on August 29, 2024. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  43. ^ Day, Felicia (August 29, 2024). Inside The Rings of Power S2, E3 | The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power | Prime Video. Amazon Prime Video (video). Retrieved August 30, 2024 – via YouTube.
  44. ^ Behbakht, Andy (October 7, 2022). "Superfan Felicia Day To Host Official Rings of Power Podcast [Exclusive]". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on October 8, 2022. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
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