Wikipedia

Doomed to Die (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power)

"Doomed to Die" is the seventh 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 depicts the Siege of Eregion. It was written by showrunners J. D. Payne and Patrick McKay, and Justin Doble, and directed by Charlotte Brändström.

"Doomed to Die"
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power episode
Cover art for the episode's soundtrack album
Episode no.Season 2
Episode 7
Directed byCharlotte Brändström
Written by
Featured music"The Last Ballad of Damrod"
by Jens Kidman
Cinematography byAlex Disenhof
Editing byJoel Skinner
Original release dateSeptember 26, 2024 (2024-09-26)
Running time72 minutes
Cast
Episode chronology
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The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2
List of episodes

Payne and 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. Production on the season wrapped in June 2023.

"Doomed to Die" premiered on the streaming service Amazon Prime Video on September 26, 2024.

Plot

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Celebrimbor creates nine Rings of Power for Men, not knowing that Eregion is under attack from across the river that surrounds the city. He begins to notice signs that he is trapped in an illusion. As Sauron, posing as Annatar, discusses the defense of the city with its Elven soldiers, Adar orders his Orcs to aim their trebuchets at the mountains beyond the city. They cause a rockslide that blocks the river upstream, allowing the Orcs to assault the city's walls on foot.

Elrond comes to Khazad-dûm and asks Prince Durin IV to send aid to Eregion. King Durin III attacks Disa and Narvi in an attempt to mine more mithril. Concerned that his father's actions could lead to the evil beneath the mines being awoken, Durin IV prioritizes stopping him and decides not to send their army to Eregion.

Celebrimbor confronts Annatar and the latter ends the illusion, revealing the battle and that Celebrimbor has made the nine rings using Sauron's blood rather than mithril. Celebrimbor tries to warn his soldiers about Sauron, but the latter has convinced them that Celebrimbor is mentally unwell and makes it look like Celebrimbor pushes the smith Mirdania from the city walls to her death. Celebrimbor is imprisoned in his forge, where Sauron promises to spare the city if the nine rings are completed.

Elrond, High King Gil-galad, and the forces of Lindon arrive at Eregion to find the Orcs holding Galadriel hostage. Elrond attempts to negotiate her release, but refuses to hand over her ring, Nenya, to Adar. Elrond kisses Galadriel as cover to give her a pin that she can use to escape her shackles. The Elves continue their attack. That night, Galadriel attempts to escape while Adar and the Orcs are mourning their dead. She is saved from some Orcs by Arondir and the pair sneak into Eregion.

Celebrimbor attempts to escape with the nine rings and is captured by his soldiers. Galadriel finds them and convinces the soldiers that Celebrimbor has been telling the truth. He gives her the nine rings and takes the soldiers to delay Sauron. Elrond, Arondir, and Gil-galad kill the Hill-troll Damrod. As the sun rises, a small number of Elves are faced with a new wave of Orcs led by Adar. Elrond is disappointed when Durin IV does not arrive. Adar stabs Arondir and takes Nenya from Elrond.

Production

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Development

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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 Justin Doble 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 seventh episode, titled "Doomed to Die",[12] was written by Payne, McKay, and Doble, and directed by Brändström.[13]

Casting

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Further information: List of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power characters

The series' cast includes Robert Aramayo as Elrond,[14] Owain Arthur as Durin IV,[15] Morfydd Clark as Galadriel,[16] Ismael Cruz Córdova as Arondir,[17] Charles Edwards as Celebrimbor,[18] Sophia Nomvete as Disa,[19] Charlie Vickers as Sauron,[20] and Benjamin Walker as Gil-galad.[21] Also starring in the episode are Peter Mullan as Durin III, Amelia Kenworthy as Mirdania, Kevin Eldon as Narvi, Sam Hazeldine as Adar, Kai Martin as Zhor, Simon Haines as Malendol, Selina Lo as Rían, Robert Strange as Glûg, Charlie Rix as Vorohil, and Jason Smith as the voice of Damrod. Mark Archer, Bridie Sisson, and Stephen Shanly play unnamed Orcs in the episode.[22]

Filming

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Filming for the season began on October 3, 2022,[23] under the working title LBP.[24] Episodes were shot simultaneously based on the availability of locations and sets.[25] Alex Disenhof returned from the first season to work with Brändström as director of photography.[26] Vic Armstrong was the stunt coordinator and second unit director for the season.[27] The production wrapped in early June 2023.[26]

Visual effects

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Visual effects for the episode were created by DNEG, Outpost VFX, The Yard VFX, Midas VFX, Monsters Aliens Robots Zombies, Untold Studios, Atomic Arts, and Cantina Creative.[22][28] The different vendors were overseen by visual effects supervisor Jason Smith.[28]

Music

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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 September 26, 2024.[29] McCreary said the series' episodic albums contained "virtually every second of score" from their respective episodes.[30] It will be added to other music streaming services after the full second season is released.[31]

All music is composed by Bear McCreary:

Season Two, Episode Seven: Doomed to Die – Amazon Original Series Soundtrack
No.TitleLength
1."Nine for Mortal Men"6:00
2."Shattered Illusion"2:39
3."The Battle for Eregion Begins"7:22
4."Dwarven Loyalty"5:19
5."The Orc Camp"5:07
6."The Light of Celebrimbor"5:26
7."War at the Wall"3:57
8."Damrod" (featuring Jens Kidman)3:46
9."Never Make War in Anger"5:31
Total length:45:07

Release

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"Doomed to Die" premiered on Prime Video in the United States on September 26, 2024.[32] It was released at the same time around the world,[33] in more than 240 countries and territories.[34]

Reception

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The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes calculated that 100% of 8 critics reviews were positive and the average rating for the episode was 8.5 out of 10.[35]

Matt Schimkowitz of The A.V. Club graded the episode an "A-" and said it "raises the show to exhilarating new heights". He specifically praised Brändström's direction, the use of the series' large budget to realize the battle sequences, and Edwards's performance as Celebrimbor.[12] Reviewing the episode for Polygon, Leon Miller praised it as the best of the season and possibly the series, specifically for its thematic clarity and character development which he felt was allowed by the focus on just the Siege of Eregion and related scenes in Khazad-dûm. Miller lamented that the rest of the season could not be so focused due to the number of different storylines. He also praised the work done by Armstrong and the writers in designing unique action moments that allowed the episode to stand out from previous The Lord of the Rings battle sequences.[13] Samantha Nelson at IGN gave the episode 8 out of 10 and called it the best of the season, though she did not think it bested the "dramatic twists of fortune" in the first season's "Udûn". Similar to Miller, Nelson attributed the episode's success to its focus on Eregion and expressed concern that the season finale would not be able to match this with the number of storylines needed to be resolved by the end of the season. She praised the episode's action and character moments.[36]

Vulture's Keith Phipps gave the episode four stars out of five and agreed that it was the best of the season, praising the pacing and saying "every piece here fits together" unlike some episodes of the series. He felt the Siege of Eregion did not reach the heights of the Battle of Helm's Deep depicted in Jackson's The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) but said it was "an impressive piece of work in its own right, establishing a clear sense of space and then letting all hell break loose within it".[37] James Whitbrook at Gizmodo was positive about the action sequences, calling them "the most sumptuous and grandly scaled fight material" of the series so far, but was even more positive about the character moments. He highlighted the agency that is given to Celebrimbor after he learns about Sauron's deception, saying it brought "Lord of the Rings-ian sincerity and hope" along with dramatic weight, along with the scenes in Khazad-dûm, the fight with Damrod, and the cliffhanger ending. In contrast, he was critical of the scene where Elrond negotiates with Adar and kisses Galadriel, finding it to be poorly timed during the action and calling the kiss "an odd twist to their relationship" despite the justification that it is done as a distraction.[38] Writing for Collider, Arezou Amin gave the episode 7 out of 10. She praised the revelation of Sauron's deception to Celebrimbor and the reunion between Elrond and Durin, but felt the scene between Galadriel and Celebrimbor highlighted the lack of development for Galadriel's relationship with Sauron in the season.[39]

Companion media

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An episode of the aftershow Inside The Rings of Power for "Doomed to Die" was released on September 26, 2024. It features actress Felicia Day, the host of The Official The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Podcast, interviewing the showrunners, crew members Brändström, Armstrong, and Smith, and cast members Clark, Aramayo, and Hazeldine about the making of the episode, with some behind-the-scenes footage.[40][41]

References

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  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.
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  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. ^ a b Schimkowitz, Matt (September 26, 2024). "Rings Of Power stages its bloodiest battle yet". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on September 26, 2024. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  13. ^ a b Miller, Leon (September 26, 2024). "The Rings of Power's best episode is built on sacrifice". Polygon. Archived from the original on September 26, 2024. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  14. ^ 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.
  15. ^ 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.
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  17. ^ 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.
  18. ^ 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.
  19. ^ 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.
  20. ^ 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.
  21. ^ Hermanns, Grant (November 28, 2022). "Benjamin Walker Interview: DIAGEO Whisky & The Rings of Power". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on November 28, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  22. ^ a b Payne, J. D.; McKay, Patrick; Doble, Justin (September 26, 2024). "Doomed to Die". The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Season 2. Episode 7. Amazon Prime Video. End credits begin at 1:08:55.
  23. ^ 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.
  24. ^ 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.
  25. ^ 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.
  26. ^ 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.
  27. ^ Ritman, Alex (December 18, 2022). "'The Rings of Power' Stunt Coordinator Vic Armstrong Sampled Some of His Greatest Hits for the 'Lord of the Rings' Prequel". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 18, 2022. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
  28. ^ 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.
  29. ^ "'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' Season 2, Episode 7 ('Doomed to Die') Soundtrack Albums Details". Film Music Reporter. September 25, 2024. Archived from the original on September 25, 2024. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  30. ^ 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.
  31. ^ 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.
  32. ^ 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.
  33. ^ "'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.
  34. ^ 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.
  35. ^ "Doomed to Die". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  36. ^ Nelson, Samantha (September 26, 2024). "The Lord of the Rings Season 2, Episode 7 Review". IGN. Archived from the original on September 26, 2024. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  37. ^ Phipps, Keith (September 26, 2024). "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Recap: Under Siege". Vulture. Archived from the original on September 26, 2024. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  38. ^ Whitbrook, James (September 26, 2024). "Rings of Power's Grand Spectacle Hides Its Realest Riches". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on September 26, 2024. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  39. ^ Amin, Arezou (September 26, 2024). "'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' Season 2 Episode 7 Recap: War Comes to Eregion". Collider. Archived from the original on September 27, 2024. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  40. ^ Day, Felicia (September 26, 2024). Inside The Rings of Power S2, E7 | The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power | Prime Video. Amazon Prime Video (video). Retrieved September 27, 2024 – via YouTube.
  41. ^ 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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