Wikipedia

Halls of Stone

"Halls of Stone" is the fifth 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 explores the reactions of the Dwarves to their Rings of Power. It was written by Nicholas Adams and directed by Louise Hooper and Sanaa Hamri.

"Halls of Stone"
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power episode
Cover art for the episode's soundtrack album
Episode no.Season 2
Episode 5
Directed by
Written byNicholas Adams
Cinematography by
Editing byDan Crinnion
Original release dateSeptember 12, 2024 (2024-09-12)
Running time61 minutes
Cast
Episode chronology
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The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2
List of episodes

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 Hooper and Hamri joining the series to direct multiple episodes. Production on the season wrapped in June 2023.

"Halls of Stone" premiered on the streaming service Amazon Prime Video on September 12, 2024.

Plot

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King Durin III uses one of the new Rings of Power for Dwarves to help rebuild their infrastructure and bring sunlight back to Khazad-dûm. The ring also makes the king greedy: he plans to delve deeper for riches, and requires the other Dwarf lords to give him half of their riches in exchange for the other Rings of Power. Disa discovers that there is something evil living beneath the mines and Durin IV warns his father to stop the mining, but Durin III dismisses their concerns. He reinstates Durin IV as his heir.

In Eregion, Celebrimbor and the Dwarf Narvi celebrate the supposed success of the Dwarven rings by unveiling a new gate for Khazad-dûm, the Doors of Durin. Sauron, posing as Annatar, insists that they start work on Rings of Power for Men. Celebrimbor refuses to be involved, believing the risk of corruption with Men to be too high. While testing new ring designs with Annatar, Elven-smith Mirdania is transported to the unseen world and sees his true form. He convinces her that she actually saw Celebrimbor.

The new king of Númenor, Ar-Pharazôn, tasks his son Kemen with cracking down on members of the Faithful who remain loyal to former Queen Regent Míriel. He interrupts a memorial service that Elendil and other members of the Faithful are holding in Númenor's oldest shrine. When Kemen destroys a sacred relic, Elendil lashes out. This leads to a fight between Valandil, the friend of Elendil's son Isildur, and Kemen that ends with Kemen killing Valandil. Elendil is blamed for starting a riot and arrested.

Durin IV meets with Celebrimbor to express his concerns about the Dwarven rings, and Celebrimbor confronts Annatar to ask whether anything was done to the Dwarven rings that was not done to the Elven rings. Annatar notes that Celebrimbor lied to High King Gil-galad about making the Dwarven rings, suggesting that Celebrimbor's deception has caused any negative impacts arising from the Dwarven rings. Celebrimbor agrees to help make rings for Men in an attempt to redeem his work on the Dwarven rings.

Elrond returns to Lindon and warns Gil-galad that Adar's Orc army are marching to Eregion. Gil-galad realizes that Sauron has been manipulating them and believes the Elves cannot defeat him and Adar alone. As the Orcs arrive at the city, Adar proposes an alliance between himself and his prisoner, Galadriel.

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] 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 fifth episode, titled "Halls of Stone",[12] was written by Nicholas Adams and directed by Hooper and Hamri.[13]

Casting

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

The series' cast includes Cynthia Addai-Robinson as Míriel,[14] Robert Aramayo as Elrond,[15] Owain Arthur as Durin IV,[16] Morfydd Clark as Galadriel,[17] Charles Edwards as Celebrimbor,[18] Trystan Gravelle as Ar-Pharazôn,[15] Ema Horvath as Eärien,[15] Sophia Nomvete as Disa,[19] Lloyd Owen as Elendil,[20] Charlie Vickers as Sauron,[21] Leon Wadham as Kemen,[22] and Benjamin Walker as Gil-galad.[23] Also starring in the episode are Peter Mullan as Durin III, Kevin Eldon as Narvi, Amelia Kenworthy as Mirdania, Alex Tarrant as Valandil, Calam Lynch as Camnir, Sam Hazeldine as Adar, Rachel Payne as Brenna, Laura Jane Matthewson as Revna, Jeany Spark as the Commander of the South, Selina Lo as Rían, Charlie Rix as Vorohil, William Chubb as the High Priest of Númenor, Kai Martin as Zhor, and Robert Strange as Glûg.[24]

Filming

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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] Directors of photography included Laurie Rose and Jean-Philippe Gossart.[28] The production wrapped in early June 2023.[29]

Visual effects

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Visual effects for the episode were created by The Yard VFX, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), DNEG, Outpost VFX, Rodeo FX, 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

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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 12, 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.[31]

All music is composed by Bear McCreary:

Season Two, Episode Five: Halls of Stone – Amazon Original Series Soundtrack
No.TitleLength
1."Seven for the Dwarf-lords"4:47
2."Unveiling the Doors of Durin"3:16
3."Gazing to Eressëa"5:35
4."Gil-galad's Vision"2:12
5."Disa in the Depths"4:35
6."Mirdania Emerges"3:33
7."Assault on the Faithful" (featuring Clydene Jackson)4:42
8."Deceit in the Craft"9:05
9."Sauron's Design"2:26
Total length:40:11

Release

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"Halls of Stone" premiered on Prime Video in the United States on September 12, 2024.[33] It was released at the same time around the world,[34] in more than 240 countries and territories.[35]

Reception

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The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes calculated that 90% of 10 critics reviews were positive and the average rating for the episode was 6.9 out of 10.[36]

Leon Miller of Polygon praised the episode as the best of the season so far and highlighted its focus on Sauron's ability to manipulate others, a key element for the character during the Second Age that is not explored in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings or Jackson's films. He added that the episode was a "solid platform" for the rest of the season to build on.[13] Reviewing the episode for The A.V. Club, Matt Schimkowitz graded it a "B-" and praised the performances of Vickers and Edwards. He said the episode was "a little heavy on plot and light on spectacle" and felt the main storyline was moving "a little quickly for Tolkien", but found Sauron's deception of Celebrimbor to be more fun than the first season's story due to the audience being aware of Sauron's plans. Schimkowitz also found the Númenor scenes to be effective due to "the shorthand of Kemen being a total prick", despite there being little time in the episode and season dedicated to that storyline.[12] Samantha Nelson at IGN gave the episode 7 out of 10 and also said it was the best of the season so far, attributing this to it not including the season's Southlanders and Rhûn storylines. She praised the episode's main story and the performances of Vickers and Edwards, but thought the strength of their scenes showed how "one dimensional" the Númenor characters are.[37]

Collider's Arezou Amin gave the episode 8 out of 10 and praised the way it brought the stakes of the season's plotlines together and focused on Sauron's manipulations of different characters.[38] Keith Phipps of Vulture gave the episode three stars out of five and said the main storyline was compelling and intense, while the scenes in Númenor were less so and came across as simplistic with the "straight-up sneering villainous turns from Kemen and Eärien". He found the episode to be well-plotted despite inconsistencies in the time it took different characters to travel between locations.[39] Writing for Gizmodo, James Whitbrook said the increase of pace in the episode was "a kick up the rear Rings of Power needed to get this season into high gear", but he felt it came at the expense of rushing key storylines: King Durin III becoming corrupted by his ring, Sauron's manipulations of Celebrimbor leading to his downfall, and the rising civil war in Númenor. Whitbrook partially attributed this to the showrunners' decision to condense the events of the Second Age into a short period of time, meaning events that take place over centuries in Tolkien's history have to play out far quicker in the series. He said the series needed to "find a middle-ground to actually develop its characters [or] the impact of the spectacle to come is going to be blunted".[40]

Companion media

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An episode of the aftershow Inside The Rings of Power for "Halls of Stone" was released on September 12, 2024. It features actress Felicia Day, the host of The Official The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Podcast, interviewing the showrunners and cast members Arthur and Owen about the making of the episode, with some behind-the-scenes footage.[41][42]

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. ^ 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.
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  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.
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  24. ^ a b Adams, Nicholas (September 12, 2024). "Halls of Stone". The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Season 2. Episode 5. Amazon Prime Video. End credits begin at 56:13.
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  28. ^ "Who, What, When & Where". Cinematography World. No. 12, November 2022. p. 22. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  29. ^ 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.
  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. ^ a b "'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' Season 2, Episode 5 ('Halls of Stone') Soundtrack Albums Details". Film Music Reporter. September 11, 2024. Archived from the original on September 11, 2024. Retrieved September 13, 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. ^ 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.
  34. ^ "'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.
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  36. ^ "Halls of Stone". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved September 13, 2024.
  37. ^ Nelson, Samantha (September 12, 2024). "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2, Episode 5 Review – "Halls of Stone"". IGN. Archived from the original on September 12, 2024. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
  38. ^ Amin, Arezou (September 12, 2024). "'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' Season 2 Episode 5 Recap: Gaslight, Gatekeep, Galadriel". Collider. Archived from the original on September 14, 2024. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
  39. ^ Phipps, Keith (September 12, 2024). "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Recap: No, You Ruined the Rings of Power!". Vulture. Archived from the original on September 12, 2024. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
  40. ^ Whitbrook, James (September 12, 2024). "Rings of Power Is Smashing a Pick Axe Into Its Slowly Formed Cracks". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on September 12, 2024. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
  41. ^ Day, Felicia (September 12, 2024). Inside The Rings of Power S2, E5 | The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power | Prime Video. Amazon Prime Video (video). Retrieved September 13, 2024 – via YouTube.
  42. ^ 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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