'Rings of Power' Episode 7 review: The calm before the storm

The seventh episode of 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' is ominously titled 'The Eye', which could refer to a couple of things, none of them good. In the last episode, 'Udûn', Adar revealed his plan. He and his orcs basically used the river water to force the magma to erupt from the Orodruin mountain, turning into the Mount Doom we know and the surrounding forest into a scorched wasteland of ash. In 'The Eye', the peoples of Middle-earth deal with the far-reaching ramifications of the eruption.

The aftermathof Mount Doom eruption

The survivors of the battle, the Southlanders and the Númenóreans retreat back to a safer, more verdant region. The episode opens with a scene of utter destruction. Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) wakes up (of course she survived). She is caked in dusty ash. She finds Theo (Tyroe Muhafidin), the son of Bronwyn (Nazanin Boniadi) and they together walk to the Númenórean camp. There is no sign of Isildur (Maxim Baldry) and thus his father Elendil (Lloyd Owen) is grumpy.

The Queen Regent Miriel (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) has lost her eyesight. The whole situation is dire. The Númenóreans, or at least Miriel, promise to return to fight Adar (and Sauron, wherever he is).

Harfoots

Meanwhile, proto-Hobbits that are the Harfoots are weaving through a land that is starkly contrasted to the charred Southlands. However, even they encounter signs of evil when trees are found burnt. Perhaps a few pyroclasts landed there or perhaps signs of Sauron's rise are being seen everywhere on Middle-earth. Meanwhile, the probably-Gandalf, called The Stranger (Daniel Weyman), who fell out of the sky tries to revive a burnt tree, but due to his clumsy ways almost kills Nori (Markella Kavenagh). He is exiled.

Remember the sinister, pale-clothed trio? They are hunting for the Stranger for their own aims, and find the Harfoots. They burn their carts, essentially rendering them homeless. Even the quiet-loving harfoots cannot escape the evil for long.

Of dwarves and elves

Despite appeals by Elrond (Robert Aramayo) and Prince Durin (Owain Arthur), the dwarven king of Moria refuses to grant elves Mithril that they need for survival. The two friends try to dig it up themselves and are surprised to find immense reserves of the substance. But they are caught by the king. Before Elrond and Durin are taken away, however, we see a certain Balrog, the fiery Maiar with immense power, who will be come to be called Durin's Bane during the events of 'The Lord of the Rings'.

What to expect in the finale

'Rings of Power' Episode 7 sets up a riveting finale, and we should see who and where Sauron really has been all this time. And also whether he is somebody we know already (Halbrand) or not. There will likely be a battle, though not the giant one we will see before the series ends when elves and men will reunite to take on Sauron's forces. The finale will be worth watching, but it will likely by quieter than the sixth episode.

'Rings of Power' streams on Amazon Prime Video.