Rings of Power episode 4 recap: Is Númenor doomed by the Great Wave?

By Lewis Knight

Published: Friday, 16 September 2022 at 12:00 am

It would appear that a dark future awaits the kingdom of Númenor.

Last week’s third episode of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power on Amazon Prime Video saw Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) and her enigmatic human companion Halbrand (Charlie Vickers) arrive at the island kingdom of Númenor – but they did not receive the warmest of welcomes.

However, an unlikely ally emerged in the form of the sea captain named Elendil (Lloyd Owen).

The previous episode introduced an antagonist named Adar (Joseph Mawle) who is ravaging the Southlands with Orc tunnels, and soon the Elf Arondir (Ismael Cruz Córdova) is to be brought before him.

Will the people of the Southlands survive what coming darkness awaits them? And will Sauron finally show himself?

Be warned: spoilers are coming.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power episode 4 recap – The Great Wave

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Morfydd Clark as Galadriel, Lloyd Owen as Captain Elendil, and Cynthia Addai-Robinson as Queen Regent Míriel in The Rings of Power.
Matt Grace/Prime Video

In Númenor, Queen Regent Míriel (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) blesses some of the children of the Island Kingdom when a catastrophic rumbling is heard. A great wave then approaches and smashes through the kingdom, soon engulfing the palace and Míriel. The Queen Regent then awakens, for it was a dream.

In the streets of the city, complaints about Halbrand and Galadriel are heard. Pharazôn (Trystan Gravelle) walks the streets and connects with people, speaking on statecraft with his son Kemen (Leon Wadham). Meanwhile, complaints are made about Elves in the kingdom and Míriel being friends with an Elf.

However, a mighty speech from Pharazôn quells the resistance as he shows skills as a mighty orator and offers drinks to the people. Elendil’s daughter Eärien (Ema Horvath) listens intently among the crowd and is approached by Kemen.

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Maxim Baldry as Isildur in The Rings of Power.
Courtesy of Prime Video

Galadriel and Elendil pay a visit to Míriel with the scrolls and warnings, noting her theory that Halbrand is the heir to the throne of the Southlands. Galadriel suggests Míriel joins the Southlands and have Númenor aid in the fight against Sauron. Míriel turns her down, so Galadriel asks to see the Queen Regent’s father, prompting an argument. She is imprisoned in a cell beside Halbrand.

On the boat during his sailing cadet test, Isildur (Maxim Baldry) hears a voice calling his name again, and he then drops out of the cadets, prompting his friends Ontamo (Anthony Crum) and Valandil (Alex Tarrant) to be disqualified from the cadets, too. They all argue afterwards and Isildur walks away from them. 

In the Orc camp in the Southlands, Arondir witnesses Adar hold a dying Orc and finishing it off. Adar recalls his own life as an Elf. Arondir asks Adar why the Orcs call him “Father”, but Adar responds that Arondir has been fed many lies. Adar reveals that he is no God – not yet. He frees Arondir to go to his old Watchtower with a message.

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Theo (Tyroe Muhafidin, centre-left) and Bronwyn (Nazanin Boniadi, centre-right) in The Rings of Power.
Courtesy of Prime Video

In the Watchtower, Bronwyn (Nazanin Boniadi) speaks with Tredwill (Peter Tait) and Waldreg (Geoff Morrell) from the Southlands as they realise they are low on food supplies. Bronwyn’s son Theo (Tyroe Muhafidin) suggests they sneak back to the village of Tirharad to get supplies, but Bronwyn suggests foraging first. Theo is angry at not acting.

Along with his friend Rowan (Ian Blackburn), Theo heads back to Tirharad alone and collects food supplies. After Rowan refuses, Theo enters a tavern alone for more food, when the door closes.

As the sun goes down, Rowan flees back to the Watchtower, leaving Theo inside the tavern when an Orc attacker emerges. Theo pulls out the cursed hilt and burns himself with it, prompting more of the weapon to emerge as a sword and he cuts the Orc’s finger off. Theo flees and hides in a well as Orcs raid the village. Staring down the well, the Orc thinks he has found Theo, but he hides beneath the water.

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Charles Edwards as Lord Celebrimbor and Robert Aramayo as Elrond in The Rings of Power.
Ben Rothstein/Prime Video

In the city of Elven smiths in Eregion, Elrond (Robert Aramayo) sits with Lord Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) and they discuss Elrond’s father and how he once noted how Celebrimbor’s future would one day rest in hands of his son. Elrond feels Prince Durin IV is hiding something from him, prompting Celebrimbor to suggest he seeks the truth.

In the mines of Khazad-dûm, Elrond enquires about what is happening with Princess Disa (Sophia Nomvete) and he can tell something is being hidden. Elrond investigates the awe-inspiring mines and finds a suspicious Prince Durin IV (Owain Arthur) inside, who swears Elrond to secrecy and shows him a miracle ore named Mithril which could transform the lives of Dwarves with its valuable strength and properties. It is stronger than gold. The Prince lets Elrond keep some as a token of friendship before chaos breaks out in the mines as a collapse occurs, prompting them to go down to save four Dwarves.

In Númenor, Kemen and Eärien speak and grow closer, even agreeing to have dinner.

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Robert Aramayo as Elrond and Owain Arthur as Prince Durin IV in The Rings of Power.
Ben Rothstein/Prime Video

In the dungeons, Galadriel is pacing and Halbrand advises her to identify what the Queen Regent fears the most and offer a way to provide it to her. Galadriel realises that the fear involves Míriel’s deposed father, the King in the Tower, Tar-Palantir. Pharazôn arrives and reveals that the Queen Regent has decided to ship Galadriel back to the Elves under an armed escort. Galadriel is released but breaks free and beats the guards. Pharazôn lets her go after Halbrand advises him to.

On her way home from dinner, Eärien spots her brother Isildur drinking and he fills her in on what happened, when chaos erupts over Galadriel’s escape.

Galadriel breaks into the Tower and finds the sick Tar-Palantir (Ken Blackburn) in bed and Míriel inside, advising her to go willingly from Númenor. Galadriel is touched by the scene and apologises, agreeing to keep the King a secret. Galadriel asks why Míriel is not loyal to the Elvish ways like her father. The Queen Regent explained how her father’s strong beliefs prompted rebellion and the agreement for him to step down and her to rule as Regent.

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Morfydd Clark as Galadriel before the Palantir in The Rings of Power.
Courtesy of Amazon Studios

Míriel then shows Galadriel a Palantir. Galadriel touches it and witnesses the future destruction of Númenor in a Great Wave, noting that her arrival is the start of the vision of Númenor’s downfall. However, Galadriel notes that trying to avoid this fate for the kingdom may bring it about. Galadriel begs Míriel not to give in to fear and to show faith instead, but the Queen Regent does not believe it can be done.

At the Watchtower, food has run out, but Rowan returns with supplies and Bronwyn notes Theo’s absence.

In Tirharad, the Orcs search for Theo who hides from them. They begin fighting amongst themselves as Theo attempts to escape the town, but is found by an Orc who begins to attack him. However, it is killed by Arondir and they flee through the forest as Orcs chase after them. Arondir shoots at their pursuers with arrows as he tells Theo to run. Bronwyn arrives and she flees with Theo while Arondir follows but shoots at the Orcs behind them.

Arriving at a field, Arondir, Bronwyn and Theo are saved as the rise of the sun prevents the Orcs from chasing after them.

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Orcs, as depicted in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
Ben Rothstein/Prime Video

In Khazad-dûm, Princess Disa leads a ritual for the Dwarves beneath the rocks and hopes that they return alive. Disa fears that if Durin IV hadn’t gone down there with Elrond, they wouldn’t have died, but Elrond says she was loyal to her husband. Durin IV returns and he and all the miners are alive, but King Durin III is shutting the mine down, prompting the Prince to become furious. Elrond recalls the glorious actions and reward of his father Eärendil and how he could live up to him, but notes how he misses his father and how the Prince should not waste any time with his own. Disa asks Elrond how he met the Prince. Durin had claimed he saved Elrond from two trolls, but Elrond said he saved Durin from three trolls.

Visiting his father, Prince Durin IV apologises for his stubbornness. The King (Peter Mullan) says how when a new Dwarven king is crowned, he takes on the thoughts and memories of his forbearers – but the King notes that he is forever with him, even in anger, and that there is nothing to forgive. The Prince reveals that Elrond has invited him to Lindon with apparently honest messages from High King Gil-galad, but both father and son feel there is more to it. The King tells his son to go to Lindon.

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Sophia Nomvete as Princess Disa (centre) leading a ceremony in The Rings of Power.
Ben Rothstein/Prime Video

At the Watchtower, Bronwyn thanks Arondir for saving Theo. Arondir reveals the message from Adar: the people of these ones swear fealty or he is coming for them all. Meanwhile, Theo pulls out the evil hilt from the barn when he is approached by Waldreg – whose barn it belonged to and who possessed the hilt – and reveals that he has the same mark from when he held it. The old man tells him it’s the mark of the beautiful servant, Sauron, and he is returning. Waldreg notes that the fall of the star in the sky was a sign of Sauron’s return.

In the Orc camp, one approaches Adar and notes they have “found it” and it lies in the Tower.

At the harbour of Númenor, Galadriel boards a ship and locks eyes with Míriel and is bid farewell by Elendil. Pharazôn notes to the Queen Regent that the people will be relieved and will be gathering for her announcement. The pair leave, but a conflicted Elendil watches. As Míriel walks, the leaves of their White Tree shed as they did in the apocalyptic visions in the Palantir – meaning doom appears to be on the way regardless.

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Cynthia Addai-Robinson as Queen Regent Míriel and Morfydd Clark as Galadriel in The Rings of Power.
Matt Grace/Prime Video

In a grand speech to her people in the palace throne room, Míriel notes that the leaves symbolise the tears of the Valar and their judgment, and notes how they all now need to take action. On the city walls, Halbrand is seen walking free. As Galadriel emerges in the throne room, Míriel comments that she will personally escort the Elf to Middle-earth and aid the Southlands.

In the courtyard, Elendil reads the proclamation from the Queen Regent and asks for volunteers to fight in the Southlands, and they are led by Isildur’s friends Ontamo and Valandil before Isildur himself volunteers too, to his father and Eärien’s surprise. Many across Númenor begin to volunteer to help aid Míriel and Galadriel and venture to Middle-earth.

Read more on The Rings of Power:

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