The Rings of Power (Season 1), Episode 7 “The Eye”, Recap & Ending Explained: In hindsight, viewers may look back at season 1 of Rings of Power and see it as a decent enough setup. The five-season project had a rough start and seemed to be burdened under the pressure of its legendary cinematic predecessors. But after episode 5, things have turned around. Only slightly, but the plot in the series has surely picked up. Episode 7, though, once again brought the blues black. Without any plausible plot or character progression, we mostly had to be content picking up in the aftermath of the brilliant episode 6. There is hardly any ambition to move forward, leaving the finale with a lot of work to do.
The viewership for the show has already been stressed and if the writers do not have anything different lined up ahead, the second season can be in jeopardy. Here is our recap of Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’s episode 7, ‘The Eye’s recap and ending explainer.
The Rings of Power (Season 1), Episode 7 “The Eye” Recap
The first few minutes of “The Eye” allow Galadriel and others to soak in the aftereffects of the volcanic ash eruption. The pyroclastic cloud envelops the real entirely and the ash soot covers a recovering Galadriel. Theo finds her while looking for Bronwyn and sticks with her as they look for the Queen and other Numenorians. The visual style is akin to Blade Runner 2047 and looks gorgeous. Some great work by the set and design and special effects teams. Ontamo, Isildur and Valandil’s best friend unfortunately dies in a crumbled house. The Queen calls them to help a little girl stuck inside another. But the rescue bit goes awry as an unexpected fire breaks out and kills the girl.
The Harfoot community reaches Greenwood Bay, where they usually stop and relish fruits borne by trees. There is plenty to eat, they anticipate, but the reality dampens their spirits. They find all the fruit on the trees has turned rotten and inconsumable. Sadoc takes this as an indication that there is a new evil rising. His grandfather had told him when he was little that the secret fire rocks start emerging on the surface like they have when something bad is about to happen and a war between good and evil ensues. The Harfoots all look at The Stranger to do something like he did previously with the wolves. Nori is reluctant but asks him anyway. He starts chanting a spell while holding the tree and it seems like the plan is working.
Dilly, a smaller Harfoot (oxymoron?) gets excited and rallies closer to the tree. Such is the power of the spell that a branch breaks emphatically and almost falls on her. But Nori saves the day yet again to reach her in time. The Stranger is again looked upon with disdain by the community. Elrond vies with King Durin to allow the Elves to use the Mithril to revive their kin. In return, he presents an offer to provide supplies from the elder forests of Eriador for the next five centuries. Some of the Dwarf-Lords in their presence gasps when they listen to the offer. It is perhaps unimaginable to them that the Elves would offer this much for such a long time. That is indeed how desperately they need Mithril.
But the King is stout in his stance. He refuses to listen to the Elvish requests and says that their old, acerbic rivalry prevents him from trusting them again. Prince Durin is insipid with his father and tries very hard to convince the King to comply. His emotional plea yet again falls and deaf ears as King Durin says that he is not prepared to risk Dwarvish lives by sending them deep into the mines just to salvage the Mithril for the Elves. Disa is livid with the decision and expresses her frustrations to Durin. The Prince is himself distraught as this would mean that Lindon, as they know it, would disappear and become just a simple ruin after a while.
A disappointed Elrond accepts their fate and thanks Durin for his efforts and kindness. He now plans to inform Gil-galad of his failed efforts and takes their leave. Before leaving, Elrond places the Mithril that Durin had given him on the table next to a rotting leaf from the Eldar trees. All of a sudden, Disa and Durin’s eyes light up when they see the texture of the leaf changing and life coming back to it. They wail for Elrond and call him back. In the burning Southlands, Galadriel and Theo make their way above the ridge line to band with the Numenorians who have camped beyond it in a safe place. That is where they will be headed. Elendil is reunited with the Queen and Valandil. When he sees Berek, Isildur’s horse, hope is rekindled. But Valandil explains that Isildur didn’t make it and isn’t with the party.
We see a softer and more humane side of Galadriel when she discusses her past with Theo. She had a husband, Celedor, and lived a happy life, far away from war. She never expected it to come her way in this fashion. As they’re speaking, an Orc party passes through and there is a close encounter where they almost catch their smell. But because of the fire and the soot, they’re unable to get it right. The pair narrowly escape. Elendil and Valandil protect the Queen on the horse as they make their way to camp. When the Queen asks how long the camp is, Elendil replies at least a mile. But when she asks how long till the smoke clears, Elendil is taken back. The Queen has in fact lost her eyesight when the incident with the little girl happened. All she can see is grey in front of her eyes and asks Elendil and Valandil to guide her horse.
The Stranger takes his leave from the community and Nori emotionally sends him away. She rues bringing him into the mix with her mother and admits that a lot could have been different if they’d never met. She accepts her fate as “just a Harfoot”. Elrond and Durin themselves start mining and when they go farther, they discover an extremely deep crevice full of Mithril. They jump around with excitement as there is enough for both the Elves and the Dwarfs. King Durin walks up to them and discovers his son’s betrayal. He is angry and escorts Elrond out of Khazad Dum. The King recounts how when Durin was born, his mother had difficulties in trying to keep him alive.
Something ill-formed took hold of him and many proclaimed that the prince would not see out the winter. The father and son have an intense argument over his overbearing presence. He is angry that the King does not trust his instincts and suppresses his ambition by prevailing his own will over his son. His stifling attitude will see one of their glorious allies fall to a rotten disease that spreads quickly. The King is furious with Durin’s outburst and takes off his crest from around his neck. It is a sign that he does not see Durin as the King in the future anymore and the title may pass to his brother.
Nori wakes up to a big surprise. The trees bearing the fruit have blossomed again. The Stranger’s spell has indeed turned things around. Poppy notices big footsteps in the wet mud by the river and informs the community. The three women we saw dressed in white have reached the spot, looking for The Stranger. The community hides well in the greenery and it turns out, that these women too are blind. As they start walking in another direction, Nori jumps out and says The Stranger walked in the opposite one. They look on intensely and Nori’s father comes out with a mashal to scare them off. One of the women chants a spell on the ash of the fire and burns all of their taverns. The Harfoots scamper to salvage whatever they can.
“The Eye” Ending Explained
Will Adar rule over Mordor?
The Numenorians have finally reached the camp beyond the ridge. Elendil frees Berek who refuses to leave without his master Isildur. Galadriel and Theo too watch over the camp from the mountaintop, as Elendil repents listening to Galadriel and bringing Numneroians there. Theo finds both Bronwyn and Arondir well in the camp for the injured. Galadriel meets with the Queen, who now wears a cloth over her eyes. She promises that Numenorians will return to the Southlands and fight with them against that enemy. Elendil is pained leaving his son behind but doesn’t have a choice. Nori once again decides to embark on a little adventure to warn the Stranger of these ominous women chasing him.
But this time, Poppy, Nori’s mother, and Malva, all support her. Sadoc joins their party as the trail finder and leads them on in the jungle to find The Stranger. Galadriel finds Halbrand, who was injured, in one of the camps and rides off with him to find the enemy once again. His resolve to unite the Southlands is even stronger and the remaining men of the Southlands cheer them on. Disa confides in Durin that the King has made a mistake letting the Elf leave without the Mithril. He has grown too old and suspicious, still carving a future treading on the old ways of thinking. The Dwarvish community needs a new leader and Durin is the only one who can lead them to a brighter future. The throne and the Mithril are Disa and Durin’s, she proclaims. The King stands alone near the mines and throws the leaf that is left behind down in its depths.
As it falls down all the way toward the bottom, we see the plethora of Mithril that is waiting to be mined. The mountain’s walls have plenty for everyone and the King would be well served to realize it sooner rather than later. When it reaches the bottom, the leaf suddenly blazes in a fire. We then see a Balrog roaring in the dark. For the Lord of the Rings fans, this Balrog is the same who confronted the Fellowship in the Fellowship of the Ring when they passed through Khazad Dum. He is the one who battled and killed Gandalf the Grey, falling into the depths of the ravenous mountain, where he was reborn as Gandalf the White by strength from Galadriel. Imagine seeing him in full flesh clashing with the Dwarves in the next season!
It is a bit like Smaug guarding the gold in The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug. This might prove Durin wrong if he does indeed go into the depths of the mine to extract Mithril. In the final scene of the episode, we see Adar and the Orcs reunited, planning to build themselves a home in the Southlands. Waldreg asks Adar for a new name for the home and they all start chanting his name. We see a small captioned badging on the screen where “The Southlands” first appears identifying the place, only to be replaced by “Mordor” a second later.
