3 Easter Eggs You Might Have Missed in ‘The Rings of Power’ Episode 6
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power features a showdown between good and evil in episode 6, delivering an action-packed chapter that’s hard to look away from. The fight for the Southlands is suspenseful from beginning to end. And with so many major developments, viewers may not catch the smaller details and references scattered throughout. So, here are three Easter Eggs you might have missed in The Rings of Power Episode 6.
[Warning: Spoilers ahead for The Rings of Power Episode 6, “Udûn.”]
1. ‘The Rings of Power’ Episode 6 continues to tease Isildur’s fate
The Rings of Power hasn’t been shy about teasing Isildur’s (Maxim Baldry) eventual fate, which will see him taking the One Ring from Sauron — then failing to destroy it.
The Amazon series has made a point of highlighting Isildur’s selfishness and impulsivity throughout its run. During our list of Easter Eggs in The Rings of Power Episode 5, we noted a line about Isildur finding something he’d “be willing to sacrifice everything for.” That, of course, is a nod to Isildur giving the future of Middle-earth — and his own life — for the One Ring.
And The Rings of Power Episode 6 continues with the Isildur Easter Eggs, albeit in a more subtle manner. Elendil’s (Lloyd Owen) son meets Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) in this week’s Rings of Power, and the two talk about his rank as a stable hand. Galadriel emphasizes the importance of humbling work, but Isildur insists he didn’t join the expedition west to be humbled.
Again, The Rings of Power is pointing out the qualities that will one day lead to Isildur’s biggest failure. While the character has many likable traits, it’s easy to see why he’s responsible for Sauron’s second rise to power. And the show will likely keep reminding us of his less admirable qualities.
2. Bronwyn’s words to Theo sound like a speech Sam once gave
As the people of the Southlands prepare to fight Adar’s (Joseph Mawle) forces, Bronwyn (Nazanin Boniadi) and Theo (Tyroe Muhafidin) exchange words. And Theo looks for some comfort from his mother. He asks her to repeat what she used to tell him as a child: “In the end, this shadow is but a small and passing thing.”
If this rings any bells for The Lord of the Rings fans, that’s because it’s similar to a speech Samwise Gamgee (Sean Astin) gives Frodo (Elijah Wood) at the end of The Two Towers.
“But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow,” Sam tells his friend. “Even darkness must pass. A new day will come.”
It’s hard to say if the similarity in these lines is intentional, but it’s a cool Easter Egg from The Rings of Power Episode 6. It drives home the point that there’s always a glimmer of hope in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth, even in the bleakest times.
3. Elendil’s way with horses runs in the family
Speaking of Easter Eggs that call back to The Lord of the Rings movies, The Rings of Power Episode 6 highlights a connection between Elendil and Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen).
After the fight for the Southlands is over, Elendil speaks Elvish to calm Isildur’s horse. He tells his son that his late wife taught him how to do this. And it seems this trait will carry on to his descendants.
Aragorn is many generations removed from Elendil, but we see him calm a horse in a similar fashion during the extended cut of The Two Towers. He connects with Brego in the same way, whispering to him while he’s agitated.
Of course, this may be less a family thing and more a side effect of both characters’ infatuation with Elves. After all, we see Galadriel charm her horse into going faster in “Udûn,” just as Arwen (Liv Tyler) does in The Fellowship of the Ring. Aragorn and Elendil’s connection to the Elves may have an impact on how they handle their horses.
Either way, it’s fun to see these parallels between The Rings of Power and The Lord of the Rings movies.
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