3 Things You Probably Didn’t Notice in ‘The Rings of Power’ Episode 4
TL;DR:
- The Rings of Power Episode 4 pushes viewers closer to a clash for the Southlands.
- With so much happening, viewers might have missed some of the smaller details.
- The Rings of Power teases future events — and may have a Lord of the Rings Easter Egg.
[Warning: Spoilers ahead for The Rings of Power Episode 4, “The Great Wave.”]
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Episode 4 brought viewers one step closer to the fight for the Southlands, pushing Númenor to aid Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) in her quest against Sauron — and having Adar (Joseph Mawle) offer them an ultimatum. If Bronwyn (Nazanin Boniadi) and her neighbors don’t give up their lands and swear fealty to Adar, he’ll send his Orcs to destroy them. Needless to say, this week’s installment is building to something big.
And with so much going on during “The Great Wave,” viewers may not catch the smaller details hidden in this episode. Read on to learn what you may have missed this week.
1. Narsil may have made an appearance in ‘The Rings of Power’ Episode 4
Perhaps the most subtle — and exciting — Easter Egg in The Rings of Power Episode 4 is a glimpse of Narsil — assuming fan speculation proves true. When Galadriel confronts Queen Regent Míriel (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) in her father’s chambers, the series briefly shows a sword off to the side of the screen. As Inverse points out, its hilt looks a lot like Narsil’s.
For those who need a refresher, Narsil is the sword Elendil (Lloyd Owen) fights with during the War of the Last Alliance. Isildur uses that same sword to cut the One Ring from Sauron’s finger, something The Lord of the Rings movies flash back to at the beginning of the series.
And of course, Narsil is eventually repaired by Elrond (Hugo Weaving) and given to Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) in The Return of the King. Needless to say, it would be supremely cool if this sword turns out to be the same one Aragorn wields later. And with Elendil in Númenor, it would make sense for it to show up there — even if it’s not completely accurate to J.R.R. Tolkien’s lore.
2. Isildur’s mistake foreshadows what’s to come
Isildur (Maxim Brody) may be responsible for Sauron’s first fall from power, but his inability to destroy the One Ring allows the Dark Lord to return during the Third Age. And Isildur’s actions are already being foreshadowed in The Rings of Power.
For one, Isildur’s been hearing whispers similar to those of the One Ring, suggesting he’s always been drawn to outside influences. But as Heavy Spoilers notes, his impulsive decisions in The Rings of Power Episode 4 — during which he gets himself and his friends kicked out of the Sea Guard — highlight his willingness to put himself before others. And of course, that’s exactly what he’ll do as he stands before the fires of Mt. Doom and decides to keep the One Ring rather than destroy it.
The Rings of Power is wasting no time setting up the tragedy that is Isildur’s character arc, and it’ll be interesting to see what other foreshadowing we’ll get throughout the series.
3. Queen Regent Míriel unknowingly teased the future, too
Queen Regent Míriel makes a joke at the beginning of The Rings of Power, and dedicated Tolkien fans will no doubt pick up on it — but others may not. When Galadriel tells Míriel about Halbrand’s (Charlie Vickers) true identity, she scoffs about Elendil being a “Rhûnic emperor.”
As Emergency Awesome notes, Elendil will eventually become the founder and king of Gondor, making the Queen Regent’s comment a little spot on. Additionally, Rhûn is a real place in Middle-earth — and it’s not too far from Elendil’s future kingdom. That makes Míriel’s joke a funny sort of foreshadowing, though fans will have to pay attention to catch it.
