"Adrift" is the second episode of the first season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. It aired on September 2, 2022 on Prime Video, alongside the episode "A Shadow of the Past". It was written by Gennifer Hutchison and directed by J.A. Bayona.
Along with the first episode, it had the most viewers of any Prime Video premiere within 24 hours.
Synopsis[]
Galadriel finds a new ally; Elrond faces a cold reception from an old friend; Nori endeavors to help a Stranger; Arondir searches for answers while Bronwyn warns her people of a threat.
Plot[]
Galadriel watched her ship disappear then swam through the Sundering Seas.
Nori stared at the Stranger until Poppy startled her. She wanted her friend to leave the site but accidentally knocked Nori into the crater. Nori was surprised the fire wasn't hot and crawled over to the Stranger. She poked him as Poppy protested. Poppy believed the man was dead. The Stranger suddenly grabbed Nori and bellowed. He released a power that raised rocks and created gusts of wind. He stared into Nori's eyes and diminished the fire before he collapsed, which let it reignite. Poppy complained that Nori's mom would kill her. Nori didn't plan on telling her - and swore Poppy to secrecy. She wanted to move the Stranger from harm's way, but Poppy protested as they couldn't carry a giant.
Sadoc mistook the comet for a falling star. Malva wanted to break camp that moment as it was enough signs for her, though Goldie wondered about the festival. Sadoc decided not to do anything rash but advised them to keep an eye out as this did not bode well. He ushered them away before he turned his attention back to the skies. He didn't spot Poppy and Nori as they stole lanterns and a wagon.
Poppy and Nori pushed the wagon with the Stranger up a hill as they argued over his race. Poppy thought him a troll, but Nori believed he might be Big Folk or Elf. Poppy disagreed as a human would have been squished, and the Stranger wasn't handsome or had pointy ears like an elf. Plus, elves didn't fall from the sky. They bickered about who pulled harder, Nori's plan for the night, and her inability to reject an adventure. They put the cart down, and Poppy tried to reason with her friend as to why this was a bad idea. They could get in trouble for helping a stranger and if the next season was bad, they would be blamed. They didn't notice the car roll back down the hill as Poppy shrieked over the wheelbarrow not being hers to crash. The girls eventually settled the Stranger into a hut, which Nori covered with the Harfoot's moss blanket. She explained to Poppy how she felt the Stranger was her responsibility. He could have landed anywhere, but he landed there. She felt he was important, there was a reason this happened, and she was meant to find him. She couldn't walk away from that until she knew he was safe. Poppy understood and promised not to tell anyone. She just hoped the giant didn't eat Harfoots.
Bronwyn and Arondir arrived at the destroyed village of Hordern. Its ground was riven with fissures like a ground shake. There were no bodies or wounded to account for, just dead animals. In a burnt home, Arondir found a dug passage that couldn't be linked to a ground shake. Something must have dug it, and he told her to warn her people. He grabbed her arm and paused before he leaped into the passage.
Across the map at Eregion, the realm of the Elven-Smiths, Lord Celebrimbor showed Elrond Fëanor's hammer, the tool that wrought the Silmarils. These jewels contained the very light of Valinor. Elrond thought it was strange that one object could create so much beauty and pain. Celebrimbor shared the legend of how Morgoth found the Silmarils so beautiful that after he'd stolen them, he spent weeks staring into their depths. When his tears fell on the jewels, he was faced with the evil of his reflection, the reverie was broken. Celebrimbor's creations had turned Elrond's heart and the heart of many Elf, though the Lord wanted to bring beauty back to the lands. He wanted to devise something of real power and showed Elrond his plans. It was a tower that could host a forge more powerful than any ever built. He wanted to create things in it that could bring beauty to Middle-earth. The only problem was that he needed it completed by spring, which would require a great workforce. The King could not provide one, so he sent Elrond instead. Elrond suggested they seek partners outside the confines of their race, specifically with the Dwarves.
Across from Eregion was Khazad-dûm, the Realm of the Dwarves. Elrond and Celebrimbor traveled to Khazad-dûm as Celebrimbor mused on this alliance being one for the ages if successful. The dwarves had expanded their halls out of stone with great respect. Celebrimbor admired all creatures who could see the beauty of what could be. Elrond believed Durin would welcome him with open arms, a ram's horn, and enough malt beer to fill the Aduin. Elrond greeted the Westgate Guard, who bluntly denied him entrance. Prince Durin's judgment had already been entered. Elrond pondered for a moment before he invoked the Rite of Sigin-tarâg. The door opened, and two guards emerged to take Elrond and him alone inside. Elrond told Celebrimbor to trust him and that he would rejoin him in Eregion within a few days. He entered Khazad-dûm, and the door sealed behind him. They led him through the great passageways into an expansive kingdom that included bridges, fauna, and a grand waterfall. Dwarves worked together to braid beards whilst they spoke in Khuzdul. Elrond was in awe of the kingdom, and the Dwarves turned to look his way.
The Dwarves led Elrond into a room where they chanted as Prince Durin IV entered. Elrond greeted his friend happily, but the Prince ignored him to speak to his followers about the invoking of the Rite of Sigin-tarâg. It was an ancient Dwarven test of endurance fashioned by Aulë himself. Once they lift their hammers, they shall break the great stones until one of them can break no more. Should Elrond forfeit, he would be banished from all Dwarven lands forever, which made the Dwarves cheer. Elrond shared his understanding. In the unlikely event Elrond should win, they would grant a single boon. He began to repeat what would happen if he failed, but Elrond cut him off as he understood, which earned a mocking expression from Durin. A Dwarf blew a horn as others dragged in the stones. Once equipped with their hammers, the smashing began.
Nori excitedly ran to see the Stranger but found his hut empty. He carved into a stone nearby as voices whispered to him. She startled him and he unleashed a great power over the wind as Nori made him remember her from last night. He collapsed to his knee as the wind dwindled. She made him a deal not to harm each other, and he mimicked her gesture in agreement. She introduced herself and repeated a second gesture as a greeting, though he mistakenly repeated her name back to her. She tried again until she realized he didn't remember his name on account of the fall. She offered him some snails and demonstrated how to eat them, though he gobbled the snails whole - shells and all.
Malva shouted for Largo's help in festival preparation. Sadoc told her to stop shouting and just help, but she did help by getting Largo involved. Largo believed Nori wanted to help with that and shouted for her while Poppy watched wide-eyed.
Nori tried to get to know the Stranger, but he didn't respond to her. He drew lines in the dirt as she watched curiously.
Largo lifted a beam as other Harfoots pulled it up on a rope. The rope began to split.
The Stranger drew as he muttered in another language. Nori questioned what he drew as he became more frantic.
The rope around the beam snapped and its weight caused Largo's ankle to twist. He collapsed in pain.
The Stranger repeated phrases in a foreign language as Nori struggled to understand. Frustrated, she expressed she was just a Harfoot, which gave him pause. Poppy ran over, and the Stranger began to roar until Nori put herself between them. She told him that Poppy was a friend, and he eased. Poppy told Nori that her father was in an accident.
Goldie unwrapped Largo's “blueberry” ankle as he shouted in pain from her touch. Nori felt badly that she wasn't there, but Goldie told her not to worry, as she was there now. Nori left to retrieve supplies and had to face her people. Sadoc asked if he could migrate, and an upset Nori rushed past the crowd. Malva wouldn't put a leaf on the leg, much less pull a cart. Poppy told her to mind her own fire before she followed her friend.
An exhausted Galadriel continued her swim, though her difficulty grew. She heard noises beneath the sea and bobbed in the growing waves with her unsheathed dagger. She spotted a raft and moved her hair over her ears. The raft floated closer, and Galadriel called out to them. Abigail wanted to pull her aboard against Eamon's protest. He argued over their limited rations as Halbrand stopped Galadriel from boarding. He mused that the tides of fate were changing, and hers may come in or out. The passengers continued to argue over Galadriel until Abigail shoved Eamon aside to pull a weary Galadriel onboard. Eamon demanded answers from the newest passenger. Galadriel shared that she was separated from her ship and hadn't seen the worm, a creature that terrified all the humans aboard. Abigail told her of the attack which upset Eamon as he didn't trust the newcomer. Halbrand agreed that looks could be deceiving. One of the men yanked her hair back to expose her pointed ears, which angered Abigail. They saw a ship approach and frantically reacted until they saw their ship coming at them - the worm. It passed under their raft once and then attacked on its second trip. Abigail blamed Galadriel for the worm's arrival and shoved her overboard. She stared at the worm under the water. Halbrand collected the rope to move the ship while Galadriel swam off. The worm destroyed the ship and consumed the passengers. Galadriel turned to see what remained of the wreckage, her senses on high alert as the worm disappeared. She saw what remained of the raft and Halbrand on it. They exchanged a long look before he pulled her onto the raft with him. She drank some water as they introduced themselves.
Elrond and Durin competed until Elrond's hammer broke at the hilt. He was supplied another one, but upon a shared look with his old friend, Elrond instead laid the hammer down. Durin cheered in victory as the Dwarves chanted his name. The Prince approached Elrond and told him to leave, though he agreed to be an escort to the exit.
They took a lift up the side of the mountain as Elrond complimented his great city and how it had changed. Durin snapped that a lot can change over twenty years, though Elrond felt it was a short amount of time. He wanted to know what he did to offend Durin, but the Dwarf scoffed they would need a longer lift. Elrond asked him to listen to the proposal and this upset Durin as the elves always asked for something. Elrond disagreed; he wanted to see his dear friend that he missed, and Durin's frustration boiled over. Elrond had missed his wedding, and the birth of both his children, and cannot barge into his mountain and demand a welcome of open arms to claim a discarded friendship. Twenty years might be a short time to an Elf, but Durin lived an entire life in that time - a life Elrond missed. Elrond was surprised and saddened by Durin's revelations. After a moment of pause, he congratulated Durin for his wife and children. He would like to apologize to his family, and Durin agreed.
They entered Durin's home as he listed off several things Elrond wasn't permitted to do - reminisce, get better acquainted, and stay for dinner. Disa emerged from the back and was overjoyed to meet Elrond. She embraced him tightly as Elrond asked forgiveness for not coming sooner. She declared he would stay for dinner, against Durin's protest. Their children Gerda and Gamli emerged laughing as they donned their father's heads, which amused Elrond. Disa ushered them off to bed as she told Elrond to make himself comfortable. Durin picked up his child and carried him off with amusing anecdotes. Once alone, Elrond turned to admire a beautiful golden-leafed tree.
As they sat for dinner, Disa and Durin shared the story of how they first met. Disa was resonating at the time, a phrase Elrond was unfamiliar with; it's when the Dwarves sing to the stone. A mountain is like a person - a long and ever-changing story made of countless small parts. If they sing to it properly, each of those parts will reflect their song back to them. It tells them its story, what is hidden, where to mine, where to tunnel, and where to leave the mountain untouched. Disa resumed her story - her team packed their tools when Prince Durin came to check on them. She thought it was curious until he showed up at several surveys after. It took weeks before he got the courage to court her properly. Durin argued it was only two, but she slyly told Elrond it was five. Durin called her a moon-eyed girl in love from the moment they met, and they kissed passionately as Elrond looked on fondly. Durin snarked that he should have been at the wedding. Disa wanted to enjoy the time they had together now. Elrond clarified that coming to Khazad-dûm was not his King's idea but his own. The men argued until Disa intervened in the hopes they could mend it. Elrond remarked on how Durin planted the sapling, which Disa claimed Durin cared for like another child. It was a seedling of the Elves Great Tree in Lindon. The very symbol of their people's strength and vitality. He can see why the tree would grow in their home, as it was filled with warmth. Elrond rose to leave and thanked Disa for her hospitality. She shot her husband a stern look, and he finally caved to tell Elrond to sit so he could decide whether to give the proposal to his father or toss it.
Galadriel noticed Halbrand's necklace, and he tucked it into his shirt. He told her not to keep her distance. She wondered what kind of man would leave her companions to die, but he chose survival. He knew finding safety for her would be difficult. He called her a deserter, and she vehemently denied the accusation. She tried to keep her business to herself, but he continued to prod and mock the Elves. She pointedly asked if he blamed Elves for their situation, but it wasn't Elves that chased Halbrand from his homeland - it was Orcs. She wanted to know where his homeland was, but he wasn't keen to share as it was ashes now. She grieved for him and understood the pain he carried. She questioned if the symbol around his neck was of his King, though his people had no King. She thought they could reclaim his home, but he scoffed as they would need an army. She could provide one if he gave her more information. Rather than rest in glory, she chose to seek out the very enemy that took his homeland. He refused her help as, no matter how strong her will or pride, she couldn't fix it. Letting it lie was not an option for her after many lifetimes of hunting the creatures and losing more people than she could count. He finally revealed that he was from the Southlands. She pressed him for more information until a thunderous storm arrived.
Bronwyn ran across the Southlands to her village. She burst into the tavern and told Waldreg what she and Arondir discovered. He blamed their disappearance on the tetchy ground. He refused to have that gossip, as a wayward tongue was the most dangerous. He required proof before he could act. He wasn't about to invite the Elves back on account of a sinkhole. She realized, upon looking at the others in the tavern, that no one sided with her.
Theo sat in front of the fire when he heard a creak under the floorboards. He took his frustration out on the floorboards and put a hole in it. The eye of an Orc gazed back at him.
Arondir crawled through the passage and discovered long claw marks from the creatures responsible for the dig. He pulled a claw out of the wall. A growl rumbled in the distance, and Arondir spotted a creature, which made him crawl away. He was blocked by a small entrance and struggled to crawl over it as dozens of rats ran over him. He landed in a body of water and swam to a small landing. He gripped his knife and waited as air bubbles moved closer to him. He was grabbed from behind by a clawed figure.
Bronwyn raced home to discover her house had been ransacked and a giant passage freshly dug. She bellowed for her son, and he opened a hidden door in the wall to warn her to get help. She was about to leave when she stopped to hide in a closet, unable to leave her son alone. She watched in horror as an Orc emerged. It searched the home and then heard Bronwyn in the closet. It attacked her, and Theo stabbed it in the back with a dagger. Bronwyn threw a powder at the Orc which angered it. Theo and his mother fought the creature viciously until she decapitated it. She presented the head to the villages in the tavern. She announced her departure to the Elven tower.
Halbrand and Galadriel struggled to stay on the raft as the storm raged across the seas. She saved him from falling off the boat. She wanted to bind them, but a massive wave knocked her into the sea. He watched as the rope tied to her disappeared into the water. He dove in after her, using the rope as a guide, and used her dagger to cut her free. They took shelter on the raft once more.
The Stranger looked at the sky when Poppy and Nori approached. The migration is in a few days, so everything's gone. Nori was emotional as she felt she couldn't help him even though she wanted to very badly. He turned to stare at the lanterns, which Poppy explained contained fireflies. The Stranger used his powers to cause the lantern to shake, and the fireflies flew out in obedience. He communicated with the fireflies to make them form a constellation. Nori realized he wanted their help in finding those stars and had an idea of where to look. He fell to his knees as Poppy picked up a firefly. It died in the palm of her hand, and the others fell to the ground around them.
Durin spoke to his father about being certain Elrond didn't know, though the King wasn't entirely convinced. He didn't think it was a coincidence that an Elf showed up now. Durin had known Elrond for half a century and could sense if he was hiding something. The King was more concerned about Elrond sensing Durin was hiding something, but Durin trusted his friend. They walked over to a box that emitted a white glow.
Theo packed his belongings for the move. He unwrapped the Hilt, and a cut on his hand drew a drop of blood to the dagger, which began to smoke and reconstitute a blade. Bronwyn shouted for her son, and he joined her outside.
Galadriel and Halbrand lay unconscious on the raft when they were discovered by sailors. A weakened Galadriel could barely lift her head to look at the man.
Cast[]
- Morfydd Clark as Galadriel
- Markella Kavenagh as Nori Brandyfoot
- Daniel Weyman as The Stranger
- Megan Richards as Poppy Proudfellow
- Sir Lenny Henry as Sadoc Burrows
- Thusitha Jayasundera as Malva
- Sara Zwangobani as Marigold Brandyfoot
- Ismael Cruz Córdova as Arondir
- Nazanin Boniadi as Bronwyn
- Robert Aramayo as Elrond
- Charles Edwards as Lord Celebrimbor
- Owain Arthur as Prince Durin IV
- Dylan Smith as Largo Brandyfoot
- Maxine Cunliffe as Vilma
- Charlie Vickers as Halbrand
- Berynn Schwerdt as Eamon
- Virginie Laverdure as Abigail
- Jane Montgomery Griffiths as Astrid
- Sophia Nomvete as Princess Disa
- Geoff Morrell as Waldreg
- Tyroe Muhafidin as Theo
- Peter Tait as Tredwill
- Peter Mullan as King Durin III
- Megan Wilding as Dwarf Guard
- Paul Ballard as Sour-Faced Dwarf
- Travis Graham as Beady-Eyed Dwarf
- Paula Nazarski as Malva's Sister
- Rosalie Button as Survivor on Raft #1
- Matt Bennett as Survivor on Raft #2
- Justin Doble as Milky-Eyed Southlander
- Nathan Mennis as Digger Orc
Appearances[]
| Characters | Creatures | Events | Locations |
| Organizations, factions, and groups | Objects, artefacts, and weapons | Races | Miscellanea |
Characters
|
Creatures
Events
|
Locations
|
Organizations, factions, and groups
|
Objects, artefacts, and weapons
|
Races
Miscellanea
|
Gallery[]
