The Great Wave is the fourth episode of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. It aired on September 16, 2022 on Prime Video. It was written by Stephany Folsom and showrunners J.D. Payne & Patrick McKay and directed by Wayne Che Yip.
The episode's title refers to a vision that Míriel has of the downfall of Númenor.
Synopsis[]
Queen Regent Míriel's faith is tested; Isildur finds himself at a crossroads; Elrond uncovers a secret; Arondir is given an ultimatum; Theo disobeys Bronwyn.
Plot[]
Queen-Regent Míriel attends the Blessing of the Children with new mothers and their babies. She takes turns holding each baby, blessing the child with the strength and wisdom of Númenor. She pauses at the sound of rumbling, initially blaming it on the island stretching until the rumbling escalates. The petals of the White Tree fall in a blizzard as waves crash over the island, destroying it from the outside. It erupts through the island, killing everyone. Míriel awakens in her chambers.
Tamar riles up the islanders over Galadriel's invitation to the court that morning despite her “mate” attacking four guildsmen. Eärien passes the scene on her way to work, pausing to watch the growing unease. Tamar is convinced Galadriel is whispering poison in the Queen's ear.
Kemen finds Chancellor Pharazôn mingling amongst the people. Pharazôn harshly tells his son to keep his voice down as he's engaging in Statecraft. He has to attend to small matters just as importantly as big ones. Kemen is just being clever, but Pharazôn disapproves as cleverness is for men of small ambition - he'd rather his son be wise. Kemen tells his father about the squall occurring in the town square.
Tamar continues to rile up the crowd by making exaggerated claims about a perceived future of Elven arrivals, including Elf workers taking their trades. They would be workers who don't sleep, tire and don't age. He thinks the Queen is either blind or an Elf lover like her father. The crowd, except Eärien, chants “Elf lover”. Pharazôn interrupts to call them mewling children. They are the sons and daughters of the Edain, of Elros Tar-Minyatur, whose host conquered Morgoth himself. He refuses to believe a castaway can threaten them. He reminds them of the guild crests they bear and the heritage they represent. He stands above the crowd on the steps to hush their chatter. He tells them to trust him, swearing on his hands that Elves will never take Númenor's helm. The crowd cheers under his feet and he orders drinks all around. They chant his name, hug him, and shake his hand. Eärien watches the scene unfold from the sidelines when Kemen approaches her. His father knows everyone in the city and there isn't a favor around that he isn't owed. He offers Eärien a glass of wine, but she refuses as her troubles have been too hard-won. He notices her as the new apprentice, moments before she's called away for work.
Galadriel presents the letters and parchment from the Hall of Lore for Míriel to look over. Míriel is vexed over the Elf stealing ancient scrolls while her companion assaults people in her city. Galadriel reveals that Halbrand may be the lost King of the Southlands, which explains his temper now since his people are dying. Galadriel hopes Míriel will back her and the Southlands against Sauron, as he is both their enemy. She hopes to reforge the alliance between Míriel's people and the Elves before Sauron claims the Southlands for himself. Elendil exchanges a glance with Míriel. She will not stand with Galadriel in this task, ending her audience. Galadriel struggles to stay quiet and finally turns to ask for an audience with the island's real leader, the King. She demands to present her proposal to the King. Elendil tries to intervene to stop Galdriel, but Míriel interrupts as Galadriel has no authority there. She calls the Elf a castaway grasping for a handhold in a tempest. A tempest is inside Galadriel, bringing her to the island for a reason. Míriel locks Galadriel in a cell next to Halbrand for sedition, which he finds quite amusing.
The sail master commends the men who will soon be his shipmates. Isildur stares off to the Western Shore and hears the call of the mountains. He watches Ontamo and Valandil hard at work, before sabotaging himself by releasing the rope. The Sail Master reprimands Isildur, accusing him of doing it deliberately. He removes Isildur, Valandil, and Ontamo from the Sea Guard.
Once on land, Valandil can't believe Isildur's ramblings of The West. He calls it garbage that Isildur's brother used to spew. Isildur apologizes for getting them removed. Valandil is angry that his so-called friend set their lives on fire. He's wanted on that boat his whole life while Isildur didn't even want the opportunity that Valandil and Ontamo had to scrape for. He crosses a line by bringing up Isildur's dead mother, nearly starting a physical altercation until Ontamo intervenes.
Arondir faces the Orcs who summon forth Adar in respectful grunts, bows, and murmurs. Much to Arondir's shock, Adar is an Elf. He approaches Magrot, who is lying down dying, with a strained face. He mercifully kills Magrot with a dagger, before another Orc removes his armor so his body can be carried away. Arondir secretly picks up a rock but is caught off guard by Adar speaking Quenya to ask where the captive is from. Arondir is from Beleriand, and Adar is familiar with the area as he went down that river once when he was young. He remembers the miles of bank covered in sage blossoms. A Warg snarls and snaps at Arondir from its cage. Adar kneels before Arondir; the captive has been told many lies, some so deep that even the rocks and roots believe them. To untangle it all, they have to create a new world, which is something only the Gods can do, and he isn't a God yet. He tells Arondir to deliver a message to the humans who seek refuge in the Watchtower.
In the Watchtower, a new group of refugees arrives from Iorbad despite the full barracks. Tredwill and Bronwyn discuss the new influx of refugees, before visiting Waldreg who only has a handful of potatoes left. She wants to cut rations again, but Waldreg doesn't think she should be in charge. She points out how he and everyone else decided she should be when they came to the tower. Theo suggests raiding Waldreg's cellar during the day while the Orcs are hidden. He volunteers to go on the mission, but Bronwyn refuses to let him go. She vehemently disagrees and will send the hunters to the hills instead.
Theo and Rowan disobey Bronwyn's decision and head to the village, where they pass fields of mutilated animals. They fill a wheelbarrow with supplies, though Theo suggests they look in the tavern as well. Rowan refuses to enter, so Theo goes in alone. As he's scooping up spilled oats, the sun goes behind some clouds, which scares off Rowan. Inside, Vrath attacks Theo, cutting his leg open. Theo uses the hilt in self-defense which surprises Vrath since he's been searching for the piece. Theo activates the hilt with his blood and escapes, hiding in the well as the Orcs fill the square in pursuit of the boy and the hilt. Grugzûk and Vrath rally the other Orcs for the search. Theo nearly alerts them of his hiding place when the bucket falls, but he hides under the water long enough for the well to appear empty.
Across the realm in Eregion, Elrond and Celebrimbor marvel at the Elves and Dwarves working together. The forger is making large strides in its progress. Celebrimbor is taken aback by Elrond's similarities to his father, Eärendil. Celebrimbor recalls Eärendil telling him that his future would be in the hands of Eärendil's son one day. Celebrimbor didn't think much of it until now. Celebrimbor admits that he worries Durin is either hiding something or avoiding him.
Elrond travels to the Misty Mountains to enter Khazad-dûm. He visits with Disa who doesn't have much to say about her husband's whereabouts. During their chat, Gerda and Gamil keep loudly playing “the knocking game” which is a rhythmic tune set to the beats of a knock. In their case, they're knocking on each other. Disa suddenly remembers that her husband is mining Quartz Chasm today. Elrond doesn't believe her and lists several outstanding factors, but she has explanations for all of them. Elrond is left suspicious but lies that he believes her.
Later that day, Disa and Durin walk a bridge as she hopes that the Elf believes her as he's not easily taken in. Durin is glad his future Queen is so persuasive. They share suggestive flirtations, unaware Elrond is using his enhanced hearing to eavesdrop on them. Durin is making progress in the old mine below the Mirrormere. Two Dwarven guards brashly ask Elrond if he's lost, which moves the Elf along.
Elrond ventures into the old mine where he sees lit lanterns. He can hear the wind blowing from behind a wall, so he tries to push it aside. Recalling the knocking game, he repeats the tune and beats on the wall - it slides open. He looks around at the mining equipment and then pulls a curtain aside to reveal a sparkling gem. Durin storms angrily over as he accuses Elrond of spying, knowing exactly what the place is, and why he's there in the first place. Elrond insists he only cares for their friendship. Durin tells Elrond to give his oath by placing his hand on the mountain, vowing he never tells another living soul. Otherwise, the stone will doom Elrond and his kin to sorrow until their last day on Middle-earth. Elrond places his hand on the wall and swears secrecy on the memory of his father. Convinced, Durin shows Elrond a chest containing a new ore that Disa detected during a routine gold-seaming. It's lighter than silk, harder than iron, and would beat even the Dwarves' hardest blades and be dearer than gold. It could be a new beginning for their people of strength and prosperity. They have to keep it a secret because it's perilous to mine. His father has restricted their efforts in the name of caution. They're calling the ore “gray glitter” in Dwarven tongue, but in Elrond's, it's Mithril. Elrond hands it back to his friend, but Durin tells him to keep it as a token of their friendship. Suddenly, the caves rumble and Durin takes off toward the mine, but Elrond chases after him. Durin refuses to stop as there are four Dwarves below.
Eärien sketches architecture until someone orders her to mop the floors and collect goblets. She runs into Kemen and spills water on him. He brushes it off as fine and offers to do the floors while she does goblets - the first one to finish buys dinner.
Galadriel paces in her cell until Halbrand suggests that she start viewing Miriel differently than she does Orcs and Trolls. She should identify what her enemy most fears and give them the means to master it, and she can master them. She's done much that should have angered the Queen - demand a ship, insult her people, defy orders, steal a horse - but none of that landed Galadriel in a cell. It wasn't asking the Queen to fight for Halbrand's people that upset her, but asking to see the King in the tower who hasn't been seen for years. He offers to help her if she lets him stay on the island. Pharazon marches into the dungeons with news that Galadriel will be shipped back to the Elves that night under armed escort. The guards open Galadriel's cell and she uses this chance to overcome the guards. Halbrand advises Pharazon to let Galadriel leave, as he knows where she's going.
Eärien sits with her brother in the courtyard. She asks where his uniform is, upset to learn he and all his friends have been dismissed. She tells him to go West now, but he doesn't feel worthy of the journey after ruining his friend's lives and shaming their family name. Suddenly, guards pour into the courtyard announcing the Elf has escaped.
Galadriel breaks into the tower and finds Tar-Palantir on a bed, old and dying. Miriel is there ready to take her back to the ship. Galadriel watches as the Queen-Regent comforts her ailing father. Very few people know the full extent of the King's decline, so Galadriel asks for truth between them. She wants to know why Miriel isn't loyal to the Elvish ways.
Miriel brings Galadriel to the top of the tower while she explains how her father's beliefs changed after his coronation. He wanted his people to repent and return to the old ways to appease the angered Valar. His people rebelled when he chose to renew relations with the Elves. Miriel was elected to rule in his place. Her father brought her to the tower to touch the Palantír, a seeing stone so she could view a secret. Galadriel places her hand upon it and sees Numenor's fall. Galadriel insists that some visions never come to pass, but Miriel reveals that it's already begun - the vision began with Galadriel's arrival. The Valar gifted the island on a day of virtue and can take it away if they turn to darkness. Miriel believes the path to virtue is not in her ancestors' loyalty to the Elves, as that nearly tore the people apart once. She wants Galadriel to leave so the crisis can end. Galadriel warns her that avoiding the Evil in Middle-earth might bring about her downfall. Miriel won't second-guess her decision or the Gods. Galadriel shares her feeling of being the only one who sees and knows. She thinks they can bear the burden together if Miriel chooses the path of faith instead of fear. Miriel can't hang the future of her Kingdom on faith.
Tredwill shows Bronwyn the small findings from hunting. Rowan returns with the wheelbarrow of food. He lies that Theo said he was right behind him.
The Orc's search for Theo leads them away from the well, so he takes the opportunity to climb out of the water. He sneaks around the village as Orcs shout in Black Speech. Theo grabs a bag of oats and tries to escape, but Vrath catches him. Moments before Vrath can kill Theo, a blade pierces his heart and he falls to the side, where Arondir reaches down for Theo's hand.
They run through the dark woods while Orcs pursue them. Arondir catches an arrow mid-air and returns fire, expertly taking down the shooter. Theo struggles to run with his injury, as arrows whiz by his head. Bronwyn runs from the bushes to grab her son, shielding him from harm. Arondir sends more arrows until they can cross the clearing. Theo collapses, unable to run any further. The sun rises above the clearing, stopping the Orcs who cannot cross the threshold of darkness.
With the sun above the Misty Mountains, Disa resonates with others in a beautiful ceremonial song. The mountains respond to her song with a rumble. After the ceremony, Elrond asks Disa what she is doing. She made a plea to the rock to release the miners alive. She can't stop thinking that Durin might have been in the shaft if Elrond wasn't there. She's sorry for lying, but Elrond understands her faithfulness to her husband. Durin emerges with news that all the miners were pulled out alive. His father has shut down the whole vein and Durin angrily rants about his father. Elrond joins his friend by the fire. He shares how his father was a hero who was raised above the bounds of the world to carry the Evening Star across the sky. Elrond would look up at the star and wonder if his father would approve of his life or not. He only stopped when he realized he would be happy with any judgment if he could have one more conversation with his father. He advises Durin not to waste the time he has left with the King. Disa joins them to ask if Elrond can settle how he and Durin met. The story of Durin saving Elrond from two hill trolls is seen differently by Elrond, who recalls three trolls and him doing the saving. Elrond feared it was a child being harmed because of the high-pitched squeals. They continue to bicker on their way out.
Durin enters his father's throne room to apologize for being proud, stubborn, and wrong. The King is silent for several moments, before recounting their people's belief that when a new King is crowned, all the voices of his forebearers flow into him, sharing their counsel and wisdom. The King laments that he's with his son even in anger. There is nothing to forgive. Durin announces his invite to Lindon and the King thinks he should accept. Even though Elrond has been forthcoming, their intuition tells them something else is at work. The King hopes his son can find out more.
Bronwyn finds Arondir overlooking the villages and thanks him for saving her son. She touches his arm, knowing something is wrong. He has a message from the one who commands their enemy. Her people may live if they forsake all claim to the lands and swear fealty to him. If they refuse, he will come for Ostirith. They look over the railing to the dozens of villagers below, including children.
Theo rests behind a beam when Waldreg approaches, tossing a flask with the same marking as Halbrand's necklace on the ground. Waldreg accuses Theo of stealing the hilt from the barn. He shows Theo the markings on his arms from the hilt, which are identical to Theo's. Waldreg warns it is no sword but a power fashioned for their ancestors by “his” master's hand. A beautiful servant who was lost, but shall return. He asks if Theo has heard from Sauron. Waldreg believes the Starfall in the sky was a symbol of Sauron's return. He warns Theo to save his strength for what's coming.
Adar watches a Warg rip apart an animal carcass. An Orc approaches with news of having found the hilt in the tower.
Galadriel, with an escort from Elendil, boards a ship with a final look back to Miriel. Pharazon commends Miriel's decision, believing her people will be pleased. As they walk away from a departing Galadriel, a breeze passes over Numenor, and the petals of the White Tree fall. Miriel and Elendil share a stunned look before he glances back at Galadriel.
Miriel speaks to her people of the importance of the White Tree, and how there's an hour of judgment upon them. She believes their hearts beat with the blood of the heroes who carved the stones around them. She would not command or invite them to any danger she wouldn't face herself. As such, she will escort Galadriel back to Middle-earth to aid their mortal brethren in the Southlands. Their ships will depart in ten days. Elendil reads a message to the people of Numenor, asking who will commit to their Queen-Regent's protection. After several moments of silence, Valandil volunteers, followed by Ontamo, Isildur, and dozens of others.
Cast[]
- Cynthia Addai-Robinson as Queen Regent Míriel
- Ema Horvath as Eärien
- Leon Wadham as Kemen
- Trystan Gravelle as Pharazôn
- Morfydd Clark as Galadriel
- Lloyd Owen as Captain Elendil
- Charlie Vickers as Halbrand
- Maxim Baldry as Isildur
- Anthony Crum as Ontamo
- Alex Tarrant as Valandil
- Ismael Cruz Córdova as Arondir
- Joseph Mawle as Adar
- Nazanin Boniadi as Bronwyn
- Peter Tait as Tredwill
- Geoff Morrell as Waldreg
- Tyroe Muhafidin as Theo
- Ian Blackburn as Rowan
- Robert Aramayo as Elrond
- Charles Edwards as Lord Celebrimbor
- Sophia Nomvete as Princess Disa
- Owain Arthur as Prince Durin IV
- Ken Blackburn as Tar-Palantir
- Peter Mullan as King Durin III
- Laura Medes as Young Mother
- Carmel McGlone as Edda
- Jason Hood as Tamar
- Adam Faiz as Guild Merchant
- Antonio Te Maioha as Sail Master
- Phil Grieve as Bazur
- Luke Hawker as Magrot
- Jed Brophy as Vrath
- Edward Clendon as Grugzûk
- Robert Strange as Warrior Orc
- Dave Chapman as Masked Dwarf Guard
- Preston O'Brien as Guardsman Two
- Rachel Payne as Dwarf Singer
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[]
