Riz Ahmed stars in ‘Hamlet’. Photo: Focus Features.
In theaters on April 10 is ‘Hamlet’, a fresh update of William Shakespeare’s famous tragedy, which features Riz Ahmed (‘Sound of Metal’), who plays a version of the troubled Dane, here the heir to an elite South Asian empire in modern-day London.
(L to R) Morfydd Clark and Riz Ahmed in ‘Hamlet’. Photo: Focus Features.
If you’re going to tackle a Shakespeare play on film –– particularly the complex web of family tragedy that is ‘Hamlet’ — be prepared for challenges. But with this present-day version, director Aneil Karia and writer Michael Lesslie bring a fierce energy to their effort.
Script and Direction
(L to R) Riz Ahmed and Timothy Spall in ‘Hamlet’. Photo: Focus Features.
Shakespeare is not easy to adapt, and Lesslie here sticks to the traditional language for the most part (while still needing to cut plenty to avoid an overlong running time). But the changes and substitutions (London for Denmark and the use of Indian culture) truly work well.
Karia, meanwhile brings real panache and style, making the world feel relevant and also, in places, timely.
Cast and Performances
(Far Left) Riz Ahmed stars in ‘Hamlet’. Photo: Focus Features.
It’s really Ahmed’s show, and he chews on one of the trickiest parts in drama. Sequences such as the “To be or not to be” soliloquy give him something to truly work with.
Which isn’t to dismiss an impressive supporting cast, especially Art Malik as scheming uncle Claudius and Morfydd Clark, who brings humanity to the relatively smaller role of Ophelia.
Final Thoughts
(L to R) Art Malik and Joe Alwyn in ‘Hamlet’. Photo: Focus Features.
Even if you’ve dismissed Shakespeare as impenetrable, the new ‘Hamlet’ shows what can happen in sure hands, the emotion on full display. Purists may balk at the changes, but this is a worthwhile adaptation.
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Riz Ahmed stars in ‘Hamlet’.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Riz Ahmed about his work on ‘Hamlet’, taking on the iconic role, shooting the “To be or not to be” speech, and why Shakespeare’s work is so timeless and universal.
You can watch the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interview.
Riz Ahmed stars in ‘Hamlet’. Photo: Focus Features.
Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about the challenges of playing the iconic role of Hamlet, and is it a role that you’ve always wanted to play?
Riz Ahmed: I’ve wanted to play this since I was 17 and I was in English class feeling like this is some stuffy, boring museum artifact, and that Shakespeare is not for me. I had an amazing English teacher who put it in front of me and made me realize, “Wow, this is pretty close to how I’m feeling.” The central feeling, I would say for Hamlet is, “Is the world going crazy or have I lost my mind?” I think that’s how we’re all feeling. That’s how I was feeling then, and it’s how I’m feeling now, and dare I say, it’s how most of the world feels now. So, I wanted to play it because it was very relatable. I think that’s the challenge and the gift of taking on something like ‘Hamlet’, a role like this, is it’s been done so many times. I think the challenge is, what is specific and personal about your interpretation? That’s also a gift. It’s been done so many times, there’s no illusion that someone’s going to perform a definitive Hamlet. You’re liberated in a way to just do something as uniquely specific and personal to you and your experience as possible. So, it’s a strange combination of feeling like, “We’re going to step into these big old shoes that don’t belong to us.” While at the same time going, “Well, actually we get to run around in these shoes however we want.”
(L to R) Morfydd Clark and Riz Ahmed in ‘Hamlet’. Photo: Focus Features.
MF: Shakespeare’s work is universal and can be adapted to any time-period or culture. What is it about his work that you think has made it stand the test of time?
RA: I think it’s a couple of things. Firstly, a lot of the stories are drawn from myths that are not British, that are ancient. The first words you hear in our Hamlet are words from the Bhagavad Gita, which is the foundational Hindu myth. That’s because that story is very similar to the story of ‘Hamlet’. It predates ‘Hamlet’ by thousands of years. This idea of choosing family loyalty or doing the right thing, that’s a timeless theme. So, I think that’s one reason why it can cross barriers of culture. It belongs to myth that belongs to all of us. The second reason is because it’s like music. The logical understanding of every word was not something that even audiences were doing in Shakespeare’s time when it comes to these plays. Shakespeare made up like 4,000 new words. They didn’t understand half of what he was saying, but it’s music. It’s rhythm, its flow, its percussion, its energy, and it’s intention. If you hear it like music, it moves you like music and music crosses all boundaries.
(Far Left) Riz Ahmed stars in ‘Hamlet’. Photo: Focus Features.
MF: Finally, I’ve never seen the ‘To be or not to be” speech depicted the way you did it, with the character in a car speeding towards oncoming traffic. Can you talk about shooting that scene and how that added urgency to the speech?
RA: Absolutely. Our interpretation of “To be or not to be” is that it’s not about, “Should I kill myself or not?” Which is how it’s usually performed, right? It’s a much more urgent, confronting question. The question is, “Should we fight back against injustice, even if it means we might die?” That’s a contemporary, radical question. Then if you look at the language itself rather than looking at the traditional way it’s performed, that’s what it’s saying. So, we had to stage it in a way and have that confrontation and that urgency. If the speech is a game of chicken, we’re going to stage it like a game of chicken. So, he is literally doing that. He’s driving down a freeway, heading towards a lorry a hundred miles an hour, asking himself, does he have the guts to take on something bigger than himself? So, we staged it that way in a way. We’re just trying to honor the DNA of this speech rather than honoring the traditional way it’s done. We really tried to make something that’s for people who feel like Shakespeare isn’t normally for them and hopefully it gives them a visceral experience.
‘Hamlet’ opens in theaters on April 10th.
What is the plot of ‘Hamlet’?
Haunted by his father’s ghost (Avijit Dutt), Prince Hamlet (Riz Ahmed) descends from elite London society into the city’s underground, moving between Hindu temples and homeless camps. In seeking to avenge his father’s murder, he begins to question his own role in his family’s corruption.
‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ season 2. Credit: Courtesy of Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon MGM Studios.
Returning for its second season with three episodes via Prime Video on August 29th, ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ continues to largely justify the huge amounts of cash Amazon splashed on the rights to J.R.R. Tolkien’s “secondary material” for stories set long before the timelines of ‘The Hobbit’ or the main ‘Rings’ narrative.
And reassuringly, the second season actually shows a welcome jump in momentum.
Does ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ Season 2 have some magic?
‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ season 2. Credit: Courtesy of Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon MGM Studios.
The first season might be best described as scene-setting or like an orchestra tuning up before launching into the overture ahead of the main performance. There were myriad characters to introduce and storylines to set up, a difficult juggling act that meant a few were left somewhat wanting.
As Season 2 dawns, there is a lot more in place and storylines can continue (albeit with one or two confusing time jumps, especially when it comes to Charlie Vickers’ Sauron, whose plot appears to have been thrown in a blender in terms of where we are with him at any one point in the initial two episodes.
Script and Direction
(L to R) Gavi Singh Chera as Merimac, Megan Richards as Poppy, Markella Kavenagh as Nori, Tanya Moodie as Gundabel in ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ season 2. Credit: Ross Ferguson / Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon MGM Studios.
The balancing act is back for Season 2, but showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay lead their writing team down some solid paths, with the most urgent catch-ups (particularly with Morfydd Clark’s Galadriel and Vickers’ own story as Sauron schemes) fore fronted in the initial story.
It feels like the collected writer/producers have a better idea this year on how to let the various strands breathe, even as they introduce new characters and complications for our heroes.
A switch in filming locations from New Zealand to the U.K. has not diminished the epic scope and scale of the series, which, while it can’t always rival Peter Jackson’s cinematic visions, still makes the world vivid and large.
Season 2 directors Charlotte Brändström (who returns from working on the first), Sanaa Hamri and Louise Hooper keep the show looking great (with just the occasional hint of misty CG work).
Performances
Though not every performance can have the charm and power of the leads, the ensemble all work hard to bring their characters to life.
Morfydd Clark as Galadriel
Morfydd Clark as Galadriel in ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ season 2. Credit: Ross Ferguson / Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon MGM Studios.
The anchor of the show (alongside perhaps Vickers), Clark continues to impress as elf warrior (and future mystic) Galadriel. Though viewers might sometimes share her frustration that few of the elves around her share her concerns when it comes to the very real threat of Sauron, Clark is never less than compelling.
Charlie Vickers as Sauron
Charlie Vickers as Sauron in ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ season 2. Credit: Ben Rothstein / Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon MGM Studios.
Even more than Clark, Vickers gets a lot to chew on as the Dark Lord; seductive and sometimes serene, he’s once more given various different shades of Sauron to play and does well by them all.
Daniel Weyman as The Stranger in ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ season 2. Credit: Ben Rothstein / Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon MGM Studios.
No one is still saying the G-word yet (that would be “Gandalf” for anyone unaware), but there is plenty of talk about names in the initial couple of episodes. On his quest with Harfoots Nori (Markella Kavenagh) and Poppy (Megan Richards), he’s still something of a mystery, but is brought into contact with a new threat (more on that below).
(L to R) Owain Arthur as Prince Durin IV and Sophia Nomvete as Princess Disa in ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ season 2. Credit: Ben Rothstein / Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon MGM Studios.
Nomvete continues to be a highlight of the show; her interactions with husband Prince Durin IV (Owain Arthur) and, indeed anyone she comes into contact with are a delight. She brings such energy and humor to the role, the perfect combination of performer and script.
Other notable characters
While we won’t discuss exactly who he’s playing, Ciaran Hinds makes a solid debut as a mystery new character who promises to cause trouble for The Stranger. Ditto Ben Daniels, who plays an elf (but again, we won’t specify who) to great effect.
Final Thoughts
(L to R) Robert Aramayo as Elrond; Morfydd Clark as Galadriel in ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ season 2. Credit: Ben Rothstein / Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon MGM Studios.
If Season One was figuring out what the show needed to be, Season 2 represents the creators really able to run with the idea, having worked out some of the kinks. A few remain –– not every character works, but the vast majority are entertaining, and the show remains very watchable even if you sometimes have to consult a web guide to remind yourself who everyone is and how they fit into the sprawling lore.
‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ Season 2 receives 7.5 out of 10 stars.
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What is the plot of ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ Season 2?
In Season Two of ‘The Rings of Power’, Sauron (Charlie Vickers) has returned. Cast out by Galadriel (Morfydd Clark), without an army or ally, the rising Dark Lord must now rely on his own cunning to rebuild his strength and oversee the creation of the Rings of Power, which will allow him to bind all the peoples of Middle-Earth to his sinister will. Building on Season One’s epic scope and ambition, the new season plunges even its most beloved and vulnerable characters into a rising tide of darkness, challenging each to find their place in a world that is increasingly on the brink of calamity. Elves and dwarves, orcs and men, wizards and Harfoots… as friendships are strained and kingdoms begin to fracture, the forces of good will struggle ever more valiantly to hold on to what matters to them most of all… each other.
Who is in the cast of ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ Season 2?
(L to R) Charles Edwards and Charlie Vicker star in Prime Video’s ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ season 2.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Charlie Vickers and Charles Edwards about their work on ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ season 2, laying the groundwork for Sauron in season one and exploring the character in season two, Celebrimbor’s motivations, if he will be corrupted by the power of the rings, and what it means to them personally to be part of the show.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Vickers, Edwards, Daniel Weyman, Markella Kavenaugh, Megan Richards, Benjamin Walker, and Ismael Cruz Cordova.
Charlie Vickers as Sauron in ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ season 2. Credit: Ben Rothstein / Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon MGM Studios.
Moviefone: To begin with, Charlie, can you talk about laying the groundwork for Sauron in season one and having the opportunity to explore the character in season two?
Charlie Vickers: I think the easiest way I can articulate it is in season one, the groundwork was all laid because we were kind of guessing where Sauron was. I was still playing ultimately the same character with all the same research, different on the outside, but in the perspective of the show, I was having Sauron moments when the camera was pointed at Galadriel. This season you shift perspective, and you get let into his private world. Obviously, there’s a whole bunch of internal character development things that have happened by being with this character for such a long time, but now the perspective has shifted. We kind of get let in. The door is ajar for us as the audience.
MF: Since Sauron disguises himself as other people, has it felt like you were playing more than one character and how do you approach that?
CV: Yeah, it has been. I mean, ultimately Halbrand and Annatar are both Sauron, but the second season we changed a lot, not only just with the makeup team and the costume team, but I worked a lot with Leith McPherson, our dialect coach, on a new accent and dialect and with a movement coach as well to try and work out the way he moves. So, it has been a development of a completely different character on the outside but maintains a lot of the same internal motivation.
(L to R) Charles Edwards as Celebrimbor, Amelia Kenworhty as Mirdania in ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ season 2. Credit: Ben Rothstein / Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon MGM Studios.
MF: Charles, can you talk about where we last saw Celebrimbor in season one and where we find him and what he’s dealing with in season two?
Charles Edwards: When we left him, he’s created something which he hopes is going to be amazing at the end of season one. But we have no confirmation of that going into season two so he’s still in that kind of inertia of waiting and not having any information about what’s happened to that. So, he’s built his fantastic new forge, which is an amazing place to work by the way. That set is extraordinary. But with no direction, he doesn’t know which step to take next. But then someone shows up who’s going to perhaps help him with that. We find him in kind of slightly adrift at the beginning of season two, but then he is seized by a new energy when he reconnects with Halbrand.
MF: Is he susceptible to the power of the rings and how will he avoid being corrupted?
CE: I think he certainly is. I think he’s susceptible to all kinds of things. Sauron/Annatar, is very good at seeking out the kind of chinks in his armor. Yes, he’s very susceptible to pride, to ambition, to flattery, and yes, to the rings.
‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ season 2. Credit: Courtesy of Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon MGM Studios.
MF: Finally, Charlie, what has it been like for you to be on a series as large in scope as this and really have an opportunity to explore the world J. R. R. Tolkien created?
CV: It’s been incredible. I think there’s two aspects. You have it as a human being, like as an actor. The first time I stepped onto the set it’s scary and it’s surprising how quickly you get used to that, and it sort of begins to feel like, certainly in the second season it felt, I was more comfortable with it. But it’s a joy as an actor to be able to have such a rich world to not only play in, but to research out playing canon characters. There is just so much stuff to inspire us, whether it’s Tolkien’s books or it’s all these amazing adaptations that range from movies to video games to cartoons.
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What is the plot of ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ Season 2?
In Season Two of ‘The Rings of Power’, Sauron (Charlie Vickers) has returned. Cast out by Galadriel (Morfydd Clark), without an army or ally, the rising Dark Lord must now rely on his own cunning to rebuild his strength and oversee the creation of the Rings of Power, which will allow him to bind all the peoples of Middle-Earth to his sinister will. Building on Season One’s epic scope and ambition, the new season plunges even its most beloved and vulnerable characters into a rising tide of darkness, challenging each to find their place in a world that is increasingly on the brink of calamity. Elves and dwarves, orcs and men, wizards and Harfoots… as friendships are strained and kingdoms begin to fracture, the forces of good will struggle ever more valiantly to hold on to what matters to them most of all… each other.
Who is in the cast of ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ Season 2?
The show is back on our screens late next month, and to keep that idea in our collective brains, the show brought a big group of its cast, plus showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay, to talk up the series and offer some fresh footage.
Part of the presentation included the new trailer, which you can find above.
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What’s the story of ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ Season 2?
‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ season 2. Credit: Courtesy of Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon MGM Studios.
Here’s the official synopsis for Season 2:
“Sauron (Charlie Vickers) has returned. Cast out by Galadriel (Morfydd Clark), without army or ally, the rising Dark Lord must now rely on his own cunning to rebuild his strength and oversee the creation of the Rings of Power, which will allow him to bind all the peoples of Middle-earth to his sinister will. The new season plunges even its most beloved and vulnerable characters into a rising tide of darkness, challenging each to find their place in a world that is increasingly on the brink of calamity. Elves and dwarves, orcs and men, wizards and Harfoots… as friendships are strained and kingdoms begin to fracture, the forces of good will struggle ever more valiantly to hold on to what matters to them most of all… each other.”
The trailer certainly hammers that point home, showing the divisions between certain characters and the unity that will need to be shown if they’re to defeat the threat from Sauron (Vickers), now in elf form, and pushing Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) to create the rings that will entice, control and ultimately endanger the various races.
What did we learn from the ‘Rings of Power’ panel?
‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ season 2. Credit: Courtesy of Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon MGM Studios.
The panel didn’t offer much in the way of giant revelations, though it did include a couple of behind the scenes featurettes looking at the practical effects work behind the forging of the rings (and concept artwork from legendary artist John Howe), and some of the new ‘Rings’ creatures we can expect to see in the show, including wraiths.
Also on the beast front, Shelob the spider will make an experience (or possibly a relative), and there was a glimpse of a balrog.
As the trailer makes clear, the show also shows the first proper look at the Entwives, the female companions of the tree-life Ent creatures.
Here’s what co-showrunner Payne said to expect in Season 2:
“Sauron is afoot. There’s trouble. There’s danger. There’s death and battle.”
Oh, and in case you were wondering, Ismael Cruz Córdova, who plays Silvan Elf Arondir, named his sword “Rihanna”. Just because.
Did we learn any future details about the show?
‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ season 2. Credit: Courtesy of Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon MGM Studios.
While the panel’s main section was limited to talking about Season 2, the fan question time did allow for some more forward-looking speculation, including that we can expect to meet pivotal elf Glorfindel later in the series’ run and that the question of Theo’s (Tyroe Muhafidin) biological parentage will be answered… eventually.
When will ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ Season 2 be on screens?
Prime Video is launching Season 2 of the series on August 29th with its first episode.
‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ season 2. Credit: Courtesy of Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon MGM Studios.‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ season 2. Credit: Courtesy of Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon MGM Studios.‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ season 2. Credit: Courtesy of Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon MGM Studios.‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ season 2. Credit: Courtesy of Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon MGM Studios.‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ season 2. Credit: Courtesy of Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon MGM Studios.‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ season 2. Credit: Courtesy of Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon MGM Studios.‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ season 2. Credit: Courtesy of Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon MGM Studios.
Movies and TV Shows in ‘The Lord of the Rings’ Franchise:
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with David Jonsson and Morfydd Clark about their work on ‘Murder Is Easy,’ being part of an Agatha Christie mystery, their characters, the story, and changes that were made to the source material.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interview.
(L to R) Morfydd Clark and Tom Riley in ‘Murder is Easy.’ Photo: BritBox.
Moviefone: To begin with, Morfydd, were you an Agatha Christie fan before joining this project and what was it like for you to be in one of her mysteries?
Morfydd Clark: Yeah, pretty much. I was so excited to be asked to be in an Agatha Christie. I’d grown up watching them, listened to lots of the books and just found the world she creates funny. I love a murder mystery that also isn’t too terrifying. I think that the way she writes people is brutal in that she really homes in on people’s flaws and weirdness. There’s nowhere to hide when an Agatha Christie detective is looking at you. You know Poirot, Miss Marple, Luke Fitzwilliam, they really see the core of people. That’s something that’s quite fascinating and can be quite confronting as well as a reader if you recognize yourself in certain wild behaviors. But also, they’re unrealistic in the fact because I mean, there’s serial killers in every kind of little English town in the Agatha Christie world, which is quite a high stress, and exciting way to live.
MF: David, what was your relationship to Christie’s work before becoming part of this project?
David Jonsson: It’s more the fact that I think Agatha Christie is amazing. She’s a kind of a British institution. She’s an incredible writer who’s made an immense amount of great works, kind of like Shakespeare. But for me, the role is everything. So, it’s kind of got all the check marks and I think this one was scary in the way that I like it to be.
David Jonsson in ‘Murder is Easy.’ Photo: BritBox.
MF: David, what were some of the aspects of this character that you were excited to explore on screen?
DJ: Well, I guess on paper he’s a young black policeman who works in the force, and who comes over to solve a crime, I guess. That’s never happened in Agatha Christie history, playing the first black lead. So that comes with a big amount of responsibility, but also a big amount of invention and fun to be had. It was just about striking the balance between that and hopefully somewhere in the middle finding the truth, which was fun in the end.
MF: Morfydd, is fun being in an Agatha Christie mystery?
MC: Yeah, for sure. It feels like as an actor, your kind of stepping into a genre of itself. We are lucky, me and David, that we worked with lots of very funny actors. Also, we were lucky to work with people like Penelope Wilton. There’s a huge age range also in Agatha Christie, which is fascinating, and I love.
(L to R) Penelope Wilton and David Jonsson in ‘Murder is Easy.’ Photo: BritBox.
MF: David, your character takes over trying to solve the mystery when Miss Pinkerton is no longer able, can you talk about why he does that?
DJ: Well, I think he’s just doing the right thing. I feel like Luke has got a very strong moral code, and that’s kind of sometimes alien, isn’t it? When a lot of people think about themselves. I think he’s quite selfless in that scenario, which kind of drives a lot of his character.
MF: How does Luke’s friends feel about him going to this village and then once he gets there, how is he treated by the people there?
DJ: Well, I guess it’s all in retrospect, isn’t it? On the way to the village, he’s only got one thing in mind, which is just to kind of help and report this murder. Then when he gets there, it’s a completely different thing, isn’t it? Which is I think a lot of the black experience generally. What I find quite incredible about this one is the parallels between 1950s Britain and today. A lot has changed, but we’ve still got a long way to go. I think that’s cool about this one, because it’s maybe a bit more polarized than some of the other Agatha Christie books.
David Jonsson in ‘Murder is Easy.’ Photo: BritBox.
MF: Morfydd, can you talk about Bridget’s reaction to Luke when she first meets him?
MC: Well, I think they kind of have quite an instant connection. They understand each other quite deeply, quite quickly on a certain level, but also in lots of ways, they are worlds apart. I think that Bridget, the rest of her life, she’ll have been a much better person having met him. I think she learns a lot during this state of murders and meeting Fitzwilliam.
MF: Finally, Morfydd, how would you describe Bridget in your own words?
MC: She’s no fool. She’s not wealthy, and she doesn’t have a huge number of prospects because she’s a woman in the ‘50s, the ‘60s haven’t happened yet. She’s limited, and so she finds herself a kind of tamable rich man. That’s the best option, and she does it well. Luke really kind of opens her eyes, I guess.
(L to R) Mark Bonnar and Mathew Baynton in ‘Murder is Easy.’ Photo: BritBox.
What is the Plot of ‘Murder Is Easy’?
Luke Fitzwilliam (David Jonsson) is a Nigerian attaché on his way to Whitehall when he meets the mysterious Miss Pinkerton (Penelope Wilton) on a train. Pinkerton discusses with him that a series of deaths in the village of Wynchwood-Under-Ashe are not accidental and there’s a killer on the loose. Later, Miss Pinkerton is also found dead, and Fitzwilliam steels himself to discover the murderer before he strikes again.
Morfydd Clark (Galadriel) in Prime Video’s ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.’ Photo: Courtesy of Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
Just when you thought the already sprawling ensemble of ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ couldn’t get any bigger, Prime Video goes and surprises us all by adding three new cast members in recurring roles for Season 2.
Ciaran Hinds, Rory Kinnear and Tanya Moodie are all joining the cast for the show, which has been in production on its second season for a while now in the UK.
Ciarán Hinds at the premiere of USA Network’s ‘Political Animals.’
What’s the story so far of ‘Rings of Power’?
Set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien’s ‘The Hobbit’ and ‘The Lord of the Rings’ books, the series takes viewers back to The Second Age, an era in which great powers were forged, kingdoms rose to glory and fell to ruin, unlikely heroes were tested, hope hung by the finest of threads, and a powerful villain threatened to cover all the world in darkness.
Beginning in a time of relative peace, the show follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared reemergence of evil to Middle-earth. From the darkest depths of the Misty Mountains to the majestic forests of the elf capital of Lindon, to the breathtaking island kingdom of Númenor, to the farthest reaches of the map, these kingdoms and characters will carve out legacies that live on long after they are gone.
(L to R) Charlie Vickers (Halbrand), and Morfydd Clark (Galadriel) in Prime Video’s ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.’ Photo: Courtesy of Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
We’ll leave a Spoiler Warning here for anyone who has yet to check out the show… But given that the climactic end of Season 1 saw Charlie Vickers human warrior Halbrand unmasked as cunning, charismatic evil wizard Sauron and the effective birth of the lava-scarred land of Mordor from under a human village, expect both of those to be followed. We’ll also be going on more adventures with the Harfoots and can expect Morfydd Clark’s Elf warrior Galadriel to keep on fighting, especially since she’s now been proved right about the Sauron situation.
As for the new cast, Prime Video isn’t saying who they’ll play yet.
Rory Kinnear in ‘Southcliffe,’
Where do I know Ciaran Hinds, Rory Kinnear and Tanya Moodie from?
Hinds is probably the best known of the three, an actor with a long legacy of impressive work on stage and on screens big and small. He was Oscar nominated for playing Pop in Kenneth Branagh’s ‘Belfast’ and has been seen in movies such as ‘Munich’, ‘In Bruges’, ‘Road to Perdition’, ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’ and the ‘Harry Potter’ franchise. Perhaps most relevant to both TV audiences and this new fantasy job is his run as Mance Rayder in ‘Game of Thrones’.
Kinnear is most recognizable from his performances as Bill Tanner in the Daniel Craig Bond movies starting with ‘Quantum of Solace’. Last year, he played various creepy roles in Alex Garland’s horror movie ‘Men’. On TV, he’s currently part of the cast of pirate comedy ‘Our Flag Means Death’.
Charlie Vickers (Halbrand) in Prime Video’s ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.’ Photo credit: Ben Rothstein/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
At last it’s here – the first season finale of ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.’ It’s been a helluva ride so far, but the show has saved its biggest surprises for ‘Alloyed.’
Things kick off with a lonely Stranger (Daniel Weyman) making his way through a rainy Greenwood. There, he runs afoul of the three mysterious cultists/witches who’ve been hunting him this season. Their names (at least in the show’s credits) are the Dweller, the Ascetic, and the Nomad (Bridie Sisson, Kali Kopae, and Edith Poor), and they’re creepier than any orc, uruk, or warg we’ve met thus far. Upon finding the confused mystic, they proclaim him “Lord Sauron.”
Meanwhile, Galdriel (Morfydd Clark) rides with a recovering Halbrand (Charlie Vickers) to Eregion, where Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) and Elrond (Robert Aramayo) despair over their failed attempt to procure Mithril from the dwarves. There’s more elf guilt when Galadriel arrives. Elrond tells her he should never have let her go on the ship bound for Valinor.
Soon back on his feet, Halbrand strikes up a friendship with Celebrimbor over their shared passion for metallurgy. The Southlander suggests the elves use an alloy to enhance the properties of the small amount of Mithril they already possess.
(L to R) Charles Edwards (Celebrimbor), Robert Aramayo (Elrond) in Prime Video’s ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.’ Photo credit: Ben Rothstein/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
Back in Numenor, Chancellor Pharazon (Trystan Gravelle) summons a select group of artists, to compete for their portrait to adorn the grave of the dying King Tar-Palantir (Ken Blackburn). Elendil’s daughter Earien (Ema Morvath) is one of them. When she’s granted an hour to sketch the monarch, he awakens to warn her of trouble coming to Numenor. She then finds Miriel’s palantír.
In Eregion, Celebrimbor and Elrond inform the High King Gil-galad (Benjamin Walker) they intend to use what little mithril they have to create a crown for him to wear, which will give him – to Galadriel’s horror – “power over flesh.” He rejects the idea and tells them recent events have accelerated their people’s impending demise, and that they must leave Middle-earth immediately. But Elrond, ever the king’s favorite elf, convinces him to let their plan move forward.
Galadriel begins harboring doubts as to the suddenly spry Halbrand’s motives, and sends a messenger to fetch her the necessary records to investigate Halbrand’s lineage.
Back in the Greenwood, the witches tell the Stranger the constellation he’s searching for is “The Hermit’s Hat,” which is only visible far to the east, in the lands of Rhun. Then the three take him prisoner, believing he’s not yet come to realize he’s Sauron. Nori (Markella Kavenagh), Poppy (Megan Richards), Marigold (Sara Zwangobani), and Sadoc (Lenny Henry) appear, and try to rescue the Stranger. Together, they battle the witches, and the Stranger is almost defeated.
Daniel Weyman (The Stranger) in Prime Video’s ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.’ Photo credit: Ben Rothstein/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
But Nori gives him one of her power-packed pep talks and he rises, seizes the Dweller’s staff, and uses it to send his foes back to the “shadows” from whence they came. (Which looks a lot like the ghostly realm of the Nazgul.) With their final words, the stunned trio call him “Istar.” Sadroc, alas, is mortally wounded in the battle, and watches his last sunset.
On their ship, a still grieving Elendil (Lloyd Owen) and the now blind Queen-regent Miriel (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) further bond over their losses in the Southlands. Startled by the sudden tenderness she shows him, the sea captain decides against quitting her service. They return home to Numenor to find black banners of mourning hanging from every spire in their city. In his chamber, the Chancellor stands by the late king, and it’s not hard to see the gleam of opportunity in his eyes.
In Eregion, Celebrimbor can’t get any metal alloys to mix with Mithril in his experiments. Halbrand suggests a gentler approach: “coaxing them together.” Galadriel’s messenger returns with the records she requested, and she learns the Southlands have been without a king for a thousand years. The last one had no heir. Halbrand has been lying to her.
He finds her and enthusiastically tells her they will need two objects to hold the combined metals’ enormous power – both of which will be smaller than a crown. She confronts him with her discovery…and Sauron at long last stands revealed! He shows her a vision of her brother still alive, and she rejects it. Then he taunts her by asking her what she thinks the elves will do when they find out Sauron lives because of her. He leaves her to drown in a river bank. But Elrond saves her at the last moment, and she tells the elves that Halbrand has left them.
(L to R) Morfydd Clark (Galadriel), Charles Edwards (Celebrimbor) in Prime Video’s ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.’ Photo credit: Ben Rothstein/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
Upon learning they will make rings of power, she tells them they must make three, believing “One will always corrupt. Two will divide…” “But with three,” agrees Celebrimbor, “there is balance.” The master smith then melts down her dagger for the purity of its gold and silver from Valinor.
At the Harfoots encampment, the Stranger and Nori once more bid their goodbyes. He tells her “Istar” means “wizard.” But as she leaves him, she’s shocked to find her family believes she should leave with him. Many farewells follow, before she heads off with the Stranger, who quotes a phrase long familiar to ‘Rings’ fans – “When in doubt, always follow your nose.”
Elrond adds his small shard of Mithril to Celebrimbor’s mix, and the alloys are melted and molded. He then discovers Halbrand’s secret, while elf craftsmen forge the three rings. He falls silent upon seeing their brilliance – which fades into the eye of Sauron, as Halbrand reaches Mordor…
Alongside the finale’s surprising twist concerning Halbrand (and the not-so-surprising twist that the Stranger is a wizard) is another reveal – singer Fiona Apple belting out the end credits song! (As Enya and Annie Lennox did in the ‘Lord of the Rings’ films.) The alt-pop chanteuse brings a welcome chilliness to J.R.R. Tolkien’s fabled ‘Ring Verse,’ which opens his trilogy of novels. It’s a chill we’ll carry with us during the long wait for season 2.
See you next year, Ringers!
Morfydd Clark (Galadriel) in Prime Video’s ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.’ Photo credit: Ben Rothstein/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
(L to R) Nazanin Boniadi (Bronwyn), and Morfydd Clark (Galadriel) in Prime Video’s ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.’ Photo credit: Ben Rothstein/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) wakes up to find the Southlands decimated, and the people she traveled the world to save dead or dying. Cut off from each other, the people of Numenor rush to rescue those they can, regardless of the consequences. When the queen regent and Isildur (Maxim Baldry) enter a burning house to rescue a family trapped in the blaze, the roof collapses on Isildur.
Stumbling through the decimated Southlands, Galadriel finds Theo (Tyroe Muhafidin) among the few survivors, and the two find a curious connection in the guilt they bear over their inadvertent role in the enemy’s victory. Galadriel lends him her sword, and the two begin making their way back to their friends and family. Though there’s no such luck for Elendil (Lloyd Owen), who’s distraught to find his son is among the missing Numenoreans. Miriel (Cynthia Addai-Robinson), to her credit, does a much better job of hiding her despair, when she discovers that she’s been blinded by the volcanic blast.
(L to R) Morfydd Clark (Galadriel), and Tyroe Muhafidin (Theo) in Prime Video’s ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.’ Photo credit: Ben Rothstein/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
Elsewhere in Middle-earth, the ever-optimistic Harfoots reach their next encampment, only to find it scorched by the fires of Mount Doom. The Stranger (Daniel Weyman) tries using his magic to bring a dead tree back to life. But as he speaks to it (further convincing us he’s Gandalf) a large branch falls from the tree and almost kills a Harfoot child. Once more, the Stranger’s a pariah to the Harfoots, who finally send him packing. After Nori (Markella Kavenagh) says her goodbyes to her newfound friend, she tells her mother that she never should have helped him, and, like a good Harfoot, should accept her meager place in the world.
In Khazad-dum, Elrond (Robert Aramayo) and Prince Durin (Owain Arthur) try to convince Durin’s father, the dwarf king, to resume mining Mithril in order to share it with the dying elves. But their words fall on death ears, as the king forbids any further digging. Back at home, Disa (Sophia Nomvete) is enraged by the news, and proclaims the king a shortsighted fool. Wishing to avoid splintering the Durin family, Elrond agrees to leave. As soon as he does, During finds Elrond’s dying elf leaf is restored to life by a Mithril shard, and resumes the excavation.
The two friends find a cavern rich overflowing with the ore. We learn the depths of their bromance when Durin calls him his brother, though Elrond stops him from sharing his “secret” dwarf name. Unfortunately, the King interrupts them, and throws Elrond out of Khazad-dum (though he retains one shard of Mithril).
(L to R) Markella Kavenagh (Elanor ‘Nori’ Brandyfoot), and Lenny Henry (Sadoc Burrows) in Prime Video’s ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.’ Photo credit: Ben Rothstein/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
Furious with his son, the king strips Durin of his title, and accuses him of betraying his people. The prince, in turn, accuses his father of leaving their allies to die, and of being blind to the future and his own son’s vision for progress. Disa, however, is fully supportive of that vision, and reminds her husband that no matter what occurs they will one day rule Khazad-dum.
Alone in the mine, the dwarf king sees Elrond’s rejuvenated leaf, tosses it into the cavern, and orders the mine sealed. As the leaf falls deep within, we see it burst into flame as it lands next to a roaring Balrog.
Nori wakes up to find the Harfoot encampment’s land has healed overnight, and the apple trees are bursting with fruit. But she and her kin are confronted by the three witches who’ve been hunting the Stranger since he arrived in Middle-earth. Nori’s father Largo (Dylan Smith) waves a torch in their faces and warns them not to harm his family. In response, they burn the encampment’s wagons down. Nori then decides to go after the Stranger and warn him of the witches. Her stepmother (Sara Zwangobani), Poppy (Megan Richards), and the Harfoot elder Sadoc (Lenny Henry) join her.
Daniel Weyman (The Stranger) in Prime Video’s ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.’ Photo credit: Ben Rothstein/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
In the Numenorean camp on the Southlands’ perimeter, Isildur, still grieving over his lost son, is determined to leave Middle-earth and never return. Yet when Galadriel and Theo reach the camp, a still proud Miriel swears to the elf warrior that they will return. In the meantime, Bronwyn (Nazanin Boniadi) tells Arondir (Ismael Cruz Córdova) and Galadriel of a new land to which they can bring her people. Galadriel finds King Halbrand (Charlie Vickers) is wounded but still alive, and the two ride together once more, to win support from the High King in Eregion.
Within the Southlands, Adar (Joseph Mawle) tells the orcs that their new home will no longer be known by this name – and we see the name dissolve on screen, replaced with the word “Mordor”…
This week’s episode is understandably a quiet one after last week’s battle-soaked epic, and one is left wondering if there’s an opportunity for more action in next week’s season finale. Will Gil-galad heed Galadriel’s warnings this time? And just what do the witches want with the Stranger?
Meet us back here in seven days, Ringers!
Prime Video’s ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.’ Photo credit: Ben Rothstein/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
After several slow-burn weeks that saw our heroes in the Southlands engaged in minor skirmishes, and Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) campaigning for an army in Numenor, episode 5, ‘Udun,’ hosts the show’s first major battle.
“Udun” is an elvish word meaning “Hell.” It’s also a land in Middle-earth, better known as Mordor. And, as we shall see, it’s a more-than-fitting title given what comes of this episode’s events.
Things kick off with Adar (Joseph Mawle) planting seeds before battle, which we learn is an old elvish tradition symbolizing a belief in life, even in the shadow of death. But as a former elf turned orc leader, Adar is hellbent on destruction. He rallies his troops to march on the Southlands’ tower. But when they arrive, they find the only one there is Arondir (Ismael Cruz Córdova), who has the edifice – ‘Home Alone’ style – very heavily booby-trapped. Before the Wet Bandits, er, orcs realize what’s happening, Arondir escapes and sends the tower crashing down on them, stopping the army in its tracks. Or so it would seem.
(L to R) Nazanin Boniadi (Bronwyn), and Ismael Cruz Córdova (Arondir) in Prime Video’s ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.’ Photo: Courtesy of Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
When he reunites with Bronwyn (Nazanin Boniadi) and the villagers, Arondir tries to destroy the source of Adar’s bloodlust, the broken sword of Sauron. But to no avail. Like the One Ring itself, it cannot be easily destroyed. So Arondir resigns to hiding it, though he refuses to tell Bronwyn where. Theo (Tyroe Muhafidin), however, overhears his plan, and, as we later learn, discovers the sword’s hiding place. Arondir then rallies the villagers to fight against the orcs. He tells Bronwyn his ultimate goal is a peaceful life with her and Theo.
When the orcs finally invade the town, they find it well-prepared. Here, ‘Udun’ offers the first of several glorious bursts of action, with Arondir leading the fight, before running face first into a giant orc that proceeds to kick his ass. He’s saved at the last moment by Bronwyn, who proves as capable a killer as she is a healer.
But just as the townsfolk are about to declare victory, they find, to their horror, that they’ve only defeated their fellow men, their friends who recently deserted them for Adar – dressed in the helmets and armor of orc warriors. The true orc army then marches into town. Bronwyn is shot by an arrow, and there’s a grisly scene of Arondir and Theo removing it. After a generous amount of bloodletting, they cauterize the front and back of her wound with a hot poker.
Adar and his orcs then arrive at the villagers’ makeshift stronghold. Adar demands the broken sword, and, with no patience left, he orders his troops to begin randomly killing people. Theo, seeing his mother about to be murdered, cracks and shows Adare where the sword is located, beneath the building’s floorboards. Before Adar can wield it, Galadriel and the Numenorean army ride into town on horseback.
(L to R) Cynthia Addai-Robinson (Queen Regent Míriel), Ismael Cruz Córdova (Arondir), and Charlie Vickers (Halbrand) in Prime Video’s ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.’ Photo: Courtesy of Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
The resulting battle more than makes up for the lack of action in previous episodes. Heads roll, orc blood flows through the streets, and Galadriel performs her now signature ‘Matrix’-style moves atop her horse, ducking orc arrows, and beheading her enemies while dangling off the side of her steed. Halbrand (Charlie Vickers) too proves his mettle, saving Elendil (Lloyd Owen) and finally earning our respect as a warrior worthy of a crown. The action culminates with Adar escaping with the sword. But Galadriel tears off after him. She’s followed by Halbrand, who heads both of them off and dismounts Adar. He almost kills the orc leader out of vengeance for slaughtering his family, but Galadriel steadies his hand.
She then imprisons and interrogates Adar, and we at last learn of his origins. It turns out he was one of the “first orcs,” an “Uruk,” who was mutated and tortured by Sauron. He claims he killed the Dark Lord and set off with an army of his “children” to claim the Southlands for himself. Galadriel refuses to believe him. Having lived only for revenge against Morgoth’s servants, she’s out to destroy the entire orc race, which she regards as a perversion of nature. Adar taunts her to the point of almost killing him, but she’s stopped by Halbrand, returning her earlier favor to him.
In a brief moment of peace, the two sit down in a sunlit glen and admit to one another that, after this mission, they always want to ride at each other’s side. Their moment, however, is interrupted by the Queen-regent (Cynthia Addai-Robinson). Miriel announces Halbrand as the King of the Southlands to the cheers of the Southlanders, and revels are at last held.
Arondir, in an act of forgiveness, gives Theo the broken sword to hide. But Theo, upon unwrapping it, finds the sword has been replaced with a simple ax. Waldreg (Geoff Morrell), who’s been absent from battle, takes the real sword to the altar of Sauron and reforms it. He then uses it to trigger a mechanism atop the altar that unleashes a flood upon the valley. Filling the canals the orcs have recently dug beneath the Southlands, the rushing water eventually triggers a dormant volcano. The resulting eruption and shockwave envelop the troops of Numenor and the people of the Southlands.
Joseph Mawle (Adar) in Prime Video’s ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.’ Photo: Courtesy of Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
It’s the birth of Mount Doom, the volcano in which the One Ring is forged. And it’s the perfect cliffhanger to the show’s best episode yet.
The elves are the MVPs of this episode. As underwritten as they’ve been recently, here it’s enough that Arondir and Galadriel are poetry in motion: hacking, slashing, dodging, parrying, and decapitating their way into our hearts. But even as the latter proves herself a champion of the oppressed, “Udun” reveals a dark side to Galadriel. She’s blinded by her singlemindedness, and never stops to consider that her mission is one of genocide, even as she learns there are some orcs who, like her, are against Sauron. But no matter. For even if Adar’s plan is to make the Southlands habitable for HIS orcs, the hell he’s unleashed will make it the perfect home for the master he’s rejected.
Next week: In the first season’s penultimate episode, the Harfooots and the dwarves return, as Galadriel stares down the Southlands’ apocalypse.
Morfydd Clark (Galadriel) in Prime Video’s ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.’ Photo: Courtesy of Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
