New alliances are forged.

Amazon’s major new Lord of the Rings prequel concludes its first season on a high, setting up things nicely for the second year, and thankfully recovering from its mid-season slump.

The giant stranger is on his own, wandering through woods, and then the trackers catch up with him. And I bet you couldn’t guess what they say when they meet him. It’s one of two moments this week where expectations are subverted.

Elrond and Celebrimbor are at a loss as to how to save the elves, until injured Halbrand suggests that they use alloys in their forging to create a stronger metal that benefits from the best of all. And what are created out of this magical metal? The three elven rings. There’s also moments of drama and sacrifice as the Harfoots meet up with the trackers, Queen Regent Miriel returns to a changed Numenor, and a new evil is revealed.

Verdict: Not the most action-packed of episodes, but every story thread feels relevant, and with the characters now established, season two should be able to hit the ground running. 8/10

Nick Joy