A defence of the wackiest candidate so far: Swordron
The identity of Sauron has been a secret in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power ever since the first episode. Since the beginning of the Prime Video series, Galadriel has been steadfastly searching for the future Dark Lord of the Rings, who we know has the capacity to shape-shift.
In the early episodes, a few strong contenders (and a few less strong candidates) had arisen, but after the fourth episode of the show, “The Great Wave,” it’s time to investigate a somewhat more improbable notion.
BUT WHAT IF SARON IS THAT WRONG SWORD?
A cursed sword was discovered in a barn a few episodes ago by Theo, a human youngster and Bronwyn’s son, who has been fascinated by it ever since. That might be the solution.
Given how many enigmatic characters the programme has exposed to us as potential Saurons, it may seem unlikely, yet there are instances where items have been given power in this universe (just see the title of the show).
The sword is also poorly mishandled. It starts out as just a broken hilt, but when it latches onto Theo’s arm, it grows into a full sword. It also leaves a mark on his arm (and the arm of a prior holder, as Theo learns in the fourth episode of the show), which we can see. This argument might be supported by the show’s fascination with good people driven to evil (as constantly demonstrated by the elves’ descriptions of the struggle against Morgoth), however it’s not entirely apparent what draws Theo or other humans to the sword.
But let’s see how this goes. Imagine that the sword is Sauron, who embedded himself into a cursed instrument in an effort to maintain his influence and power while avoiding being caught in the sights of those who are trying to kill him. Theo and the sword have now formed a bond. That could either turn him into a blatant servant of Sauron, driving him to accomplish whatever objectives are required to bring the Dark Lord back. However, it’s also possible that Sauron’s power was actually implanted inside Theo by the sword, gradually replacing Theo with Sauron. Theo might also serve as evidence that, in contrast to what the elves believe, people are capable of controlling their evil tendencies. It will be interesting to watch how it plays out, but one thing is for sure: that is one broken sword.
ASSESSING THE OTHER SAURON CANDIDATES
No news there if you’re still holding out hope that Sauron is the Stranger; the episode this week lacked both harfoots and giants.
But it was a good week for those who believe Halbrand is Sauron because he frequently says things in a cryptic manner that imply he knows more than he’s admitting (and that he’s trying to manipulate Galadriel, which became even more obvious when he taught freaking Galadriel how to manipulate people). The camera lingered on Halbrand as Queen Regent Mriel’s voiceover implied that evil was already present in Nmenor.
Adar, the leader of the elf orcs, also played a significant role in the story. He revealed to Arondir how little he understood about the outside world while yet projecting a captivating sense of menace. He most certainly works for Sauron, in our opinion, but you never know. Anything is conceivable with this show if Galadriel needs to be taught how to use her influence by a human who is many years her junior.
Fighting games are awesome, but getting started with them can be frightening. You might observe the competitive Tekken or Street Fighter scene and consider, “I’m surely bad! and lack the necessary equipment! And I don’t comprehend what you’re saying!” BUT QUIT. Fighting games CAN be enjoyed. That experience has been extremely gratifying for Pat Gill. Here’s how he got into them, and how you can too.
