Partings (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power)

"Partings" is the fifth episode of the first season of the American fantasy television series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Based on J. R. R. Tolkien's history of Middle-earth, primarily material from the appendices of the novel The Lord of the Rings, it is set thousands of years before the novel in the Second Age of Middle-earth and shows several groups preparing for conflict with emerging evil forces. The episode was written by Justin Doble and directed by Wayne Che Yip.

"Partings"
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power episode
Cover art for the episode's soundtrack album
Episode no.Season 1
Episode 5
Directed byWayne Che Yip
Written byJustin Doble
Featured music"This Wandering Day"
by Megan Richards
Cinematography byAaron Morton
Editing by
  • Stefan Grube
  • Cheryl Potter
Original release dateSeptember 23, 2022 (2022-09-23)
Running time72 minutes
Cast
Episode chronology
← Previous
"The Great Wave"
Next →
"Udûn"
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 1
List of episodes

The series was ordered in November 2017. J. D. Payne and Patrick McKay were set to develop it in July 2018. Filming for the first season took place in New Zealand, and work on episodes beyond the first two began in January 2021. Yip was revealed to be directing four episodes of the season that March, including the fifth. Production wrapped for the season in August 2021. The episode includes a legend called "The Song of the Roots of Hithaeglir" that connects the ore mithril to the powerful Silmarils; Wētā FX created the visual effects for the sequence. It also includes an original song, "This Wandering Day", which is sung by actress Megan Richards with lyrics written by Payne.

"Partings" premiered on the streaming service Amazon Prime Video on September 23, 2022. It was estimated to have high viewership and received generally positive reviews.

Plot

edit

Nori Brandyfoot and Poppy Proudfellow are attacked by a pack of wolves. The Stranger uses magic to scare the wolves off, but injures his arm in the process. He uses more magic to heal himself and nearly hurts Nori, frightening her. Meanwhile, three mysterious women find the location where the Stranger fell from the sky.

At the tower of Ostirith in the Southlands, Bronwyn attempts to prepare for an attack from the Orcs. Waldreg thinks they will be better off joining the Orcs and convinces around half of the humans to leave with him. Waldreg is disappointed to learn that Adar is not Sauron, but still chooses to serve him. Adar orders Waldreg to kill one of the other humans, Rowan, to prove his loyalty. At the tower, Theo shows Arondir the broken sword and Arondir says it is a key designed to enslave the Southlanders.

Elendil denies his son Isildur's request to join Númenor's expedition to the Southlands. Galadriel tells Queen Regent Míriel that Halbrand will be accompanying them to claim the throne of Southlands. He accuses Galadriel of using him and says he wants to remain in Númenor. Chancellor Pharazôn's son Kemen attempts to convince his father to cancel the expedition, but Pharazôn sees potential in turning the Southlands into a tributary state. King Tar-Palantir warns Míriel not to go to Middle-earth.

High-King Gil-galad reveals to Elrond that he knows of the existence of mithril, an ore that contains the light from a lost Silmaril that he believes can counteract the fading power of the Elves in Middle-earth. Elrond refuses to confirm that the Dwarves have discovered the ore, out of loyalty to Prince Durin IV, and Gil-galad accuses him of putting the Dwarves before his own race. Elrond discusses the issue with Durin IV and the latter agrees to help. The pair return to Khazad-dûm to try convince King Durin III.

Kemen attempts to destroy the expedition ships and discovers Isildur stowing away. Isildur prevents the destruction of three of the five ships and saves Kemen's life. When questioned by Elendil, Isildur lies about Kemen's sabotage. He subsequently receives a spot on the expedition crew as a stable sweep. Galadriel apologizes for using Halbrand and opens up to him. He eventually decides to go with the expeditionary force, and the remaining ships depart for Middle-earth.

Production

edit

Development

edit

Amazon acquired the global television rights for J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings in November 2017. The company's streaming service, Amazon Prime Video, ordered a series based on the novel and its appendices to be produced by Amazon Studios in association with New Line Cinema.[1] It was later titled The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.[2] Amazon hired J. D. Payne and Patrick McKay to develop the series and serve as showrunners in July 2018.[3][4] Justin Doble had joined the series as a writer by July 2019,[4] and Wayne Che Yip was revealed to be directing four episodes of the first season in March 2021.[5] The series was originally expected to be a continuation of Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film trilogies, but Amazon later clarified that their deal with the Tolkien Estate required them to keep the series distinct from Jackson's films.[6] Despite this, the showrunners intended for it to be visually consistent with the films.[7] Amazon confirmed in September 2019 that filming for the first season would take place in New Zealand, where Jackson's films were made.[8]

The series is set in the Second Age of Middle-earth, thousands of years before Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.[9] Because Amazon did not acquire the rights to Tolkien's other works where the First and Second Ages are primarily explored, the writers had to identify references to the Second Age in The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and its appendices, and create a story that bridged those passages.[7] The first season focuses on introducing the setting and major heroic characters to the audience.[7][10] Written by Doble and directed by Yip, the fifth episode is titled "Partings".[11]

Writing

edit

Payne felt the scene where Nori Brandyfoot and the Stranger discuss whether he is good or evil was an example of the season balancing smaller character moments with wider stakes. The showrunners felt they did not always get this balance right and wanted to improve on that in future seasons.[12] Yip noted that Nori has been defending the Stranger since meeting him, and the episode shows him becoming a surrogate family member as he spends several weeks migrating with the Harfoots and defending them from wolves. After the latter scene, Nori believes she has final proof that the Stranger is good. This is challenged when she is accidentally hurt by his magic.[13]: 5:26–6:50 

The episode includes a legend called "The Song of the Roots of Hithaeglir" that Elrond recites to High King Gil-galad. It tells of an Elf warrior who fought a Balrog, an ancient demon, over a tree at the top of the Misty Mountains because the tree contained one of the lost Silmarils—powerful jewels from the First Age. During their battle, the tree was struck by lightning and the power of the Silmaril created a new ore within the mountains.[14] This legend was invented for the series as part of a "grand unification theory" that the writers wanted to tell, which connects the Silmarils to the powerful ore mithril and eventually to the Rings of Power.[15] Elrond notes that the legend is generally seen to be "apocryphal",[14] which is a line that the writers added to give themselves "a little bit of wiggle room" with Tolkien fans who disagreed with these changes from the established lore.[16]

The showrunners called the three mysterious women in the episode "The Mystics". They are from the land of Rhûn in the east of Middle-earth and one of them has magical abilities. The women have been awaiting the arrival of the Stranger and believe he is someone important to them.[17]: 33:15-38:43  The showrunners were inspired by the Three Witches from William Shakespeare's play Macbeth when creating the characters.[18]

Casting

edit

The series' cast includes Cynthia Addai-Robinson as Míriel,[19] Robert Aramayo as Elrond, Owain Arthur as Durin IV, Maxim Baldry as Isildur, Nazanin Boniadi as Bronwyn, Morfydd Clark as Galadriel, Ismael Cruz Córdova as Arondir, Charles Edwards as Celebrimbor,[20] Trystan Gravelle as Pharazôn,[19] Lenny Henry as Sadoc Burrows,[21] Ema Horvath as Eärien,[19] Markella Kavenagh as Elanor "Nori" Brandyfoot,[22] Tyroe Muhafidin as Theo,[23] Lloyd Owen as Elendil,[19] Megan Richards as Poppy Proudfellow,[21] Dylan Smith as Largo Brandyfoot,[24] Charlie Vickers as Halbrand,[20] Leon Wadham as Kemen,[19] Benjamin Walker as Gil-galad,[25] Daniel Weyman as the Stranger,[22] and Sara Zwangobani as Marigold Brandyfoot.[24] Also starring in the episode are Beau Cassidy as Dilly Brandyfoot, Joseph Mawle as Adar, Ian Blackburn as Rowan, Geoff Morrell as Waldreg, Peter Tait as Tredwill, Thusitha Jayasundera as Malva, Maxine Cuncliffe as Vilma, Anthony Crum as Ontamo, Alex Tarrant as Valandil, Ken Blackburn as Tar-Palantir, Edith Poor as the Nomad, Kali Kopae as the Ascetic, Bridie Sisson as the Dweller, Edward Clendon as Grugzûk, Phil Vaughan as the smithy, and Ella Hope-Higginson as Mairen. Jed Brophy, Luke Hawker, Phil Grieve, and Robert Strange play unnamed Orcs in the episode.[26]

Filming

edit

Production on episodes beyond the first two began in January 2021,[27][28] under the working title Untitled Amazon Project or simply UAP,[29] following an extended filming break that began due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[30] Yip confirmed that he had begun filming his episodes by March.[5] Aaron Morton was the director of photography for Yip's episodes.[31] Filming for the season wrapped on August 2.[32]

Vic Armstrong was the stunt coordinator and second unit director for the season.[33] He ensured there were foreground elements when the wolves chase the Harfoots through a forest, to help establish what speed the creatures are moving at.[34] Some tree pieces were removable with magnets so they could be moved in shots where the wolves pass by.[35] The sword fight between Galadriel and several Númenórean cadets required Clark to fight with two swords and make 60 different movements. She was concerned about being "uncoordinated" but picked up the choreography quickly after starting with simple duel wielding movements.[34] Yip hoped the scene would be a "source of joy" for the audience, especially since it was the first chance to show Galadriel sword fighting since the first episode. He said the choreography was complicated but it was straightforward to film because the actors had rehearsed the sequence and no stunt doubles were required. This meant they did not have to hide any stunt double faces and could just move the camera with the choreography. It took one day to film.[13]: 14:57–16:40 

Vickers trained in blacksmith techniques to prepare for the scene where Halbrand does some smithy work in the episode.[34] He, Yip, and Clark considered the forge scene between Halbrand and Galadriel to be pivotal for the characters. They spent a day filming it, working through different variations. Doble said there was an "emotional truth" that each character had to face about themselves in the scene before their stories could progress. Yip and Morton aimed to use specific shots to create the feeling that Galadriel has cornered Halbrand at the beginning of the scene, and to show that Halbrand gains the upper hand later on. When their discussion becomes more intense, the camera angles move from wide shots to closer shots where the actors are almost staring directly into the camera. Yip intended this to represent the characters "staring directly into each other's souls".[13]: 1:05–5:25 

Visual effects

edit

Visual effects for the episode were created by Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), Wētā FX, Method Studios, Rodeo FX, Cause and FX, Atomic Arts, and Cantina Creative.[26][36] The different vendors were overseen by visual effects supervisor Jason Smith.[37] Rodeo handled much of the Harfoot storyline, including environment augmentation, scale work, and fire and magic effects.[38] The wolves in the episode were created by ILM,[39] and referred to as "Predators" by the production.[35] They were intended to be more naturalistic than the Warg that is seen in the third episode because they are "hungry and threatening but they are not bred to be evil". Smith said their design "sits somewhere between dog and pig" and was influenced by prehistoric warthogs.[39] When the Númenóreans are preparing to leave for Middle-earth, a horse can be seen in the background being loaded onto a ship by crane. This was added by the visual effects team after they had discussions about how the horses would get onto the ships and decided to add a crane to the harbor so they could show this happening.[40]

 
"The Song of the Roots of Hithaeglir" is a legend told in the episode where an Elf fights a Balrog, with visual effects by Wētā FX.

The Balrog Durin's Bane previously appeared in Jackson's films, created through visual effects by Wētā. That company returned to work on the Balrog and the wider "The Song of the Roots of Hithaeglir" sequence.[41][42] By the time Wētā was involved in the episode, the series' design team had considered different approaches to the Balrog before deciding that it should "at least rhyme if not end up fairly close" to the design that was used in the films. The Balrog is a creature of smoke and flame which is sometimes depicted with wings, though there are debates among Tolkien fans about whether it should be. Wētā concept artist Nick Keller pitched versions of the character that had no wings and were more humanoid, but these were rejected in favor of consistency with the film version which has wings. Despite this, some changes were still made to the Balrog and Smith said it was important that his team "feel that we have [done] our own take" on the character. A new head was designed by concept artist Allen Williams that is sharper, more elongated, and has the horns pointing in a more downward direction than the film version. Other changes include more ethereal smoke-like extremities to the wings, and having its hardened lava-like skin form into an armor shape inspired by Gothic plate armor. The latter was suggested by Keller. Smith noted that Balrogs are Maiar, which have the ability to change forms, so that could be used to explain the differences between the designs.[37][41]

Music

edit

Musicians Janet Roddick, David Donaldson, and Steve Roche, who form the group Plan 9, and their collaborator David Long returned from the films to provide music during filming.[43] Composer Bear McCreary began work in July 2021,[44] and started by composing the main themes for the series.[45] He wrote an "anthem" for each culture and then created individual character themes that relate to their culture's music in different ways.[46] The fifth episode's score is the first of the series to use all of McCreary's themes, including one new one that he composed to represent the Mystics. Additionally, a Japanese shakuhachi flute is used to represent the wolves.[47]

McCreary had an idea for a unique musical moment in the series with Galadriel's sword fight, where every movement of her body and sword would be accompanied by a violin performance that sounded impossible. This meant the music was "Mickey Mousing", matching each beat of action on screen. McCreary said this is generally considered to be a derogatory term in film composition but he felt the approach made this scene delightful and exciting. The track is performed by violinist Sandy Cameron who McCreary said was a "true virtuoso", and he wanted to challenge her with the difficulty of the music. During recording, Cameron added more notes to make it easier for her to go as high and fast as McCreary wanted. A solo cello is added when Galadriel begins sparring with two cadets at once. McCreary noted that the cue is an outlier for the series in that it is primarily not using one of his main themes, except for a short quote of Galadriel's theme at the end of the piece. He usually expects to compose the music for a two-minute scene like this in one day, but took nearly a week for this one which put extra pressure on himself for the rest of the episode's score. Though he did not think this was the most important scene in the episode, he was "unable to resist the temptation to compose something really special for it".[17]: 4:24–32:18 [47]

At a karaoke night in Auckland during the production's extended filming break, Megan Richards sang with director J. A. Bayona.[17]: 33:15–38:43 [48] Impressed by her singing, the producers decided to add a song to the series for her to sing in character as Poppy. The showrunners felt it was important to include music and songs in the series since the world was created by music in Tolkien's history, and because his characters often sing in the books. Payne wrote the lyrics for the song and was inspired by the lullaby "Black Swan" in the short opera The Medium, which he said was both haunting and beautiful. He felt this combination of qualities was often found in Tolkien's works and aligned with the idea of the nomadic Harfoots who are always migrating and leaving things behind. The lyrics include references to replacing what you have known with the unknown ahead, and future locations calling to you on your journey.[17]: 33:15–38:43  The song also includes the line "not all who wonder or wander are lost" which is a reference to a similar line that the Wizard Gandalf says in The Lord of the Rings.[49] Plan 9 wrote the melody for the song, which is titled "This Wandering Day",[43] and recorded a demo version with Roddick singing the lyrics. Richards was filmed singing the song several months before McCreary joined the series.[47] He was pleased to see that songs were being included for the same reasons that the showrunners wanted to add them,[50]: 11:10–11:42  and praised the work done on the song so far. McCreary produced the final version of the song using an orchestra, harp, and Celtic instruments, plus he had Richards record her vocals in a studio so the song could transition from her on-set vocals to a more polished version as the scene becomes a montage of the Harfoots migrating. Finally, McCreary and the showrunners felt the episode would not be complete without Roddick's demo version of the song which they had become used to hearing, so McCreary produced a polished version of her rendition that is heard during the episode's end credits. Because Poppy learned the song from her mother before the latter died, McCreary imagined that Roddick's version was the "angelic voice" of Poppy's mother singing to her daughter.[47]

A soundtrack album featuring McCreary's score for the episode was released digitally on the streaming service Amazon Music on September 22, 2022.[51] McCreary said the album contained "virtually every second of score" from the episode. It was added to other music streaming services after the full first season was released.[52] A CD featuring the music from the episode is included in a limited edition box set collection of the first season's music from Mondo, Amazon Music, and McCreary's label Sparks and Shadows. The box set was released on April 26, 2024, and includes a journal written by McCreary which details the creation of the episode's score.[53]

All music is composed by Bear McCreary:

Season One, Episode Five: Partings – Amazon Original Series Soundtrack
No.TitleLength
1."This Wandering Day" (featuring Megan Richards)2:09
2."The Perils of Migration"6:19
3."Númenor Prepares"7:18
4."Wolves"5:29
5."The Fading Light"8:13
6."The Saboteur"7:22
7."Only Blood Can Bind"4:03
8."Destined for the Darkness"4:42
9."The Confession and Sailing Into the Dawn"7:14
10."This Wandering Day" (featuring Janet Roddick)2:19
Total length:55:08

Release

edit

"Partings" premiered on Prime Video in the United States on September 23, 2022. It was released at the same time around the world,[54] in more than 240 countries and territories.[55] For two weeks leading up to the premiere of the second season on August 29, 2024, the episode was made available for free on the streaming service Samsung TV Plus in the US, Canada, Brazil, the United Kingdom, and Germany.[56]

Reception

edit

Viewership

edit

Whip Media, which tracks viewership data for the 21 million worldwide users of its TV Time app, calculated that for the week ending September 25, two days after the episode's debut, The Rings of Power was the fifth-highest original streaming series for US viewership.[57] Nielsen Media Research, which records streaming viewership on US television screens, estimated that the series was watched for 977 million minutes during the week ending September 25. This placed it fourth on the company's list of top streaming series and films. Fellow fantasy series House of the Dragon was third for the week, the first time it was ahead of The Rings of Power on the chart.[58] Parrot Analytics determines audience "demand expressions" based on various data sources, including social media activity and comments on rating platforms. During the week ending September 30, the company calculated that The Rings of Power was 29.3 times more in demand than the average US streaming series, placing it ninth on the company's top 10 list for the week.[59]

Critical response

edit

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported that 73% of 30 critics gave the episode a positive review, with an average score of 7.1/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "The scenery is gorgeous as ever and the nods to Tolkien lore still dense, but The Rings of Power's momentum feels stuck as a Harfoot's caravan in the mud."[60]

Companion media

edit

An episode of the official aftershow Deadline's Inside the Ring: LOTR: The Rings of Power for "Partings" was released on September 24, 2022. Hosted by Deadline Hollywood's Dominic Patten and Anthony D'Alessandro, it features exclusive "footage and insights" for the episode, plus interviews with cast members Clark, Vickers, Addai-Robinson, Gravelle, Horvath, and Wadham, as well as Yip, Doble, and McCreary.[13][61] On October 14, The Official The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Podcast was released on Amazon Music. Hosted by actress Felicia Day, the fifth episode is dedicated to "Partings" and features McCreary, Payne, and McKay.[17][62] On November 21, a bonus segment featuring behind-the-scenes footage from the episode was added to Prime Video's X-Ray feature as part of a series titled "The Making of The Rings of Power".[34][63]

References

edit
  1. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (November 13, 2017). "Amazon Sets 'The Lord of the Rings' TV Series In Mega Deal With Multi-Season Commitment". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 13, 2017. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  2. ^ Otterson, Joe (January 19, 2022). "'Lord of the Rings' Amazon Series Reveals Full Title in New Video". Variety. Archived from the original on January 19, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  3. ^ Goldberg, Lesley; Kit, Borys (July 28, 2018). "'Lord of the Rings': Amazon Taps 'Star Trek 4' Duo to Develop TV Series". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 28, 2018. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
  4. ^ a b White, Peter (July 27, 2019). "Amazon Sets Creative Team For 'Lord Of The Rings' TV Series Including 'GoT' & 'Breaking Bad' Producers – TCA". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 27, 2019. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  5. ^ a b Littleton, Cynthia (March 24, 2021). "'Lord of the Rings' Series Adds Director Wayne Che Yip as Co-Executive Producer". Variety. Archived from the original on March 24, 2021. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  6. ^ Hibberd, James (August 5, 2022). "Peter Jackson Says Amazon's 'Lord of the Rings' TV Series Ghosted Him". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 6, 2022. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
  7. ^ a b c Robinson, Joanna (February 14, 2022). "10 Burning Questions About Amazon's 'The Rings of Power'". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on February 14, 2022. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  8. ^ "Amazon Studios Announces New Zealand as Location for Its Upcoming Series Based on The Lord of the Rings" (Press release). Culver City, California: Amazon Studios. September 17, 2019. Archived from the original on December 5, 2019. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  9. ^ Oller, Jacob (March 7, 2019). "Amazon Confirms Lord of the Rings Show is Second Age Prequel to Films". Syfy Wire. Archived from the original on March 7, 2019. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  10. ^ Lussier, Germain (July 23, 2022). "Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Is a 'Mega Epic'". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on July 23, 2022. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
  11. ^ Power, Tom (September 23, 2022). "The Rings of Power episode 5 recap: a tale of betrayals, but hope prevails". TechRadar. Archived from the original on September 23, 2022. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
  12. ^ Robinson, Joanna; Rubin, Mallory (October 15, 2022). "'The Rings of Power' Episode 8 Deep Dive. Plus, Showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay | House of R". The Ringer-Verse (Podcast). Event occurs at 2:24:21. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
  13. ^ a b c d Patten, Dominic; D'Alessandro, Anthony (September 24, 2022). Deadline's Inside The Ring Episode 5 | The Rings of Power | Prime Video. Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 27, 2023 – via YouTube.
  14. ^ a b Anderson, Andrew (September 29, 2022). "'The Rings of Power': Is The Song of the Roots of Hithaeglir True?". Collider. Archived from the original on September 29, 2022. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  15. ^ McHenry, Jackson (October 14, 2022). "The Long Road to Mordor". Vulture. Archived from the original on October 14, 2022. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  16. ^ Breznican, Anthony (October 27, 2022). "'The Rings of Power' Creators Reveal How Sauron Hid in Plain Sight". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on October 27, 2022. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  17. ^ a b c d e Day, Felicia (October 14, 2022). The Official The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Podcast | Ep. 5: "Partings". Amazon Music. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  18. ^ Walsh, Michael (November 1, 2022). "Who Is the White-Cloaked Cult of Witches in The Rings of Power?". Nerdist. Archived from the original on July 16, 2024. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  19. ^ a b c d e Coggan, Devan (July 13, 2022). "Get an exclusive look at 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power'". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on July 14, 2022. Retrieved July 31, 2022.
  20. ^ a b Breznican, Anthony; Robinson, Joanna (February 10, 2022). "Amazon's Lord of the Rings Series Rises: Inside The Rings of Power". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on February 10, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  21. ^ a b Travis, Ben (June 2, 2022). "Empire's The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power World-Exclusive Covers Revealed". Empire. Archived from the original on June 5, 2022. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  22. ^ a b Lovett, Jamie (February 14, 2022). "The Lord of the Rings TV Series Reveals Hobbit's Name, King of the Elves and a Mysterious Stranger". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on February 15, 2022. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  23. ^ Gamgee, Madeye (April 19, 2022). "New Rings of Power character named: Theo, son of Bronwyn". TheOneRing.net. Archived from the original on April 19, 2022. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
  24. ^ a b Yeo, Debra (July 30, 2022). "Canadian cast member of 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' says 'the detail was what made it epic'". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on July 31, 2022. Retrieved July 31, 2022.
  25. ^ Breznican, Anthony (February 13, 2022). "Secrets of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Teaser Trailer". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on February 14, 2022. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
  26. ^ a b Doble, Justin (September 23, 2022). "Partings". The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Season 1. Episode 5. Amazon Prime Video. End credits begin at 1:07:10.
  27. ^ Perry, Spencer (December 25, 2020). "Amazon's Lord Of The Rings Pilot Has Wrapped Filming". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on December 28, 2020. Retrieved December 25, 2020.
  28. ^ Simich, Ricardo (December 20, 2020). "Spy: Lunch of the Rings? The LOTR star spotted on Waiheke". New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on December 20, 2020. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
  29. ^ Keall, Chris (March 15, 2020). "Coronavirus: Amazon's Lord of the Rings production in West Auckland shut-down". New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on October 19, 2020. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
  30. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (May 7, 2020). "New Zealand Returns To Production, Paving Way For 'Avatar' Sequels & 'The Lord Of The Rings' Series To Resume Filming". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 7, 2020. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  31. ^ Douglas, Edward (October 7, 2022). "Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Production Designer Ramsey Avery on Bringing Middle Earth Back to Life". Below the Line. Archived from the original on November 29, 2022. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
  32. ^ Petski, Denise (August 2, 2021). "'The Lord Of The Rings' TV Series Gets Amazon Premiere Date & First-Look Photo". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 2, 2021. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
  33. ^ Ritman, Alex (December 18, 2022). "'The Rings of Power' Stunt Coordinator Vic Armstrong Sampled Some of His Greatest Hits for the 'Lord of the Rings' Prequel". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 18, 2022. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
  34. ^ a b c d The Making of The Rings of Power – Episode 5 (video). Amazon Prime Video. November 21, 2022.
  35. ^ a b Hogg, Trevor (October 30, 2022). "'The Rings of Power': The VFX of a Dazzling Return to Middle-earth". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on October 31, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  36. ^ Tangcay, Jazz (September 1, 2022). "'Rings of Power' Used 20 VFX Studios, Nearly 10,000 VFX Shots to Revive Middle-earth (Exclusive)". Variety. Archived from the original on September 3, 2022. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
  37. ^ a b Douglas, Edward (October 14, 2022). "Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power VFX Supervisor Jason Smith on Calibrating the Size, Scale, and Scope of Tolkien's Middle Earth". Below the Line. Archived from the original on December 8, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  38. ^ "The Rings of Power". Rodeo FX. Archived from the original on March 1, 2023. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  39. ^ a b Desowitz, Bill (October 5, 2022). "How the 'Rings of Power' VFX Teams Created the Epic Flood and Mount Doom Eruption in Episode 6". IndieWire. Archived from the original on August 24, 2024. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  40. ^ Armstrong, Vanessa (September 30, 2022). "The Rings Of Power VFX Producer Talks CG Horses, Orcs, And That Explosive Sequence From Latest Episode [Exclusive Interview]". /Film. Archived from the original on September 30, 2022. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
  41. ^ a b Keller, Nick. "The Rings of Power - Durin's Bane Concept Art". Nick Keller Art. Archived from the original on August 25, 2024. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  42. ^ Hofferman, Jon (August 18, 2023). "Wētā FX Supercharges the Visuals in 'The Rings of Power'". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on August 22, 2023. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
  43. ^ a b Roddick, Janet; Donaldson, David; Roche, Stephen. "Screen Composers | Plan 9 | New Zealand". Plan 9. Archived from the original on January 19, 2023. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  44. ^ Burlingame, Jon (August 19, 2022). "Bear McCreary Talks Scoring 'Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' as Soundtrack Releases Worldwide". Variety. Archived from the original on August 19, 2022. Retrieved August 20, 2022.
  45. ^ Shachat, Sarah (October 2, 2022). "How Bear McCreary's Music Fills Middle Earth and Still Leaves More to Discover". IndieWire. Archived from the original on December 6, 2022. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  46. ^ Ratcliffe, Amy (September 16, 2022). "The Rings of Power Composer Bear McCreary Breaks Down the Show's Character Themes". Nerdist. Archived from the original on September 16, 2022. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  47. ^ a b c d McCreary, Bear (March 8, 2023). "The Lord of the Rings: Episode 105". Bear McCreary. Archived from the original on March 11, 2023. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
  48. ^ Brown, Ted (May 22, 2023). Building Middle-earth: The Song Tells the Story (video). The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  49. ^ Walsh, Michael (September 22, 2022). "How The Rings of Power's Walking Song Connects with The Lord of the Rings". Nerdist. Archived from the original on September 23, 2022. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  50. ^ Cairns, Kirsten (November 4, 2022). TheOneRing.net's greendragon chats with composer Bear McCreary. TheOneRing.net. Retrieved January 24, 2023 – via YouTube.
  51. ^ "'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' Season 1, Episode 5 ('Partings') Soundtrack Album Released". Film Music Reporter. September 22, 2022. Archived from the original on September 23, 2022. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
  52. ^ Twitter thread by composer Bear McCreary explaining the episodic soundtrack albums for the series:
  53. ^ Rusak, Rotem (March 25, 2024). "The Rings of Power Soundtrack Box Set Offers 10 CDs of Limited-Edition Orchestral Magic". Nerdist. Archived from the original on March 25, 2024. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
  54. ^ "'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings Of Power'; Prime Video Reveals Rollout Schedule". Deadline Hollywood. August 16, 2022. Archived from the original on August 16, 2022. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  55. ^ Bradley, Bill (September 2, 2022). "How The Rings of Power Showrunners Handled a Massive Global Debut". Adweek. Archived from the original on September 4, 2022. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
  56. ^ Petski, Denise (August 15, 2024). "'The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power' Season 1 To Stream For Free On Samsung TV In Viewership Push Ahead Of Season 2". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 15, 2024. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  57. ^ Prange, Stephanie (September 27, 2022). "'She-Hulk: Attorney at Law' Tops Weekly Whip U.S. Streaming Originals Chart". Media Play News. Archived from the original on September 28, 2022. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  58. ^ Hailu, Selome (October 20, 2022). "Jeffrey Dahmer Series 'Monster' Debuts on Nielsen Top 10 With 10th Biggest Streaming Week Ever". Variety. Archived from the original on December 10, 2022. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
  59. ^ Latchem, John (October 3, 2022). "'Stranger Things' Tops 'Cobra Kai' on Parrot's Digital Originals Demand Chart Through Sept. 30". Media Play News. Archived from the original on October 3, 2022. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  60. ^ "Partings". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  61. ^ Patten, Dominic; D'Alessandro, Anthony (September 24, 2022). "'LOTR: The Rings Of Power' After Show 'Inside The Ring': Episode 5 – A King Emerges, Númenór Prepares For War, & Divisions Prove Fiery". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 26, 2023. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  62. ^ Behbakht, Andy (October 7, 2022). "Superfan Felicia Day To Host Official Rings of Power Podcast [Exclusive]". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on October 8, 2022. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  63. ^ Reul, Katie; Zee, Michaela (November 22, 2022). "'The Making of The Rings of Power' Debuts on Prime Video, Offering Behind-the-Scenes Looks (TV News Roundup)". Variety. Archived from the original on November 22, 2022. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
edit