SPOILERS AHEAD - Season 1 Episode 5 - Partings

I have read a lot of praise for this epsiode online, I thought this episode quite terrible. Almost everything about it, from the Jackson movie nods here, there and everywhere to the creation of mithril. I guess we know where this will ultimately go. The elves will be knocking on the door of the dwarves before long and asking politely for the mihril, the only thing in the world that can save them, urgh.

Galadriel and her sword dancing with the guys was not pleasant. The writers clearly had an issue with her character. She looks like a blonde Xena and it is painful to see.

The last episode I thought had turned the corner, this episode found a big hole in the ground though and I don't see a path back from the newlt setup mithril angle.

I can slightly forgive the mithril nonsense, but do have an issue with the Elves being so stupid that they would accept this reason and give it any credence.

I assume that 'someone' has told them the nonsense about Mithril, and they currently believe it.

It was probably the weakest episode so far for me, the Hobbits are not needed, Numenor is sending an invasion fleet of three ships and 500 men to conquer before-dor. Not a very big force, the ship numbers seem to be linked to the fact that they only built three ships, why not use CGI for the ships, you could have a real invasion force then.

As Urulókë pointed out, dwarfs and elves, seem to have no problem travelling vast distances (600 miles) just to have dinner with each other.

Trotter wrote:

I can slightly forgive the mithril nonsense, but do have an issue with the Elves being so stupid that they would accept this reason and give it any credence.

I assume that 'someone' has told them the nonsense about Mithril, and they currently believe it.

It was probably the weakest episode so far for me, the Hobbits are not needed, Numenor is sending an invasion fleet of three ships and 500 men to conquer before-dor. Not a very big force, the ship numbers seem to be linked to the fact that they only built three ships, why not use CGI for the ships, you could have a real invasion force then.

As Urulókë pointed out, dwarfs and elves, seem to have no problem travelling vast distances (600 miles) just to have dinner with each other.

For me the mithril thing is probably a tipping point. It screams too loudly that the writers do not understand Tolkien well enough. Where next might we find a Silmaril? As a trophy for the Quidditch Championships?

Three ships: They could have very easily fixed the perception of it being a silly little force by saying so. "We are not invading Middle-earth. We are going to help. Take only our best", instead it is an open signing up and somehow a load of kids end up among the 500.

More and more the time and distance problem is becoming annoying for me. Popping over for dinner but somehwere else time seems to be standing still while boats are loaded. It all makes no sense.

I don't know. I kind of like tying Mithril to the Simarils. Explains some of the magical elements we've seen from things imbued with it.

And I think the reason behind the ships was political. Given the political tension, it keeps the peace to ask for volunteers.

Tolkien was always going to be a challenge to translate across five seasons, especially moreso when it's based on appendices.

I probably will continue to watch it, but I have not really cared for a lot of the series thus far. I feel like everything is unnecessarily long-winded; as a whole, I've found it boring.

For me, the series isn't true to Tolkien or compelling fantasy storytelling apart from Tolkien. The elves remind me of scheming Romans. The dwarves seem more in keeping with Jackson than Tolkien. Few of the individual characters are remarkable or memorable--this is something Tolkien was so good at. The Mithril origin story I didn't care for at all.

Some of the visual elements are impressive.

In the last episode, Adar said "You have been told many lies of Middle-earth... some run so deep that even the roots and rocks believe them." Because of this, I'm hoping that the mithril origin story is, in fact, apocryphal. But I wouldn't be surprised if Amazon goes that route after all.

I agree with most commenters that this episode was one of the worst ones we've seen so far—very little actually happened. A lot of the groundwork has been laid now so the series needs to pick up a bit if it wants to retain viewers.

Episode 5 was a leap too far away from Tolkien in my view. I don't need to have a some made up mithril origin story and the connection to Elves needing it to stop their "fading" which will obviously lead to dwarf troubles, feels like lazy writing.

Gil-Galad and Celebrimbor wanting Elrond to betray on oath was upsetting. Numenor setting out to Middle-earth with only three ships was comical. Bronwyn working so hard to rally her people against the coming threat of Adar only to just give up towards the end of the episode was confusing.

Hate to say it, but at this point House of the Dragon has been more enjoyable for me than Rings of Power.