Just as the survivors of the battle for the Southlands rejoice in their victory, it is revealed Adar had one more trick up his sleeve. Before his tense confrontation with Galadriel (Morfydd Clark), Adar had given Waldreg (Geoff Morrell) the bloodthirsty hilt to use as a key to (literally) open the floodgates and bring total calamity to the Southlands. The tunnels dug out by the orcs earlier in the season lead the water straight below an active volcano, causing a catastrophic eruption (a geologist fact-checked this — it could happen!). Thus, Mount Doom is born.
The explosive moment is not only an impressive technical feat, with debris rapidly hurling at the village our protagonists find themselves, but it evokes a high fantasy version of Pompeii. The Southlands has been built up as a place that feels lived-in and populated by people that already don’t have the best of luck. The show also humanizes the orc army and their intentions as much as possible — without justifying their actions, of course. The eruption is both frightful imagery and a visual representation of the breaking point of its people and those who wish to conquer the Southlands.
The implications of Mount Doom are nothing short of exciting for avid fans of “The Lord of the Rings,” even if the characters themselves will dread its very creation.
