Entertainment

‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’: Who Is Arondir & Who Are the Silvan Elves?

Published

7 months ago

September 7, 2022

'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power': Who Is Arondir & Who Are the Silvan Elves?

Editor’s note: The below article contains spoilers for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

Although The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is clearly leading up to the first war to defeat Sauron and his army of evil, it’s not the first time that conflict has plagued Middle Earth.

As we learn in the first two episodes of the series, the Elves have already waged war against the dark lord, Morgoth. Morgoth is defeated and imprisoned in the mystical land of Valinor. However, the ramifications of the conflict have impacted the way the Elven military works.

In the Southlands of Middle Earth, we are introduced to an Elven warrior named Arondir (Ismael Cruz Córdova). Arondir and a battalion of Elves watch over the human peasants that reside peacefully in the rural area.

There is tension between the two species. During Morgoth’s war, some of the humans in the area sided with the dark lord in his conquest of Middle Earth. The Elven guards are sent to watch over the remaining villagers in case of another uprising.

Gil-Galad Orders That Arondir and Other Elves Leave Their Posts and Return Home

Within Arnodir’s brief interactions with humans in a local tavern, we see that the tensions between the species continue to linger. Arondir is both hated and feared by the peasants who want to live in an environment that is free from Elves.

They get their wish soon enough as Arnodir is informed by his presiding officer that the Elves are being called back from their posts. High King Gil-galad (Benjamin Walker) has chosen to ignore Galadriel’s (Morfydd Clark) suggestion that the forces of evil have not yet been defeated. The veterans of the conflict are being dispatched to leave their posts and return home.

This pains Arondir, not just because he has his suspicions about the local villagers, but because of a secret romantic relationship that he has fostered with the human Bronwyn (Nazanin Boniadi), a healer who lives in the Southlands with her son, Theo (Tyroe Muhafidin). It’s implied that Elven law would forbid any relationship between the species. However, Arondir’s affair with Bronywn presents more practical issues.

This Is Far From the First Time We’ve Seen Elves Falling in Love With Non-Elves

Since Arondir is an Elf, he is immortal. Relationships between immortals and mortals are inherently difficult, as one partner is destined to watch the other grow old and die. This was something explored in Peter Jackson’s trilogy.

Elrond (Hugo Weaving) warns his daughter, Arwen (Liv Tyler), not to pursue her relationship with Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen). He knows that Arwen will be heartbroken when Aragorn dies, leaving her to live alone for eternity.

This theme was brought up again in The Hobbit trilogy. One of the storylines that Jackson added to the trilogy was a romantic relationship that emerged between the Dwarf Kíli (Aidan Turner) and the Elven huntress Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly).

While the romantic triangle that emerges with Legolas (Orlando Bloom) was one of the weaker aspects of the film, it did show the struggles that the Elves face in relation to the other beings of Middle Earth. It’s part of the reason that they are so secluded by the time of the Third Age.

Who Are the Other Silvan Elves in Middle-earth?

Like Tauriel, Arondir is a Silvan Elf. Unlike the High Elves that reside in Lindon, the Silvan Elves (or “Wood-Elves”) are known for their diligence in combat and connection to the natural world.

In The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) and his company of Dwarves enter the Silvan Elves’ land in Mirkwood. Beorn (Mikael Persbrandt) tells Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) that the Silvan Elves are “less wise, and more dangerous” than the Elven politicians.

We see the Silvan Elves’ skill in combat in The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. During the massive conflict outside the Dwarf’s sacred kingdom, a battalion of Silvan Elves follow King Thranduil (Lee Pace), who rides a giant stag.

It’s not until the end of the battle that Thranduil realizes the weight of Kili’s romance with Tauriel; he sees that Tauriel is heartbroken over Kíli’s death and tells her that her relationship was “real.”

Tauriel’s mourning has also clearly affected Thranduil’s son, Legolas (Orlando Bloom). Although Legolas has fought alongside the Silvan Elves, he is not considered to be one of them due to his heritage. In the aftermath of the battle, Thranduil dispatches Legolas to seek out Aragorn.

It will be interesting to see how Arondir’s story continues in the first season of The Rings of Power. Romance wasn’t a huge aspect of either The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings, but other works within Tolkien’s bibliography have explored stories of forbidden love.

The end of “Adrift” suggested that Arondir is in danger, but given his wartime experience, it’s likely that he’ll emerge standing strong.

Related Topics:Arondir The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

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List Of Canceled Netflix Original Series In 2023

List of all the shows Netflix has canceled in 2023.

Published

2 months ago

January 10, 2023

Staff Writer

2023 has kicked off with a couple of big cancelations, which signals a potentially rough year coming up, which many other players throughout Hollywood will share. Here’s a look at the 2023 cancelations!

1899

The big-budget series from the creators of DARK had big expectations and big shoes to fill.

The mystery sci-fi show was one of Netflix’s most ambitious shows in years, using state-of-the-art technology and featuring an impressive ensemble cast.

Why was 1899 canceled?

Data provided to What’s on Netflix from European SVOD analytics company Digital i suggests that the completion rate was ultimately too low and likely wasn’t growing substantially. Their data suggests only around a third of people who started the show went onto finish the title.

Inside Job

The animated series Inside Job had been initially given a season 2 renewal order back in June 2022. Still, in January 2023, the creator confirmed rumors that Netflix had reversed the decision to renew.

In a statement on Twitter, the show’s creator Shion Takeuchi said:

I’m heartbroken to confirm that Netflix has decided to cancel season 2 of Inside Job. Over the years, these characters have become real people to me, and I am devastated not to be able to watch them grow up. Reagan and Brett deserved to get their ending and finally find happiness. And I would have loved to been able to share what was in store with you all.

He added, “To everyone who watched, thank you for coming along on the ride. Even though I’m sad, it helps to know that there’s people out there who cared just as much about these characters as me.”

Entertainment

Netflix Tudum 2022: Can You Watch Tudum Online?

Published

6 months ago

September 23, 2022

Staff Writer

Netflix Tudum 2022: Can You Watch Tudum Online?

This weekend is going to be quite the eventful one for Netflix subscribers! Following the success of last year’s inaugural event, Tudum officially returns this Saturday with a day that promises to bring with it a lot of exciting new reveals about Netflix’s biggest shows and movies!

The 24-hour event will bring fans the scoop on over 120 fan-favorite shows and movies including Bridgerton, Emily in Paris, Shadow and Bone, Wednesday, Manifest, You, Outer Banks, The Witcher, Heartstopper and more!

From first looks at upcoming titles, casting news, renewals and release date confirmations, there’s no telling what could be coming our way this weekend. The only thing that is certain? Fans won’t want to miss the event, but how exactly can you follow along from home?

Where to watch Tudum 2022

If you’re hoping to be able to watch this year’s Tudum event online, you’re in luck! While some events such as San Diego Comic-Con and D23 take place in-person with only select presentations from the event available to stream online, Tudum takes place exclusively online as a virtual event.

This Saturday, fans across the globe will be able to head to Netflix’s official YouTube account to watch the event online with the event set to be made available in 29 languages worldwide!

Do you have to pay for Tudum?

If you’re hoping to watch Tudum this weekend, don’t worry about having to break out your wallet or credit cards to pay for the event. The virtual event is free to Netflix fans worldwide as there is no cost to stream the event which can be viewed free of cost on the Netflix YouTube channel!

Entertainment

Netflix Movie Lou Cast: Who Stars in the Netflix Thriller?

Published

6 months ago

September 23, 2022

Staff Writer

Netflix Movie Lou Cast: Who Stars in the Netflix Thriller?

Allison Janney and Jurnee Smollett are the main attraction of the Netflix movie Lou as the two leading ladies. Janney plays a John Wick-esque character (complete with a beloved dog, but don’t worry, Jax makes it out alive!) while Smollett plays her neighbor, Hannah.

Lou is a hardened recluse living on the fringes of their secluded island, while Hannah is a single mother struggling to make ends meet to take care of her daughter, Vee.

A horrible storm hits the island, and someone kidnaps Hannah’s daughter in the midst of it, forcing her to turn to Lou for help. While searching for Vee, the two women are forced to confront some of the dark secrets from their past.

Even though Smollett and Janney are the stars, Lou has a great cast of actors that also includes Logan Marshall-Green and Greyston Holt (remember him as one of the hot werewolves from Bitten?).

Netflix movie Lou cast list

For those unfamiliar with Allison Janney, the powerhouse actress is a Hollywood staple. Throughout her many decades in the business, Janney has won countless accolades, including seven Primetime Emmy Awards, an Academy Award, and a Golden Globe Award. She has also secured two Tony nominations.

Janney first rose to prominence playing C.J. Cregg on The West Wing. More recently, she starred as Bonnie Plunkett for nine seasons in the CBS sitcom Mom. Janney won her Oscar for I, Tonya, and has also appeared in projects like Masters of Sex, The Help, Juno, and many others. Next, she’ll star in the comedy miniseries Mrs. American Pie, the comedy film The People We Hate at the Wedding, and the sci-fi drama True Love.

Jurnee Smollett has been acting since she was a kid, with recurring roles in shows like Full House and On Our Own. But most people probably know her as Jess Merriweather in Friday Night Lights. The last few years have really helped cement Smollet’s status as a superstar. She played Dinah Lance/Black Canary in Birds of Prey and is reportedly going to reprise her role in a spinoff standalone movie at HBO Max.

Smollett also delivered an incredible performance in the short-lived but acclaimed HBO series Lovecraft Country and she recently starred opposite Miles Teller and Chris Hemsworth in the Netflix thriller Spiderhead. Next, she’ll star in the courtroom drama film The Burial with Jamie Foxx and Tommy Lee Jones.

Completing the cast trifecta is Logan Marshall-Green, who plays the film’s primary antagonist, Philip. You might recall Marshall-Green playing Trey Atwood in The O.C. He also recently completed a stint on the ABC series Big Sky.

Here’s the complete cast list for the Netflix movie: