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‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’: Who Is Galadriel’s Brother?

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‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’: Who Is Galadriel’s Brother?

In the episodes just released from The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Galadriel’s brother, Finrod, plays a small but pivotal role in shaping the direction of the plot and the motivations behind her mission to find Sauron.

He appears as her mentor in the very first scene, and clearly takes part in the significant events of the First Age covered by the opening montage of Middle-earth history.

He also serves as the catalyst for Galadriel’s mission to hunt down Sauron, and his death at the hands of the Dark Lord marks the beginning of her quest for vengeance. But while he was remarkably important to the story, he was eliminated before the audience had a chance to find out much about him. So who was he, and what is his story?

The Difference Between Finrod’s TV and Book Arrival in Middle-earth

Galadriel’s brother is named Finrod (Will Fletcher), and he actually plays a remarkably important role in a number of the most significant stories of the First Age in Tolkien’s The Silmarillion. As the series shows, he is her older brother, but canonically, she actually has three older brothers: Angrod, Aegnor, and Finrod, who is the oldest.

The establishing scenes at the beginning of the first episode indicate that Finrod joined in with Fëanor when he left Valinor. In the text, the exodus of numerous elves is due to conflicting desires and loyalties among Fëanor’s people, but in the case of Finrod and his close relatives, also partially due to a familial connection.

Fëanor was actually his uncle, the half-brother of his father, Finarfin. Part of his departure also seems to have been out of a desire not to abandon his people entirely to the rule of Fëanor, as well.

When he finally came to Middle-earth, he ended up accomplishing a number of works that would be extremely significant to the history of the Age, and even some of those that followed. For one thing, he established one of the greatest Elven kingdoms of the First Age: Nargothrond, where he ruled (almost) until his death.

He also worked closely with the Dwarves on a number of occasions, which may have had some impact on his sister’s opinion of Dwarves that stood out as distinctive among the Elves in The Lord of the Rings.

Part of this relationship with the Dwarves culminated in the creation of the Nauglamír, the elegant necklace that was the pinnacle of Dwarvish craftsmanship of the Age and was set with a number of Finrod’s gems from Valinor. Later on, it would also house the Silmaril that the man Beren and Elf Luthien took from the Iron Crown of Morgoth. At first, however, it was made for Finrod himself.

Finrod Was One of the First Elves to Have a Strong Alliance With Men

Finrod was also notable for being the first Elf in Middle-earth to encounter humans. He came across a band of men in the woods one night and played for them on a harp until they woke, later even teaching them some of the Elvish language of Sindarin and intervening in their favor on a number of occasions.

His generosity was later repaid by the family of the same people he first encountered, as he was cut off and surrounded in the Dagor Bragollach (a disastrous defeat of the Elves and their allies by Morgoth, and possibly Finrod’s battle scene depicted in the introduction).

While he was surrounded, the man Barahir saved his life and extracted him from the battle. In gratitude, Finrod gave Barahir his personal ring, which became a symbol of the house of Barahir, and was worn by his descendants for generation upon generation, all the way down to King Aragorn himself, and into the Fourth Age.

In the Dagor Bragollach, notably, his brothers Angrod and Aegnor were both killed, meaning that his eventual death would have devastated Galadriel, not only because he was her brother, but he was also her last surviving sibling.

Between the Nauglamír and the Ring of Barahir, Finrod has an interestingly strong connection with crafts and jewelry in the story of The Silmarillion, and it is a touch that is appreciated in the TV series: while the specific artifacts themselves are not yet mentioned, Finrod does carry an elegant dagger designed to look like the Two Trees of Valinor entwined together, which Galadriel takes with her on her mission of vengeance as a memory of her brother.

Finrod’s Eventual Death Came After Being Captured by Sauron

His death came about as a result of his ties with the family of Barahir, actually. Barahir’s son, Beren, came to Nargothrond on his Quest for the Silmaril. In recognition of the debt he owed to Barahir, he supported Beren, leaving behind his kingdom and traveling with Beren and a group of supporters.

He used his powers of enchantment to disguise them as orcs, but they were discovered by Sauron, and a fierce duel followed between Sauron and Finrod, with Finrod eventually falling. The company was imprisoned by Sauron, and one by one were killed by werewolves as Sauron tried to discover their identities and purpose.

When a wolf came at last for Beren himself, Finrod was able to break his chains and wrestle with the beast, killing it with his bare hands, but also dying himself in the process. Because of his sacrifice, Beren himself was eventually able to escape, but Finrod died in the prisons of Sauron.

Fortunately, however, his story at least had a happier ending than most of the tales of The Silmarillion. Now you might wonder how being mauled at the hands (or paws) of a werewolf constitutes a “happy ending,” but you must remember that for Elves, there remained the possibility of reincarnation after death, and Finrod became one of the few characters known to be granted reincarnation.

He was remade in Valinor, and remained there forever, returning to his wife Amarië, from whom he had been separated when he followed the people of Fëanor from Valinor in the first place.

As a final curiosity, a number of different versions of the genealogy of various characters exist in Tolkien’s drafts, but a number of interesting ancestral connections come from Finrod. According to at least one of the drafts, the eventual High King of the Elves, Gil-galad, is closely connected with the family of Finrod and Galadriel.

In the most established version, Gil-galad is the son of Orodreth, who becomes king of Nargothrond after the death of Finrod. This would make Finrod his great-uncle and Galadriel his great-aunt. In an early version, Gil-galad is actually the son of Finrod, which would make the family connection with Galadriel even stronger.

The way the relationship between Galadriel and Gil-galad seems to be working so far, though, I imagine the family reunions are probably a bit frosty at the moment.

Entertainment

List Of Canceled Netflix Original Series In 2023

List of all the shows Netflix has canceled in 2023.

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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.”

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Netflix Tudum 2022: Can You Watch Tudum Online?

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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!

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

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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:

  • Allison Janney as Lou
  • Jurnee Smollett as Hannah
  • Logan Marshall-Green as Philip
  • Ridley Asha Bateman as Vee
  • Matt Craven as Sheriff Rankin
  • Greyston Holt as Chris
  • Daniel Bernhardt as Tony
  • RJ Fetherstonhaugh as Gerry
  • Andres Collantes as Deputy Torres
  • Marci T. House as Agent Lee
  • Toby Levins as Agent Hampton

Netflix movie Lou starts streaming on Friday, September 23.

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