#celebrimbanner

[thrillofhope]

Celebrimbor, your days are numbered babygirl.

[whumpybobbert]

I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE!!!

[raointean]

RoP Teaser Trailer Breakdown!

First of all, I would like to say, I'm SO PSYCHED for this season! (Especially since we're going to get to see Elrond in action 🫠)

So, it starts off with a shot of saurbrand with Durin voicing over saying, "An evil, ancient and powerful, has returned!" Obviously, the shot is referencing Sauron and how he’s ancient, powerful, and evil, but I think that that's not what Durin is actually talking about in-universe. I think he’s actually referencing the balrog!

Honestly, given the scenes of panic and destruction in Khazad-Dûm we see later in the trailer, I think there's a good chance the season finale will deal with the fall of Khazad-Dûm at the hands of the balrog.

The next shot is this roiling mass of... things that take on a spider-like form. Obviously, that's going to be Shelob.

Next is a clip with Galadriel and Elrond, along with three elven warriors in a defensive circle. I'll be honest, I have no idea where they are or who/what they're fighting, but I am LIVING for Galadriel's braid crown. Gorgeous, practical, 10/10.

Also, we finally get to see Elrond fight! He toted that sword around all last season and didn't pull it out once! And, I love his new hair! Robert Aramayo, bless his heart, has a VERY angular face and the slicked back style was doing him no favors. It could just be messy hair in this one scene, but it's beautiful.

Next is a shot of the hands of one of the Rhûnic witches we saw last season with blood on her hands. Maybe some kind of blood sacrifice?

After that is a similarly lit shot of a temple (?) with a swarm of moths. I... have no idea what that's about, but I'm excited to find out!

Then there's a brief voice-over of either the Stranger (whom I maintain is definitely Gandalf) or maybe one of the southlanders? saying, "He worms his way inside your mind." As the scene cuts to the golden tree in Lindon as worm-like roots come out of the ground and begin to spread.

I think it looks a little like the mass that made up Shelob, but I don't really know what significance that could have? I can't imagine her crossing Middle Earth to bite the tree like Ungoliant did, but who knows. I also don't know the significance of who's speaking, but that's mostly because I can't tell who's speaking.

Then there's a quick cut to orcs and trolls on the move, presumably in Mordor.

After that, we're back in Ost-in-Edhil as Celebrimbor is watching a bright, orange light with a dark shape in the middle, like someone's coming through. It almost looks like... an eye 🤔

It's GOT to be the coming of Annatar. There's literally nothing else it could be!

Someone else, either Galadriel or Míriel, says "I think he has been here... I think he has been here all along!" Obviously, they're talking about Sauron and how he's been spying on them, making me think it's Galadriel speaking.

Then a shot of Ost-in-Edhil in confusion as Annatar stalks through the town square, a smirk on his face. This could be the beginning of the end of Ost-in-Edhil (and Celebrimbor) but I really don't think they'd do that so soon. Maybe he just got done with the Dwarf rings?

Next, there's a shot of Númenor's coastline along with the release date (August 29th!) then a shot of Galadriel and Elrond on horseback going... somewhere. There's mountains and my first thought was Númenor, but that wouldn't really fit. Maybe this is the discovery of the hidden valley?

What do we think?

Then, it's Míriel in the ocean with a giant sea-monster, possibly the one that attacked the southlanders' raft. I think she's having some sort of vision. Like a "this is the final fate of your people" sort of thing. That or Ar-Pharazon made her walk the plank lol.

Then there's shots of Disa, King Durin III, and a boulder breaking a bridge in Khazad-Dûm as someone says, "Every soul in middle earth is in danger," reinforcing my idea that we're going to see Khazad-Dûm become Moria. Also, Disa seems angry, and Durin III seems to be stuck in a cave? Coupled with the LITERAL BROKEN BRIDGE, it almost makes me think that Disa's gone full Lady MacBeth and is trying to get her husband into power.

Then a shot of Elendil in a crowd being pushed back by soldiers. Maybe something to do with the Faithful? Maybe Míriel's being executed? I have no idea.

The next shot is of Galadriel screaming which, while beautiful to hear, had no context, so I have no clue what it is. It's immediately followed by an orc licking his knife.

Next is a shot of a city (I think it's Lindon, but it could be Ost-in-Edhil or Armenelos) with the words "Darkness will bind them" immediately followed by a shot of the three elven rings on people's fingers. One is definitely Galadriel, another Gil-Galad, and I THINK the other is Celebrimbor.

Then the leaves of the great tree in Lindon turning from green to gold very quickly (I have no idea what that is. Could just be them showing off the tone?)

Durin III picks up a ring of power. I could really see this being a major point of conflict in the coming season. We already know that political tension is rising in Khazad-Dûm: Durin IV has been disinherited by his father, Disa wants Durin IV to be king, Durin III is against mining mithril while Durin IV and Disa are all for it, and presumably there's a brother in there somewhere who would very much like a chance at the throne. A ring of power in that situation would be like throwing a torch into a tinderbox!

Next, we see Arondir flipping and shooting an orc with Isildur in the background, which means we're going to see Arondir and Isildur team up! Not as cool as Elrond and Isildur would be, but there's still plenty of time for that. I think Arondir is probably trying to help him get home to Númenor.

After that is a shot of Númenor with a GIANT eagle coming in for a landing and then it switches to a shot of Ar-Pharazon drawing his sword in front of the eagle.

Y'all, this is INTERESTING! Giant eagles are signs/emissaries/agents of Manwë, the head dude of the valar! In book canon, Númenor is destroyed and Ar-Pharazon dies because he challenged the valar in his pursuit of immortality. Here, it looks like he's swearing to fight FOR the valar, like he has the backing of the gods. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THIS SCENE OR IT'S GOING TO EAT ME!!!

Next is a shot of Theo crying, probably at his mom's funeral. (Bronwyn is dead, folks. Super dead. I don't know how it happened yet, but it will probably be offscreen as I heard the actress has decided to take a break from acting. We need to be respectful of that though, even if it leads to weird narrative choices, because real world problems trump fantasy 😔)

Then, there's a short shot of Isildur looking up (🤷‍♂️) and, more importantly, a shot of flaming catapults firing on Ost-in-Edhil.

There's one of two things this could be. Either, it's Sauron's army trying to conquer the city to get to the rings, or more likely, it's elvish forces (led by Elrond?) trying to free Ost-in-Edhil from Sauron's hold and rescue Celebrimbor. If THAT’S the case, it makes more sense that the Galadriel and Elrond riding horses shot was them finding the hidden valley, AND that means we might also get to see Celebrimbanner 😈.

Next is a shot of the new Adar, who doesn't look half bad, followed Gandalf the stranger in Rhûn hitting his staff on the ground and I think creating a wind. I think we're really going to see him come into his power this season!

Then, we see Galadriel pulling back a FLAMING arrow and blowing up a regiment of orcs. Then Elrond leading a cavalry charge. I'm guessing this is all during the attack to break the siege of Ost-in-Edhil.

After that, a very disheveled looking Celebrimbor drops seven (SEVEN!!! ALMOST DEFINITELY THE DWARF RINGS) into the forge fire. If I had to guess, I would say this shot is some time during his captivity and maybe he's escaped and is trying to destroy the rings of power he knows Annatar/Sauron had a hand in.

Next, we cut to a shot of Annatar in the debris of the forge (possibly destroyed when Celebrimbor tried to destroy the rings?) surrounded by sword wielding elves. Interestingly, they do NOT look like Elrond’s forces. Instead, they look more like Celebrimbor's own workmen. We can also see Celebrimbor in this shot WITH A MISSING HAND!!! (Seriously, what is with the Tolkien stories and losing a hand? First Maedhros, then Beren (as well as someone else I can't remember right now) and now poor Celebrimbor!?)

Galadriel gasps, "He is Sauron" and Annatar turns his hands and explodes the guards away, which immediately cuts to an explosion in a mountain valley. The smoke clears to reveal what I think is going to be the foundations of Barad-Dûr.

All in all, I think we're in for a TREAT this season with lots of Elrond, lots of dwarves, and LOTS of Celebrimbor whump. Honestly, I think we may even have a shot at seeing Celebrimbanner during the season finale! I doubt we're getting the fall of Númenor yet, the the fall of Khazad-Dûm is DEFINITELY on the table. SO EXCITED!!!

[chirpovs]

are y’all aware of how hard it is to figure out where a commonly accepted bit of middle earth lore comes from

it’s like is this mentioned in one sentence in the sixth history of middle earth or is this 50 year old fanon, could literally be either

[souredfigs]

Close enough, Welcome back Hannibal Lecter and Will Graham <3

[afaramir]

thinking about decades worth of sauron showing denethor over and over exactly, in excruciating detail, what he would do to him and his sons once gondor lost the war. and then. denethor on the pyre looking into the palantir and meeting sauron’s gaze head-on for the final time. you may think this is victory at last. you may think i have finally fallen to despair. but i know exactly what you would do to me and my house if this city falls. i know the old stories. i will not be your banner. you may yet win this war but first you will watch every second of my death and you will not have a single drop of the sick satisfaction that you have waited so long for because you will know that i chose this. this is not your victory yet. this, right here, is all i can eke out of mine. i need to go and throw up. i need to go and sob until im sick. goodbye

[myrtaceaae]

Sometimes the way people talk about Sauron is so baffling to me. Remember how he kills and slaughters?? The violence towards maedhros. The death of Finrod. The death of Celebrimbor.

And we're saying that he would be genuine pals with these people??? The people who were canonically tortured & killed by him. Quite apart from the events on Númenor and the entire third age. Are we really going to make him soft and friendly??? Really????

[tathrin]

wtf how is my silvergifting/gwaith-i-mirdain playlist already twice the length of my gimleaf one when I only started it like a week ago?

(I guess I just know more songs that suit that dynamic, which should perhaps be slightly concerning...except that I’ve always loved a good villain song the best, so. Far too late to be concerned about that now!)

[braxix]

I like to think that maybe, traumatically, Celebrimbor wasn't dead during Celebrimbanner time. I also like to think that Celebrimbor, unlike his father, did "spontaneously combust" upon death. I think that that wasn't Celebrimbor's doing but rather Elrond smiting the recently deceased body of his cousin so that it couldn't be further desecrated. No one else knows it was him though and they all draw parallels between Feanor and Celebrimbor and of course Elrond lets them as long as they don't get hateful. Elrond also, purposefully embodying what he knows of Luthien, starts tormenting Sauron as much as he can. Just making eye contact across the battlefield and making cutting motions across his neck and pointing at Sauron. Sauron, is too busy having PTSD flashbacks to do anything about it.

[eight-pointed-star]

i absolutely LOVE how we hyperfixate on the smallest details like the fucking gold ribbons, like love grew between them, like the whole celebrimbanner thing. just. tolkien wrote a tiny little line (that may have only seen the world years after he died) and thousands of people made it the point of their existance. we write fics about it, draw fanart of it, make endless jokes about it. good for us

[elswing]

calling it now this is set after the battle's ended and it's celebrimbanner he's looking at. also i just realised that scene from season one when celebrimbor tells him eärendil prophesied that "his life would one day be in his son's hands" they were setting up for the battle of eregion. BITING HIM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[neofolk-telvanni-wizard]

What a nice Celebrimbanner you got there

[valar-did-me-wrong]

Silvergifting is gonna end in with a banner. Sauron's isn't keeping Brimby alive in this season... Poor Brimby.

CelebrimBanner does make me think Galadriel got the better deal in Breaking Up with Sauron!

Few thousand years with mind palace shenanigans is way better than what Celebrimbor got, poor baby :'(

[saurongorthaur9]

Ok, does anyone else think this is a foreshadowing of the Celebrimbanner? It seems to be a vision Galadriel is having, probably induced by Sauron, and I can't help but notice how very Celebrimbannerish it looks (bound up with arrow-like stakes impaled in his chest). I'm sure other people have already made the connection but I haven't seen anyone talking about it.

Anyway, Season 2 is going to rip my heart out and then force feed it to me.