Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power episode 3 spoilers follow.
Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power connects to Peter Jackson's legendary movie trilogy in a surprising number of different ways. Yes, there's that name, of course, but even with a span of centuries between the two stories, concrete links still bind them together into one grander whole.
The most obvious is Sauron's overarching threat which spans the Second Age here before he's set to return again in Jackson's Third Age.
Specific characters also appear in both stories, including Elves like Galadriel (played by Morfydd Clark, then Cate Blanchett) and Elrond (played by Robert Aramayo then Hugo Weaving) — as well as maaaybe a cheeky Gandalf hiding in plain sight...
Various races and locations familiar to Lord of the Rings superfans pop up here too, plus magical objects like Narsil (Isildur's sword), which go on to play a vital role in the movie sequels.
But beyond all that, the latest Rings of Power instalment also includes a far sneakier connection to Lord of the Rings that only diehard fans — you know, the ones who wore out their DVDs — might have spotted.
In episode three, titled 'Adar', there's a lot going on, from Galadriel's surprise trip to everything that happens in those creepy orc tunnels. But there's one scene here that we're particularly interested in, and it concerns Halbrand, a brand-new character created for the show.
Remember when Hally gets himself into trouble after he stole a guild crest from a group of Númenor workers? Blacksmiths chase him down and give him the jump in an alley, beating Halbrand up before throwing him into jail.
But who exactly deals out this violent brand of citizen's justice? If you look closer, and if you have the entirety of Jackson's epic seared into your skull, you might have noticed that there are three familiar faces in the gang, all of whom appeared in the original movie trilogy.
The leader, named Tamar, is none other than Jason Hood! You know, Jason!
Ok, we're not exactly talking Ian McKellen levels of grandeur here, but Hood did appear in 2002's The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers where he played Aragorn's body double, as well as an uncredited member of Théoden’s Royal Guard (as spotted by Games Radar).
You know Théoden. He was the King of Rohan who fought alongside his men in the Battle of the Hornburg.
Hood isn't the only one striking up a trilogy reunion here either. Two other workers spotted in this scene are played by actors/stuntmen Mana Hira Davis and Winham Hammond, who previously popped up in Middle-earth as various orcs and warriors.
Both men appeared in all three Peter Jackson movies: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King — plus they also worked on The Hobbit trilogy as well.
Since then, Mana has completed stunts for blockbusters like King Kong and X-Men: The Last Stand, while Winham also re-teamed with Jackson for King Kong, as well as 2018's Mortal Engines.
Director Peter Jackson isn't involved with Rings of Power, but it's gratifying to see that some of his old trilogy buddies have still been included this time around in Prime Video's small-screen adaptation.
And who knows, maybe more will follow suit. Maybe even Ian McKellen himself, if Meteor Man ever shows his true colours...
Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power airs weekly every Friday on Amazon Prime Video in the UK.
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After teaching in England and South Korea, David turned to writing in Germany, where he covered everything from superhero movies to the Berlin Film Festival.
In 2019, David moved to London to join Digital Spy, where he could indulge his love of comics, horror and LGBTQ+ storytelling as Deputy TV Editor, and later, as Acting TV Editor.
David has spoken on numerous LGBTQ+ panels to discuss queer representation and in 2020, he created the Rainbow Crew interview series, which celebrates LGBTQ+ talent on both sides of the camera via video content and longform reads.
Beyond that, David has interviewed all your faves, including Henry Cavill, Pedro Pascal, Olivia Colman, Patrick Stewart, Ncuti Gatwa, Jamie Dornan, Regina King, and more — not to mention countless Drag Race legends.
As a freelance entertainment journalist, David has bylines across a range of publications including Empire Online, Radio Times, INTO, Highsnobiety, Den of Geek, The Digital Fix and Sight & Sound.
