Okay! It will be understandable if people don't want to wade through a 6 hour discussion to hear us slog out the breakdown of episode one, but we will try to get an outline posted here in the next few days to help with the discussion. For now, here's a preview:
Season 4
Episode 1: It Seems We Are At An Impasse (ie, someone please name it for us!)
Protagonist: Fingon
Theme: Struggles with reconciliation
Summary: The Noldor have reached Middle-earth, but are divided. Fingon sets out on a hopeless task to rescue his old friend. Círdan and Celeborn make contact with the Host of Fingolfin.
A-plot: Fingon is frustrated by the division of the Noldor and seeks to rescue Maedhros.
B-plot: Fingolfin and Maglor command opposing camps across the lake of Mithrim. The situation threatens to dissolve into open hostility at any time.
C-plot: The Sindar make contact with the Noldor
D-plot: Angband (Sunlight and Darkness)
As you can see, we had a lot to juggle this time! Not to mention an attempt at portraying eucatastrophe in a way worthy of Tolkien's story
Characters: Fingolfin, Fingon, Turgon, Angrod, messenger from Fëanorean camp, Círdan, Celeborn, Maglor, Curufin, Caranthir, Amras, Finrod, Galadriel, Morgoth, Thorondor, Rog, various other Noldor, Sinda messenger
Frame: Bilbo, Gandalf, Balin
Teaser
Frame: Bilbo is in Bag End. Gandalf and Balin stop in to visit him. Greeting old friends; Bilbo is pleased. They are on their way from the Blue Mountains to the Lonely Mountain to commemorate the 7 year anniversary of (the death of Thorin) and the Battle of Five Armies, (though they do not invite Bilbo to join them).
Act 1
Scene 1: (Camp of Fingolfin on the northern shore of Lake Mithrim) We see the Host of Fingolfin getting settled in their camp. They are mostly in a positive mood after the events of the Season 3 finale, but they are very angry with Fëanor and anticipate doing something about him soon. Looking across the lake, they can see the camp of Fëanor set up on the southern shore. Some (such as Angrod and Turgon) are eager to confront Fëanor. Fingolfin urges patience; he has a plan. Fëanor will answer for his deeds; Fingolfin will confront him with a full army at his back as soon as they feel their position is secured. Riders arrive at the perimeter of the camp, causing a stir. Greetings from Maglor, lord of the Fëanoreans, are delivered by a messenger. Everyone is confused by this, so the messenger gives news of Fëanor's death and Maedhros' capture. Fingolfin, Fingon, and others react to this news. They are no less angry, but their intended aggression has been cut off with no clear target. Also, there is some genuine regret (or at least mixed feelings) about the news of Fëanor's death. The messenger does not tell of Angrod's death at the shipburning, and no apologies or warm welcome are offered. Fingolfin informs the messenger of the their crossing of the Helcaraxë to reach Middle-earth.
Scene 2a: (Camp of Fingolfin) Círdan, Celeborn, and a small contingent of Falathrim sailors come out of the woods and approach Fingolfin's camp. As they approach, they mention that the camp seems bigger than it looked from the mountain. They encounter perimeter guards, and a language barrier is discovered. The guards answer them in Quenya, which the Sindar do not understand, but they are invited into the Camp. Seeing another camp across the lake that was not there before, Círdan gestures at it, but does not understand the answer he is given.
Scene 2b: (Camp of Fëanor, on the southern shore of Lake Mithrim) Maglor and Curufin react to the news of the returning messenger. It seems their father's half-brother will not attack them at this time, and they reached Middle-earth without ships by walking across the grinding ice far in the north. Curufin had clearly coached either Maglor or the messenger and is working to call the shots himself. Amras chastises them for the shipburning that landed them in this mess.
Scene 3: (Camp of Fingolfin) Finrod and Círdan sit down and have a conversation in Sindarin. They discuss the situation in Beleriand (Thingol is King of Doriath) and the why the Noldor came (to fight Morgoth). They are clearly limited in vocabulary, but Turgon is amazed to hear them conversing as clearly as they do. Finrod's telepathic abilities are explained. The Sindar and Noldor share a meal where Finrod acts as interpreter.
Scene 4: (Angband) Orcs are terrified of sunlight, and are seen flinching from it and running back into the depths of Angband. Morgoth (looking at a burning fire?) soliloquizes on the source of sunlight, how it must be from Laurelin, which he destroyed, and he will destroy this, too. He commands {Gothmog} to send out the Watchers, and when Gothmog mentions that they do no like the sun, Morgoth impatiently tells him to wait for nightfall.
.
.
.
.
.
Act 4
Scene 14: (Camp of Fingolfin) Galadriel watches the meeting between the Noldor of the two camps from afar, maybe a bit resentful at being passed over for her brother Finrod as a delegate to attend. Celeborn approaches her and asks what is going on (in halting Quenya). She explains in Sindarin that her cousin Fingon is missing, and they are meeting to try to find out what happened. Celeborn tries to ask her about more of the background behind why there are two camps, and she answers him telepathically that she does not have the words to explain and cannot talk about that. He is surprised and impressed that she shares Finrod's ability.
Scene 15: (Thangorodrim) Fingon approaches the sound of Maedhros' singing to reveal the sight of Maedhros stapled to the sheer (overarching) cliff far above his head. There is no way for Fingon to climb up. Maedhros greets his friend and begs for death. Despairing of any way of helping him, Fingon gets out his bow and readies an arrow. But he hesitates, unable to bring himself to kill his friend, and utters a prayer to Manwë. Then he dashes aside tears, draws back the arrow, and takes aim. Thorondor arrives from above, calling out for Fingon to stop as he lands beside him. Fingon is amazed by the appearance of a giant eagle. Thorondor lifts Fingon to the ledge above Maedhros, and perches himself on the cliffside nearby. Fingon tries and fails to loosen the iron band around Maedhros' wrist, and in his frustration asks Thorondor why he even brought him closer if he still can't save Maedhros, who continues to request his own death. Thorondor answers that it is his part to watch. He saw the ships burning in Losgar, he saw the armies of Noldor fight the orcs victoriously, he saw the balrogs cut down Fëanor, he saw the defeat and capture of Maedhros, he saw the arrival of Fingolfin's Host. And he saw Fingon's humility and wish to extend mercy, and so he responded. It is up to Fingon to deliver the mercy he asked for. Fingon raises his blade.
Scene 16: (Neutral Pavilion outside both Camps) The discussion among the Noldor has gotten heated. They have moved beyond accusations about Fingon and are now bringing up their other grievances of the betrayal of the Shipburning and having to cross the Helcaraxë, and the lives lost as a consequence. Swords are drawn. The arrival of Thorondor brings everything to an immediate halt as they all react to the sudden appearance of a giant eagle in the middle of their fight. Fingon descends from the back of the eagle holding Maedhros' body. Then Maedhros stirs/moans/gives some sign of life, and his bloody stump is revealed. The gathered Noldor react to the sudden return of the wounded Maedhros and the reappearance of the missing Fingon. The conflict is abandoned.
Frame: Bilbo backs a bag and Gandalf smiles. Bilbo says that of course he's coming along, which was what Gandalf wanted, wasn't it? And after all, if all these Men and Dwarves and Elves are going to be in one place, they're going to need someone looking after them and keeping the peace, so Bilbo had better go along, since Gandalf can't be trusted to stick around for the duration.
Tag
Morgoth receives news of Maedhros' escape, and expresses his utter confidence by laughing at the sad divisions between the Noldor and their complete ineffectiveness against fighting a Vala.
More to come! We discussed the entire episode, of course; this is just a preview.