S02E13 Finale Script Discussion!

Teaser:

The Party on Taniquetal. The Sons of Finwë (Fëanor, Fingolfin and Finarfin) are cordially getting along with each other. Their alliance seems to be predicated on Noldor solidarity against the overbearing Valar. Fingolfin speaks of when Fëanor will return to Tirion, and Fëanor downplays that as not yet, the 12 years aren't up. Finarfin asks that maybe next time Fëanor will wear the silmarils? And Fëanor asks if the Treelight isn't enough for him. (So friendly for them, but not instant best buds.)


Also, comment on 1:50 in the video. Celegorm can speak the tongues of all beasts and birds. So, Huan doesn't need to 'speak with words' to convey a message to him. Which might explain why he never 'spoke up' before the Beren and Luthien story, as he had no need to - Celegorm speaks hound just fine.
 
Act 1

1. Melkor and Ungoliant pass Valmar, and come to the Trees. Ungoliant switches from being timid to being out in the open to being hungry for the light of the Trees. Melkor attacks with his spear, Ungoliant laps up the liquid light and then jumps in, biting and ravenously tearing them apart. She starts belching out random darkness webs everywhere.

2. Back at the Party, Yavanna notices a change in the quality of the light, and is bothered by it. Huan also notices. Party ends. Reaction shot of the dimming of the light of the Trees from other locations (the Teleri on the beach, Finwë and Nerdanel in Formenos, etc)

3. Tulkas is the first to arrive on the scene at Ezellohar, but he can't even get to the Trees to see what has happened, because of the webs of Unlight strewn everywhere. The Valar and Maiar can get through these dark, sticky, entangling webs with some effort, but it is difficult slow going. Eonwë uses his flaming sword, Tulkas tries to tear it apart with his hands, and Varda is able to cut through it the most efficiently. When they arrive at the Mound, the damage to the Trees is apparent, and the Valar are horrified. The Trees are dying, the ground around them is scorches, and the Mahanaxar (Ring of Doom) is in ruins. Ulmo finds the link of Melkor's probationary chain on Manwë's broken throne. Nessa is the first to name Ungoliant. Ulmo is angry, and, resisting an 'I told you so,' leaves quickly. Oromë, Eonwë and Tulkas try to follow the path of scattered Unlight towards the West.
 
Act 2

4. Tulkas, Oromë and Eonwë are pursuing an erratic path leading further and further west. They suspect Melkor and his spidery accomplice are headed to the Walls of Night to escape into the Void. Oromë sends Tulkas back to Ezellohar to deliver that message to the others.

5. Finwë, Nerdanel, and Celebrimbor discuss what to do. The Noldor of Formenos have lit lanterns and torches, and are clearly fearful of the darkness. The stars are visible, but even they are being blocked out by the darkness to the south. Finwë decides that they should be prepared to flee across the Pelóri, evacuating Formenos. Celebrimbor is confused why they would leave their stronghold; Finwë asks rhetorically how their walls can keep out what is coming?

6. Ulmo warns the frightened Teleri to stay off the water for now. He confers with Ossë and Uinen, saying that they must keep the villains from leaving Valinor. They will fortify the oceans so that no one can cross, and bring work to Ulmo as soon as they see any sight of their foes. He sends Uinen to the south (the known location of the hiding place of Ungoliant) and Ossë to the north.

7. The Valar at Ezellohar are more concerned with saving the Trees than tracking down Melkor at this point. Varda explains that she cannot use the starlight to relight the Trees.
 
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Act 3

8. The Elves arrive at Ezellohar and are shocked to see the Trees. The Vanyar are distraught, immediately turning to mourning with Nienna. The Noldor are angry. [The Teleri are mostly absent.]

9. Yavanna is distraught because the Trees are poisoned and dying before their eyes (even though some branches are currently unwithered, they are getting worse). Este puts the Trees into a stasis sleep to try to slow the effect of the poison.

10. Yavanna tries to sing the trees back to life and is choked up, discordant? Arrhythmic? Nienna cries to hear her sing, contrasting with the original scene where the Trees were brought into existence. Fingolfin accuses Manwë of letting this happen by not controlling Melkor. Tulkas returns and starts clearing the webs from around Valmar.

11. Feanor attempts to fix the Trees and is unable to do so. He breaks open a Fëanorean lantern and tries to catch the last of the Treelight, but the Unlight infects the lantern. Feanor is shocked to admit that there is nothing he can do. Mandos says... not nothing.
 
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Act 4

12. Melkor has problems herding Ungoliant towards Formenos. They have turned north, but Ungoliant is very erratic. Ungoliant kills an Eagle of Manwë flying overhead.

13. The Teleri witness Ulmo going out to sea in wrath. They ask what has happened, but he doesn't answer. He asks if their ships have been brought it. When the elves say yes, he tells them to get to safety and stay off the water. He goes full-on waterspout.

14. Yavanna is still trying to save the trees. Despite Estë's attempts to slow the poison, they are visibly withering. Nienna realizes that the trees are lost and comes to Yavanna’s side and helps her to reach the conclusion that the time of the Trees is over, but hope has not died with them.

15. Yavanna steps up before the others and brings up the Silmarils. Fëanor is startled and caught off guard.


End of Part I.
 
Part II

Act 1

16. Lead in with the confrontation at the Trees. Repetition of Yavanna's line, awkward pause, and then Manwë asks Fëanor for his answer. Tulkas asks how anyone could deny Yavanna? and Aulë asks to give him time, this is a momentous decision. Fëanor is surrounded by Valar who want his silmarils.

17. The Darkness comes to Formenos. Finwë ushers everyone out the back door, with final directions. Farewell to Nerdanel and Celebrimbor. He locks all the doors behind him, and goes to stand at the Gate. Melkor comes through the Gate and taunts him, and....<cut away>

18. Ulmo travels to the south to check in with Uinen. It is revealed that he knew about Ungoliant's lair in the south. Uinen asks him what he will do if Melkor escapes. Ulmo delivers his big picture view of committing to hunt Melkor down wherever he goes.

19. Feanor explains what the personal cost of breaking the silmarils would be. He waxes a bit hysterical, claiming he would be the first elf to be slain in Valinor. Mandos informs him, "Not the first."

Act 2

20. Oromë and Eonwë find the dead eagle, and realize that this foe is quite powerful. They meet the 'refugees' fleeing Formenos, and learn that Finwë stayed behind. They have to decide whether to continue pursuing Melkor and Ungoliant, or return to the other Valar at Ezellohar. Eonwë informs Oromë that one Vala alone can't take on this opponent.

21. Thieves’ Quarrel, Part I: Melkor insists that Ungoliant continue to flee with him; she begins to act suspicious. He informs her that she has not seen the Valar in their wrath, and that she would be wise not to stick around. He repeats his promise to her, but says he will not pause until he can see the safety of the walls of Angband. Ossë spots the shadowy darkness approaching the Helcaraxë.

22. Meanwhile, in Angband...Sauron is keeping secrets from the balrogs, and they are not happy about this. They turn to Thuringwethil.

23. Fëanor emphatically denies the Silmarils to the Valar. Nerdanel arrives with news of the attack on Formenos.

Act 3

24. Ossë goes to inform Ulmo. Together, the two return to the north.

25. The Noldor decide to return to Formenos.

26. Ulmo and Ossë assault the Helcaraxë, flinging everything they have against Melkor and Ungoliant...to no avail.

27. The balrogs confront Thuringwethil, who quickly spills what she knows. Since this includes Melkor's earlier actions in Valinor (when he was being obedient to the Valar), the balrogs are enraged and tear into her for the suggestion that he would abase himself that way. They turn on Mairon when he tells Thuringwethil, 'that's what you get for telling them'...but at that moment they hear a loud cry of pain...and Sauron says 'our Master is calling.' The balrogs leave.

Act 4

28. Thieves’ Quarrel, Part II: Ungoliant forces Melkor to halt now that the Helcaraxë is behind them. She is in control and alert, and 'playfully' ropes Melkor in, demanding the goods. We see that he is keeping his hand clenched, but not what is in them. His refusals result in her pouncing on him. He strikes the ground with his spear and calls out in pain. The balrogs emerge from a chasm of magma in the earth, and save Melkor by driving her off.

29. Ulmo and Manwë have a conversation in the Ring of Doom about Ulmo's role moving forward - Manwë encourages Ulmo in his maverick role. Manwë is not going to tell the other Valar how to sing their part, but reminds Ulmo that they will need to work together in harmony to defeat him.

30. Finwë's 5 children return to Formenos and find his dead body. His sword is broken, his crown/helm is dented. In the moment when everyone is gathered around Finwë's body, the camera shows us that the vault is empty and smashed open. Fëanor takes the broken crown into his forge and closes the door, mourning alone. Fingolfin sees this but says nothing. Fëanor's half-siblings comfort each other.

Epilogue:
Two Crowns: We see Melkor make the Iron Crown? Melkor takes the throne of Angband, surrounded by the balrogs and Mairon's posse. In his hand is the Iron Crown with the silmarils in it. His hand is burned and scarred. Fëanor sits on a chair in Formenos, distraught over his father's death, with Finwë's fixed crown in his hand. He looks up with fire in his eyes.
 
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You guys...

....we forgot all about the frame.

*facepalm*

Help??

We need to find a way to satisfyingly wrap up Arwen's story to this point - she is convinced that she has a purpose to play remaining in Middle Earth, and thus no longer feels that going to Valinor is inevitable. But she's at peace with her mother's decision to go.
 
Seems like the frame has been left behind a bit even going back an Ep or two.

It's a really hard thing to pair up a frame consistently with this linear a-b-c story in S2, compared to the (while still sort of linear) more modular series of tales in S1. The less the main story jumps around in time or space, the harder it is to justify even having a frame. Next season the main story will be jumping around more, and then the following couple it will be less - ebbs and flows I guess. We really need a frame for when the story is jumping around, but we kinda don't when it's progressing in a more traditional mode.

Would it be worth treating the frame, as a whole, as if it were a single episode of a show? Not as in act by act, but rather as in our approach to it.
 
I'm trying to do a post hoc rationalization here - maybe the only way really to approach it at all properly is to have a general idea at the start of the season, but then largely put it off until the main story is done. Like we did! Kinda.
 
The Frame needs an up-front plan, with the possibility to be flexibly adapted to fit the episodes as planned. So, you need to revisit and rewrite a lot to get it to work.
 
i just was thinking about the criwn.. how does the crown of the noldor look like?

somehow i like the idea that it was just a circlet or tiara when finee wss wesring it, but feanir reworks it to a war-helmet... like the later crown of numenor, which was bssed on a helm.
 
MithLuin said:
You guys...

....we forgot all about the frame.

*facepalm*

Help??

We need to find a way to satisfyingly wrap up Arwen's story to this point - she is convinced that she has a purpose to play remaining in Middle Earth, and thus no longer feels that going to Valinor is inevitable. But she's at peace with her mother's decision to go.
Click to expand...


I men, I didn't forget about the frame.


I just, y'know, didn't actually do or say anything to help give it any kind of satisfactory closure or develop it to its fruition.


But yes, the end point was basically the understanding that she and her mother were different people with different answers to the question and being comfortable with that.
 
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