Thanks for the note-taking, Richol! That's really helpful.
One of the challenges of this episode is that it focuses a lot on Míriel, but as she dies before the end, it's difficult to keep her as the protagonist. We'll probably have to hear her speak from Mandos after her death (or at least have her words reported so that she's still playing a role in the story.)
To keep track of the other side character story lines....
Elwë and Melian
His people have been searching for him, but most have given up hope. He and Melian return in time to rescue some of their people from werewolves. Everyone is very surprised to see Melian, but they accept her as their queen when they see that Elwë loves her and that she cares for their people as well (healing someone injured by the werewolves). Elwë is renamed 'Thingol'?
Sauron
He has finished making the werewolves as his 'muscle' against the balrogs, but Drauglin returns with his tail between his legs after meeting Melian. Sauron is involved in some ill-defined elf torture/experimentation that is clearly part of the Necromantic Orc Project. It may involve ripping elven souls out of their bodies and stuffing them in some other type of body. Sauron is frustrated by his secondary position to the balrogs, and reaching a 'none of you will ever understand my intentions' point.
Olwë
At Ossë's request, Olwë agrees to the anchoring of the island ferry. The Teleri do not want to lose their friend Ossë, who is forbidden to approach the coast of Valinor after that whole rebellion debacle last season. After a time, though, the Teleri get curious about the just-out-of-reach Valinor, and Olwë asks Ossë to help them build boats. Ossë agrees, knowing it means he will lose his friends, and the 'Lonely Isle' gets its name. The Teleri finally reach Valinor, and build Alqualondë on the shores of the Sea.
Indis
Early in this episode, her friend Míriel tells her that she's pregnant, and makes it clear that she wants Indis to stay in Tirion for awhile longer. But the other Vanyar have moved to Valmar, including Indis' father (Ingwë) and her newly-reembodied mother. Indis is torn between her people and her friend, but decides to stay a little bit longer. She visits Míriel after the difficult birth, and we see a very tired Míriel trying to tell her friend that she just can't do this. Indis tries to be supportive, but doesn't understand the cause or extent of Míriel's exhaustion. When Míriel decides to go to Lorien, Indis goes to Valmar thinking she'll see her friend again later.
Fëanor
Born halfway through the episode, he is a very healthy baby despite earlier concerns. He spends his earliest years in his parents' house, which is somewhat hushed because of his mother's mysterious wasting illness. He is there when his parents say goodbye to one another, and he is there when Finwë returns to visit Míriel, only to find her dead. He visits his mother's 'graveside', bringing her little items that he has made for her. He hopes she will wake up someday, but he is too young to understand that that isn't going to happen.
Finwë
He is overjoyed with the news that he and Míriel are going to have a child. But that quickly turns to worry as her pregnancy becomes a bit unusual. She has fainting spells during which she experiences visions, and she loses weight in a way that concerns the midwives. When the labor is very long, Finwë fears he may lose his wife or the baby. But...everything's fine! Healthy baby, tired mom, time to start family life with a newborn. It seems that nothing he can do helps Míriel recover, though, so he is still quite worried about her. Then, the Teleri arrive in Valinor with news that Elwë is lost in Middle Earth and the Island Ferry is now permanently rooted, so there is no way to go back and find him. Finwë is devastated by this news, because he was really looking forward to seeing his friend Elwë and he could really use a friend right now. Then Míriel tells him she's like to go to Lorien, and he's happy that she made a request he can do something about and takes this as a sign that she's 'getting better' and will come back rested enough to spend time with their toddler child. However, when he returns to Lorien to visit her, he finds her dead (well, 'spirit fled' or whatever) and breaks down, railing against the Valar in a 'how could you let this happen?' way. Estë and Irmo, who have been involved in helping during the birth and after, try to explain about her pouring too much of her spirit into the child and there's nothing they can do. Finwë rallies a bit when he realizes that...this isn't forever, she'll come back....Ingwë's wife came back, so.... And then Námo informs him that, no, Míriel will *not* be coming back. And he is crushed. He is heartbroken and mourning alone for his lost wife. Later, he and Fëanor visit the 'graveside' together.
Míriel
She is happy to finally be having a child with Finwë. She is effusive and excited to share this news with her husband Finwë and later her good friend Indis. The first unusual thing to happen is that she has a vision of her child, and when the vision ends, she is being helped up from the floor where she fainted. She assures everyone that she's fine, and happily tells Finwë that she's having a son! She continues to have visions throughout the pregnancy, and concludes that her child will be awesome 😀. The pregnancy takes a lot of energy, though, and is difficult for her. She thinks if she can just make it to the birth, she'll be fine. During the (very long) labor, she has another vision that reveals some of the darker aspects of Fëanor's future - [Oath by torchlight, kinslaying, ship burning, death-by-balrog, or something like that]. She names him Fëanor, and informs Finwë that there will be no more children. She has trouble facing what she has wrought - in trying to make her son the best and greatest ever and sharing as much of her spirit with him as she could, she seems to have....set him up for an epic fall and she can not bring herself to watch that happen. She tries to explain to Indis and Finwë (separately), but they don't really understand. Finally, she decides to go to Lorien as she just can't take it any more. She says farewell to Indis, and then later to Finwë and little Fëanor. Then, when left to her own devices, she flees her body and chooses to go to Mandos. She then refuses to consider re-embodiment.
Thematically tying this all together with 'everyone needs to find their home' is a nice idea, but geesh, this is not an easy task!
