Why nobody can actually say ‘Mordor’ yet in The Rings of Power
The penultimate episode of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’s first season packs an all-too-familiar reveal for fans of the Lord of the Rings, using its final scene to bring an old favorite into the world of the show. We knew it was coming with the forced eruption of Mount Doom last week, but “The Eye” makes it clear without any character actually saying the word.
Because none of them can say the word yet.
[Ed. note: This piece contains spoilers for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power episode 7, “The Eye.”]
“The Eye” is all about the fallout from the eruption, as the Ostirith villagers, Númenórean troops, and our elven characters pick themselves up and confront their new reality. But at the close of the show, we come back to the architect of all this destruction, Adar, who encourages his orc children to take off the cloaks and helmets that used to protect them from the sun. With the ash and smoke constantly spewing from Mount Doom, they won’t need them anymore. This is their new home, a land made for them.
Waldreg, the Sauron-loving villager, starts up a cheer of “Hail Adar, lord of the Southlands,” but Adar tells them that the Southlands no longer exist. When asked what they should call it, Adar doesn’t answer, but just gazes off happily at Mount Doom, as the text “The Southlands” appears on the screen and burns away to reveal “Mordor.”
It’s a nice dramatic moment, but it’s also kind of funny when you consider Adar probably wouldn’t call it Mordor anyway.
Yes, it’s definitely Mordor. Sauron settled in Mordor in the Second Age, amassing power and building the foundations of Barad-dûr, aka the big eye tower in The Lord of the Rings. Sometime after that he ventured out in disguise to manipulate
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