‘There are some cool parallels’: The Rings of Power season 2’s Isildur and Shelob fight took some cues from The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie
Exclusive: ‘I watched the fight with Sam’
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
The Rings of Power’s Maxim Baldry has revealed how Isildur’s season 2 showdown with Shelob was inspired byThe Return of the King’s movie adaptation.
Interviewed by TechRadar beforeThe Rings of Powerseason 2debuted onPrime Video, Baldry admitted he watched Samwise Gangee’s own duel with the monstrous spider before Isildur’s run-in with it.
InThe Return of the King, the final chapter inThe Lord of the Ringsbook and film trilogy, Sam faces off against Shelob to save an incapacitated Frodo from being eaten by Ungoliant’s most famous offspring. It’s a brilliant sequence that not only speaks to Sam’s loyalty to Frodo but also his bravery in the face of a terrifying foe. Long story short: he succeeds in his bout with Shelob; the great spider fleeing after Sam inflicts three serious injuries on it.
One of those wounds – a piercing stab from Frodo’s blade Sting, which Sam wields during the fight, into one of Shelob’s eyes – is one such moment that influenced Isildur’s skirmish with the massive arachnid. Indeed, as Baldry explained, Isildur inflict a similar injury on a much younger and smaller Shelob in his encounter with her in theAmazonTV series' second season; one that’s actually visible during Sam’s fight with Shelob centuries later.
“I remember reading the script for episode three,” Baldry told me, “and it was like ‘Isildur wakes to find that… he’s in a spider cave… and it’s the home of Shelob’. So, obviously, I immediately watched the fight with Sam [to seek inspiration], and there are some cool parallels between that sequence and our show. I end up stabbing her in one of her eyes, which Sam also does, but the eye she’s now blind in is the same one she can’t see out of in the movie. I thought that was a nice parallel between our adaptation and [The Lord of the Ringsdirector] Peter Jackson’s adaptation.”
Who’s ready for some exclusive interviews from #TheRingsofPower season 2 premiere? You are? Grand, here’s clip number one, which sees @maximbaldry tell me which of the titular rings he’d like to own in real life (spoiler - his answer won’t surprise you!) pic.twitter.com/iXRntX5WBhAugust 23, 2024
That isn’t the only aspect of Sam and Shelob’s battle that informed this scene inThe Rings of Powerseason 2. In both instances, Sam and Isildur also repel an attack from Shelob’s fangs and mandibles; the duo holding the great spider’s jaws at bay with their bare hands. Oh, and let’s not forget Shelob’s classic pouncing move, which she performs on Sam and Isildur in their respective duels.
His one-on-one battle with Shelob is the first of many tests that await Isildur in one of thebest Prime Video shows' sophomore seasons. Of course,The Lord of the Ringsfans – diehards and more casual observers – know how Isildur’s story ends, but the journey he takes to get to that point isn’t really explored in J.R.R. Tolkien’s legendary literary works. The gaps in his page-based history, then, allowed Baldry and the show’s writing room to hone in on where they wanted his coming-of-age arc to go in season 2.
Get the best Black Friday deals direct to your inbox, plus news, reviews, and more.
Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable Black Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content.
“We had to reverse-engineer Isildur in a way,” Baldry said. “We know where he ends up, but how does he get there? In season one, he’s desperate to leave Númenor. In season two, he’s a fish out of water. He has to learn how to survive and who he can trust, and come to terms with the fact he’s been abandoned by his family and his home. That’s a lot for someone to process and, as a result of dealing with that, he has to evolve as a person, which he does exponentially. He sheds this youthful exterior and becomes a man more in line with the mercenary and warrior that we know from the books.”
Want to learn more about Isildur’s journey this season? There are a few clues in my spoiler-lightreview ofThe Rings of Powerseason 2, which you’ll want to read before you stream its first three episodes. New installments will air weekly, by the way, until the season 2 finale on October 3.
You might also like
As TechRadar’s senior entertainment reporter, Tom covers all of the latest movies, TV shows, and streaming service news that you need to know about. You’ll regularly find him writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and many other topics of interest.
An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Tom also writes reviews, analytical articles, opinion pieces, and interview-led features on the biggest franchises, actors, directors and other industry leaders. You may see his quotes pop up in the odd official Marvel Studios video, too, such as thisMoon Knight TV spot.
Away from work, Tom can be found checking out the latest video games, immersing himself in his favorite sporting pastime of football, reading the many unread books on his shelf, staying fit at the gym, and petting every dog he comes across.
Got a scoop, interesting story, or an intriguing angle on the latest news in entertainment? Feel free to drop him a line.
4 spy shows on Prime Video with over 80% on Rotten Tomatoes
Prime Video’s smart new X-Ray feature is finally a good reason to add AI to streaming
I’ve been covering Apple Watch deals for years – This is the one model most people should buy on Black Friday
