Season 1

The Silmarillion – Season 1: The Fall of the Noldor

Season 1 Episode 1 – The Minstrel

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The series is framed by meetings between Elrond and Maglor in the Third Age. Maglor recounts the events of the First Age to Elrond and the viewer.

Season 1 covers the Fall of the Noldor, including the birth of Feanor and his brothers, the creation of the Silmarils, the Kinslaying, the journey to Middle-earth, the First Battle and the Battle-under-stars.

Here now is Season 1, Episode 1: The Minstrel

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Prologue – Rivendell/Lindon

  • Elrond receives a message from Cirdan, saying he has spotted the person Elrond has been searching for.
  • Elrond rides to Lindon, where Cirdan directs him onwards.
  • Elrond finds the elf on the shores of the sea, Maglor, son of Feanor.
  • Elrond wishes to bring Maglor to Rivendell, but Maglor cannot come. Maglor begins his story, the story of the Noldor, beginning in Valinor.

Valinor/Tirion

  • His father, Feanor, is born to Finwe and Miriel. Miriel dies during childbirth. Finwe remarries and has two more sons – Fingolfin and Finarfin.
  • Feanor opposes his father’s remarriage.
  • Feanor is close to Mahtan, Miriel’s father. Mahtan teaches Feanor craftsmanship and writing.
  • Feanor devises Tengwar. He weds Nerdanel and has seven sons, one of them Maglor.
  • Feanor turns his mind towards making gems. He is approached by a Valar, Melkor, but sees through his lies.
  • The lives of the elves beneath the light of the Two Trees in Valinor are detailed. Feanor’s relationship with his brothers and sons and Finwe’s meetings with the Valar.
  • Melkor and Manwe discuss the elves. Manwe warns Melkor not to interfere, reminding him of his past.
  • Feanor creates the Silmarils.

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First Appearances – Elrond, Cirdan, Maglor, Feanor, Finwe, Miriel, Indis, Nerdanel, Fingolfin, Finarfin, Maedhros, Celegorm, Caranthir, Curufin, Amrod, Amras, Manwe, Ulmo, Mandos, Aule, Irmo, Orome, Tulkas, Varda, Yavanna, Nienna, Vaire, Este, Vana, Nessa, Melkor, Rumil, Mahtan, Findis, Ingwe

Deaths – Miriel

Adapted from chapters ‘Of Eldamar and the Princes of Eldalie’ and ‘Of Feanor and the Unchaining of Melkor’ of The Silmarillion.

Pictures

  • Tirion – Ted Nasmith
  • Maglor – Jenny Dolfen
  • Lord of the Gems – Mami02

Season 1 Episode 2 – The Light of the Two Trees

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Throughout the first season, cold open prologues will detail the years before Feanor, including the Two Lamps, the War between the Valar and Melkor, Melkor’s imprisonment and freedom, the Awakening of the Elves, Thingol and Melian and the Elves’ journey to Valinor.

Prologue – Arda (Years of the Lamps 3450)

Begins with the Two Lamps being destroyed by a massive malice and the destruction caused by their fall. Shows Utumno, and the forces of balrogs and other creatures contained within.

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Tirion (Y.T. 1490)
– Feanor shows off the Silmarils

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– Feanor approaches his niece Galadriel, struck by the beauty of her hair. He asks for strands from her hair but is refused. Galadriel warns Finarfin, she sees only darkness in Feanor’s love.

– Galadriel goes to live with the Teleri in Alqualonde.

– Melkor confronts Feanor due to his jealousy. He plays upon Feanor’s pride to convince him Fingolfin plans to usurp his position.
– Melkor tells Fingolfin Feanor is planning to drive him out of Tirion.
– Feanor speaks out against the Valar
– Finwe calls the lords of his house to resolve the issue.
– Feanor privately and publicly threatens Fingolfin.
– The Valar exile Feanor to Formenos. Finwe follows Feanor as a sign of support.

First Appearances – Galadriel, Finrod, Aegnor, Angrod, Fingon, Turgon, Aredhel, Argon, Elenwe, Idril, Anaire, Earwen, Irime, Amarie

Adapted from chapters ‘Of the Beginning of Days’, ‘Of Feanor and the Unchaining of Melkor’ and ‘Of the Silmarils and the Unrest of the Noldor’ of The Silmarillion and ‘The History of Galadriel and Celeborn’ from Unfinished Tales.

Pictures

  • The Drawing of the Sword – Jenny Dolfen
  • Illuin: Lamp of the Valar – Ted Nasmith
  • Feanor – Felix Sotomayor

Season 1 Episode 3 – Formenos

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Prologue – Valinor (Y.T. 1)

Aule is about to destroy the dwarves, but receives a message from the One to let them live, but not to awaken them before the elves.

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Formenos (Y.T. 1492-1495)

  • Feanor and his family settle in to their new home.
  • The Valar send Tulkas to imprison Melkor again, but he cannot be found.
  • Melkor arrives at Formenos and speaks to Feanor and Finwe.
  • Finwe sends messengers to Manwe.
  • Feanor sees through Melkor’s lies and kicks him out of Formenos.

Alqualonde

  • Galadriel meets an elf, Celeborn.

Valinor

  • Melkor flees south and meets with Ungoliant.

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First Appearance – Celeborn, Ungoliant

Adapted from chapters ‘Of Aule and Yavanna’, ‘Of the Silmarils and the Unrest of the Noldor’ and ‘Of the Darkening of Valinor’ from The Silmarillion, and ‘The History of Galadriel and Celeborn’ from Unfinished Tales.

Pictures

  • Formenos – Luis F. Bejarano
  • Aule the Destroyer – Ted Nasmith
  • Ungoliant and Morgoth – John Howe

Season 1 Episode 4 – Nightfall

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Prologue – Valinor (Y.T. 1)

The Creation of the Two Trees. Maglor recounts to Elrond the names of the Valar.

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Valinor (Y.T. 1495)

  • The Valar try and reconcile Feanor and Fingolfin
  • Feanor is invited to Valinor
  • Fingolfin offers his hand to Feanor, recognising his place as eldest and heir of Finwe.
  • Melkor and Ungoliant travel to Valinor.
  • As Feanor and Fingolfin are being reconciled, Ungoliant destroys the two trees.

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  • Yavanna examines the Two Trees and finds only the light of the Silmarils can restore them.
  • Orome and Tulkas go after Melkor with the Vanyar.
  • Manwe asks Feanor to give them up, but he refuses.
  • Messengers come from Formenos with news for Feanor

First Appearances – Glorfindel, Orodreth, Eonwe

Adapted from chapters ‘Valaquenta’, ‘Of the Beginning of Days’ and ‘Of the Darkening of Valinor’ from The Silmarillion.

Pictures

  • Two Trees of Valinor – MattBurton
  • Yavanna’s Trees – Jacek Kopalski
  • The Killing of the Trees – John Howe

Season 1 Episode 5 – Morgoth

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Prologue – Valinor (Y.T. 1000)

Yavanna asks Manwe for protection, as she fears Elves, Men and Dwarves will destroy her plants and animals. Manwe gives her a vision of the Ents, who will protect them.

Formenos (Y.T. 1495)

  • An impenetrable black fog falls over Formenos.
  • Finwe alone goes out to face it. He is killed by Melkor.
  • Melkor and Ungoliant force their way in and steal the Silmarils.

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Valinor

  • Feanor names Melkor ‘Morgoth’
  • Feanor gives an impassioned speech to the Noldor. He rebels against the Valar and leads the Noldor to Middle-Earth.
  • The Noldor are convinced to go. Finrod and Fingon are among Feanor’s supporters, while Turgon and Glorfindel advise against it, but follow their families.
  • Feanor gathers his sons and swears the Oath of Feanor, despite Fingolfin and Glorfindel’s objections. The Oath states they will fight anyone who withholds the Silmarils from the descendents of Feanor.
  • Nerdanel refuses to follow Feanor. She begs for Amras and Amrod to be left with her. Feanor refuses.
  • Finrod is forced to choose between his kin and his beloved Amarie of the Vanyar. He chooses to follow the Noldor.

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  • Against the Valar, the Noldor set out for Middle-Earth

First Appearance – Treebeard

Deaths – Finwe

Adapted from chapters ‘Of Aule and Yavanna’ and ‘Of the Flight of the Noldor’ from The Silmarillion and ‘The Grey Annals’ from The War of the Jewels.

Pictures

  • The Oath of Feanor – Jenny Dolfen
  • The Oath of Feanor – Ted Nasmith
  • The Parting of Lovers 2 – aautio

Season 1 Episode 6 – Kinslaying

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Prologue – Utumno (Y.T. 1099-1100)

Tulkas and the Valar wage war on Melkor. Utumno is destroyed and Melkor is imprisoned.

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Valinor (Y.T. 1496)

  • Aule begins work on the Sun and Moon.

Alqualonde

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  • Feanor and the first host head to Aqualonde
  • Fingon and his host go second, while Fingolfin and his sons are the last to leave Tirion
  • From afar, a great Eagle follows them.
  • Feanor and his sons try and persuade the Teleri to give him their ships. The Teleri refuse to go against the Valar.
  • The Noldor steal some ships, but the Teleri throw them off into the harbour. The Noldor and Teleri join in battle.
  • Galadriel tries to intervene. When her pleas are ignored, she fights for the Teleri.
  • Fingon and his host come to Alqualonde and join the fight under assumption that the Teleri attacked Feanor.
  • Finarfin and Fingolfin arrive and Feanor lies to them about the Kinslaying.

Aman

  • Feanor and his men take the ships. Fingolfin and Finarfin travel north along the coast on foot.
  • Mandos appears on the mountains and proclaims the Doom of the Noldor.
  • Hearing the truth, Finarfin takes his host and turns back to Valinor. His children remain with Fingolfin.

helcaraxe (1)

Helcaraxe

  • Morgoth and Ungoliant cross the Helcaraxe into Middle Earth

First Appearances – Sauron, Gothmog, Olwe, Thorondor

Adapted from chapters ‘Of the Coming of the Elves and the Captivity of Melkor’, ‘Of the Sun and Moon’ and ‘Of the Flight of the Noldor’ from The Silmarillion and ‘The History of Galadriel and Celeborn’ from Unfinished Tales.

Pictures

  • The First Kinslaying – Ted Nasmith
  • The Valiant Incoming – Ninni-V
  • Alqualonde – Thomas Rouillard
  • Helcaraxe – Andrew Mockett

Season 1 Episode 7 – Helcaraxe

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Prologue – Arda (Y.T 1050-1105)

The Awakening of the Elves and their journey to Valinor, Finwe leads the Noldor while Elwe leads the Teleri and stays in Middle-Earth

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Beleriand (Y.T. 1497)

  • Morgoth and Ungoliant reach Middle-Earth. Once in sight of Angband, Ungoliant turns on Morgoth demanding the Silmarils. Ungoliant attacks him, and his scream reaches Gothmog and the balrogs, who rescue him. Ungoliant flees.

TN-Ungoliant_Demands_the_Silmarils

Aman

  • Feanor speaks with Fingolfin. He will sail across the sea to Middle-Earth and send the ships back for Fingolfin.

Lammoth

  • Feanor burns the ships. However he leaves his son on the ships, accidentally burning him alive.
  • Maedhros refuses to take part in the burning, as his friend Fingon was still in Aman.

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Alqualonde

  • The Teleri question Galadriel.
  • Galadriel decides to leave Valinor. With Celeborn she sails over the sea to Middle-earth.

Helcaraxe

  • Fingolfin sees the smoke of the ships from afar. Refusing to turn back, he leads his people through the ice desert of Helcaraxe.
  • They push on through the ice desert, though many die. Turgon loses his wife Elenwe when she falls under the ice.

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Deaths – Amrod, Elenwe

Adapted from chapters ‘Of the Coming of the Elves and the Captivity of Melkor’ and ‘Of the Flight of the Noldor’ from The Silmarillion.

Pictures

  • Across the Grinding Ice – Lyra
  • Osse and Teleri – Steamey
  • Ungoliant Demands the Silmarils – Ted Nasmith
  • Burning of the White Ships at Losgar – Jenny Dolfen
  • Death of Elenwe – mintkim

Season 1 Episode 8 – Thangorodrim

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This episodes marks a departure from the main plot to instead focus on the rest of Middle-Earth rather than the Noldor. The main focuses are Morgoth in Angband and Thingol in Doriath. I found it more effective to give Thingol and episode of his own rather than give him a couple of minutes of screen time every now and then.

Prologue – Doriath (Y.T. 1130)

Tells of how Melian the Maia came to Doriath. And the trance Elwe (Thingol) fell into when he saw her.

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Angband (Y.T. 1497)

angband

  • Morgoth returns to his seat in Angband, received by Sauron.
  • Sauron informs Morgoth of the Sindar Elves that dwell in Doriath.
  • Morgoth orders Sauron to prepare the army for attack.

Doriath

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  • Thingol meets with the dwarves of Belegost, forging an alliance. He returns home to Melian.
  • Spies return to warn Thingol of orcs in the north.
  • Doriath is suddenly assaulted by Morgoth in the First Battle.

Ossiriand

  • Thingol and his army go on the offensive. He and King Denethor of the Green Elves attack the orcs at Amon Ereb. Denethor is slain, but the elves are victorious. The retreating orcs are killed by dwarves.

Doriath

  • Returning to Menegroth, Thingol finds Galadriel and Celeborn.

Mithrim

  • Feanor’s encampment in Mithrim ready for battle.

First Appearances – Thingol, Melian, Denethor

Deaths – Denethor

Adapted from chapters ‘Of Thingol and Melian’, ‘Of the Flight of the Noldor’ and ‘Of the Sindar’ from The Silmarillion, ‘The History of Galadriel and Celeborn’ from Unfinished Tales and ‘The Grey Annals’ from The War of the Jewels.

Pictures

  • King of Doriath – Elena Kukanova
  • Nan Elmoth – Elwe and Melian – Elena Kukanova
  • Angband – Unknown
  • Beleg Departs Menegroth – Alan Lee

Season 1 Episode 9 – Under the Stars

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Prologue – Valinor (Y.T. 1400)

Manwe, unable to understand evil and with the advice of Nienna, releases Melkor to live in Valinor.

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Angband (Y.T. 1497)

  • Sauron informs Morgoth of the Noldor’s arrival. Morgoth makes quick plans to strike first.

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Mithrim

  • The Noldor meet the Grey-Elves in Mithrim, learning of the First Battle and of King Thingol
  • Feanor makes plans with his sons to besiege Angband. Maedhros wants to wait for Fingolfin but Feanor refuses.
  • The encampment is ambushed by Morgoth’s forces, led by Gothmog.
  • Feanor fights back and disperses the orcs. He leads his forces north.
  • They are attacked by orcs retreating from the south, but Feanor’s sons lead an assault and overwhelm them.
  • Feanor and his sons destroy most of the orcs, but a small group escapes. Feanor pursues them in his wrath.

Helcaraxe

  • Many more of Fingolfin’s host have died. Fingolfin leads them on, leaving the ice desert as the moon rises.

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Dor Daedeloth

  • Feanor leads the army to within sight of Angband. But as he reached Dor Daedeloth, a host of balrogs issued forth from Thangorodrim.

First Appearance – Drauglin

Adapted from ‘Of Feanor and the Unchaining of Melkor’, ‘Of the Sindar’ and ‘Of the Return of the Noldor’ from The Silmarillion.

Pictures

  • moon-and-stars – Tamera Smith
  • The Captivity of Morgoth – Jacek Kopalski
  • The Balrogs of Morgoth – Thylacinee
  • The Coming of Fingolfin – Jenny Dolfen

Season 1 Episode 10 – The Rising of the Sun

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The Battle-under-Stars and the Battle of Lammoth have been combined.

Prologue – Angband (Y.T. 1300-1400)

Sauron and the Balrogs create orcs, born from tortured elves. Melkor returns and Sauron welcomes him.

Lammoth (Y.T. 1497)

  • Fingolfin’s army arrives as the sun first rises. They are attacked by the orcs of Morgoth as they arrive. Fingolfin’s son Argon cuts his way through the orcs and slays their leader. He is surrounded and killed.
  • Fingolfin manages to drive off the rest of the orcs. They press on towards Thangorodrim.

Dor Daedeloth

  • Feanor fights the balrogs head on. He manages to slay several.
  • Eventually Feanor is alone on the battlefield. He is wounded several times by Gothmog but continues fighting.

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  • Feanor’s sons come down on the balrogs before Feanor is killed. They drive them off and carry Feanor from the battlefield.
  • During the battle Maedhros is captured by Gothmog.
  • Feanor looks upon Thangorodrim from afar and curses Angband thrice. As he dies his body burns to ashes.

Angband

  • Fingolfin reaches Angband and forces the remaining army of Morgoth behind their gates. Despite their efforts they know they cannot destroy Angband with force.
  • Maedhros is brought before Morgoth. Morgoth imprisons him on Thangorodrim. Hanging him by the wrist upon the mountain.

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Mithrim

  • Feanor’s sons meet Fingolfin’s host again on the shores of Mithrim
  • Maglor recounts that they were still bound by the Oath of Feanor.

Doriath

  • Thingol permits Galadriel and Celeborn to stay, as they are both Teleri in nature.
  • Thingol and Melian climb to the top of the forest. There Melian sets a great fog to conceal Doriath from Morgoth, called the Girdle of Melian.

Lindon

  • Elrond asks Maglor to come to Rivendell, but he refuses. Elrond watches as Maglor slowly wanders off down the coastline.

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Deaths – Feanor, Argon

Adapted from chapters ‘Of the Coming of Elves and the Captivity of Melkor’, ‘Of the Sindar’, ‘Of the Sun and Moon’ and ‘Of the Return of the Noldor’ from The Silmarillion, ‘The History of Galadriel and Celeborn’ from Unfinished Tales and ‘The Shibboleth of Feanor’ from The Peoples of Middle-earth.

Pictures

  • Thangorodrim – ?
  • Feanor vs Gothmog, Lord of the Balrogs – bobgreyvenstein
  • Maedhros Capture by Orcs – Jenny Dolfen
  • Maglor’s Fate by the Sea – Jenny Dolfren