LotR3-RotK-Seq08

[alatar]

Sherman made the terrible discovery that men make about their fathers sooner or later... that the man before him was not an aging father but a boy, a boy much like himself, a boy who grew up and had a child of his own and, as best he could, out of a sense of duty and, perhaps love, adopted a role called Being a Father so that his child would have something mythical and infinitely important: a Protector, who would keep a lid on all the chaotic and catastrophic possibilities of life. - The Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe


Frodo and Sam make the harrowing climb up the Straight Stairs as they scale Sauron’s backyard fence of mountains. The stairs are very steep, and I’m sure that that’s just to keep the tension up, as what’s so interesting about hobbits walking up stairs if there’s no chance that they might slip and fall? As tough the climb up appears to be, I’d hate to go down them without the use of a rope. You can see over Frodo’s shoulder the Witch-King’s army still coming out of Minas Morgul - the torches show the line of the road. Gollum asks his master - the bearer of his precious - to take care, to not fall. As Frodo reaches the plateau, the Ring dangles from the chain around his neck. Gollum gets an eyeful, and his desire is clear to be seen. Luckily for him, Frodo’s not looking. Gollum reaches for the Ring, and Sam, having been bitten by a radioactive spider, is able to not only sense what Gollum reaches for, but also draw his sword while clinging to the sheer stair wall. Gollum reaches out and grabs Frodo's hand, dragging him up for a chat. Sam struggles with the last step while Gollum spits venom in Frodo’s ear. The fat one will take it, he says, and actually that’s true. Gollum forces the wedge between Sam and Frodo, pushing the two even further apart.

Back in occupied Osgiliath, the Witch-King sits upon his Fell Beast like some ill-weathervane. He gives orders to Gothmog to attack Minas Tirith, and to basically level the place, like Gothmog was going to open negotiations with Denethor for beachfront real estate. The orc captain, fearing Gandalf, asks what to do about the White Wizard. The Witch-King, having watched too many Rocky movies, states, “I will break him.”

Mithrandir takes a moment to look out from the wall of Minas Tirith. He’s asked about the Rohirrim. Will they come? Where are they? Gandalf replies, not too hopefully, that at this time courage is the best defense. Where is his optimism? Where is the hope that he’s supposed to exude? Gandalf’s slide from mover to shaker is not well received, at least by me.

Note that when we entered the scene that Gandalf was not on the wall. He was the last to look out on darkness. He did not sit back, not caring, confident that the darkness could never win out. Nor was he at the wall, scoffing at the Witch-King, or at least encouraging those around him that the darkness would pass away. No, he looked out last, and that’s sad. And significant.

Meanwhile, Pip contemplates his recent rashness. He wonders what he will do for Denethor. As he spoke his thoughts aloud, they are answered by another. Faramir walks in, and speaks the words that Gandalf says in the books. Pippin learns that the livery that he wears once belonged to another fool, though I would have believed that Boromir would have been the one less attentive to studying. Pip and Faramir share a moment, and it brings them closer.

Faramir then begins to talk about his brother and father, and how they were alike in mind. Pippin adds his own observation about the surviving Steward’s son.

Back in Denethor’s court, Pippin swears fealty to the Steward, and that makes some sense here, as Pippin makes it seem that he had to learn and practice the oath that in the books just seems to come to mind or was read from a cue card. Denethor answers just as in the book. He then sits down for a snack or dinner - odd as the city will soon be under siege (or already is). While he fills his plate he spouts off that Osgiliath should be retaken. Faramir disagrees, stating, as we know, that the Land of Os is overrun and completely in the enemies’ hands. Denethor notes that Boromir had held the city, and so Faramir makes the connection that the Steward wishes that the older son where now present.

That would make Faramir the dead one. When Denethor actually says the words, that he wishes that the two could exchange places, then he wounds Faramir deeply. Faramir, through stuffy nose and welling eyes, states that he will do what he can in his brother’ stead.

Dude, your dad has been whipping you mentally since TTT; give it up and move on and find another, more worthy, father-figure. Like Gandalf…scratch that, as he’s more wimpy here than in the books, and so maybe Théoden.

Faramir, like in the books, asks that his father think better of him if he returns, and the bitter Steward cannot let his second child have the last word. Will Faramir return, and what words will he hear then?