Number 7. Kili yells at Thorin: “I will not hide while others fight our battles for us”.
Garfeimao: Kili is arguing with Thorin, guess Thorin just wants to hide in the mountain as the Orcs attack.
Demosthenes: Kili striking out on his own. Growing up, if you like. His loyalty tested to beyond breaking point. He’s had enough of merely following Thorin.
Number 8. Gandalf: “You have but one question to answer: how will this day end?”
Number 9. Showdown. The Nine Ringwraiths surround Gandalf and Galadriel in Dol Guldur.
Demosthenes: A lot of folks are fascinated by this confrontation. You also see a flash of Saruman in the background, then Elrond approaches, drawing his sword. The wraiths — at this point — do not appear actually wraithlike — a phenomenon of the presence of the Three? There are only eight figures, is the ninth nearest camera and just out of shot?
deej: WOW – that shot of Galadriel and Gandalf surrounded by the Nazgul.
Garfeimao: Those certainly do look like Nazgul each with different helms.
Edited to add: We now see the ninth figure in the bottom foreground.
Number 10. Thranduil strikes out at Tauriel.
Demosthenes: Lots of personal confrontation here between folks who are either supposed to be allies or who are close friends and kin. If the previous films have established relationships, this one is breaking them apart.
deej: I’m kind of hoping that we see Tauriel and Thranduil fight. That shot made it look like we might see that.
Garfeimao: Thranduil definitely takes a swing at her, I bet she’s standing in front of a dwarf.
Calisuri: Thranduil strikes out at Tauriel, destroying the bow and arrow she raises to block his attack. Thranduil’s distorted face is similar to the face he displayed to Thorin in Mirkwood. But does he kill (behead) her? It would be an amazing turn of events for this to happen. I don’t think PJ has the cojones.
Number 11. Tauriel is struck by Bolg and goes flying.
Garfeimao: Bear claws on his shoulders, it’s Bolg. And he’s tossing Tauriel around like a rag doll.
Calisuri: I don’t for one second believe Bolg could kill Tauriel.
Demosthenes: That would have to count as a tragic end, though. Right?
Number 12. Bilbo dons the One Ring.
Demosthenes: Is Bilbo about to escape Erebor with the Arkenstone in hand?
deej: And will we see Bilbo put on the Ring during the battle?
BOOTNOTE: this isn’t our frame-by-frame analysis. That will come over the weekend, or on Monday — it takes a bit of time to marshall our thoughts! Also, we’ll be reverting to our normal format which should relieve a lot of you who found it hard going last time.
