This second and final part of the episode is long but I do not think it can be split.
A moment of blackness then we hear deep rumbles. A red flicker barely relieves the black. Cut to black jagged peaks against a dull brown sky. Faint pulses of dull red light up the sky then fade again. We start to hear the sound of a bitter wind that does not cease through the following scenes.
Cut to a steep cliff that slopes back cut by a near vertical crack from top to bottom. Cut to a worn narrow step and fingers suddenly grasp it. Frodo’s face comes into view, utterly weary. The camera stays still as he climbs slowly past and Sam’s face appears next. His eyes are shut and he is biting his lips.
Cut to Gollum squatting on the edge of the cliff. He looks over the edge for a moment then wraps his arms around his legs. Cut to a close-up of his face.
Gollum: ‘We’ll see, oh yes precious we’ll see. When she throws their bones away, we shall get it oh yes. Get the Precious again. Then we’ll pay her back; pay everyone back.’ He stops and looks up. Cut to Frodo clambering over the edge and rolling flat in exhaustion. Sam appears next.
Cut to Gollum, his cold face alters: ‘Clever hobbitses to climb so high. Not long now; just one more stair and that’s all.’
Cut to Sam, sitting up and massaging his fingers: ‘Another one?’
Cut to Gollum, still encouraging: ’Yes, but not as difficult. Hobbits rest when we get to the top; not yet.’ Cut to Sam wearily getting up and holding out a hand for Frodo to grasp.
Sam: ‘What then?’
Cut to Gollum moving away and whispering to himself: ‘We shall see; oh yes, we shall see!’ Cut to a distant view of the three figures on a steep winding path. Cut to the three in a steep rocky gully in a grey brown light. The wind is even louder.
Sam: My Master has to rest out of this bitter cold wind. How much further is it?’
Gollum: ‘Very nearly at the top now. Nice master rest for a while.’ Sam points to a shallow gap between some rocks and shepherds Frodo into it. Cut to the hobbits sitting close together for warmth while Gollum squats outside hugging himself. Frodo leans forward and hands Gollum his water flask.
Sam: ‘There’s a queer kind of stuffy smell up here. I don’t like it.’
Frodo, fastening his flask and shaking it to check the contents: ‘I like nothing here; step or stone, breath or bone. Earth, air and water all seem accursed but so our path is laid.’
Sam looks at Frodo, judging his mood: ‘I used to think that the folk in adventures went out and looked for them because life was a bit dull. Now I see that they just landed in them. I expect they had lots of chances to turn back but they didn’t; they just went on ….’ He pauses and pulls a wry face. ‘…. and not all to a good end mind you.’
Frodo: ‘That’s the way with a real tale. The people in them don’t know if their ending will be sad or happy.’
Sam: ‘Take Beren. He never thought he would end up taking the Silmaril from the crown of Morgoth, yet he did and that was a far darker place than this. And the Silmaril went on to Earendil.’ (He looks up.) ‘and then up into the sky. Why, I’ve just thought; you’ve got some of that starlight in your glass from the Lady Galadriel. We are in the same story! Do they ever end?’
Frodo: ‘No, but the people in them do.’
Sam: ‘When this is over we can have some proper rest and sleep. All I’ve been hoping for is to wake up to a morning’s work in the garden back in the Shire…… Do you think our story will be put into fireside songs or read out of a big book? Perhaps they’ll say,’ (he puts on a silly piping child’s voice) ‘Let’s hear about Frodo and the Ring, that’s my favourite, the famousest of all the hobbits.’ Frodo relaxes and throws his head back and laughs naturally. Cut to a sweep of the jagged rocks and the laugh echoing around. Cut back to the two and Frodo is smiling now.
Frodo: ‘Why, Sam, you have left out the chief character; Samwise the Stouthearted. They’ll say, “Why didn’t they put in more of his talk dad? It makes me laugh. Frodo wouldn’t have got far without his Sam, would he dad?â€â€™
Sam: ‘Now Mr Frodo, you shouldn’t make fun.’
Frodo puts his hand over Sam’s: ‘No Sam, I was serious. But we are still stuck in the worst part of the story. They may say, “Shut the book now dad, we don’t want to hear the next bit.â€â€™ They pause and think.
Sam, still trying to keep Frodo’s spirits up: ‘Gollum used to like the old tales once. Perhaps even he might be good in one.’ He leans forward. ‘Gollum! Do you want to be the hero? Where’s he gone? He’s sneaked off again. There’s no food for him up here. I don’t trust him.’
Frodo: ‘If he’s false then he is false. After all he doesn’t want the Ring captured either.’ Frodo’s eyes droop.
Sam: ‘You need some sleep. I’ll keep watch. Lay your head in my lap and I’ll try to keep you warm.’ Frodo rolls over and Sam lays one arm across him and rests his other hand on his sword-hilt. He stays vigilant.
Fade to Gollum’s malevolent eyes. Cut to him creeping down the windswept gully with a cruel smile on him. Cut to him squatting down again outside the shelter. Cut to Frodo and Sam asleep, their arms around each other, their faces tranquil in sleep. The camera lingers on them for a moment. Cut to Gollum’s face. The malevolence fades to weariness then he looks up the gully as if in doubt. Some sort of compassion grows on his face. Cut to Gollum stretching his hand out cautiously to rest it on Frodo’s. Cut back and he again looks up the gully. Cut to a close-up of his face and a tear grows in his eyes. Cut to Sam’s face and his eyes flicker open and then he wakes with a start. Cut to him pushing Gollum away in the chest.
Sam: ‘What are you up to?’
Cut to Gollum sadly: ‘Nothing. Nice master.’
Cut to Sam: ‘Sneaking again? You old villain.’
Cut to Gollum’s face as the compassion and weariness fades away and his face goes blank. He pulls back.
Gollum: ‘Hobbitses always so polite, oh yes. Nice hobbits. Smeagol brings them up secret ways. Tired and thirsty he is and they call him a sneak. Very nice friends my precious.’
Cut back to the hobbits as Sam rubs his face: ‘Sorry, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been sleeping and that made me a bit sharp.’ Frodo starts to wake and Sam smooths his hair.
Frodo: ‘It’s still dark.’
Sam: ‘It’s always dark now, remember? Gollum’s back so I guess it’s time to go on. It’s the last lap now.’ Frodo sits up.
Frodo: ‘Have you had any rest Smeagol?’
Cut to Gollum looking coldly at them: ‘No rest, no food for Smeagol. He’s a sneak. So Master Samwise says.’ Cut to the hobbits and Frodo looks from one to the other. Sam rolls his eyes and tuts.
Sam: ‘I did but I said I was sorry.’
Frodo: ‘Then let it pass. Tell me Smeagol, are we close now? You have done as you promised and you are free. Free to go back wherever you wish except to the Enemy. One day I…’ He pauses.’… or those that remember me may reward you.’
Cut to Gollum. He looks up the gully then back: ‘No! Oh no! Not yet. There’s still the tunnel. We must go on. No rest, not yet.’ His eyelids lower.
Fade to the three standing by a small opening at the base of a cliff. We have seen it already in the episode at Henneth Annnun. Gollum stands by the entrance while the two hobbits stand back.
Gollum: ‘We must go this way now. Come on.’
Sam, his hand over his face and nose: ‘What is that stench? It’s like a hundred years of orc-filth in there. Do you mean you have been through this before? Perhaps you don’t mind this smell.’
Cut to a close-up of Gollum’s face, quietly: ‘He doesn’t know what we minds does he precious? Smeagol can bear things.’ Then more briskly, ‘Come on, follow Smeagol!’ Cut back to the three and Gollum scuttles into the black entrance leaving Frodo and Sam looking at each other unhappily. They walk up to the entrance and pause again. Sam shifts his stick to his left hand and they clasp hands, wait a second then walk in. The darkness swallows them too.
Cut to a completely black screen. From now on we hear only sound. The sound of the wind has gone but other sounds are magnified. We hear the padding of their feet, the click of their sticks and the sound of their breathing. When they speak it is in whispers.
After a moment or so, Frodo: ‘I can’t hear Smeagol. We have to catch up. Try to follow the walls with your hand. If this is an orc-den there may be different paths.’ We hear more sound of their walking.
Sam: ‘Yes, I just felt an opening in the side. This seems the straight way though.’ As he speaks his voice trails away as if he is moving away.
Frodo’s voice swells as if he is approaching: ‘I’ve lost track of time in here Sam. Oh no! Now there is nothing on my side at all. There is a great gap here. It sounds like an open space. Aughph! The stench is worst here.This is where it all comes from.’ We hear Sam choke and gag.
Sam, almost crying like a child: ‘There is something here. I can feel it watching me. It’s worse than Gollum.’ Then we hear a drawn out disgusting bubbling sound then a hiss then the sound of something big being dragged.
Sam is whimpering now: ‘It’s a trap. That stink is getting even worse and we can’t see a thing. Oh help us someone!’ The sound grows louder. We hear the hobbits’ feet break into a run.
Softly we hear Galadriel’s voice from afar: ‘For you, Ringbearer, a light when all other lights go out.’
Sam’s voice from close-up: ‘Master! The Lady’s gift! The starglass!’
We hear a fumbling and the faint chink of a chain. Then a tiny spark of intense white light shows, lighting up a hand. It grows in brilliant whiteness but not in size as if mists were clearing from it. Frodo is revealed holding it in a narrow passageway.
Frodo: ‘Aiya Earendil Elenion Ancalima!’ The light grows brighter still until we see Sam’s face full of horror. Cut to the tunnel illuminated by the light. Far down it is some moving mass with waving legs in front of it and clustered eyes reflecting some of the light. Cut back to Frodo and Sam lit by the starglass, their faces full of horror as they back away. Cut back to the indistinct moving mass, still far down the passage but starting to move forward. Cut to Frodo and Sam turning and running. Cut back to the creature moving faster but still a distance away. Cut to Frodo and Sam running round a bend. Frodo pulls at Sam’s arm and they stop.
Frodo: ‘Stand! It knows these tunnels. Running is no use.’ He turns and draws Sting and holding the bright speck up he walks back around the bend. We see his shadow against the wall and Sam looks fearfully over his shoulder and then follows him. Cut to the eyes and waving legs and hairy palyps now much closer. Cut to Frodo as Sam comes up behind him. Frodo collects himself, squares his shoulders and holds Sting up.
‘Galadriel!’
Frodo advances one step at a time to camera and the light swells even more, blinding out most of the scene. Frodo and the light passes and we see Sam still frozen with horror behind him.
Cut to the creature blocking the tunnel. It stops moving forward. The legs wave and then it pulls back and disappears in the darkness.
Cut to Sam’s face ablaze in admiration and excitement: ‘Stars and Glory! Oh but the Elves would make a song about that! May I live to tell them! Don’t go on Master. Let’s get out of this foul hole now!’
Cut to Frodo and Sam running and stumbling along the tunnel as the camera tracks back. The camera stops and they run past and we see their long shadows ripple on the tunnel floor.
Cut to Frodo, running: ‘I can smell fresh air!’
Cut to the two running into strands and sheets of grey web and beyond the webs a form of light entering the darkness. They try to free themselves and by now Sam is almost hysterical.
Sam: ‘It stings!’ He slashes frantically at the web but his sword bounces back. He looks desperately over his shoulder: ‘Trapped in the end! Oh no! Have the eyes come back?’
Frodo is calm. He looks back: ‘Not yet. Here, Sam, let me try with Sting. The Elves made it in Beleriand. The stories said there were webs of horror there too. Take the starglass and hold back the eyes if they come again. Don’t be afraid.’
Frodo passes the bright speck of light to Sam. Still wide-eyed, Sam holds the light up but his hand shakes. Frodo runs the edge of Sting along the sheets of web and they start to peel away.
Finally Frodo calls out: ‘Come on Sam, we’re through!’
Cut to the outside of the tunnel; we hear the sound of the wind again. The severed webs wave in the wind and Frodo bursts out into the dull brown light. He runs off camera. Sam appears next, more slowly and walking out backwards, still looking into the tunnel. Cut to a closer view of him as he puts the light inside his clothes; his stick still swinging from his wrist by its strap.
He turns and calls out softly: ‘Not so fast Mr Frodo. There may be orcs about.’ Then again his eyes open in horror and he opens his mouth to shout just as Gollum’s hand covers it and he is pulled back out of view.
Cut to Frodo running up a slope of a gully. As he passes a crack a monstrous spider shape squeezes out of it behind him, scuttles after him and leaps on him with frightening speed.
Cut to Gollum on top of Sam. One hand is on his throat, the other holds Sam’s sword hand by the wrist.
Cut to a close-up of Gollum’s face: ‘At last my precious we’ve got him, yes the nassty hobbit.’ Gollums spits downwards. ‘We’ll take this one. Smeagol promised he wouldn’t hurt the master so Shelob can have him to play with.’ Cut to Sam’s sword hand bent back by Gollum until he drops his sword with a cry. Cut back to the two on the ground and Sam suddenly bucks violently and rolls from under Gollum. Getting to his knees he twists his left hand and wrist around until he grasps his staff that still hangs from its thong. He brings it down first on Gollum’s arm and then again and again on his head and back until the staff snaps and he dives for his sword. Gollum wails and covering his head he runs back into the tunnel. For an instant Sam goes to follow him then checks himself and turns and cries out heartrendingly and runs up the gully.
Cut to a vast horrific spider shape, its legs crooked high above its bulbous body. We see glimpses of a white bundle being twisted beneath its legs. It starts to drag the bundle away. Cut to Sam running as hard as he can. He stops to pick up Frodo’s sword and exchanges the two swords in his hands then runs on. He roars out in rage. Cut to Sam arriving at the spider bulk and he slashes at a leg and severs part of it. The spider spins around to face him and Sam reaches up and slashes at the eyes with both swords as he grunts out: ‘Take that and that!’
The spider rears up away from the swords and Sam ducks underneath to straddle Frodo. Cut to a longer view and the spider straightens its legs to raise itself high. Cut to Sam standing athwart the white bundle. He closes his eyes and bows his head and holds Sting up with both hands above his head.
Cut back to the longer view and the spider violently slams her body hard down on Sam. Cut to Sam crumpling under the weight. Cut back again and with a bubbling hiss the spider leaps back and curls up and twitches convulsively. Sting clatters down in the foreground. Cut to Sam staggering to get to his feet. Cut to Shelob scrabbling to get upright again. Cut to Sam grim-faced picking up Sting and walking forward. Cut to Shelob advancing, stopping then tightening her legs as if getting ready to spring. Cut to Sam; he looks ready to die. His hand fumbles at his neck then he pulls out the speck of light.
Cut to a close-up of Sam looking down at it, the light catching his face as he whispers: ‘Galadriel.’ He raises it to his lips and kisses it. It swells in light. Sam looks up and we see overlaid on his face the scene of Gildor and his company of Elves in the Shire.
Sam starts whispering but his voice grows in strength and the light grows into brilliance.
‘A Elbereth Gilthoniel
O menel palandiriel
Le nallon si dingurothos!
A tiro nin, Fanuilos!’
As he speaks the verse the Elvish singers are tracked with his.
Cut to show all of Sam.
He raises Sting and speaks through gritted teeth: ’Now you filth. You’ve hurt my master and you’ll pay for it. We’re going on but we’ll settle with you first. Come on and taste this again.’
Cut to Shelob twisting this way and that to avoid the brilliant light, trying to cover her oozing eye stalks with her front legs. Sam comes into shot and slashes at whatever he can. Shelob turns and limps away as Sam follows relentlessly slashing at the back of her abdomen until she squeezes into a crack in the side of the gully.
Cut to Sam outside the hole as the last sign of her legs disappear. He falls on his hands and knees gasping and gradually the light in his fist dims to a glow. Then he looks up and back and cries out and staggers up and reels unsteadily off camera.
Cut to him kneeling above the web-covered body of Frodo, cutting the sticky web off.
Sam: ‘Master Frodo, Mr Frodo.’ Sam strokes his face then shakes him gently. Cut to Frodo’s livid white face. Tears fall on it. Cut to Sam’s face, tears dropping off his cheeks.
Sam: ‘Don’t leave me here alone. It’s your Sam calling. Don’t go where I can’t follow.’
Sam looks up and bites his lip and looks down again.
‘Wake up Mr Frodo me dear, me dear. Oh no!’
He looks off to one side and draws in a shuddering breath.
‘He’s not asleep. I saw him in Galadriel’s mirror and thought he was asleep. But he’s not asleep.’
His voice softens to a whisper: ’He’s dead.’
The camera pulls back and the two figures shrink until they are tiny against the rocks and there is a slow fade to black.
Closing credits.