While progressing through the story of The Lord of the Rings: Gollum, players will encounter several instances where they can choose to side with Gollum or Smeagol to decide what happens next. For the most part, siding with Gollum will lead to a somewhat more evil outcome, while aligning with Smeagol will result in something not nearly as unsettling.
During The Lord of the Rings: Gollum’s eighth chapter, players will be given the option to either lull Mell to sleep or make her leave. Judging from Gollum’s prior comments, he only wishes for Mell to sleep so he can attack her, but Smeagol would rather she remains safe. Players must make several similar choices during their playthrough, but this one has a pretty interesting impact on the story.
How To Convince Smeagol To Lull Mell To Sleep
After solving the Ritual Stone puzzle toward the end of Chapter 8: Her Eyes, Gollum and Mell will prepare to leave the Mirkwood through the Haze. Before they can vacate the area, however, players will need to decide what they want to do with Mell now that Gollum no longer needs her.
Players who wish to embrace Gollum’s more sinister side should select the Lull Mell to sleep option; then, they will need to convince Smeagol why doing so is a good idea.
Not only is convincing Smeagol required for Gollum to win the argument, but each correct choice will result in Mell becoming more tired.
To win the argument, players should choose these options:
- Moon: It’s almost full now.
- Thrushes: We see thrushes in the trees.
If players fail to select these options, they will then need to choose the Flowerbeds: A sea of beautiful flowers prompt during the third phase of the argument for Gollum to win.
When Gollum wins the argument, a cutscene will play, in which he will attempt to strangle Mell. He will then become distracted by the nearby flowers, giving Mell a chance to escape.
How To Convince Gollum To Make Mell Leave
Unlike Gollum, Smeagol has become quite fond of Mell and does not wish to cause her any harm. To convince Gollum to make her leave, players must select these options:
- Dark Clouds: It’s starting to rain.
- Crows: Black birds. All Silent.
If players choose any other options, Smeagol will be given one more chance to win the argument. Thankfully, each of the three options that appear during the third phase of the argument is a correct choice, so players are free to choose whichever one they prefer.
Once Smeagol wins the argument, a cutscene will play in which he becomes fixated on the nearby flowers. He will then attempt to convince Mell to give up her search for the Riddlemaster before remembering how Deagol died. Distracted by thoughts of the past, Gollum turns around to find that Mell has fled, leaving him alone once again.
Should You Lull Mell To Sleep Or Make Mell Leave?
No matter what choice players make, Mell will still abandon Gollum after the cutscene plays out. The only real difference is how she chooses to do so. In Chapter 9, the personality who lost the argument will cease speaking, granting the winner full control. The way the Elves speak to Gollum during this chapter will also depend on what players choose to do with Mell.
Aside from a few dialogue changes and some slight environmental differences, both lulling Mell to sleep and making her leave lead to pretty similar outcomes. That said, the decision players make during this choice can affect the options they have during a pretty big choice in Chapter 10, where they must choose between killing a certain Elf or saving them from an Orc.
If players chose to lull Mell to sleep, choosing the Mell option for Gollum's argument will score him a point; however, if players chose to make Mell leave, the Mell option for Smeagol's argument will score him a point instead.
The Lord of the Rings: Gollum is available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, with a Nintendo Switch release planned for later this year.