The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power Season 2 Premiere Puts the Mid in Middle-Earth
Following a lively summer of TV shows, it's pretty clear that House of the Dragon came out on top in the battle of fantasy series. While fans of Tolkien eagerly anticipated more stories from Middle-earth, The Rings of Power faced casting issues and lost some of its popularity. In the midst of it all, a huge inflatable dragon was perched on the Empire State Building, drawing attention back to George R.R. Martin's world of political intrigue in medieval times.
However, while House of the Dragon attracted a larger audience than The Rings of Power, both shows followed a similar approach. As prequels, the ultimate outcome for both series is already known to the audience. House of the Dragon faced this issue prominently in its underwhelming season 2 finale. Similarly, thanks to the successful Lord of the Rings movies, viewers are already familiar with the happenings in Middle-earth and the significance of its various rings.
Even in the best prequels, it can often seem like the stories are told backwards, pushing characters towards their inevitable destinies regardless of what is happening on screen. This is the biggest challenge for prequels like House of the Dragon and The Rings of Power, which is why many fans of the latter prefer to focus on subplots that are unrelated to the main conflicts to come.
The Harfoots were the most adventurous in season 1, leaving their comfortable village to explore a magical world. Durin IV and Disa, a dwarf couple, lived underground and behaved more logically than anyone else on the show. This was likely because they were not moving slowly towards their fate, but instead brought humor and warmth to the series. Unfortunately, they are not in the season 2 premiere.
In the world outside of the caves and forests where the relatable characters live, The Rings of Power is filled with a sense of impending disaster. The Harfoots are sent to the desert, and Sauron seems to be manipulating Celebrimbor into creating a large number of powerful rings. Galadriel goes on a mission to try to stop him, but the resolution won't happen until the end of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. If the first episode of season 2 is any indication, the story will unfold at a slow pace.
Where have the little people gone?!
If you manage to get through the “previously on” part and keep watching, be prepared to remember a lot of new names in House of the Dragon. Forget about all those Aegons, now you'll need to remember Celebrimbor and Gil-galad played by Benjamin Walker. Sauron/Halbrand/Annatar, portrayed by Charlie Vickers, is the character with multiple names. Adar, originally played by Sam Hazeldine, now has a new actor in the role.
If you decide to stick around for Sauron's introduction, you'll witness some intense orc violence. Despite a failed attempt to recruit them, Sauron is brutally stabbed by the group. However, killing him proves to be a challenge. Sauron releases a blinding light from his mouth, freezing the surroundings, and then transforms himself into a dark goop to escape underground. The orc leader Adar celebrates their victory, unaware that Sauron's body is actually being reborn as the Venom symbiote from Spider-Man.
Do not rely on this man!
It appears that this event happened before the Rings of Power story, before Galadriel discovered Sauron disguised as Halbrand. In the prequel series, we have not been given much information about Sauron's reasons yet, as he is only shown as a menacing skyscraper in the films. However, it is evident that someone with his supernatural powers would see himself as a deity.
When Sauron returns to Modor to confront Adar once more, the Orc leader is fierce and stubborn. However, the tension is lessened when Halbrand, similar to Moses, pleads with the evil elf to release his people. He continues to act as the King of the Southlands, hiding his real self from his past assailant. I would like to see a storyline where Sauron attempts to be a noble ruler of the Southlands before becoming evil, but I don't think that will happen for the dark lord.
Instead, Halbrand allows Adar's men to inflict pain on him until he can persuade the dark elf that he is more valuable alive and working for him. Elrond (played by Robert Aramayo) hints that perhaps the rings are the key. He is absolutely correct. Halbrand informs Adar that Sauron has taken on a new appearance (himself, of course!), and offers to reveal his true identity if he is allowed to go back to the elves in disguise. For some unknown reason, Adar agrees. Halbrand pledges his loyalty to Adar with his head bowed at his feet, his face contorted into a twisted smile. He is willing to do anything for those rings!
Celebrimbor is definitely one of the most well-named characters created by Tolkien.
Another man who is unsure of who he is, is Gandalf (Daniel Weyman), also known as "The Stranger." He spent the entire first season not remembering anything. He can now talk, but the wizard who resembles a fallen angel still can't remember why he's in Middle-earth or how he got there. Nori Brandyfoot (Markella Kavenagh) is still the only person with him, but they meet Poppy Proudfellow (Megan Richards) in this episode. They all eat bugs together in this episode, and that's pretty much it. The Stranger even says, "I feel the legs in my throat." Disgusting.
Returning to the land of the fairies, Galadriel (the true protagonist) confesses to her companions that she was deceived by Sauron. However, when the mighty king Gil-galad demands that Elron hand over the rings, the elven ambassador refuses. "You know I cannot comply," he declares before leaping off the cliffs and plummeting down a waterfall. Will he survive? This serves as a stark reminder for fans of the formidable powers at play in this tale. Subsequently, Gil-galad entrusts the crucial task of informing Celebrimbor that Halbrand is actually Sauron to a random guard.
The best way to describe this wild picture is to simply show it to you.
Elrond runs away to meet Cirdan, a skilled ship builder who agrees to help him protect the rings. But Cirdan is mesmerized by their magic. He uses one ring himself and gives another to King Gil-galad, who accidentally drops the third. The silver ring rolls over to Galadriel, who is captivated by its power. How could she resist, when the rings bring back their beautiful tree and save the Elven people?
In a crazy scene (pictured above), the camera spins around as the three ring-bearers silently look at each other with their hands reaching out in a circle like they're ready to run out onto the court for a strange Renaissance Faire basketball game. If only The Rings of Power could captivate the audience as much as these rings. Perhaps they need a few dragons to spice things up?
