‘The Rings of Power’ Season 2 Premiere Recap: All That Glitters
The Master of the Rings
The next season continues from where the first season ended, still having its good and bad points.
August 29, 2024 Updated at 10:45 in the morning Eastern Time
Amazon dropped the first trio of episodes for Season 2 of "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" all at once. Check out the summaries for Episode 2 in this article and Episode 3 in this one.
Season 2, Episode 1: The Reign Of Elven Kings
The last time we saw Middle-earth in the Amazon Prime Video series "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power," our main characters were recovering from two major mistakes. An army of Númenóreans couldn't stop the orc-father Adar (played by Sam Hazeldine) from creating the shadowlands of Mordor in the area previously known as the Southlands. Additionally, the elf warrior Galadriel (played by Morfydd Clark) didn't realize that Halbrand (played by Charlie Vickers), the man she wanted to make king of the Southlands, was actually her enemy Sauron in human form.
Great job, everyone. However, it was not a complete success.
The Rings of Power's first season successfully achieved the vision of its creators, J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay, by delivering high-quality special effects, stunning scenery, thrilling action scenes, a grand story, and a detailed exploration of J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy world. This exploration may have even delved deeper than Peter Jackson's famous Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films.
However, the show did not generate the same level of cultural excitement and critical praise as "Game of Thrones," which is essential for a costly project to succeed. As Season 2 starts, both Galadriel and her companions, as well as Payne, McKay, and the cast and crew of "Rings of Power," have a lot to demonstrate.
The first three episodes of the season were all released together on Prime Video, and there wasn't much of a change in how the creative team tells the story. The new episodes pick up where Season 1 left off and follow a similar pattern, with each episode focusing on only a few storylines at a time. It takes all three episodes to catch up with every character and plot from the previous season, so if you're curious about what's going on in Numenor, you'll have to wait a bit.
The problems of Season 1 are still noticeable from the beginning. The storytelling style can make some parts feel slow, and the show as a whole may come across as too serious and heavy. However, Season 2's first episode still includes the strengths of the previous season: the beautiful visuals, expansive storytelling, impressive acting, and thoughtful exploration of the use of power.
Taking everything into consideration, here are four key points and insights from the first episode of Season 2.
The Shadow Transforms After Every Loss
The second season starts with an exciting scene that lasts almost 20 minutes. It explains how Sauron became Halbrand, stuck in the sea at the beginning of Season 1. It shows the backstory of Sauron and Adar. Sauron, played by Jack Lowden in this scene, talks to the orcs after Morgoth, the dark lord, dies. He doesn't give them a motivational speech. Instead, he warns them that there will be a long and difficult battle ahead, with many orcs dying. He tells them they have no choice but to follow him, as no one else in Middle-earth can tolerate their race.
After Adar seemed like he was going to declare Sauron as the new evil leader, he surprises everyone by turning the crown upside-down and attacking Sauron. The orcs then join in and attack Sauron even more. Sauron ends up bleeding out and appearing to die, with a burst of light and frost spreading across the land. Sauron's body mysteriously disappears, leaving Adar as the new leader of the orcs and starting Phase 1 of his plan to turn the Southlands into Mordor.
This is why, during Season 1, Adar insisted that he was the one who killed Sauron. But in reality, Sauron's blood drips down, gathers together, and transforms into a strange, shape-shifting creature. This creature feeds on rats and insects until it is powerful enough to emerge from below the ground and absorb the essence of a human. It then takes on the form of Halbrand, who joins a group of Southlanders fleeing their homeland, one of whom carries the symbol of the realm's previous king. Their ship is destroyed as they try to escape, bringing us back to the moment we first met Halbrand and setting the stage for the events that lead Galadriel to believe she is working with a fallen ruler.
This is all incredibly imaginative content, brimming with mysterious spells and eerie hints of what is to come. (The original-Sauron entity itself is a truly amazing creation.) The scene also reintroduces a significant concept from the "Rings of Power": Trying to eliminate pure evil may prove fruitless as the actions taken against it may have unintended consequences.
Now, let's move on to the following topic:
Are The Power Rings Too Powerful?
The first season concluded with the elven master forger Celebrimbor, assisted by the man known as Halbrand, creating three powerful rings from the dwarves' enchanted metal mithril. These rings had the ability to control and influence living beings. When the half-elf Elrond discovers that Halbrand is actually Sauron, he quickly informs the elf king Gil-galad to take action.
In this part of the show, there are intense arguments and discussions between Elrond, Galadriel, Gil-galad, and a new character named Cirdan. Cirdan is an elf who is considered the wisest and oldest of their kind. The situation is very serious. If the rings are not found, the elves' home will continue to suffer and they may have to leave Middle-earth for good. It seems like Sauron may have planned for the rings to cause harm.
Galadriel claims that the rings are not controlled by Sauron, but Elrond questions her own influence on them.
At the conclusion, as expected for fans of "Lord of the Rings," it proves impossible for anyone with a powerful ring to destroy it. Cirdan reassures Elrond that he will dispose of the rings by tossing them into a hidden underwater location. However, the plan is not carried out. Instead, Cirdan, Galadriel, and Gil-galad put on their rings and revive the elves' dying tree.
Follow The Music Trail
The main characters in this episode, who are not elves, orcs, or Sauron, are Nori and the Stranger. Nori is a harfoot who loves adventure, while the Stranger is a magical being with memory loss and struggles to control his powers. As they travel towards Rhûn to discover more about the Stranger's identity, he tries to satisfy their hunger by using his powers to make a tree bear fruit. However, he fails and ends up exploding the tree, causing various creatures to scatter. Nori, who enjoys eating snails, is surprisingly pleased with this result.
Just when it seemed like they were doomed to wander endlessly through the mountains and deserts, Nori's long-time companion Poppy (Megan Richards) manages to track them down. She reveals that they have actually been unknowingly retracing their steps in circles since leaving the harfoots’ group. Poppy reminds Nori of an important saying from their nomadic culture: “Follow the song.” By heeding the words of a harfoot “wandering song,” they are able to pinpoint familiar landmarks and details that guide them back on track.
This is "The Rings of Power" at its most reminiscent of Tolkien, focusing on and respecting traditional customs.
Sauron Is Moving Again
Wrapping up the episode with a return to the beginning, another important storyline involves Sauron, pretending to be Halbrand, purposely getting caught by the orcs in Mordor to make a deal with Adar. He informs the orc leader about the powerful magic the elves are using and hints that Adar's enemies may be teaming up with Sauron. Halbrand, speaking with deception, mentions that he is unsure of Sauron's current form.
Prior to being released to track down Sauron, Halbrand forms a bond with and releases one of the orc's large demon-dogs. This creature later goes on to attack the treacherous human Waldreg after Halbrand leaves Mordor behind. This event is a gratifying resolution for fans who were frustrated with Waldreg's actions in the previous season. It also ties into the larger themes of the story.
In the past, Sauron was limited by the character he was pretending to be. But now, a wild creature has been set free.
