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This article from the Prime Video series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022) Season 2 Episode 1 contains significant spoilers.
WhileThe Rings of Powerstarted slowly in its freshman season, rest assured that it will be fine in the second. The Prime Video series gets off to a spectacular start as we learn the origin story of how the current version of Sauron (Charlie Vickers) came to meet Galadriel (Morfydd Clark)on that piece of broken ship in the middle of the sea.
The events take place before Season 1, where we meet the older version of Sauron (played byJack Lowden), who tells Adar (Sam Hazeldine, taking over the role from Joseph Mawle) and the Orcs that they will rule over everyone instead of eradicating them. As Sauron kneels for Adar to place the Iron Crown on his head, Adar turns it upside down and stabs Sauron in the back with its sharp spikes.
In a thrilling scene, Lowden’s Sauron admirably fights off dozens of murderous orcs until he succumbs to several stab wounds. His Morgul blood drips into the deepest crevices of Forodwaith. As Adar kicks Sauron with his foot to ensure he’s dead, Sauron awakens, and bright blue energy shoots from him, making the region cold. Adar awakens, and it appears the orcs are dead.
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Sauronescapes by climbing out of the depths of Forodwaith and rolling around like a tar piece of flubber. He hitched his boneless blob to a wagon, taking over the woman driving it. That’s when Vickers’ Sauron takes form, and we find out how he ended up on that ship in the sea that was attacked by a sea creature.
At that moment, Sauron grabs the pouch with the older man’s brand, which is stuck under a piece of futtock. Sauron floats in the water, staring at the treacherous sea creature, which turns away. Sauron returns to a piece of the broken ship, which he uses as a raft. The next day, he meets Galadriel, who swims back to Middle-earth, where they met last season.
Meanwhile, Gil-galad (Benjamin Walker) summons Galadriel, who immediately accuses Elrond (Robert Aramayo) of keeping the three rings that can save their people. She tells the High King that Halbrand is Sauron, and he has escaped. Gil-galad demands that Elrond give him the rings, but he refuses, knowing they must be destroyed. He jumps into one of Lothlórien’s majestic waterfalls.
Who Does Elrond Give the Rings To?
Elrond gives the three remaining rings to Círdan, the Shipwright, or, as some call him, the elf with the gray beard. (Most would call him theSam Elliottof the Elves if they had watchedA Star is Born.) While Círdan tells Elrond that if they destroy the rings, the age of the Elves will be over, Elrond tells him something ominous—we don’t know what Sauron has planned for these rings.
Círdan ponders this and tells him where they can dispose of the items. That’s when they hear Gil-galad and his men arrive, with Galadriel, who asks the High King if she can talk to Elrond first. They both disagree, arguing over why each thinks they are right. That’s when she realizes Círdan is gone, and we see him sailing in the open water to an unknown destination.
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What is “The Walking Song”?
Meanwhile, the Stranger (Daniel Weyman, who we think isGandalf, right?) and Nori (Markella Kavenagh) are stranded in a desert. They have no food, but the wizard can create bugs from a tree for sustenance. They both hear someone coming, which turns out to be Poppy (Megan Richards). She has a map from her ancestors that depicts the lyrics of “The Walking Song.”
The Walking Song appears in the third chapter ofThe Lord of the Rings.According to the Tolkien Gateway, this poem is a “song that Hobbits hummed, especially when walking during the night towards their home.” They use the map and the song to reach the land of Rhûn, a vast region in far-eastern Middle-earth.
The trio does not know someone is watching them—on horses dressed in armor and metallic masks, with an eye drawn on the saddles. InThe Rings of Power, Could these be the people known as the “Easterlings”?
How Does Waldreg Die?
We don’t see Waldreg die, but we can safely assume he was killed by a vicious wolf-like creature used by theOrcsknown as a “Warg.” Sauron turns himself in and returns to Mordor, where he must pledge his allegiance to Adar. However, this is under the pretense that he is Halbrand, the rightful king of the Southlands. When he arrives, Waldreg tells Halbrand he must pledge his allegiance.
He refuses. While chained in a cell, Waldreg taunts him. Afterward, Sauron befriends the Warg. Later, Adar tells Halbrand he knows he is Sauron, but Sauron claims he has a relationship with the Elves and can undermine them. Adar makes Sauron pledge his allegiance to him, and Sauron is released. Moments later, Waldreg finds the Warg’s chains, turns around and hears screams.
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Círdan is about to drop the rings to the bottom of the dark waters when he is bumped and rocked. (Was it possible that it was the sea creature that Sauron met face-to-face in the flashback?) When he picks up the bag, it is open, and the seductive power of these items overcomes him. Later, as the High King announces that the Elves must leave Middle-earth, Círdan arrives.
He is wearing the Ring of Fire and tells Gil-galad, “This is true power.” He hands him the remaining two, and Nenya, the Ring of Water, bounces off his hand and lands at the feet of Galadriel. Over Elrond’s (Robert Aramayo) objections, she puts it on her finger. That leaves the High King with Vilya, the Ring of Air. This restores the Light of the Eldar, allowing the Elves to stay in Middle-earth.
Who Arrives at Celebrimbor’s Door?
The Rings of Power’ssecond season premiere ends with Celebrimbor being told he has a visitor traveling from the Southlands at his door. This surprises the master craftsman. It turns out that the visitor is Sauron, who we last saw walking ominously towards the gate.
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You can stream the new season of The Lord of Rings: The Rings of Power only on Prime Video.
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M.N. Miller
Film & Television Critic
Articles Published :336
M.N. Miller is a film and television critic and a proud member of the Las Vegas Film Critic Society, Critics Choice Association, and a 🍅 Rotten Tomatoes/Tomato meter approved. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Mansfield University and a Master’s from Chamberlain University. However, he still puts on his pants one leg at a time, and that’s when he usually stumbles over. When not writing about film or television, he patiently waits for the next Pearl Jam album and chooses to pass the time by scratching his wife’s back on Sunday afternoons while she watches endless reruns of California Dreams. M.N. Miller was proclaimed the smartest reviewer alive by actor Jason Isaacs but chose to ignore his obvious sarcasm. You can also find his work on Hidden Remote, InSession Film, Ready Steady Cut, Geek Vibes Nation, and Nerd Alert.
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