Season 1 of “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” was, by and large, an overwhelming success for fantasy nerds everywhere. Some of the wildest aspects of J.R.R. Tolkien’s lore were lifted directly out of the books (specifically, adapted from the appendices at the end of “The Return of the King”) and brought to life on the small screen for the first time ever. The Trees of Valinor, fiery Balrogs, and even hints of the great foe Morgoth (essentially the Dark Lord Sauron’s much meaner and more threatening boss) were all on display for fans to enjoy … but, as with any significant adaptation of any beloved franchise, some of the more hardcore purists found themselves chafing at certain changes made to the established story. One such complaint sort of resembled a certain “Jurassic Park” quote, of all things: Eventually, you do plan to show some rings of power on this “The Rings of Power” series, right?
To be fair, the Prime Video series did get around to that towards the end of the season, depicting the crafting of the three elven rings of power through the combined help of Galadriel (Morfydd Clark), the great craftsman Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards), and a key assist by Halbrand (Charlie Vickers) who was, of course, Sauron in disguise — but even this was presented slightly out of order compared to the events as laid down by Tolkien. Traditionally speaking, Sauron deceived the elves while under the alias of “The Lord of Gifts” Annatar (as seen in the recent season 2 trailer), helped teach them how to craft all the lesser rings, and then worked his way up to convincing Celebrimbor to make three for the elves.
A newly-released featurette, however, seems to promise exactly what fans have been waiting for.
Season 2 is all about the forging of the rings
Better late than never, right? The super-sized trailer for “The Rings of Power” has already shown off the epic sense of scope and scale we can expect from season 2, culminating in what looks like one of the biggest battles we’ve ever seen in Middle-earth … but the devil, as always, is in the details. The latest featurette released by Prime Video takes a more intimate approach and zeroes in on the immeasurable power imbued in the various rings, the obsession that drives Celebrimbor to forge them (with a little push by Annatar), and, most importantly, the insidious effect they’ll have on those who wear them. Check out the intriguing behind-the-scenes footage below!
Beware sinister-looking elves bearing gifts, folks — especially ones who look weirdly like Sauron. This new glimpse at season 2 is a treat for fans, and not just because it gives the spotlight to legendary concept artist and “The Lord of the Rings” expert John Howe as he explains the mythological inspirations that likely influenced Tolkien’s conception of the rings. We see the cast explaining how their characters wrestle over the weight of crafting these rings, from Celebrimbor to Galadriel to the dwarf Prince Durin (Owain Arthur). As Elrond actor Robert Aramayo puts it at one point, “To actually engage with them and ask those questions — what do they mean, what do they do, what do they do to other people — is a creative journey.” Left unsaid is the narrative that many fans believe this ought to have been covered back in season 1 already, but showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay clearly have grand ideas in mind.
“The Rings of Power” season 2 debuts on Prime Video August 29, 2024.
