Episode 1 gives us even more Sauron backstory and wastes the opening hour on some thunderingly boring series of events.
Akhil Arora, a Film Critics Guild member and a Rotten Tomatoes-certified TV critic, who has watched all eight episodes of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2. He has been reviewing movies and TV series since 2015 and has written for NDTV and SlashFilm.
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The job of a season premiere is to set the stage for what’s to come. The Rings of Power season 2 episode 1 does that, for the most part. The Elves, faced with a future where they must leave Middle-earth, are tempted by the three rings and their supposed power. Sauron (Charlie Vickers)—who’s still disguised as Halbrand—lays out his season 2 strategy as he uses the orcs leader Adar’s (Sam Hazeldine) hatred of Sauron and the elven smith Celebrimbor’s (Charles Edwards) lack of knowledge to further his goals. Meanwhile, the wizard Stranger (Daniel Weyman), who many believe to be Gandalf given all the various little hints we’ve gotten, bumbles around in Rhûn in search of the stars that are meant to guide him. Or something of the sort.
But a great season premiere—say from The Bear season 3 (which conveyed the reflective and internalised nature) or House of the Dragon season 1 (which was so wonderfully constructed that it got you pumped)—also sets the tone for what’s to come. The Rings of Power season 2 episode 1 utterly fails in that regard. The first 20 minutes are spent on even more Sauron backstory; the parts season 1 couldn’t show as they would have spoiled the reveal in the finale. But The Lord of the Rings series struggles to give you a reason to be interested in its proceedings. The show’s other major character, Galadriel (Morfydd Clark), spends episode 1 chasing after the rings.
Does no one realise how uneventful this is? I can’t recall a single scene that gripped me. The Rings of Power season 2 episode 1—directed by Charlotte Brändström and written by Gennifer Hutchison—proceeds so slowly as to bore you to death. It’s a thoroughly mediocre start for a show that is meant to wow and entertain.
The Rings of Power season 2 episode 1 opens at the dawn of the Second Age in Forodwaith. Morgoth is gone and Sauron (Jack Lowden) declares himself the new master of the orcs, with Adar watching. Sauron has a new vision as he seeks a new kind of power: “Not of the flesh but over flesh.” He openly admits wanting to enslave the peoples of Middle-earth and that many orcs will die in this unconditional conquest. Naturally, the orcs aren’t sold. Can you blame them? Who would sign up to die? Just then, an orc standing behind Sauron tries to kill him, but Sauron anticipates and escapes the assassination attempt. In response, he brutally murders him in front of everyone. Yeah, it’s not a great look if you’re trying to convert folks to your cause.
Sauron is incensed that they won’t accept him and declares himself their only future. After all, men only look at orcs with horror and disgust. They will never be accepted. Adar then steps forward and acknowledges Sauron as the new dark lord in The Rings of Power season 2 episode 1. The orcs follow—it’s clear they listen to him. Adar then picks up Morgoth’s crown and takes it to Sauron who kneels in acceptance. Adar uses the opportunity—and the crown’s sharp blades—to stab Sauron in the neck. The orcs take the cue, overpower Sauron and finish him.
But is he really dead? As Adar prods him with his foot, he emits a beacon of white energy that freezes Forodwaith and sends everyone reeling. When they wake up, they discover that Sauron’s body has left his clothes. As the orcs hail Adar, the camera reveals a black ooze seeping through the cracks in the floor and collecting underground. That black ooze pools to form a blob—think like the Venom symbiote—that feeds on centipedes and rats as it climbs out of the pit. I can’t tell if this is meant to be funny but seeing a black blob descend a white mountain and snake across snow like a crocodile with poor limbs is unintentionally hilarious. Like it’s undercutting the tension in The Rings of Power season 2 episode 1. Sauron finds a human girl to take over and emerges as Halbrand, the human avatar we saw in season 1. You can sense relief on his face as he walks the earth again.
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Sometime later in The Rings of Power season 2 episode 1, he comes across a caravan of humans who are fleeing an army of orcs. Among them is Diarmid (Nicholas Woodeson) who warns him that death lies that way. Sauron inquires about the heraldry and the necklace Diarmid is wearing, which tells us where he got the idea of a Southlands disguise. Diarmid tells him that a man can escape himself in lands past the sea, where there’s safety. Sauron listens to him, but it doesn’t go too well. A giant sea creature shows up, destroys their boat, and leaves them stranded. And that’s how Halbrand came to that rickety raft where Galadriel met him in season 1.
Speaking of the elf, Galadriel and Elrond (Robert Aramayo) are racing each other on horses as Galadriel tries in vain to get a hold of the three rings. They arrive in Lindon and meet with the High King Gil-galad (Benjamin Walker) in The Rings of Power season 2 episode 1. Elrond has learnt that Halbrand was lying but he doesn’t know the full story. The High King presses Galadriel and she tells them the truth—he’s Sauron. The High King fears they must stay to help the people of Middle-earth. But Elrond believes the three rings may be corrupted. Sauron has not yet amassed the level of power he needs, Elrond adds, and that these rings must be how he achieves it. He thinks they should destroy them and so, he refuses to hand them over. The High King asks the guards to seize Elrond, but he jumps off the cliff and into the water below.
Cut to Mordor in The Rings of Power season 2 episode 1, where Halbrand has turned himself in to Adar’s men because he wants to negotiate. Posing as the King of the Southlands, he demands that Adar let his people go. But Adar notes that there is no one left for them to fear. Halbrand says that there is one. After her defeat, Galadriel sought out a sorcerer, paying heed to Adar’s season 1 words about “power over flesh”. Halbrand claims he can lead Adar to Sauron. Adar tells him to spill it but Halbrand notes that if he kills him, everything he knows dies with him.
It’s time to switch gears in The Rings of Power season 2 episode 1. Somewhere in a desert, the Stranger has a dream. When Nori (Markella Kavenagh) asks him about it the next day, he refuses to share. Clearly, this has happened before. They have more pressing concerns for they are lost and lack food. And they are being followed by a masked stranger. As they run into stone trees, Nori realises they’re going around in circles. She asks the Stranger to bear life to the trees. He hesitates, given what happened last time around, but then relents. Once more, he’s unable to control his power and is thrown back as the tree explodes. Thankfully, as a side effect, they can access the beetles inside the tree.
Nori is happy with their bounty. At night in The Rings of Power season 2 episode 1, the Stranger shares a part of his dream. He tells Nori that he sees a branch under the stars, but he doesn’t know its significance. Nori says she misses home. The Stranger also misses his even though he can’t remember it. He feels a longing, at times. He then notices they are being followed.
The Rings of Power season 2 episode 1 briefly takes us back to Mordor where Waldreg (Geoff Morrell)—one of Adar’s men—is teasing Halbrand. He offers him terrible-looking food and says he should tell him all about Sauron. Halbrand says he’s going to kill him when he’s released. After Waldreg beats him and leaves, Halbrand offers the meat to a chained wolf and subdues him using black speech.
Back in Lindon in The Rings of Power season 2 episode 1, we meet a new elf called Cirdan (Ben Daniels) who is overseeing a team of shipwrights as they work on boats, the ones that take elves to Valinor, the Undying Lands. At the end of the day, when the workers are gone, Cirdan returns and asks Elrond to come out of hiding. Why has Elrond sought him out? Because he wants to destroy the rings and because Cirdan is the oldest and wisest of their kind.
Over in the High King’s office, Gil-galad writes a letter to Celebrimbor that is meant to inform him of Halbrand’s true identity. He entrusts a messenger to deliver it directly to him and no one else. Galadriel, who’s also present, could’ve helped avoid this if she had just told him then in season 1. — As the messenger leaves, she thanks the High King for trusting her. Gil-galad notes that he doesn’t trust her and that they are only momentarily aligned. After all, their enemy lives because of her. Galadriel swears that she won’t stop until Sauron is destroyed.
As they step into another room in The Rings of Power season 2 episode 1, elvish scouts inform the High King that they can’t find Elrond anywhere. Gil-galad asks them to set up checkpoints at every exit to make sure Elrond can’t escape. But Galadriel believes Elrond isn’t trying to escape. If he truly wants to destroy the rings, he will seek out someone he can trust. Someone whose voice will carry respect even with the High King.
Elrond meanwhile consults with Cirdan. He’s given him the entire backstory, including the fact that Sauron wasn’t involved in the making of the three rings. But Elrond is worried that the rings may be part of a larger plan, hinting at the One Ring that no one can foresee except the audience. For that reason, Elrond wants Cirdan to destroy the rings. Were they to do so, Cirdan notes in The Rings of Power season 2 episode 1, the Age of Elves would come to an end and Middle-earth be left to its fate. Nevertheless, seeing Elrond’s steadfastness, Cirdan agrees and says he will cast the rings into the depths of the ocean.
Having figured out whom Elrond would go to, Galadriel and the High King arrive outside the seaside cabin in The Rings of Power season 2 episode 1. Galadriel asks to go in first and attempt to reason with Elrond. She tells him she knows the three rings are free of Sauron’s influence. But what about Galadriel herself? Elrond wonders if she turned away from the light of Valinor to fight the darkness or because the darkness was calling to her. Is it just me or are we going around in circles in this premiere? It’s exhausting. Nevertheless, it doesn’t matter for Cirdan has already departed with the rings.
Back to the desert in The Rings of Power season 2 episode 1, where the Stranger and Nori lay a trap for the person who’s following them. It turns out to be Poppy (Megan Richards), Nori’s best friend. Nori and Poppy catch up over dinner. She’s happy she came after them, only for Poppy to note that they haven’t gotten very far. The Stranger finally admits they are lost. Thankfully, Poppy has a map she borrowed from their guide’s book. It carries a warning that links to a song they know. Poppy thinks they are directions as the Harfoots must have come this way in the past. Using the lyrics of “the walkin’ song”, the three are able to figure out a way forward and arrive in Rhûn.
Cut to the waters outside of Lindon with Cirdan. Right when he’s about to throw the rings overboard, a little wave rocks the boat in The Rings of Power season 2 episode 1. It’s almost as if the rings have a mind of their own. Cirdan then peeks in, sees the glowing rocks, and pours them out on his palm. It’s clear his stance has changed.
The Rings of Power season 2 episode 1 heads back to Mordor as Adar pays Halbrand a visit. He tells him of the time Morgoth chose 13 of them to be blessed by his hand. Adar was led up a peak, chained and left there. Hungry and thirsty, he was greeted by Sauron’s “beautiful” face who then offered him wine. He gulped it down. What is the significance of this story?
Anyhoo, Adar notes that Halbrand’s people have been set free and he wants him to tell him about Sauron. Halbrand says that Sauron has returned in a new form. He doesn’t know what shape he has taken but he has the trust of the elves, unlike Adar. He will seek him out so Adar can marshal his legions and destroy him. If only Adar knew Sauron was in front of him. Waldreg then gets Halbrand to kneel and vow allegiance to Adar. He’s then set free and given a horse for his travels. Adar naturally wants him followed.
Back in the orc camp in The Rings of Power season 2 episode 1, Waldreg is eaten by the wolf and Halbrand—who no doubt set it free—smiles as he sets off. This might have been interesting if it were given more time but it’s rather useless. We could’ve easily done without these bits.
Cut to Lindon in The Rings of Power season 2 episode 1, where the elves are preparing to leave as their tree dies off. High King notes as much that the light of the Eldar has faded. Without the rings, their time in Middle-earth has come to an end. But the mood and narrative shift as Cirdan arrives, beaming with joy about how perfection exists outside of Valinor. He means the rings. Elrond is baffled—the poor guy placed his trust in him, and he’s been betrayed. Cirdan, who’s already wearing one ring, hands the other two to High King Gil-galad. As Elrond objects, the rings fall from the king’s hands and one of them lands at Galadriel’s foot. She picks it up and puts it on despite Elrond’s protests. Love how she decided for herself.
As the High King puts on the third ring, sunlight shines through the clouds and the tree blooms again with shining golden leaves. Lindon is healing. Clearly, the rings work! A disappointed Elrond walks away as Cirdan, Gil-galad, and Galadriel show off their rings. The Elves have won Middle-earth Fashion Week.
The Rings of Power season 2 episode 1 concludes in Eregion, where Celebrimbor is overseeing the completion of his new forge. He hopes the three rings have worked so he gets a chance to use it. One of his assistants, Mirdania (Amelia Kenworthy), tells him that a messenger from the Southlands has arrived. It’s Halbrand, who else. Mirdania wonders if he should be let in. Celebrimbor hesitates—if you’ll recall, Galadriel told him not to engage with Halbrand ever again in season 1. But episode 1 leaves us without an answer.
The Rings of Power season 2 episode 1 is out now on Prime Video.
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