What's Next For 'The Rings Of Power'?
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In the deal that Amazon made to acquire the television rights from the Tolkien estate, one of the stipulations was a series that would be no less than seven seasons. Season 1 of 5 is now in the books, and according to reporting from the set, it will be about two years before the next season is ready to go in 2024. So what should we do in the intervening years? Speculate, of course!
First, it probably serves to go back over what developed in Season 1. Galadriel’s quest to find Sauron brings her into contact with the apparently reluctant king-to-be of the Southlands, only to discover he was Sauron all along! Arondir, Bronwyn, and Theo struggle to save the Southlands, and with the help of the Númenóreans they do, only for the Uruk, Adar, to use science to create Mount Doom and turn the Southlands into Mordor. Speaking of Númenor, Tar-Miriel, struggling to lead while her father’s health fades, returns from the Southlands blind, leaving Ar-Pharazôn and his scheming with a vulnerability to exploit to his advantage. What an exciting season! What, then, will the second season entail?
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With the title The Rings of Power and the famed three elven rings now forged, it is likely we will see the fallout from creating these rings. Per reports about casting for season two, it has been confirmed that Cirdan the Shipwright has been cast and will appear in Season 2. The story of how Cirdan gets one of the rings could be a clue to the plot and sequence of Season 2.
According to Tolkien, Cirdan was as old as the awakening of the Elves. He took up the craft of shipmaking in the journey of the Elves west from their birthplace. By the Second Age, he was very old, and one of the most powerful and respected of the Elves of Middle-earth. In the lore, he originally advised against the crafting of the elven rings of power. While we have not been introduced to him yet in the show, the knowledge that he is in Season 2 suggests a clash with Celebrimbor and the others about the forging of the rings.
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Despite his reservations, Cirdan would come to possess one of the rings because Eregion, where Lindon was located, was besieged by Sauron’s forces in his desire to take possession of the Elven rings and hold dominion over Middle-earth. In the show, Halbrand (Sauron) had left Lindon after he advised Celebrimbor on how to make the rings. By all indications, he did not know they were actually made. We have also heard from reporting on the second season that there is a massive two-episode battle in the works for Season 2. It is entirely possible that Sauron will learn of the creation of the rings, and he will return to Lindon and Eregion and lay waste to the realm to try and take them. We may see Celebrimbor gifting Cirdan with one of the rings for safekeeping during the attack on Eregion.
Speaking of Sauron, now that he has been outed, according to the showrunners, this frees him to be himself. He is likely to consolidate his power in Season 2. Per Galadriel’s discussion with Adar, he claims he killed Sauron because Sauron was experimenting on Orcs to achieve some sort of magic. By the end of the season, we learn that the magic he was seeking to know was the kind Celebrimbor instilled in the rings: the power over flesh. If Adar’s claims turned out to be true, and he did “kill” Sauron, then it set up a potential power struggle in the newly formed Mordor between Adar and Sauron. Should Sauron lay siege to Eregion by the end of the season, then we are also likely to see Sauron become the Dark Lord we know him to be and establish his power over Mordor.
Image Source: TheOneRing.net
What about Isildur? Last we saw him, he was trying to rescue people in a charred house when the roof caved in on him. A point of fact of making prequels with characters featured in what comes after is we know they survive. The excitement then comes from the how. We know Isildur survives, and with Adar and his Orcs setting up residence in the wasteland formerly known as the Southlands, Isildur will emerge from the cinders behind enemy lines. His horse’s anxiety when being forced to leave suggests the horse knows he is alive and will go back to find him. How will he make it back to Númenor? We’ll have to wait and see.
The stage is being set for the eventuality when Ar-Pharazôn gets corrupted by Sauron and convinces his people to betray the Valar and sail west to Valinor, thus angering Eru Ilúvatar enough to destroy and sink Númenor. After his little chat with his son in the market and the ominous look he gave the deceased king at the end of the season, Ar-Pharazôn’s scheming is likely to kick into overdrive. He is likely to exploit Miriel’s blindness to his advantage. It is unlikely we will see Sauron brought back to Númenor in Season 2, though. That comes after a big defeat, and I don’t think that is Season 2 of 5 material.
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Nori and The Stranger’s journey to the Rhûn is something to be really excited about. Rhûn, or the East, has been written about but never seen. We are sure to find out more about The Stranger and whether he is Gandalf or not. Seeing and experiencing a realm of Tolkien’s creation that has never been shown before will also be one of the most exciting things about Season 2. While my money’s on The Stranger being a Blue Wizard instead of Gandalf, since the Blues went to the Rhûn and the South to combat Sauron’s influence in those realms, it sets the stage for some great storytelling potential.
What of Bronwyn, Arondir, and Theo? Honestly, I have no idea what will come of Bronwyn and Arondir, but Theo is another story. He is clearly connected to that dark blade, and Arondir’s advice to get rid of it means there is more to explore there. Even though Theo is a new character not found in the lore, his connection to the blade and the dark stuff to come before the War of the Last Alliance paint a potentially tragic arc for Theo. Everyone loves a good overcoming evil story, but there is a chance to supplant that trope here with Theo. It would be a nice change of pace to see that play out in Season 2.
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