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Spoilers below.
It has been nearly two years since the shocking reveal from The Rings of Power’s season 1 finale: Sauron was once hot.
Halbrand, who everyone was shipping with Galadriel, was the Dark Lord all along! He offers her a chance to join him, but she refuses, ashamed to have been deceived by him. She is now more determined than ever to stop him as he is seen heading towards Mordor at the end of the finale. Now that the second season has arrived with three new episodes, there’s a LOT of information to unpack: What’s Sauron up to? Are Elrond and Galadriel still besties despite her lies to him? Can you please reveal that The Stranger is Gandalf?
We break down what happened within the premiere episodes.
Sauron’s Deadly Past & Present
The second season opens with the origin of Sauron’s sour relationship with Adar and his orcs. Following the defeat of Morgoth, Sauron (who has a different pretty face) proclaims himself as the new Dark Lord to reign over the orcs in his plans to conquer Middle Earth. Adar and the orcs are suspicious of Sauron, especially when he reveals that many orcs will die to achieve this quest. An orc attacks Sauron, but he quickly—and brutally—kills him, enraging the orcs even further. Adar calmly takes the Dark Lord’s iconic crown to coronate Sauron, who bows to accept it. He then viciously stabs Sauron with the crown’s spikes, prompting all the orcs to attack Sauron savagely. After he is confirmed dead, a bright light blasts from Sauron’s corpse, causing his body to disappear.
But, his blood seeps through the floor, accumulating to create a worm-like tar creature (think Venom), consuming every living thing in its path to grow. After finding a human to consume, the beast is revealed to be Sauron in the form of Halbrand. While on the path to revenge against Adar, Sauron/Halbrand encounters Southlands refugees who welcome him on their journey towards safety. When their ship is attacked, Sauron/Halbrand selfishly abandons them and steals a dying man’s royal insignia. That’s when he first encounters Galadriel.
In present day, Sauron, still under the guise of Halbrand, turns himself into the orcs, hoping to negotiate a deal with Adar. In exchange for freeing the people of the Southlands, Sauron/Halbrand will give Adar information on Sauron. Sauron/Halbrand is imprisoned and tortured by Waldreg. Adar eventually makes a deal with Sauron/Halbrand, who says he will seek out Sauron through his relationship with the Elves. As Sauron/Halbrand leaves the camp, Waldreg is brutally killed by a warg that Sauron had bewitched.
Sauron/Halbrand visits Eregion, but Celebrimbor refuses to meet with him. Sauron/Halbrand holds out until Celebrimbor finally approaches to tell him to leave. Sauron/Halbrand works his wicked charm, playing on Celebrimbor’s curiosity and ego, dangling his knowledge of the Elven rings’ effectiveness. Celebrimbor welcomes Sauron/Halbrand to discuss the rings. Sauron/Halbrand deceptively presents himself to Celebrimbor as “Annatar, the Lord of Gifts,” an entity sent from the Valar to aid the leaders of Middle Earth in stopping Sauron by creating rings of power for elves, dwarves, and men. They will start with the dwarves.
Sauron, as Annatar, warns Celebrimbor that the Elves do not want the Dwarves or Men to have rings. This enrages Celebribor, as he feels all in Middle Earth deserve a fighting chance against Sauron. Celerimbor writes a letter to deceive the king into believing he’s closing shop, granting him and Sauron/Annatar more time to complete his work. He boasts to Sauron/Annatar, “I have spent an age preparing for this. I have apprenticed. I have studied. I have reached the height of my craft. This is my moment. [Gil-galad] will not take it away.”
Galadriel vs. the World
Galadriel is angry and has every right to be. She was betrayed by a man she believed was her friend (or maybe something more). But what better way to get over someone than with shiny, expensive jewelry?
Her best friend, Elrond, now knows the truth and tells Gil-galad of Halbrand’s deception. They confront Galadriel on Halbrand’s identity, which she reveals as Sauron. With news of Sauron’s return, Gil-galad decides to use the Three Elven rings to save the Elves and all of Middle Earth. Elrond, who has the rings, refuses to hand them over, fearing Sauron’s influence over the rings. He escapes and seeks refuge with Círdan the Shipwright, Lord of the Grey Havens, who helps to get rid of the rings. Galadriel later finds Elrond and tries to convince him that the rings will save them. She tells him, “In my heart, I know the three rings are free of [Sauron’s] influence.” He hastily replies, “But are you?”
Believing the rings to be lost, the Elves must leave Middle Earth for their home in Valinor as the last golden leaf from the dying Tree of Lindon falls. Círdan appears wearing one of the Elven rings–Nayra–and is enchanted by its power. He hands Gil-galad the other two rings, telling him, “Perfection does not exist only in Valinor, High King. It is here. Celebrimbor has brought it to Middle Earth.”
Galadriel and Gil-galad place the other two rings—Nenya and Vilya, respectively—on their fingers, resulting in the Tree of Lindon’s rebirth. But, with great power comes great responsibility; Galadriel begins seeing visions of Celebrimbor being murdered by Sauron. Gil-galad reveals he, too, has visions of destruction. They have yet to receive word from Celebrimbor – and unbeknownst to them, the Elven messengers sent to warn Celebrimbor of Sauron were killed before delivering the letter. Galadriel believes Celebrimbor is in danger and requests to take a team to Eregion. Gil-galad is concerned about her once closeness to Sauron/Halbrand, allowing her only to go if Elrond joins her.
Galadriel finally admits to Elrond that she was vulnerable to Sauron/Halbrand, but not anymore. He refuses to believe Galadriel since she’s wearing the ring that could possibly be corrupted by Sauron. He refuses to help her but changes his mind after speaking to Círdan, who advises that the rings can be used for good in the right hands. Elrond will lead the expedition, alongside Galadriel, to Eregion.
Gandalf The Stranger Follows His Nose
While season 1’s finale strongly suggested that the Stranger is Gandalf, little is shown to prove it within the first three episodes of the new season. The Stranger does experience vivid dreams of a wizard staff (not Gandalf’s), but as he reaches for it, he sees glimpses of a grim future.
As the Stranger and Nori embark on their journey to Rhȗn, they find themselves lost—and very hungry. The Stranger attempts to use his power to grow fruit on a tree, but it explodes, exposing a nest of bugs for the duo to dine on. The Stranger notices someone is following them, setting up a trap for the lurker—only to discover it’s Poppy, who brought Sadoc’s book, which contains a map, to aid them on their journey.
Meanwhile, they are watched by bronze skeleton riders, who, we learn, work for a wizard (who may or may not be Saruman) in Western Rhȗn. The wizard resurrects The Dweller, who updates him on Sauron’s rising power but dismisses the threat of the Stranger. The wizard fears the Stranger will realize who he is and become a powerful enemy. The bronze skeleton riders offer to capture the Stranger.
Poppy and Nori pass the time by offering names for the Stranger, which he turns down. He says, “Don’t you see? No one can give you a name. It is yours already. It is who you are. And when you hear it spoken, you feel your heart glow.”
Poppy finds a shortcut to Rhȗn, but the path is a desolate and dry wasteland. They decide not to take it until they realize the bronze skeleton riders have tracked them, forcing the trio to take the dreaded path. As they travel through the barren land, the Stranger collapses from dehydration. Poppy and Nori find a well in the distance, dragging him towards the location. As the water is pulled from the well, bells attached to the rope begin to ring, attracting the bronze skeleton riders. After being provided water, he regains consciousness and must battle the enemies. Finding a familiar-looking staff, the Stranger casts a spell, creating an uncontrollable tornado that sucks up their enemies—along with Nori and Poppy.
The Dwarves Are Doomed in the Darkness
A map of Middle Earth shows the darkness of Mount Doom in Mordor slowly spreading towards Khazad-dûm. The newly disowned Durin IV and Disa are grocery shopping and living like paupers to save money. As they discuss their predicament, an earthquake erupts, closing all the light sources from the caves and bounding them to darkness. After many failed attempts to find a new light source, Disa fears the Dwarves’ connection with the mountain has been lost.
As the only voice of reason, Disa shares her concerns with her husband, telling him he must make up with his father to find solutions to save their kingdom. But, much to her annoyance, King Durin III and Durin IV are both too stubborn and hardened to make the first move.
Durin IV receives an invitation from Celebrimbor to meet him in Eregion, offering him a solution to the Dwarves’ problem. When they meet, Celebrimbor offers to forge rings of power for each Dwarf Lord that can heal their mountain in exchange for Khazad-dûm’s mithril. Although Durin is suspicious of Celebrimbor and Sauron/Annatar’s magical rings, he informs his father of the deal while also making amends with each other.
Despite his son’s uneasiness towards the rings, King Durin III is desperate to save his people and accepts Celebrimbor and Sauron/Annatar’s help. The third episode ends with the creation of the King Durin’s ring.
We Have To Talk About the Kingdom of Men
Following the aftermath of “Isildur’s death” (if you know Tolkien lore, then you know he’s not dead), his loyal horse, Berek, refuses to accept it, believing his master to be alive. As he prepares to leave for Númenór, Elendil briefly mourns with Berek before setting him free. Berek picks up Isildur’s scent, leading him to the Black Forest, where his master is found alive but trapped in Shelob’s web. Isildur manages to break free and battles Shelob before narrowly escaping on Berek.
Isildur and Berek head towards Númenór base camp and find a villager from the Southlands named Estrid, who is searching for her missing betrothed. She informs him that the Númenóreans have left, leaving them to find a new haven to rest. They head towards an old Númenórean settlement, where they encounter an injured man, but it’s a trap. Followers of Adar ambush them, taking Beren to their camp. Before any harm could be done to Isildur and Estrid, Arondir comes to their rescue. They follow him to the Southlands’ new home base in Pelargir, where they attend Browyn’s funeral. Arondir bids farewell to his beloved.
Theo is filled with anger and guilt over his mother’s death, prompting him to lash out at Arondir and reject any attempt at comfort or advice. He basically tells the Elf, “You’re not my dad,” and since Bronwyn is gone, there is no one to bind them together, which means they can go their separate ways.
Theo later finds Isildur and offers to help rescue Berek by taking him to the enemy’s camp later that night. But, before Isildur meets with Theo, he has a tender moment with Estrid, bonding over their shared loss of loved ones. When he leaves with Theo, Estrid is shown to bear the mark of Adar but tries to cover it by burning over it.
At a camp belonging to Adar’s servants, Isildue finds Berek and quietly unravels his rope. Just as the servants prepare to check on Berek, Theo interrupts the camp by pledging his allegiance to Adar, providing a long enough distraction for Isildur and Berek’s escape. But Adar’s men do not believe Theo’s claims and hold him hostage—until the forest itself (It’s the Ents!) attacks the camp. Isildur rushes with Berek back to the camp after he hears Theo’s cries for help.
In Númenór, Elendil and Mìriel return in time for King Tar-Palantir’s funeral. As Mìriel mourns for her father and the lives lost in the battle against the orcs, she is attacked by a grieving mother. Rather than imprison the woman, Mìriel embraces her as they both mourn for the fallen.
Later that night, Mìriel keeps a bracelet among her father’s possessions. Pharazôn enters her chambers to have her choose which color to wear for her coronation—red or white—in the creepiest way possible. He puts both fabrics against her face, stating he’s partial to the red. She chooses to wear white—like her father and the great eagles. Pharazôn tells her it’d be an auspicious sign if an eagle did appear at her coronation.
At a nearby tavern, Kemen complains of Mìriel’s ascension to the throne, but Pharazôn warns his son to keep quiet and not to draw any suspicion of treason for speaking ill of the Queen-Regent. The Noble from the North beside them says Pharazôn should be the next leader, but he does not have enough supporters to make that claim. Eärien, who blames Mìriel for Isildur’s death, reveals she has found something that could shift public opinion in Pharazôn’s favor.
Though this part isn’t as important, it was pretty satisfying to watch as Valandil, who heard the table insult Mìriel, interrupts their discussion to praise the Queen-Regent and that Kemen better keep his mouth shut or else he will shut it for him. Swoon.
As Mìriel’s coronation takes place, she is exposed by Eärien for using a magical Elven Seeing Stone (palantír) to make decisions on behalf of the Númenóreans. Pharazôn proclaims that Númenór’s true ruler would never use an Elvish artifact, demanding it be destroyed. Mìriel admits to using seeing stone, causing a riot for her removal from the crown. Just then, a Great Eagle appears before the Númenóreans, which Pharazôn uses to his advantage to symbolize that he was meant to rule. Númenóreans begin to chant Pharazôn’s name.
Laura Sirikul is a freelance entertainment journalist and copy editor based in Los Angeles. Throughout her career, she has written for Entertainment Weekly, NBC News, the Los Angeles Times, and many more outlets. She has appeared as a TV and film expert on NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour and BBC World News. She is a member of the Asian American Journalists Association and Critics Choice Association.