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Prepare for desert Hobbits, Shelob, and tons of Sauron in The Rings of Power season 2

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Prepare for desert Hobbits, Shelob, and tons of Sauron in The Rings of Power season 2

As a devoted fan of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth, I find myself captivated by the intricate narrative unfolding in Amazon Prime Video’s “The Rings of Power.” The storyline surrounding the FormSo rings and their impact on the Khazad-dûm dwarves resonates deeply with me, given my extensive familiarity with the source material.

The second installment of “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” is on its way, bringing plenty of fresh content for us to explore. This season takes us back to Middle-earth’s Second Age, a time period thousands of years before characters like Bilbo and Aragorn were even born. We’ll uncover the secrets of this era later this month. In the meantime, the cast and crew have given us a sneak peek at what’s in store.

The Rings of of Power season 2 is “the villains’ journey”

As a dedicated fan, I must say that “The Rings of Power” is an intriguing ensemble series, but what truly captivated me during season 1 was the focus on characters like Galadriel, played brilliantly by Morfydd Clark. This elf, once under the influence of the dark lord Sauron, disguised as a mortal man named Halbrand, has certainly taken an unexpected path. In her own words, she’s “stepped into uncharted territories,” as elves aren’t typically prone to such missteps. Her journey has been nothing short of transformative, as she is no longer the embodiment of wisdom and reason. Instead, she finds herself in a position where she’s navigating unfamiliar waters and dealing with the consequences of Halbrand’s destabilizing influence on her enemies. It’s been quite an engaging watch!

In the Second Age, Sauron, known as the main antagonist in “The Lord of the Rings” series, is found amidst a phase of reconstruction. As JD Payne, one of the co-showrunners, explained to Entertainment Weekly, Sauron views himself as the protagonist in his own narrative. His self-perception is that he aims to restore and revitalize Middle-earth. He has a distinct plan for its transformation, but unfortunately, others persistently obstruct his efforts.

As a lifelong fan of epic fantasy stories, I am thrilled to see the latest developments in the portrayal of Sauron in this season’s adaptation. Having spent countless hours immersed in Tolkien’s world, I can appreciate the shift from trying to guess his motivations and emotions to actually being privy to them. In previous versions, the camera would often cut away when Sauron had private thoughts, leaving us to imagine what was going on in his mind. But now, by following him through those thoughts, we are granted a level of intimacy that I find both engaging and enjoyable. As an audience member, I feel like I am part of the story rather than just a passive observer, which adds a new dimension to my experience as a fan.

In his usual manner, Sauron seeks dominance. He plans to attain this by crafting enchanted rings, or as you might say, rings of power. These rings, once distributed among influential individuals across Middle-earth, will secretly keep Sauron in control, allowing him to wield his influence over them.

To make his scheme successful, he requires an ally, and he locates one in the Elven blacksmith Celebrimbor, portrayed by Charles Edwards. As Edwards expressed, “He’s been consumed by ambition.” He aims to create something that will benefit the world, yet also immortalize his name on a commemorative plaque. So, his ambition and vanity are intertwined. His desire is to accomplish something that surpasses his grandfather’s accomplishments. Now, he believes he has discovered the missing piece.

Celebrimbor has the ability, and Sauron has the vision. It’s an interesting give-and-take, which often happens in these kinds of relationships where they both need each other badly. As you’ll see, it plays out in a very interesting way. It’s something so personal and psychological that is playing out against the backdrop of Middle-earth and the epic scale that you would expect from The Lord of the Rings.

Prepare for desert Hobbits, Shelob, and tons of Sauron in The Rings of Power season 2

As a gamer, I found myself in awe this season as Sauron unveiled his new guise: Annatar, the Master of Gifts. In crafting this enigmatic figure, the creators carefully considered what could entice Celebrimbor, the master smith: “To make him believable and persuasive, we focused on embodying the essence of a character who would captivate Celebrimbor.” Annatar had to exude an air of weight and power, enough to sway even the great smith himself.

My biggest question going into season 2 is why Celebrimbor would willingly work with Sauron when his identity has been revealed, new disguise or no. I guess Sauron just has a way of slipping past your defenses. “Other villains might try to find your weakness and poke at it. Sauron does something different where he tries to find what your strength is,” Payne said. “The image of the eye is really appropriate, because Sauron sees you. He sees the best version of who you want to be, and then he’s able to take your own desires for good and twist them to bring about his own evil ends.”

Everyone’s going on an adventure

In the world of Middle-earth, the three rings belonging to the elves – Narya, Nenya, and Vilya – have already been crafted. Now, Celebrimbor and Sauron begin the process of creating rings for other races such as dwarves, who are currently grappling with a significant crisis.

“Since Khazad-dûm lacks light for farming, the kingdom is declining, as stated by Owain Arthur, portraying Prince Durin IV. To address this issue, Celebrimbor crafts rings and brings them to Khazad-dûm. While these rings initially seem like a solution, they ultimately infiltrate every aspect of the city and its people, most noticeably King Durin III. The transformation in King Durin’s behavior, manifesting as darkness within him, significantly impacts his son, Prince Durin.”

Patrick McKay, one of the co-showrunners, revealed that the story is influenced by the appendices to “The Lord of the Rings,” which provide an outline of the key events during the Second Age. He stated, “There are intriguing suggestions in the source material that the dwarven rings didn’t fully control the dwarves as Sauron might have desired, but they did fan their greed.” This sparked our curiosity to explore possibilities such as Peter Mullan’s character becoming villainous in Khazad-dum during season 2. The decision to set a show during the Second Age was made because it offers ample opportunity for creativity and flexibility within a broader structure. The dwarven rings serve as an interesting case study where we can question, ‘What impact did they have? How might that affect a father-son relationship?'”

Prepare for desert Hobbits, Shelob, and tons of Sauron in The Rings of Power season 2

Elsewhere, Nori the harfoot sets off on a journey with the enigmatic stranger across the uncharted desert territory of Rhûn, scarcely mentioned in the tale of “The Lord of the Rings”. Harfoots, nomadic ancestors of the hobbits familiar to us from “The Lord of the Rings”, are these travelers. In Rhûn, they’ll encounter yet another type of early hobbit: the stoors, a tribe that will later give rise to characters like Sméagol.

In “The Rings of Power,” characters like Sméagol won’t appear because the story takes place before his era. As portrayed by Tanya Moodie (Gundabel), the Stoors were once nomadic but have since settled and developed a culture based on mutual support.

In a stark contrast to the peaceful Shire, the dwelling place of the stoors, as described by production designer Kristian Milsted, bears a striking resemblance, yet it’s rougher and rockier. “Their canyon home is a charming little oasis,” he explained, “but it’s a harsh world. We aimed to create something distinctly different from the Shire we know from screen adaptations. So, their abodes are carved into the very rugged landscape of this unforgiving environment, fostering a tightly-knit community. They possess a rich history, a library, star maps, and an extensive tapestry of history within their setting.”

As a devoted fan, I can’t help but feel exhilarated by the wealth of tales yet to unfold. You might recall Isildur, hailing from the distant isle of Númenor, who embarked on his journey to Middle-earth in the initial season of this captivating series. Trapped there now, he yearns for a path back home.

Of course, Shelob is the massive spider who threatens Sam and Frodo in the classic Lord of the Rings tale, so it’s no surprise that The Rings of Power would revisit some beloved characters for the audience. We can’t wait to see all the intricate details when the show resumes on Amazon Prime Video on August 29.

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2024-08-09 16:42

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