The second season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power plunges us back into the heart of Middle-earth, where the stakes have never been higher! “Elven Kings Under the Sky,” the season premiere, thrusts us into the aftermath of Sauron’s unveiling. Now a fugitive, Sauron navigates a treacherous landscape without Galadriel’s aid. Meanwhile, The Stranger and Nori embark on a perilous journey, while the newly forged rings cast a long shadow over Middle-earth.

Season Two explodes with epic drama as Sauron, driven by vengeance, masterminds his return to power. The Rings of Power become his instruments of control, threatening to ensnare Middle-earth in darkness. Our beloved characters confront ever-deepening darkness, challenging their courage and fracturing alliances. Kingdoms teeter on the brink, darkness looms, and the forces of good fight tooth and nail to safeguard their world. The series vividly captures the legendary Second Age of Middle-earth, where powers are forged, kingdoms rise and fall, and heroes face their ultimate test against Tolkien’s most terrifying villain.

 The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Season 2, Episode 1 “Elven Kings Under The Sky”

We start with a flashback to the dawn of the Second Age, the first appearance of Sauron. It is not the Sauron we know, in this scene he has a different face. Setting the president that Sauron is capable of taking different forms. He attempts to rally the Orcs to fight his battle, “not of the flesh but over flesh.” This didn’t go well for him the first time; the Orcs revolted, and though they couldn’t kill him permanently, he did disappear. He travels alone for some indeterminate time when he manages to regain physical form. It takes Sauron a while to regain his body, but no clear markers are given to us. We do meet the man he gets his Southlands necklace from, however, their encounter is quite brief. Then we see him on a raft, picking up Galadriel, which seems to be an altered memory.

Sauron’s Return and the Forging of Mordor

Then we cut to Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) chasing Elrond (Robert Aramayo) on horseback, trying to get to the High King Gil-galad (Benjamin Walker) first. Galadriel admits to the High King who Halbrand is. Elrond refuses to relinquish the rings, leaping off the edge of a cliff to avoid following orders.

Adar leads the Orcs; they are building Mordor and sporting Sauron’s symbol. Halbrand/Sauron (Charlie Vickers) tries to negotiate with Adar (Joseph Mawle), essentially bargaining for the freedom of the other humans. He is still calling himself king of the Southlands around the Orcs and Adar, coasting on the fact that no one but the elves knows who he is. He does end up getting himself released.

The Stranger’s Journey and the Power of Friendship

Then we finally get to see The Stranger (Daniel Weyman) and Nori Brandyfoot (Markella Kavenagh), who are being followed by some very strange figures on their quest. The path before them is dry, deserted, and quite bleak. The Stranger now talks, and the way his dialogue is structured does support the fan theories that he is Gandalf, as does his immediate friendship with Hobbits. Also, in his very first scene this season, he dreams of a staff. He is still exploring whatever magic is within him, still very unsure how to use it; it’s very uncontrolled.

Nori’s friend, Poppy Proudfellow (Megan Richards), follows them, and she brings some kind of old hobbit directions that get them back on track. It’s kind of a really beautiful moment, also a very Tolkienian message: friendship will keep you from getting lost. Watching the three of them navigate this world is also much more interesting.

The Rings’ Allure and the Elves’ Dilemma

We have new characters involved now, starting with Círdan (Ben Daniels). He is an Elven elder that Elrond turns to when he wants to destroy the rings. Círdan sails off with them, theoretically to have them destroyed, but his plan was just to drop them in the water…seems a little simplistic. Then he looks at the rings, and there is this sense that all the rings have some kind of power over whomever is near them. The elves have a ceremony, realizing that it’s time to move on until Círdan brings back the rings. The rings seem to have chosen their wearers. The magic of the elves and the rings together revitalizes their tree, but Elrond is still concerned about the power that they hold.

Lingering Threats and Unresolved Stories in “Elven Kings Under The Sky”

The first episode of the second season centers on the Elves and the effects of the first set of rings. Halbrand/Sauron makes his way back to Celebrimbor, who doesn’t know who he is yet, so the unfolding of their relationship is still up in the air. We saw nothing from Durin and Disa or of the Numenorians in this episode, so that is still coming.

The first season’s success, with over 100 million viewers, sets high expectations for the second. It has garnered a massive global audience and achieved record-breaking milestones, including the largest premiere in Prime Video’s history. Stream all of season one and watch season two episodes weekly on Prime Video.