This article contains spoilers for the finale of season two of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

Khazad-dûm: Shadow and Flame

As the finale opens, Prince Durin goes down into the mines to see that the Ring has completely taken over his father, who has killed several Dwarven miners in his pursuit of wealth. The prince sends Disa to bring the wounded dwarves to the healers and then goes to face his father.

Durin commands his father to take off the Ring, vowing that he will use force if necessary.

Durin III: “You’re strong enough to use an ax. But are you strong enough to use it against your father?”
Durin IV: “No father, I’m not. You’ve always been stronger than me. Do you remember when I was a wee lad, and we’d arm wrestle? You’d let me lift my hand just enough to think maybe I could win… I knew there was nothing stronger than my father. Be strong again, father, take it off I beg you.”
Durin III: “A dwarf should never beg.”

King Durin continues to break rock until he breaks through, revealing rivers of Mithril within the stone.

Durin III: “Come and see my son. Come and see the true wealth of our mountain! Behold, the dynasty of Durin… But to see our mountain the way I do, you have to wear a Ring, my son.”
Durin IV: “It’s not our mountain, Father. You taught me that.”
Durin III: “With these rings, it could be.”

The Balrog’s growl is heard and its light shines on the King’s face. The Balrog’s whip then rises into the frame and grips King Durin’s foot, pulling him down and revealing the Balrog in its full might. Durin IV is pushed back, and his father crawls toward him. In a breathtaking moment, Durin III takes off his Ring and sets it aside on the stone; he takes up his ax and turns to face the Balrog.

“I never let you lift your hand. It was you. Just you, getting stronger. Forgive me my son, King Durin.”

The King is then buried, along with the Balrog, beneath falling rock. This moment immediately made me think of King Durin’s line from season one, where he says to his son, “We do not dig in earth that cannot support it. Delving into depths beyond the darkness. Tempting shadow, rock, and mine to bury us all beneath the mountain..”

At the end of the finale, we learn that there is contention amongst the other Dwarf-lords for the throne which sets us up for season three.

The Istari in Rhûn

In Rhûn, the Stranger comes to the Stoor village which appears to be largely abandoned. There, he is met by the Dark Wizard who greets him as a long-lost friend.

Dark Wizard: “Manwe promised you would come. I confess my patience wavered, but my faith in you did not… Know you? We are as kin. But you were the one who convinced me to leave the Uttermost West for this world, because you knew none of us could ever hope to defeat Sauron alone.”

This moment, as many of the Stranger’s have been, is reminiscent of a temptation of Christ. The Dark Wizard confesses that he seeks to destroy Sauron only to supplant him. The D.W. bids the Stranger to follow him to get answers about his past, name, and staff. (Since when has a wizard’s specific staff ever truly been this important?) He portrays himself as a good and benevolent wizard, remarking that he does not embrace the name “Dark Wizard”.

We learn a little bit about Brank, the masked man I’ve referred to as Mad Max for most of the season, when he tells the Dark Wizard that his people were kings once before they were cursed by the wizard. After Brank threatens the Harfoots, he is harmed by the D.W. though it’s unclear whether he is killed. Upon rewatch, it does appear that he may be indeed dead, which is disappointing.

Brank: “My people were once kings, Wizard.”

Ultimately, the Stranger refuses to ally with the D.W., who responds by creating a large magical situation in which rocks begin to fly around and fall all around the Stoor village. Nori and Poppy escape while the Stranger is frozen and unable to move; after the rocks fall from the sky he looks up and sees clearly his special stars.

The Dark Wizard: “Pity will not defeat Sauron.”

Grand-Elf? (Gandalf)

The following morning, the Stoors prepare to begin their first migration led by Nori and Poppy. As the Stoors bid farewell to the Stranger, several of them refer to him as Grand-elf. Nori shares a tearful goodbye with the Stranger as they both must begin to trod new paths of their own. On the way out of the Stoor village, the Stranger picks up a staff-shaped branch that bears a striking resemblance to Gandalf’s staff in the Peter Jackson films, and then he returns to the home of Tom Bombadil where he surprises absolutely no one by finally revealing that he is indeed - or at least, he will become - Gandalf.

Later in Rhûn, towards the end of the episode, Poppy gives a beautiful speech that I wanted to highlight.

Poppy’s speech: “Some things lost are lost forever. No matter how hard we fight, how much it hurts, how much our hearts yearn to put them back together… Because this world is so much bigger than any of us, and sometimes the winds blowing against us are just too strong. At those times, Mr. Burrows said, we’ve just got to accept it. What’s broke is broke and won’t fix. And all anybody can do is try and build something new.”

Civil Unrest in Númenor

In the king’s court, Earien has gathered the leaders of the Faithful before Pharazôn. There, they are rounded up as all Faithful are now declared traitors of Westernesse. Because of his vision in the Palantir, Pharazôn is now aware that Halbrand is Sauron and believes Míriel to be his knowing ally.

Lord Belzegar: “We have learned why Míriel was able to bewitch the Sea. It would seem that she has a new ally of cunning powers, an ally who has already bruised Númenor once and is now gathering strength to make us bleed.”

There is chaos in the streets of Númenor, as the Faithful are arrested en masse.

Earien hides her father from the guards, and he flees to Míriel’s side. Elendil pleads with Míriel to follow him into the West of Númenor but she insists that she must remain in the capitol, while encouraging Elendil to flee.

Míriel: “My place is here, you know it is.”
Elendil: “Then where is mine, if not with you?”

In this moment, Míriel reveals Narsil to Elendil, calling upon him to reclaim his lordship and fulfill his destiny. After Elendil flees, Míriel is brought before the king’s court in chains.

Arrivals and Departures in Pelargir

In Pelargir, Isildur is preparing to return to Númenor as a small company led by Kemen has arrived to essentially re-colonize Pelargir.

Isildur asks Theo if he’d like to come to Númenor but he refuses, saying he prefers to be a low-man. My theories about Theo becoming the King of the Dead are beginning to intensify.

Estrid then confesses her love to Isildur and they kiss for a bit (still waiting on word from the showrunners whether or not this kiss is meant to be romantic). Isildur asks Estrid to return to Númenor with him, despite the fact that she has a man currently, literally building her a home with his own two hands. (I understand that Isildur is handsome and aqueducts are cool, but this seems like a pretty cruel thing to do to poor Hagan who has apparently been nothing but kind to Estrid.)

Isildur reunites with Kemen and learns that things are altogether unwell in Númenor. Despite their previous agreement with the Queen, Pelargir will now become a fortress for Númenorean soldiers; the people of Pelargir will be required to trade timber for supplies in order to survive. Isildur is forced to leave Estrid in Middle-earth and return to Númenor with Berek.

Kemen: “My father is now King and yours is wanted for treason. It might’ve been worse. If I had it my way, the old fool would be dead…. Shall I have them slaughter the horse? Disrespect me again and you really will be lost to Middle-earth?”

The Fall of Eregion

Gil-galad, Elrond, and Arondir are brought into the courtyard of the city where the orcs are ravaging with free reign. They pull down the statue of Feanor and begin to burn the scrolls of Celebrimbor in the center of the courtyard. Erond begs for the lore to be protected, even at the cost of his life, but his request is unheeded. Finally, the Dwarven soldiers arrive and the tide turns in favor of the Elves.

In the Forge: The Death of Celebrimbor

In Celebrimbor’s workshop, Annatar shoots arrows directly at Celebrimbor as he lies on the ground of his forge. Annatar caresses Celebrimbor’s bloodied face, pleading with him to reveal the location of the Nine rings. He gently bends the arrows that pierce Celebrimbor’s flesh, tormenting him.

This scene is intimate and beautifully tragic; it is one of the most brilliantly acted scenes of the series and the most painful to watch.

Annatar begins by chastising him, “Look what you have done to yourself.”

Annatar: “Have you ever seen orcs in the heat of combat?... When Gondolin fell, they say it went on and on for weeks… Tell me where you have hidden the Rings and I will end your suffering now… All I have done has been for you. Yours was the fire that crafted the marvels of the age. I wish only to share them with the world.”
Celebrimbor: “But the Rings are beyond your reach, As I shall be, ere long. For soon I shall go to the shores of the morning, borne hence by a wind that you can never follow!”

Annatar continues to bend the arrows, until he turns away and picks up a spear.

Annatar: “There are ways of keeping you alive, [in Sindarin: Mellon]. Must I show you my mastery of that craft as well?”
Celebrimbor: “Craft? Your only craft is treachery. So pure it shall betray the very hand that forges it.”
Annatar: “Your words are empty.”

In his final moments, Celebrimbor stands and lays a doom upon Sauron:

Celebrimbor: “No, hear me. Hear me! Shadow of Morgoth. Hear the dying words of Celebrimbor. The Rings of Power shall destroy you. And in the end, I foresee, one alone shall prove your utter ruin!”

Annatar turns in anger and impales Celebrimbor, sliding him up the pillar. In his final words, Celebrimbor calls him “Sauron” for the first time, “The Lord of the Rings.” A tear falls from Celebrimbor’s eye, and he bows his head and dies.

Annatar: “You are wrong. I am their creator. I am their master.”
Celebrimbor: “No, you are their prisoner. Sauron, Lord of the Rings.”

In this moment, Annatar begins to cry as well. In an interview with Nerdist, actor Charlie Vickers recalls that this moment was unscripted.

“Nerdist: Why does Sauron cry at Celebrimbor’s death?

Charlie Vickers: I don’t know. It just happened. And that’s the honest truth. As an actor you just put yourself in the moment and if something happens, it happens. It never happened to me before as Sauron and I didn’t want to block that. If they use it, they use it. And they did use it.” (Source: Nerdist)

Glûg then leads a small company of orcs into the forge room as Annatar stands looking up at Celebrimbor. Glûg asks him if he is Sauron, to which he responds, “I have had many names… What is yours, Uruk?”

The Death of Adar

After leading several refugees safely out of the city, Galadriel allows herself to be captured by Adar’s orcs to ensure the refugees’ safety. She is then brought before Adar where he kneels before a large rock, upon which is placed Morgoth’s crown. Adar turns to Galadriel and it is seen that he wears Nenya, which has healed him from an age of torment.

He tells Galadriel that his given name was not Adar, but he will not reveal it because Adar (“Father”) is the name that he earned. He returns Nenya to Galadriel, asking her to use it to vanquish Sauron for the sake of his children. He pleads for peace, vowing to recall his children to Mordor never to make war on Middle-earth again. Galadriel places Nenya back on her finger as the scars of torment across Adar’s body begin to reappear.

Adar: “Adar is the name I earned… Help me earn it back.”
Galadriel: “I have slain more of your children than any elf alive.”
Adar: “I forgive you. No more flames, and no more darkness. Let this Ring heal the rift between Elf and Uruk. Let us create a lasting peace in Middle-earth, now and forever.”

Glûg is then carried by several orcs on a gurney towards Adar; the orcs claim that he was wounded by Sauron. Adar asks Glûg for his forgiveness, but Glûg responds that it is too late. The Orcs then betray Adar, stabbing him in the same manner they did to Sauron so long ago. Adar does not defend himself or struggle against the attack, but calls out to his children as he lay dying. Sauron then takes command of the Uruk, commanding them to raze Eregion.

Adar: “My children…”
Annatar: “They are not children anymore.”

Sauron & Galadriel’s Confrontation

As Galadriel watches the orcs in horror, Annatar appears, picking up Morgoth’s crown.

Galadriel: “All this was your design from the beginning.”
Sauron: “Please, you think too much of me. The road goes ever winding. Not even I can see all its paths.”

Sauron kneels before Adar’s body with his back turned to Galadriel; she picks up her sword to attack him, but he turns and stops the sword using the crown. He is entranced by the beauty of Nenya, remarking, “It is even more beautiful than Celebrimbor led me to believe. Give it to me. Give me your Ring, and the Nine.”

Sauron: “It is not my wish to harm you.”
Galadriel: “Do you wish to heal me?”
Sauron: “I wish to heal… all Middle-earth.”
Galadriel: “As you have Eregion?”

At first, Sauron is acting defensively and fighting quite calmly, but as the scene progresses he becomes more aggressive and offensive.

Sauron: “Galadriel, surely you of all elves must understand that to find the light, we must first touch the darkness.”
Galadriel: “We are not alike. We never were. It was just another of your illusions.”
Sauron: “Not all of it.”

Galadriel kicks Sauron which somehow sends him flying off of a ledge and rolling down the hill, and when she next sees him he appears as Halbrand. He stands before her, regaining his control over the situation as she is stunned by the appearance of the “man” for whom she “felt it too.” Halbrand recalls one of their moments from season one, saying, “Fighting at your side… if I could just hold onto that feeling.”

He then appears as Galadriel herself, who again recounts one of their season one moments: “They could no longer distinguish me from the evil I was fighting.” Galadriel then fights against herself which I felt was very symbolic as she was, and still might be, wrestling with her feelings towards Halbrand and/or the temptation of his power.

He appears as Celebrimbor: “Are they not the seeds you planted?” This recalls Galadriel’s vision in episode two of season two, suggesting that it was either Sauron himself that planted this vision in her mind or that he is at least able to perceive her mind in some way.

Sauron returns to his Annatar guise as she crawls across the ground and kicks her sword out of her reach.

Sauron: “I see you. I know your mind. The door is still open.”
Galadriel: “The door is shut.”

After Galadriel’s declaration that the door is shut, Sauron is enraged. Their fight intensifies and ends when he stabs her in the chest with Morgoth’s crown. He uses the crown to drag her across the stone archway before pulling it back out. When she falls to the ground, the Rings fall from her shirt and Sauron claims them.

Sauron: “I would have placed a crown upon your head. I would have never rested until all Middle-earth had been brought to its knees, to worship the light of its Queen.”
Galadriel: “The free peoples of Middle-earth will always resist you.”

Speaking directly into her mind, Sauron commands Galadriel to give him her Ring. She holds out Nenya to him, appearing to surrender. However, she then says, “You wish to heal Middle-earth? Heal yourself,” before stepping backwards off of the cliff. Sauron reaches for her hand, which holds Nenya, but she is beyond his grasp.

As she falls, Sauron watches from above. There’s an interesting camera technique used to show Galadriel as she lays in the woods after her fall, and I can’t help but wonder if this is meant to be Sauron’s view of her from above. The way it is framed is almost like an eye.

Back at the top of the cliff, Sauron kills Glûg in anger which horrifies the remaining orcs. The last moment we see him this season, he is holding Feanor’s hammer as he continues to look down from atop the cliff. Will he use the hammer to forge the One Ring later on?

The Fall of Galadriel & The Foundation of Imladris:

As Galadriel falls, the Elves see her from afar and rush to find her, where she lies mortally wounded. Gil-galad uses his Ring to heal Galadriel but it’s not powerful enough alone; Elrond picks up Nenya and with it, Galadriel is saved.

Gil-galad: “Her very immortal spirit is being drawn into the shadow realm”

What was Sauron’s intention in stabbing Galadriel? Gil-galad examines her wound and remarks that her spirit is being drawn into the shadow realm. Would she have become a wraith? Was Sauron’s intent to ensnare her in this way?

Elrond leads the survivors of Eregion to a new valley which will almost certainly become Imladris. Later, Galadriel awakens and is met by her elven ‘fellowship’. Together, the elves must decide whether to retreat and fortify their defenses or pursue Sauron immediately.

Galadriel: “I would remember the counsel of our dear friend, Celebrimbor, Greatest of Elven-smiths and remind our people that it is not strength that overcomes darkness but the light. And the sun yet shines.”

Despite this crushing defeat, the season ends on a hopeful note.

Season Finale Reaction

Let’s begin with the highlights. I’ve said it a few times, but the Dwarven storyline is just perfection. The opening sequence between father and son, ending with the King’s sacrificial death was just completely breathtaking. I’ve cried every single time I’ve rewatched it. The dialogue between Durin IV and his father recalling the times they would arm wrestle, culminating in his father’s parting words were completely brilliant and devastating. Bear’s musical score in that scene added to the emotional depth as well.

“I never let you lift your hand. It was you. Just you, getting stronger. Forgive me my son, King Durin.”

The final scene between Sauron and Celebrimbor held the most painful and yet perfectly Tolkienian moments of the finale, which was to be expected as their story had been one of the season’s greatest strengths. Charlie Vickers and Charles Edwards are such a gift to this series and I know that Celebrimbor will be dearly missed.

The final highlight for me was the culmination of Adar’s storyline. Adar has been my most-anticipated character from the moment he was announced and I’ve loved him in both seasons, as he was played in season one by Joseph Mawle and then taken into season two with Sam Hazeldine. The way that his character was used to explore some very complex questions that Tolkien himself wrestled with in terms of the orcs was very thoughtfully done and added so much depth to the story. Despite being an original character, Adar felt more Tolkienian than many other aspects of the series.

His death is something that I felt was inevitable, but even knowing it would happen was still not enough to prepare me for how sad I’ve been about it. I have been crying on and off ever since the finale aired. I feel his redemption was so beautiful and there was so much more potential there, yet it was cut short unnecessarily… even fifteen more minutes with Adar would have meant the world. Instead, we are left with so many questions that will never be answered.

It’s hard to imagine moving forward into season three without Celebrimbor or Adar. At times I’ve begun to wonder if I will enjoy the series at all without them, so I do hope whatever the showrunners are planning will be compelling enough to draw me back in. The finale really did come with some devastating losses and much of the fan community is grieving.

I don’t necessarily think this is a criticism but rather a personal preference or reflection, but the last fifteen minutes of the finale were some of my least favorite moments of the season. If I were in charge of editing, I might have wrapped up my more “minor” plotlines earlier on so that we could end on a stronger note. Once again, I think this comes down to me personally being a very big fan of the elves and not caring very much about anything else so I suppose that’s my elf-bias shining through.

Every time I’ve watched the finale episode, and I’ve watched it at least six times by now, I’ve just felt very “hmmm” at the end.

I do, however, have a few very critical concerns. The biggest disappointment from the finale was the way in which Celebrimbor’s death was handled. I had been expecting the “banner” to be positioned in place of the Feanor statue for the remaining elves to see. This would have properly struck fear and horror into their hearts and really driven home the devastating defeat that they’re experiencing. For neither Elrond nor Galadriel to actually see Celebrimbor’s body removes that emotional impact for both the characters and the audience, which just deeply disappointed me.

Tolkien describes Celebrimbor’s death in Unfinished Tales, though the series does not have the rights to this source material.

“Concerning the Three Rings Sauron could learn nothing from Celebrimbor; and he had him put to death. But he guessed the truth, that the Three had been committed to Elvish guardians: and that must mean to Galadriel and Gil-galad. In black anger he turned back to battle; and bearing as a banner Celebrimbor’s body hung upon a pole, shot through with Orc-arrows, he turned upon the forces of Elrond.” - Unfinished Tales

The reunion between Sauron and Galadriel was so heavily marketed that the scene itself felt a touch disappointing. I do feel that those who are big fans of the “Haladriel” dynamic were probably a bit misled by the direction taken by marketing, who seemed to promise more than they were able to deliver. We know from interviews that the connection between the two of these characters will endure throughout the series itself, but I didn’t necessarily see much of that on-screen. Four or five more little moments placed throughout the season could’ve allowed for their ultimate reunion to carry more of an emotional impact. Some of the dialogue was quite compelling (“I would have placed a crown upon your head…”), while others (“heal yourself” and “the free peoples of Middle-earth will always resist you”) made me cringe.

In fact, this is actually quite another large issue I feel the series has as a whole: so much of the story is explained via interview instead of shown on-screen. Particularly in season two, it almost felt like entire episodes worth of storytelling were missing. The majority of fans do not have the time or desire to dig through every single interview or marketing piece in order to fully grasp the story. They want to sit down, enjoy the episode, and then move on with their lives. I don’t feel that is possible for The Rings of Power.

The dialogue is such a mixed bag: there are some truly profound moments that had me on the verge of tears, followed by moments that had me rolling my eyes harder than I previously thought possible. I don’t understand how this continues to happen. I think it is probably one of the biggest weaknesses of this series. I also feel similarly about the moments of brilliant storytelling juxtaposed with hobbits being twee and calling the Stranger “Grand-elf” for example. At times, I feel like I’m getting whiplash from the emotional rollercoaster of it all. As we move towards season three, I hope that the production will be able to smooth out these inconsistencies.

However, at the end of the day, The Rings of Power is still miles ahead of any other television series I’ve watched in recent years. Visually and musically the series is perfect. The storytelling explores some of the most important themes in Tolkien’s works, and depicts some of Tolkien’s characters with surprisingly keen insight. I treasure the fact that this series is free from the kinds of abuse and degradation of women that has become incredibly common in fantasy television. I personally am very sensitive to graphic violence and I feel that the violence depicted in this series is done tastefully and always in support of the story-telling (rather than violence for shock value). Overall, to be able to journey back into Middle-earth and to do so with my whole family (fast-forwarding past some of the more intense scenes with the kids) is such a gift.

It’s not the story I’d have written and it’s not necessarily the story Tolkien wrote either, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world and I look forward to seeing what the showrunners are planning for season three.

I am planning to do a full season review similar to the one I did for season one later, but I’d like to rewatch the season a few more times (and get a few more hours of sleep since my baby is only two weeks old). I have so enjoyed talking through this season with all of you. As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode so please do leave a comment if you’d like! And if you’d like to connect on social media, you can find me @teawithtolkien.

Nerdist article referenced: https://nerdist.com/article/the-rings-of-power-charlie-vickers-sauron-interview/