Warning! This List Contains Major Spoilers For The Season Finale of The Rings of Power!After seven weeks of record-breaking viewership, season one of The Rings of Power has ended with some record-scratching moments that are both exciting and perplexing audiences worldwide. Despite some mixed reactions, the series has been celebrated rightfully for Bear McCreary’s grand score, fantastic visuals, and intriguing performances all around. The second season is already shaping to be something special, especially following the news that it will be more canonical to the novels.
The first season ended with the haunting reveal that Halbrand is Sauron, the forging of the three Elven Rings of Power, and a heartwarming hint at the Stranger’s mysterious identity. All the while, there are still some burning questions about what next awaits the denizens of Middle-Earth in the second season. Some fans quickly turned to Reddit to share their theories about what might happen and who could show up next.
The Other Rings
Tolkien’s highly-detailed lore is sacred to many people, which has put some off from The Rings of Power due to its condensed timeline and some of the creative liberties it’s taken. One way they did that in the finale was in the order the rings were created. In the books, the three Elven rings, Narya, Nenya, and Vilya, are made without Sauron’s instruction after the creation of the seven Dwarven rings and nine rings for men. However, Halbrand/Sauron has returned to Mordor – an epic shot that got plenty of funny tweets.
u/BlueRayHiDef thinks “Sauron will return to Eregion in Season 2 as Halbrand again and persuade Celebrimbor to forge the other rings with him.” This is fully contingent on Galadriel and presumably Elrond or Gil-Galad leaving Eregion, but narratively that’s easy enough to accomplish. The big question is about whether Celebrimbor will still trust Halbrand – the finale didn’t show him aware of the deception like Elrond, so some think he could be corrupted already.
The Order Of Things
There are other options for how the formation of the other rings could unfold in season two. It could turn out that they will go season by season for the different groups – first, the Elves, then the Dwarves, and finally, Men. u/SoWokeIdontSleep posits “Sauron will just go to the respective races themselves. 1st to the dwarven lords in their halls of stone and convince them to create the rings, which will cause friction, if not an outright war between them and the elves.”
The Elven rings are different, untouched by Sauron, but he needs to be present in creating the others, so he can have sway over them. Whether it’s in Eregion, Khazad-Dûm, or elsewhere, Sauron as Halbrand will need to reunite with Celebrimbor and the lords and kings who will inherit the rings.
Galadriel's Struggle
Galadriel is faced with an incredibly complex conundrum. Whether for the sanctity of her pride or out of fear, she is likely unable to tell the other elves who Halbrand is and why he suddenly disappeared – or at least she can’t right away. u/Hrothgar_Cyning writes, “She can’t tell the Elves, he’s Sauron after all of this, and she can’t hide the truth from Elrond for long.”
She was sent away by Gil-Galad in hope that her departure from Middle-Earth and the end of her hunt for Sauron would stem his impending return. Unfortunately, she inadvertently proved him right. In trying to gain the power to fight her enemy, she invited him back to do even worse harm. She’ll have to keep that secret for some time. At the very least, she might be able to tell Gil-Galad, who in the novels was also not tricked by Sauron as Annatar.
Elrond's Future
While he doesn’t know the whole truth, Elrond is clearly clued in on Halbrand’s deception. He knows that the last King of the Southlands is long gone, but he probably won’t get any answers from Galadriel immediately about who he really was.
But u/Hrothgar_Cyning has another suggestion, “Elrond starts putting the pieces together to solve this mystery, maybe even confronting Halbrand. Perhaps Halbrand reveals he’s not human, but actually, a Maia sent to help them.” That could entail Elrond seeing the desolation of Mordor firsthand, and thus Sauron could try to manipulate him with the fact that he is a Maia, albeit a fallen one.
What About the Dwarves?
Unfortunately, Durin IV, Disa, and the other Dwarves did not feature in the season finale as their storyline got their cliffhanger of the reawakened Balrog in the previous episode. Durin’s Bane is here, but it’s anyone’s guess if that means that season two will showcase the fall of Khazad-Dûm – an event that happens several thousands of years later in the books. However, should they want their own rings, they could end up bringing about their own doom.
u/castrogacio suggests, “maybe Durin will gain power in Khazad-Dûm and start mining again which would also bring the Balrog back into play.” Durin IV has been seemingly disowned by his father, but thankfully, like The Lord of the Rings, the dwarf has an Elven best friend, Elrond. He might see the fancy new ring and covet one, or seven, for his people to get back in his father’s graces again.
Sauron Vs. Adar
Speaking of home, thanks to the eruption of Mount Doom in episode six, Adar and the Orcs now have their own homeland, but Sauron’s in Mordor now too. One of the most interesting developments throughout the season was the unfolding mystery behind Adar, a show creation, and his relationship with the Dark Lord. While it would’ve seemed likely that they would be on the same side, The Rings of Power has shown them to be rivals.
Presumably, it was Adar who thwarted Sauron and sent him on the path to being adrift in the Sundering Sea. Many fans are hoping season two will showcase that previous struggle, with u/BlobFishPillow writing, “I suspect it will be a S2 prologue flashback of sorts.” This would be in tandem with showing their current power struggle as they fight for control of the Orcs and Mordor.
Sauron and Isildur
Since, like the Dwarves, he didn’t appear in the season finale, Isildur is presumably still stuck under the burning rubble – although his trusty steed, Berek, was released to find him. Nevertheless, that means that in season two, his path might cross with Adar and/or Halbrand. u/idiotsWithNerf likes that prospect, saying “Halbrand and Isildur meeting would be interesting.”
Isildur’s eventual failure to destroy the One Ring has been foreshadowed already, but having them meet would be a welcome and rich development to those familiar with the text. The last Isildur noted of Halbrand was before Mount Doom erupted when he was named King, so as such he might also bring Sauron to Pelargir and from there back to Númenor. It will be by Isildur’s hand that Sauron will be defeated in the War of the Last Alliance, but here they could be temporary allies.
To Greenwood the Great
Arondir, Bronwyn, Theo, and the rest of the Southlanders are all heading to Pelargir. This is a Númenorean settlement in Middle-earth, with the best reference being where Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli drive away the corsairs with the Army of the Dead in The Return of the King. . u/Clusta-Skee theorizes that they could actually end up in Greenwood the Great, home to the Sindar.
They go on to say “King Oropher and Prince Thranduil are introduced and Arondir asks for his help to defeat the Uruks in Mordor.” Arondir hails from Beleriand, which was destroyed in the wake of the First Age, so perhaps in the Greenwood, he can find new allies, including even Nori and the Stranger. They are in the nearby area, and it could be an interesting way for some of The Rings of Power’s most likable characters to meet.
Back In Númenor
As for Númenor, the season finale ended with a few big things happening there. Importantly, it seems that the King, Míriel’s father has passed, given the black sails in the harbor. However, before his death he allowed young Eärien up to see the Palantir, mistaking her for Míriel . Both Míriel and Galadriel witnessed the destruction of Númenor, but Eärien’s vision was not shown.
Meanwhile, Pharazôn has likely taken advantage of the power vacuum, with u/thechinmayadas writing, “Elendil and co. will find a coup by Pharazôn in Númenor.” The timing would be perfect for the Queen to return and find someone else sitting on her throne. It might not be an immediate thing in the first episode of season two like this Redditor thinks, but a coup is certainly coming because Pharazôn cannot be trusted.
New Characters
While The Rings of Power featured a stellar and captivating cast of characters, some fans noted some interesting or confusing omissions. Along with being grittier and more intense, showrunner Patrick McKay recently teased the arrival of Círdan the Shipwright, an important Elf who also possessed Narya for a time. u/BrightSkies42 responded to that news with “My guess is Anárion is also coming. This makes me excited to see a more intense season.”
Anárion, Isildur’s brother, has also been teased ominously throughout the first season of The Rings of Power, and since he goes on to rule Gondor with his brother, he’s someone many fans are expecting to see soon. Other popular names are Celeborn, Galadriel’s husband who was finally referenced in episode seven, and Narvi, a dwarf of Khazad-Dûm who helped make the legendary Doors of Durin with Celebrimbor. While the wait for more might be long, there’s clearly plenty to look forward to.
Join Amazon Prime - Watch Thousands of Movies & TV Shows Anytime
Source:gamerant.com