It’s been almost two years since The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power brought us back to Middle Earth, and the wait for more adventures has admittedly been a long one. That’s largely because its first season ended on such an intriguing note, teeing up a number of juicy conflicts to come. From the true identity of Sauron, to the fate of the kingdom of Númenor, and the construction of the first Rings of Power, the Lord of the Rings prequel is set to hit the ground running in Season 2.
The series has had its fair share of hurdles in the interim, namely the potential delays that came with 2023’s WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. The Rings of Power was one of a few shows to shoot during the beginning of the strikes, while its showrunners carried on in diminished roles. That said, filming seemed to conclude without any perceivable hitch — and with Prime Video finally dropping the first trailer for The Rings of Power Season 2, the wait is very nearly over.
The first season of Rings of Power juggled a myriad of tones, but its follow-up might be embracing the darker side of fantasy horror, with Sauron (Charlie Vickers), worming his way into the hearts and minds of our heroes. He’s shed his Season 1 disguise, the human blacksmith Halbrand, and is now sporting full elf regalia (complete with a flowing blond wig!). His mission is to forge more Rings of Power, and his scorned ally Galadriel (Morfydd Clarke) will likely be doing everything in her power to stop him.
It looks accurate to Prime Video’s official synopsis for the plot of Season 2, which describes: “Cast out by Galadriel, without army or ally, the rising Dark Lord must now rely on his own cunning to rebuild his strength and oversee the creation of the Rings of Power, which will allow him to bind all the peoples of Middle-earth to his sinister will. The new season plunges even its most beloved and vulnerable characters into a rising tide of darkness, challenging each to find their place in a world that is increasingly on the brink of calamity.”
Rings of Power Season 2’s first trailer features flashes of fan favorites alongside the new, from Ismael Cruz Cordova’s elf warrior Arondir to the tragic hero Isildur (Maxim Baldry). Our dwarf heroes in Khazad-dûm (aka Moria), will have their own threat to contend with in the form of a reawakened Balrog.
What made The Rings of Power such an interesting prospect was its role in the larger continuity. Amazon holds the right to adapt what are essentially the appendices of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings saga, and while the author put a lot of effort into the lore of Middle Earth, there are plenty of inconsistencies and plot holes therein. The Rings of Power takes liberties from canon where applicable, fleshing out and interpreting events that have been the topic of fan debate for decades.
By the end of its first season, though, The Rings of Power diverges from canon in a pretty significant way. The Sauron’s introduction contests a legend found in The Silmarillion, as does the creation of the Elven Rings of Power. That’s not too much of a sin in the grand scheme, but Rings of Power Season 2 may have its work cut out for it, continuity-wise. Time will tell, but the first trailer for The Rings of Power Season 2 might be enough to put anxieties to rest, at least for now.
