'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' Season 2 Teaser Heralds Sauron's Rise
Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky
(Photo: Prime Video)
Nearly two years after its first season hit our screens, Prime Video has dropped the first teaser for Season 2 of its lavish fantasy series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, which promises to be bigger, darker, and more dramatic than almost everything that's come before. Set during J.R.R. Tolkien's Second Age, The Rings of Power follows the story of the forging of the titular rings that will eventually lead so much of Middle-earth into darkness, and the rise of the various famous figures who stood against him, such as Galadriel, Elrond, and more.
During the series' first season, we learned that Halbrand (Charlie Vickers), the seemingly unassuming heir to the Southlands, was really the dark lord Sauron, who had somehow taken physical form once more. In the Season 2 teaser, we see him adopt a new disguise as his plans for Middle-earth domination begin to take shape. It's probably not an accident that he now looks elvish, and it's likely that this is his new form of Annatar, the identity that Sauron took to convince Celebrimbor to create the Rings of Power in the first place.
Speaking of rings, this clip is chock full of them, from the three Elven rings forged at the end of last season to a waterfall of jewelry that certainly seems like the nine rings that will bind the realms of men. (Plus, Durin gets a banger of a jewel in what appears to be his dwarf ring.) Will we see the infamous One Ring before Season 2 is over? At this point, it's probably even odds, particularly given that the rise of Barad-dur is also very prominently featured here.
Here's the Season 2 description:
In Season Two of The Rings of Power, Sauron has returned. 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. Building on Season One’s epic scope and ambition, 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. Elves and dwarves, orcs and men, wizards and Harfoots… as friendships are strained and kingdoms begin to fracture, the forces of good will struggle ever more valiantly to hold on to what matters to them most of all… each other
The series' positively sprawling cast features Morfydd Clark as Galadriel, Robert Aramayo as Elrond, Benjamin Walker as High King Gil-galad, Charles Edwards as Celebrimbor, Maxim Baldry as Isildur, Ema Horvath as Eärien, Lloyd Owen as Elendil, Trystan Gravelle as Pharazôn, Cynthia Addai-Robinson as Queen Regent Míriel, Peter Mullan as Dwarf king Durin III, Nazanin Boniadi as Bronwyn, Ismael Cruz Córdova as the Silvan-elf Arondir, and Daniel Weyman as the Stranger (who may or may not be Gandalf).
The inclusion of the image of the three Elven rings basically also confirms that we'll meet Cirdan, the shipwright this season, one of the oldest elves in Middle-earth who was the original bearer of Narya, the Ring of Fire. Who will play that character, as yet, remains a mystery
J.D. Payne & Patrick McKay are both returning as showrunners and executive producers for Season 2. Directors for this batch of episodes include the return of Charlotte Brändström along with Sanaa Hamri and Louise Hooper.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 will premiere on Friday, August 29, 2024, on Prime Video.
