Amazon Studios The Rings of Power is here. We want all Spoilerites to have the best viewing experience possible and have the widest knowledge base about the Second Age of Middle-Earth. This is a weekly Let’s Get Nerdy article series highlighting a different piece of Tolkien I think you need to know about!
Throughout several of my past Let’s Get Nerdy! features I’ve delved into the history, characteristics, and bearers of each of the eponymous Rings of Power:
Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
This oft-quoted epigraph to J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings is probably quite familiar to you by now. Per the book canon and the lore, the Dwarf and Human rings were forged “alongside” the Elven rings. However – and not for the first time – the debut season of The Rings of Power appears to have shirked this. In the finale episode of the first season, we saw the elf-smith Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards), and Halbrand a.k.a. Sauron (Charlie Vickers), forging Nenya, Narya, and Vilya.
Is there a chance the remaining 16 rings were forged off-screen?
Sure, yes, of course.
Do I find it likely the remaining 16 rings were forged off-screen?
No. No, I do not.
In my opinion, this is likely another canon divergence, which has to happen in all adaptations, that I’m actually very okay with. If the second season of the show (which we know from past features has added several new cast members), features the forging of the Dwarven Rings and the third season highlights the Human Rings with the Shadow of the One Ring looming large in the “gathering dark” episode after episode.
Having Halbrand reveal himself to Celebrimbor, Elrond (Robert Aramayo), and Galadriel (Morfydd Clark), means he won’t be able to return to Eregion unless he’s about to take on another fair guise and give us a character actually named Annatar, as Tolkien’s canon names him. The Rings of Power will have to come up with a new and interesting way for Sauron to poison these 16 rings of power and gain subtle control over their wielders to their ultimate doom. Either that or he will have to craft them entirely by himself and somehow get them into the hands of their eventual bearers.
In my humble opinion, any of the three options could make for interesting drama to sustain a season.
Personally, I’d love to see an Annatar turn. To have Sauron fool Celebrimbor (if not Galadriel and Elrond who, per book canon, always express doubts surrounding Annatar and his motives), twice to this sinister end would certainly speak to his power as a leader and intelligence as a manipulator.
Would you rather see the remaining rings already in play? Knocked out in a single season? Or forged over the course of several seasons? Feel free to let me know your opinions in the comments section! I’m always reading!
In past articles I have answered the question:
- What Are the Rings of Power?
- What is Númenor?
- What is the Second Age?
- Who are the Harfoots?
- Who is Prince Durin IV?
- What is Khazad-dûm?
- Who is Celebrimbor?
- What is the Last Alliance of Men and Elves?
- Who is Elendil?
- New Pics! Who are Bronwyn and Theo?
- What is Rivendell?
- The Rings of Power First Reactions Are In!
- What is Lindon?
- What are the Nine Human Rings?
- Empire Magazine’s The Rings of Power Covers
- New Character Pictures
- Will Wizards Appear in The Rings of Power?
- New Promo for The Rings of Power
- What is Eregion?
- Leaked! Rings of Power Trailer Breakdown
- The Rings of Power Teaser Breakdown
- New EW Rings of Power Pictures
- SDCC Rings of Power Trailer Breakdown
- Who is Isildur?
- The Rings of Power is Here! Read the Reactions
- Who is the Stranger?
- Who is Queen Míriel?
- Who is Ar-Pharazôn?
- What is the broken black blade?
- What is Mordor?
- What is Mithril?
- What are the Silmarils?
- What is Narsil?
- Who founded Númenor?
- Who is Galadriel’s Brother Finrod?
- Rings of Power Adds 15 New Cast Members for Season 2
- Who is Círdan?
- Will Celeborn Appear in The Rings of Power?
- Are Galadriel and Sauron Enemies in Book Canon?
- Who is Narvi?
- Jamie Bisping Cast as Viran
- Will the Harfoots Settle The Shire?
- What to Watch Before The Rings of Power Season 2
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