Warning: Spoilers for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 1, episode 8
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 1 finale set up multiple stories to be explored when the series returns. Amazon’s Lord of the Rings show, which just wrapped its first season, already has its next installment on the horizon. Season 2, which is currently filming, is expected to continue the adventures of Galadriel, Nori, the Stranger, and also address a number of loose ends from the finale.
Despite being an eight-episode season full of action and key developments, there was a sense that The Rings of Power season 1 was just the beginning of the journey. The first three Rings of Power have now been constructed, Sauron has reached Middle-earth, and the Stranger has embarked on a quest with Nori. With everything that happened in the finale, combined with what’s known about the events of the Second Age, quite a lot is on the table for the show’s future. While much of what comes next is open to speculation, The Lord of the Rings timeline does create a blueprint of sorts for the adventures to follow. Here's every story that viewers can expect to see in The Rings of Power season 2.
What Happens To The Elven Rings of Power
It’s known from The Lord of the Rings that 20 Rings of Power will be forged before long, but three have already been created and will be featured in season 2. According to Middle-earth lore, they are Narya, Vilya, and Nenya. At least at first, Narya and Vilya should both go to Gil-galad, whereas Nenya should be worn by Galadriel. In the books, the Elves successfully hide their existence from Sauron until the Third Age, so the villain getting his hands on them shouldn’t occur in the series. But, there could be some conflict among the Elves over who gets the rings.
Sauron Begins His Plan In Mordor
Finally, the secret is out and Halbrand now stands revealed as Sauron himself. As shown in the finale, Sauron has entered Mordor and taken his first step toward becoming the principal antagonist of The Lord of the Rings saga. But while the series has stationed the villain in his iconic home, he doesn’t have an army, a tower, or anything else that he needs to fulfill his destiny from the books. As for what the next phase could be, it’s possible that season 2 will be when Sauron builds his primary stronghold, Barad-dûr. During this time, he could begin gathering armies of Orcs, which may or may not involve a fight with Adar. As for the creation of the other Rings of Power (the One Ring included), this too could be a plot point for season 2 to delve into with Sauron. Sauron forging the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom is a pivotal moment in the timeline and certainly an event that has a strong likelihood of happening before Rings of Power season 2’s ending.
The Stranger & Nori Go To Rhun
Interestingly, Tolkien’s work provides no clues whatsoever on what’s in store for the Stranger and Nori when they make their way to Rhûn in The Rings of Power. This particular location on the Middle-earth map wasn’t explored by the main characters during their travels in The Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit, which is one reason why so little has been said about its history. Plus, Nori is an original character, thus making it possible for the show to do as it pleases with her role in the fight against Sauron. The same could be true for the Stranger because even if he does turn out to Gandalf (as the finale indicated), the wizard wasn’t in Middle-earth in the Second Age, so once again, this is a character whose Rings of Power story hasn’t been plotted by Tolkien.
Isildur Is Still Missing
The finale didn’t address Isildur’s fate, but it’s hardly a secret that Elendil’s son still lives. After all, he’s far from the end of his Middle-earth story, which should go on for years to come. He has to survive so that he can one day claim the One Ring and beat Sauron. So at some point, The Rings of Power will have to revisit his character and what happened to him when Mount Doom erupted. Presumably, he survived the destruction of the village and could be fending for himself somewhere in Mordor. Getting him back into the story and perhaps positioning him as an enemy of Sauron could be part of the plan for his character in Rings of Power season 2.
A Power Struggle In Númenor
Elendil and Queen Regent Míriel have returned to Númenor, but their conversation in The Rings of Power finale about “committing to pay the price” regardless of the cost sets up both characters to be integral to the fight against Sauron. The problem, though, is that Míriel may not be able to take the throne. Pharazôn, the queen’s advisor and a conniving schemer in the books, is fated to become king, which may indeed be where the show is taking the story in season 2. Pharazôn, who could set his sights on the crown, could find himself at odds with Míriel and Elendil. In Middle-earth history, Pharazôn has the reputation as the king whose secret alliance with Sauron doomed the entire kingdom of Númenor. Exploiting her blindness as a weakness could be how Pharazôn tries to stop Míriel from seizing control of the kingdom.
It makes sense that Pharazôn’s rise to power is the next story for The Rings of Power to tell for its Numenorean characters, but others could also be in the pipeline. The show has already given the characters warnings about the inevitable sinking of Númenor, which will be followed by Elendil leading his people to Middle-earth. However, The Rings of Power could easily put this story off until season 3 or later.
The Fight Against Sauron Begins
Since the beginning of the series, Galadriel has been determined to defeat Sauron, but only now can she actually put a face to the name. Upon reading the scroll in the finale, Elrond also appears to be aware of him, which could give her an additional ally when they cross paths again. What Galadriel plans to do next remains to be seen, but it’s unlikely that she’ll let Sauron’s plans for Middle-earth go unopposed.
The Balrog Has Awakened
As many have suspected, the mining for mithril is set to have disastrous consequences for the Dwarves. The Lord the Rings: The Rings of Power episode 7’s ending revealed that a Balrog has awakened deep within the Dwarven mines. The creature in question wasn’t supposed to become a threat until the Third Age, but it looks like the show is building toward a climactic battle with the Balrog. Fighting and perhaps driving it into hibernation could be the focus of Prince Durin’s season 2 arc, but given the connection between his story and Elrond’s, the show could find a way to draw the latter and the Elven army into the fight as well. In fact, multiple main characters coming together to fight the Balrog may be necessary, particularly when taking into consideration just how powerful these monsters truly are.
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