Stories about good triumphing over evil are only as good as their antagonist. No matter how valiant the protagonist is, there must be a more powerful adversary to foil their schemes. Otherwise, we do not get the satisfaction of a valiant victory when the hero eventually completes their objective.
The greatest bad guy, Sauron, the personification of evil and an all-powerful Maiar with an unquenchable thirst for power, was created by Tolkien. Even his servants, the Orcs of Mordor, are the embodiment of terror. They are horrible beings with a ravenous appetite for human flesh.
Things are done a little differently in The Rings of Power. Sauron is a man, not a fiery eye in the sky. Also he is not just any man, but one that has been in plain sight all along. Sauron is Halbrand. Galadriel has been duped by the Dark Lord, who has been gradually bringing out her evil side. He offers her the greatest gift after she learns who he really is: control over Middle-earth. This has happened before, however, this time, we travelled with the younger Galadriel on a real voyage. She has been spotted slaying trolls, making threats to kill Adar, and supporting Halbrand.
There is a real concern that she might be duped by Sauron (even if we know she will eventually come around to the side of good). She declines, but not before raising some concerns about her moral integrity. She nonetheless permits the making of the three rings for the Elven-kings under the sky, a plot point that has been teased throughout the season.
Galadriel, the courageous and battle-tested warrior, will face many challenges in the future. She was portrayed by Morfydd Clark as a tough, unyielding character who is definitely an elf, not a human. She may have thousands of years behind her, yet occasionally she still lacks knowledge. When they were at Nmenor, Halbrand observed just that, realising that she was unable to conduct effective politics. She was also made more vulnerable to manipulation because of that. She still has a long way to go before becoming the virtuous ruler of Lothlórien.
It remains to be seen how Elrond will respond to Galadriel's shortcomings being exposed in all their glory. The season's MVP, Robert Aramayo, was a capable stoic but frequently ignorant presence. Galadriel should be residing in Valinor, therefore his reaction to her return is subtle yet expertly executed.
However, the voyage ended with an awesome revelation. Having Sauron play such a significant part this season without being identified as such is a risky strategy. Yet, this Sauron isn't the typical villain; he has a purpose and a goal. If we act as though we don't know Sauron's fate, you could even believe there's a chance he could change for the better. Only Galadriel's fortuitous encounter is responsible for his return to the continent. Galadriel unintentionally increases the one thing she set out to kill, as Gil-galad foresaw in the first episode.
Sauron has been waiting. Even though he was compelled to tell Galadriel who he was, Sauron's scheme had already gone too far and couldn't be undone. It is unclear how much of Sauron's actions were spontaneous and how much were planned in advance. Did he intend to join N'menor's blacksmith guild and create rings there? Or did he take a gamble after seeing the mithril? Whatever the reason, evil has shown itself in a shocking manner, and the result is a breath-takingly fresh interpretation of Tolkien that yet fits in with his universe.
With Halbrand, The Rings of Power references Tolkien's philosophy, turning a character who may have followed an Aragorn-like path into the program's antagonist. The Stranger experiences the same thing, but the opposite. In the episode's opening deception, a group of cultists refer to Daniel Weyman's meteor man as Sauron. Nori, though, is confident that he is not bad. He assisted the Harfoot family. He possesses goodness.
There isn't much room for doubt. Gandalf is The Stranger. We now know that he is a wizard, and he advises Nori to trust her nose whenever she's unsure—a phrase that was directly borrowed from Gandalf in The Fellowship of the Ring. However, is his name really that important? What matters is that he will be travelling to Rhûn with Nori.
It would be an insult to Lenny Henry to discuss the Harfoots' tale without mentioning Sadoc. His persona brought mystery and suspense to the story of the Harfoots, and his absence will be terribly felt. Now since they don't have a wizard to defend them, Poppy Proudfellow, who is the most Sam Gamgee-like of the bunch, must carry their story.
It's a shame that during the climax, we didn't get to see much of Durin, Disa, Arondir, and Bronwyn. They have all been such wonderful characters, but the Dwarves in particular felt underutilised this season. Hopefully, they will have their chance as we watch the seven rings for Dwarven monarchs being created.
Sauron is seen at the end of the episode gazing over Mordor while grinning. The prospect of seeing him battle Adar, attempting to retake his territories and his army, is delightfully enticing. It's the most fascinating narrative in the programme. The second season should presumably see Sauron reclaim his full power, corrupting a few Dwarves and Men along the way. The first season focused on the origins of Sauron.
The unenviable task of portraying an undercover Sauron for an entire season fell to Charlie Vickers. Although many of us correctly identified Halbrand as the genuine character, Vickers' obviously Sauronic actions were not the reason for this. This is a sign of someone who put on a great performance. The actor's future embracing of the character's evil side will be fascinating to watch.
This first season has seen lots of mixed reviews, yet it definitely ended on a high. There were a few missed opportunities, but that’s due to the broad range of characters that need to be included. For its first season, Rings Of Power did a good job. Hopefully, the team can build upon this and improve going into the future seasons. This was a strong finale, which makes viewers curious about what we are going to see next. Yet, it may be a while before season 2 graces our screens.
Performance | 4.8/5 |
Enjoyment | 4.6/5 |
Overall Rating | 4.7/5 |