The Rings of Power forges closer ties to The Lord of the Rings books in season 2
Full spoilers follow for The Rings of Power's season 1 finale. Potential spoilers also follow for The Rings of Power season 2.
The Rings of Power season 2 will deliver even more magical moments from J.R.R. Tolkien's works than its predecessor, according to star Morfydd Clark.
Amazon Studios has officially confirmed that Galadriel, the legendary and powerful elf portrayed by Clark, will be gifted her famous elven ring in the Prime Video show's next outing. Amazon also revealed that the remaining titular Rings of Power will be forged in the high fantasy series' next eight-episode arc, although the studio stopped short of revealing who, where, or when they'd be created.
Speaking at a 'For Your Consideration' (FYC) pre-awards event in New York last weekend (May 6-7), Clark further teased what fans can expect from The Rings of Power's next instalment.
"She [Galadriel] is about to have a life-changing thing happen to her," Clark revealed (per Deadline). "She’s about to become acquainted with Nenya, her ring. It’s really exciting to see how the magic creeps in [to the show]. When we finished season 1, the rings were being made and we knew it was going to be a huge change for Middle Earth. [Galadriel] is going to be part of that change because she has her own ring."
The Rings of Power episode 8 was packed full of surprises, not least with the revelation that Halbrand was actually Sauron in disguise. But we also saw the creation of the first three Rings of Power – Nenya, Narya, and Vilya – which will play huge roles in the show's second season and beyond. Sauron helped elven smith Celebrimbor to forge them in Eregion in the season 1 finale.
Before he could enact the next phase of his masterplan, though, Sauron's real identity was discovered by Galadriel, leading him to flee to Mordor. That's after he failed to convince Galadriel to join him and rule over Middle-Earth as a tyrannical king and queen. You can read more about what plays out in the season 1 finale in our Rings of Power season 1 ending explained article.
In The Lord of the Rings' source material, the three elven rings are gifted to Galadriel (Nenya), high elven king Gil-galad (Vilya), and Cirdan the Shipwright (Narya), one of the oldest elves to ever live and who'll make his live-action debut in season 2. Expect Gil-galad and Cirdan to receive the other rings early on in the show's next season before they're – no spoilers – passed down to other key characters down the line.
Analysis: Tol-keen to adapt the novels properly
It might have plenty of source material to draw inspiration from (or adapt directly), but The Rings of Power season 2's overarching story is a closely guarded secret. In an age where TV show and movie leaks are commonplace, especially thanks to the internet, that won't come as a surprise.
Though that may be the case, we already know that the second season of Amazon's Lord of the Rings series – one of the best Prime Video shows, in our view – is keen to follow Tolkien's legendary fantasy book series more closely than before.
While we enjoyed The Rings of Power season 1 (read our Rings of Power season 1 review for more on our thoughts), plenty of Tolkienites and more casual TV fans didn't. One of the primary criticisms leveled at the show was how far removed from Tolkien's works it was, with the series loosely adapting events as depicted in the iconic author's extensive body of work.
Clark's comments, though, suggest that showrunners JD Payne and Patrick McKay, plus the show's thousands-strong cast and crew, are going to adapt Tolkien's source material more closely moving forward. Payne and McKay outlined their intent to do so ahead of season 2 entering full production in October 2022 (per The Hollywood Reporter) – Payne stating: "Season two has a canonical story. There may well be viewers who are like, ‘This is the story we were hoping to get in season one!’ In season two, we’re giving it to them."
Rather than forge a new path through Middle-Earth's expansive and dearly beloved world, then, it appears The Rings of Power season 2 is going to follow events as they play out in the literature. Of course, the gifting of the first three Rings of Power to powerful elves is only one such plot point directly pulled from Tolkien's works, so there's no guarantee that other season 2 storylines will follow suit. Lord of the Rings' most devoted fans and the show's wider audience, though, will hope that isn't the case when The Rings of Power returns to our screens.
For more Rings of Power coverage, read up on why The Rings of Power hasn't been fully affected by the ongoing writers' strike in the US. Additionally, find out which James Bond, Star Wars, and Harry Potter actors have joined the show for its second season.
