Sauron's Rise To Power Explained in Rings Of Power Season 2

The second season of The Rings of Power  is finally here, so one of the best shows   on Amazon Prime is back on our screens. It's  been a long wait since the end of season 1,   which left us stunned when it was revealed  that Halbrand is actually Sauron. Luckily,   with the release of three new episodes, we can  start to see how this revelation will impact   Middle-earth. There’s a lot to dive into with  the start of this season as we catch up with   favorite characters like Galadriel, Elrond, and  the Stranger. Multiple storylines are unfolding:   the Elves are chasing after Sauron, the Dark  Lord is setting his evil plans in motion,   the dwarves are struggling with a falling  Khazad-dûm, and the Stranger is continuing   his adventure with the Harfoots. And this is just  the beginning—this season of The Rings of Power   is gearing up to be full of action. So, stick  around for our recap of the first three episodes. Heavy spoilers ahead, proceed with caution. The first episode kicks off with a flashback  to the Dawn of the Second Age. In this scene,   a younger Sauron, portrayed by  Jack Lowden from Slow Horses,   is trying to take command of the orcs. However,  the orcs aren’t impressed by his promise of a   new and perfect order to "heal Middle-earth,"  and they react poorly. When Adar crowns Sauron,   he actually stabs him with the crown,  using it as a weapon. This sparks a fight,   during which the orcs end up killing  Sauron. Afterward, Adar takes back control. But in the world of Lord of the Rings,  it’s not so easy to get rid of Sauron.   His spirit escapes and starts  feeding off living creatures,   beginning with a rat. As he grows stronger,  he encounters a lone woman driving a cart,   who becomes his next victim and allows  him to take on a physical form again. Sauron then runs into a group traveling  through Middle-earth. A man in the   group warns him about orc attacks, and  Sauron questions him about his shield,   which bears the symbol "of kings long dead."  Later, while on a boat with the group,   Sauron lets the boat crash, leaving the man to  die. However, he makes sure to take the shield   with him. This is the same shield he used in the  first season to deceive Galadriel into believing   he was the lost king of the Southlands.  Adrift on a piece of the wrecked boat,   he spots Galadriel in the water, linking  back to the beginning of season 1. After the flashback, we catch up with the  Elves following the end of the first season.   Galadriel is summoned to meet the High King  Gil-galad. She’s eager to discuss the rings,   but Gil-galad questions her about Halbrand,  asking if it’s true she didn’t reveal his   true identity. Galadriel admits that she was  misled and that Halbrand is actually Sauron,   which disappoints Elrond. They then argue about  the rings—Elrond worries they might have been   tainted by Sauron, while Galadriel insists  he never touched them. Gil-galad, however,   argues that the rings "may be the last hope for  all of Middle-earth" and demands that Elrond   hand them over. Elrond refuses and, instead,  throws himself into a waterfall with the rings. Meanwhile, back in Mordor, Sauron,  who is pretending to be Halbrand,   both threatens Adar and offers to help him  find a "sorcerer" that Galadriel is working   with to create a new weapon. Adar, however, isn't  interested in Sauron’s games. He dismisses him,   saying "Sauron is dead," and chains Halbrand  up. Later that night, after being attacked by   Adar’s followers, Halbrand enchants a wolf. He  also talks to Adar again, promising to search   for Sauron and ends up pledging allegiance to  Adar. They make a deal: Adar releases Halbrand   to find Sauron (which is quite ironic), and  he asks the orcs to follow Halbrand closely. Next, we see The Stranger and Nori lost in  the desert, being watched by a mysterious   masked figure. Nori encourages The Stranger  to use his powers to conjure up more food,   which he does, though he’s  not too eager about it. Later,   Nori’s friend Poppy finds them and joins their  journey, helping them find their way to the   lands of Rhûn. Despite this, the masked  figure continues to keep an eye on them. The episode then shifts to Lindon, where  Elrond meets with Kerdan, a shipwright known   for his wisdom among the Elves. Elrond shows  Cirdanthe rings and hands them over to him.   Cirdanthen boards a boat, and just as he’s about  to leave, an angry Galadriel catches up with them. Gil-galad writes a note for Celebrimbor about  Halbrand’s true identity, to be sent urgently.   The Elves gather to mourn the falling leaves  and the fading light of their great tree,   with Gil-galad telling them that "their  days in Middle-earth are ended." Just then,   Cirdanarrives with the rings, much to  Elrond’s dismay. Elrond’s scream makes   Gil-galad drop the rings. Galadriel picks one up  and puts it on, and Gil-galad and Cirdanfollow   suit. As they do, the light and the tree are  miraculously restored to their former glory. The episode wraps up with Celebrimbor admiring his  new forge, hoping the rings will work so he can   put it to use. A messenger from the Southlands  then arrives, looking to negotiate. And,   as you might have guessed, that messenger is  none other than Halbrand, who is really Sauron. Galadriel has a disturbing vision of Celebrimbor,  who approaches her about a visitor he’s had,   but then the tree roots attack  them. Troubled by this vision,   Galadriel tells Gil-galad about  her fears concerning Sauron. Celebrimbor sends a messenger to tell Halbrand  to leave, but Halbrand refuses to go. Later,   in high spirits because he has forged Ithildin,  a metal made from the last bit of mithril,   Celebrimbor lets Halbrand/Sauron into his workshop  as it rains. Sauron reveals his true identity as   'Lord of Gifts' Annatar, claiming he’s come  to aid the Elves. Celebrimbor, impressed,   kneels before him, and Annatar  declares, "our work begins now." Meanwhile, the messenger the Elves  sent to Celebrimbor is killed,   though the Elves are unaware of this. Galadriel  grows worried when she doesn’t hear back from   Celebrimbor and asks Elrond to accompany her to  Eregion, but he declines. Elrond then meets with   Cirdanagain, who acknowledges that while the  rings are a source of fear, they also hold the   potential to benefit Middle-earth. Cirdan  decides to join Galadriel on her journey,   but Gil-galad insists that Elrond  is in charge, not Galadriel. The masked figure who was observing The Stranger  now meets with a new character played by Ciarán   Hinds, referred to as the 'Dark Wizard'. They  inform him that they have located The Stranger and   can capture him, but their first attempt fails.  In the heat, The Stranger collapses and discovers   a staff similar to one from his dream, which  he uses to fend off the figures pursuing them. Meanwhile, in Khazad-dûm, the place is  crumbling, causing the sun shafts to   collapse and the dwarves to lose their  ability to grow crops. Disa seeks King   Durin’s permission to "find the light," but  their efforts to do so are unsuccessful.   The episode concludes with Durin receiving an  invitation from Celebrimbor to visit Eregion. The third episode begins with Isildur  waking up in Mordor and being attacked   by a terrifying giant spider—Shelob, as fans  of Lord of the Rings will recognize. Isildur   manages to escape by stabbing the creature.  He then meets a new character named Estrid,   who helps him by giving him a map with  clues to find his father, Elendil. They set out together for Pelargir, where they  are attacked but rescued by the elf Arondir,   who is grieving the loss of Bronwyn. They  all attend her funeral, and Bronwyn’s son   Theo helps tend to Isildur’s wounds. A troubled  Arondir tells Theo that it’s important for him   to be there because the village needs a healer.  Theo, however, is more concerned with finding   out who his father is and tells Arondir  that he never wants to speak to him again. Later that night, Isildur opens  up to Estrid, but after he leaves,   she reveals several burn marks on  her back and adds a new one. This   suggests she might be marking herself as a  member of Adar’s army. Meanwhile, Theo and   Isildur set up an ambush against some of Adar’s  followers in the woods, but Theo is captured. Back in Númenor, political tensions are high. Some  people show disrespect toward Queen Regent Miriel,   upset over the recent losses their  kingdom has suffered. Ar-Pharazôn,   who is secretly plotting to replace Miriel,  asks her to choose her coronation gown.   Meanwhile, Miriel discovers the  palantír, a magical crystal ball. During Miriel’s coronation, someone in  the crowd shouts that she’s "unfit to   rule." Just as Miriel is about to  win them over, Eärien betrays her   by revealing the palantír to the public,  accusing it of advising the Queen Regent   and causing the deaths they are grieving.  Ar-Pharazôn agrees that it should be destroyed,   but Miriel insists they need it. When Elendil  touches the palantír, its magic throws him back,   causing unrest among the crowd. A great eagle  then lands, and Ar-Pharazôn approaches it. The   crowd cheers his name, believing the eagle has  chosen him as their ruler, and he takes control. Meanwhile, in Mordor, Adar tells the  orcs that they are not truly safe until   "Sauron is no more." He appears to have  a plan, as we are introduced to Damrod,   a large troll whom Adar tries  to win over to their side. The dwarves arrive in Eregion, where Celebrimbor  explains that the rings he plans to create will   help heal their great mountain. He asks them to  provide a steady supply of mithril in exchange   for the rings, requesting that Durin the fourth  present the offer to his estranged father. Annatar   appears, emphasizing the importance of this  deal to a hesitant Durin. Despite his doubts,   Disa convinces Durin the fourth  to take the offer to King Durin. Meanwhile, Celebrimbor decides to  deceive Gil-galad and continue with his   plan to forge additional rings, driven  by the desire not to miss his "moment." Durin the fourth reluctantly approaches  his father with the news from Eregion.   King Durin agrees to the offer, and  the episode concludes with new rings   being forged under the watchful  eyes of Celebrimbor and Annatar. Thank you for watching,  watch out for more content.