Possible spoilers follow for The Rings of Power season 2.
The Rings of Power The final trailer for Season 2 has cast its shadow over Middle-earth. And I don’t know about you, but I think the next episode of the series looks suitably epic.
Just two weeks before the hit Amazon series returns to our screens, there is a lot to unpack after its two-minute runtime. The latest teaser for the Prime Video series not only significantly ups the stakes for the long-awaited return, but also appears to give us our first look at a new character (someone very familiar with The Lord of the Ring fans), some potentially intriguing alliances, and likely some fascinating one-on-one showdowns. Oh, and it confirms that three episodes will debut on launch day, which is Thursday, August 29th.
The trailer features tons of new glimpses into this season’s tentpole battle, aka The Siege of Eregion, which I expect will play out in the final few episodes of The Rings of Power‘s next episode. It’s not all about this season’s massive set-piece, though, as the trailer delves into several character-driven moments, including voiceovers from High King Gil-galad and Cirdan the Shipwright warning of the dangers of wearing the titular rings imbued with dark magic. A montage of horror-filled and otherwise ominous-looking scenarios faced by the various factions of Middle-earth.
Later, we’ll get a much clearer picture of some of the unlikely partnerships and dynamics we’ll see in Season 2. The Rings of Power‘s first trailer originally teased that the relationship between Celebrimbor and Annatar (the latter being one of the many aliases of the great villain Sauron) is central to this season’s plot, with Annatar manipulating Celebrimbor into forging the Rings of Power. We also get a brief glimpse at a potentially unexpected alliance between Galadriel and orc army leader Adar, with the footage suggesting that the latter is still not on the same page The Lord of the Ring‘ most notable big bad. However, this could just be a clever bit of trailer-based editing, which simply gives the impression that Galadriel and Adar will temporarily team up.
Who is the new wizard in the new trailer for The Rings of Power season 2?
The biggest surprise of the final Season 2 trailer, however, comes around the 1:30 mark. There have been plenty of surprising revelations in the run-up to the high fantasy series’ return, not least in The Rings of Power‘s second trailer and the reveal that Season 2 will feature a fan favorite Lord of the Rings character in a live-action version for the first time.
The seeming confirmation that a younger Saruman, one of the Five Wizards of Middle-earth who betrayed his own kin and joined Sauron, The Lord of the Ringwill appear in season 2 was something I didn’t expect. Ciarán Hinds (Treason, Belfast), who was rumored to be playing Saruman in The Rings of Power Season 2, set for late July, seems set to do just that, judging by his all-too-brief appearance in this teaser.
Ciarán Hinds as a younger version of Saruman. His facial expression is very similar to Christopher Lee’s version of Saruman. Just a different age and hair color. pic.twitter.com/549j6YM9JfJuly 29, 2024
Of course, Hinds could play a different wizard (they’re also known as the Istari), such as one of the two Blue wizards who have never appeared in a live-action film. Lord of the Rings project for. But given his white robes, staff and long beard which resemble those of Saruman from The Lord of the Ring And The HobbiConsidering his films and his general demeanor, I’d be surprised if Hinds portrayed anyone other than the wise but flawed leader of the Istari.
There’s plenty more to get excited about in this latest batch of footage, including duels between Silvan elf Arondir and Damrod the Hill-troll, Galadriel and Sauron, and Durin’s Bane and, well, all of Khazad-dûm. Expect plenty more inter- and intra-racial melodrama, gory and tense action, gorgeously realized fantasy elements, and atmospheric horror where it all came from, too, when one of Prime Video’s best shows returns. I for one can’t wait.
