I’ve Been Studying Tolkien’s Works for 30 Years, This is How ‘Rings of Energy’ Season 2 Holds Up

A brand new season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Energy has arrived on Prime Video, and with it comes the promise of a wonderful growth of the Center-earth as we all know it from books and movies. In contrast to the Peter Jackson variations of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, which many have grown up with, The Rings of Energy would not come from a clearly written novel with a starting and ending. The writers of this present are taking some liberties with the story, and filling in gaps in time and narration left by J.R.R. Tolkien and his household. 

Within the first season of The Rings of Energy, showrunners J.D Payne and Patrick McKay have been clear they made changes to the story because it’s instructed within the books based mostly on an infinite quantity of analysis and session with Tolkien students from all over the world. As a result of Amazon solely has entry to a small part of the Tolkien legendarium, there are issues within the books which are recognized however cannot be proven on display screen with out breaking the settlement with the Tolkien Property. We outlined these adjustments in our protection of the final season, and the way these story selections differ from the supply materials. Now {that a} new season is right here, we shall be updating this text with every episode to interrupt down what’s a part of Tolkien’s created lore and what has been stuffed in or altered by the creators of this present. 

 To be clear, this evaluation doesn’t embody:

• Whether or not individuals of colour must be on display screen as Dwarves, Elves or Harfoots. (They need to, finish of dialog.)
• Whether or not Dwarven girls ought to have full beards. (Tolkien was by no means clear on this, so I will not be taking a place.)
• Whether or not Tolkien is OK with individuals inventing issues in his world. (This letter from Tolkien to his writer in 1951 makes his place clear.)

Episode 1: Elven Kings Underneath the Sky

This episode is all about establishing the stakes for the Elves, who now lastly agree with Galadriel that Sauron is a menace to be taken severely. With the intention to save their individuals and be part of the combat, three rings want to search out their method to their homeowners. Nori and The Stranger are additionally on this episode. 

Sauron Betrayed

The episode begins with a model of Sauron that doesn’t have a look at all like Halbrand of the Southlands shortly after the autumn of his grasp, Morgoth. Sauron doesn’t seem to have the loyalty of the Uruk round him, and Adar lands a seemingly deadly blow which ends up in the realm often known as Forodwaith to freeze over as Sauron’s bodily type vanishes. Over time, we see Sauron barely survive lengthy sufficient to search out sufficient power to take the type of Halbrand and get on the ship we see him clinging to within the first season. Loads of what we see right here was described in bits and items throughout the final season, however it’s an excellent demonstration of Sauron’s capability to vary form and deceive.

Whereas there’s nothing in Tolkien’s lore which explicitly states any of this occurring, most of it suits effectively inside the gaps within the materials about this Age. Forodwaith is a area described as being terribly chilly on account of Morgoth’s prolonged presence there, and Tolkien by no means describes Sauron as having been attacked by Morgoth’s forces throughout the change in management, however that is as a result of little or no about this space presently was ever written about. Personally, I name this an affordable addition to the lore regardless that what Halbrand does subsequent doesn’t warrant the identical description. 

Three Elven Rings 

What’s presumably the biggest deviation from Tolkien’s writing takes up a variety of time on this episode, particularly that Lord Celebrimbor cast three nice rings whereas guided (not less than initially) by Sauron disguised as Halbrand of the Southlands. On this episode, Elrond is so afraid of Sauron’s potential affect he runs away from Galadriel after which Excessive King Gil-Galad when it turns into clear Elrond’s place just isn’t the favored one. Elrond runs to Cirdan the Shipwright, who nearly throws the rings into the ocean earlier than the ocean itself appears to discourage this motion and causes Cirdan to take a look at the rings for the primary time. He places on the blue ring, Narya, whereas the opposite two are introduced to Gil-Galad and Galadriel. 
There’s fairly a bit about this which differs from the supply materials. For starters, in Tolkien’s story the three rings meant for the elves have been made after the rings for males and dwarves whereas Sauron was forging The One Ring and the elves hid their existence from Sauron. Elrond had no motive to concern the affect of those rings as a result of they have been made in an effort to defend towards Sauron, and the danger of affect was not a priority. Moreover, Tolkien wrote Cirdan the Shipwright and Galadriel got their rings by Gil-Galad willingly and with out reservation. Later in Tolkien’s tales, Elrond himself turns into a ring-bearer. 

The Unknown Forward

Once we final left Nori and The Stranger, who we now know is a Wizard however not essentially _the_ Wizard everybody is aware of from that point he turned Bilbo Baggins right into a burglar in The Hobbit, they have been headed to the far off land known as Rhun. Once we see them now, not solely does journey not seem like going notably effectively however they bought so misplaced, solely Poppy Proudfellow was in a position to catch up and assist them. It positive did look like Poppy was effectively on her method to changing into the subsequent Trailfinder for her Harfoot group after we noticed her final, however she is right here now to assist and conveniently discovered some pages from Sadoc’s books a couple of time when Harfoots as soon as travelled to Rhun. 

Tolkien by no means bought round to writing a ton about Rhun, and what he did write is pretty imprecise. We all know Rhun is usually dwelling to a gaggle of evil-leaning individuals known as The Easterlings who have been principally excited by preventing each other till they have been all united below a single banner by Sauron. We all know Gandalf by no means explored Rhun however early in his time on Center-earth Saruman the White in addition to the Blue Wizards Pallando and Alatar did sooner or later earlier than Sauron consolidated energy. This creates a reasonably large sandbox for the Rings of Energy writers to play in, and that is precisely what we see on display screen. 

One fast be aware from this a part of the episode, after The Stranger has a imaginative and prescient the place a “department” floats earlier than him and grants him visions of energy when he touches it. Nori refers back to the department his is searching for as a “gand” which is critical, because the title Gandalf comes from the Norse phrase Galdalfr or “wand elf”. This could possibly be a bit of easter egg to maintain Tolkien-obsessed viewers believing that is Gandalf solely to shock us later, however we can’t know for positive till we get there. 

Episode 2: The place the Stars are Unusual

Sauron’s affect has shortly unfold from Adar’s darkened area of Uruk troopers to the Dwarven metropolis of Khazad-dum and eventually Eregion, town of Elven smiths the place the nice rings are cast. Elrond will get an opportunity to point out his high quality. 

Dwarven Stubbornness Abounds

With the Durins nonetheless not talking with each other, the underground metropolis of Khazad-dum is rocked by the eruption of Orodruin (later often known as Mount Doom) and is plunged into darkness. Sources are dwindling, and an unseen supply is stopping the Dwarven girls who sing to the mountain from seeing a approach out. Some are fast responsible Durin’s friendship with Elrond whereas Disa tries to get son and father to place apart variations and resolve this disaster for the sake of their kingdom. 
Tolkien describes the Second Age as a time of prosperity for the Dwarves in Khazad-dum, and it looks like these scenes are setting the stage for that prosperity to start. It is coming a bit of later than Tolkien describes, and there is nothing written concerning the eruption of Oroduin impacting this metropolis, however it looks like this a part of the story is establishing an thrilling time for the Dwarves below the mountain. Tolkien wrote of an excellent working relationship between these dwarves and the elves of Eregion, which we now have but to actually see take form. If this is step one in the direction of that a part of the story, it might find yourself being fairly near Tolkien’s description of town on this Age. 

Galadriel’s Imaginative and prescient

A darkish dream initially of this episode sees Celebrimbor uttering the start of J.R.R. Tolkien’s well-known poem concerning the nice rings earlier than being brutally murdered by vines which grew from seeds Galadriel planted. When she returns from this imaginative and prescient, she seeks the recommendation of Gil-Galad who shares that his sense of foresight has additionally been enhanced since he began carrying the pink ring, Narya. A warning is shipped to Celebrimbor, however he by no means receives it.

A number of elves have been recognized to own restricted types of foresight, together with Galadriel, however that capability just isn’t granted to her by carrying the Nenya, the white ring. When she learns to grasp it, Galadriel will have the ability to use Nenya to hide and to protect however that isn’t what we see right here. I might interpret this scene as Galadriel having the ability to extra simply entry the ability of foresight now that the ring is opening her as much as new energy and never an influence granted by carrying the ring, which might be effectively consistent with Tolkien’s writings on the how ring-bearers expertise the ability of an excellent ring.

The Lord of Items

After standing within the chilly and the rain for what seems to be days on account of Celebrimbor’s settlement to not deal with with Halbrand for any motive, the badly crushed man is introduced inside and Sauron is lastly in a position to end what he began. A flash of vivid hearth and glowing smoke reveals to Celebrimbor that Halbrand was truly despatched by the gods and is in actual fact a divinely highly effective being known as Annatar who’s right here to assist. 

Halbrand of the Southlands just isn’t a personality J.R.R. Tolkien ever created however the particular person he turns into on the finish of this episode very a lot is. Annatar, the Lord of Items, is described by Tolkien as having appeared to the elves of Eregion as an nearly angelic emissary of the Valar (the gods of Center-earth) to information them to creating nice objects of energy. It is troublesome to explain what’s seen on display screen as something however that description. Whereas it is true Annatar ought to have been right here the entire time, his entrance is as near straight from the textual content as we’re more likely to get.

Episode 3: The Eagle and the Sceptre

Isildur and Berek stay, Arondir and Theo grieve and Pharazon sees his probability to say the throne of Numenor. The Dwarves search partnership with Eregion and the ability of an excellent ring. 

Surviving in Pelargir

Having been launched from service on the finish of the final season by Elendil, the courageous horse Berek finds his proprietor Isildur and saves him from an premature demise. Isildur connects with Arondir and makes his method to Pelargir with a younger lady of questionable intent in tow. The individuals now huddled at Pelargir are surviving, however primarily in grief after shedding practically every part. 

When you’ve learn a lot concerning the Second Age of Center-earth, you possible know Pelargir to be the place Numenoreans who remained trustworthy to the methods of their forefathers go to flee the ethical decline of the one dwelling they’ve ever recognized. The Pelargir we see on display screen to date just isn’t that place but, however the story proven in the remainder of the episode means that model of Pelargir is on its approach. What we see right here just isn’t one thing Tolkien wrote, however it would not run explicitly counter to the supply materials both. And it is a good method to put all of those characters in a single place whereas the bigger tales unfold elsewhere. 

What we do get on this scene that strains up with Tolkien’s writings is Bronwyn’s passing. Tolkien by no means created Arondir or Bronwyn, and whereas their existence on this story has been a variety of enjoyable thus far, their relationship could not proceed. There are solely three recorded long-term relationships between an elf and somebody from the race of males and every are hailed as nice and horrible issues which grow to be legend and track on this world. Bronwyn’s passing was roughly assured with a view to preserve this pillar of Tolkien’s lore. 

Pharazon’s Stolen Eagle

Now that the mourning interval for Miriel’s father and the King of Numenor attracts to a detailed, it is time for the coronation. Miriel faces new challenges as she returns dwelling from what’s extensively seen as a failure, and her cousin Pharazon is introduced with a possibility to grab energy because of Elendil’s daughter Earien. Simply earlier than a Nice Eagle seems to bless this coronation, it’s revealed that Miriel has been utilizing Elvish energy to affect her rule. That is seen as a betrayal by the residents who’ve grown to mistrust elves, and the coronation swiftly adjustments to Pharazon who turns into the brand new King of Numenor. 

There are two items of this which are fairly totally different from Tolkien’s writings, however I will give one in every of them a go. 

First, Tolkien’s description of Pharazon’s ascension to the throne is fairly gross by fashionable requirements. As written, when Miriel’s father dies Pharazon breaks Numenoran legislation and forces her to marry him towards her will. He takes energy from Miriel who is meant to be the subsequent queen of Numenor, and makes use of that energy to do all types of disagreeable issues. What we see on display screen is in no way what’s written on the web page on this occasion, however I feel it could be for the higher on this case. 

Second, and this can be a discrepancy with Tolkien’s writings which fits again to the Peter Jackson movies as effectively, Tolkien established that Nice Eagles can communicate. This large chicken did not simply present as much as look fairly whereas everybody celebrated, these are beings of unbelievable intelligence who would have arrived with a function. This Nice Eagle arrived to bless the coronation of Miriel, and when it noticed that wasn’t occurring would nearly assuredly have spoken up about it as a substitute of preening after which leaving.