Remember when I said it was all happening for me regarding The Rings of Power season two’s sneak peeks, trailers, and teases? Good news, it’s still all happening for me. And hopefully, you feel the same way. The first released clips from The Rings of Power season two spotlight two of the best characters from the series, Sauron and Adar. Of course, Adar thinks he killed Sauron and has no idea the Dark Lord has, in fact, returned. Then, on the other hand, we have Sauron, who knows Adar betrayed him, who almost killed him in season one, and probably still would like to, but instead, he’s doing what Sauron does best on The Rings of Power, messing around in the heads of others and manipulating them to his aims.
In the first clip from The Rings of Power (which begins at the 4:24 time code for the Fallon clip), we see Sauron, pretending to be Halbrand, King of the Southlands, bartering for “his people” and their freedom. He purports to want to save the Southlanders in exchange for information about “a sorcerer” that he claims Galadriel is working with. Of course, he drops just enough hints to ensure that Adar knows he’s referring to Sauron, quoting his own favorite refrain, “a power over flesh.” Sauron must know how intensely the implication that he is alive will haunt Adar, who thought himself free of his and his children’s tormentor. But, obviously, that’s part of the fun of it for Sauron.
“You can’t kill me.” Sauron then tells Adar. And it’s true, Adar really cannot kill Sauron. The mind games are already running thick and fast, teasing what’s sure to be a season full of mischief on Sauron’s part and much pain on everyone else’s part.
These clips make me intensely excited for what’s to come on The Rings of Power season two. Not only because I am the world’s foremost Adar-lover, although I am, but because these The Rings of Power clips truly blow it out of the water. Charlie Vickers and Sam Hazeldine crush their performances, the tension in the scenes is delicious, and the nuances and story layers of each performance really take your breath away.
Where will this go for Sauron and Adar on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power? Probably nowhere good for the current ruler of Mordor, especially since we already know he’ll be the ex-ruler of Mordor sooner or later. I just hope he ends up with the elves and not dead. But either way, we’ll be excited to tune in every step of the way. The Rings of Power premieres with its first three episodes on August 29.
