The second season of Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is almost here. Before jumping directly into the season, though, it is a good idea to look back and recall what exactly happened in the first season of the show. Here is the full The Lord of the Rings season 1 recap.
The Lord of the Rings (LotR) has also been adapted into a tremendously successful movie trilogy by Peter Jackson. The New Zealand director also went on to direct a three-movie adaptation of The Hobbit, the 1937 prequel to LotR, which is set 60 years before. LotR and The Hobbit series for millions around the world are comfort movies.
Rings of Power, however, goes back much further. In season 1, we were introduced to a massive cast, some familiar, most new. A prequel series to J.R.R. Tolkien’s original The Lord of the Rings (or LotR) tome published in 1956, it is set in the Second Age, thousands of years before Frodo and the epic quest to destroy the One Ring. It chronicles the Free Peoples of Middle-earth’s first war against Dark Lord Sauron, the chief lieutenant of Morgoth (who was essentially Middle-earth’s equivalent of Satan).
The Rings of Power is by far the most expensive series in television history. Amazon got the global TV series rights of LotR at an incredible USD 250 million. The first season alone cost USD 465 million to create, with each episode setting the studio back at approximately USD 58 million.
Anyway, before season 2 premieres, let’s go through The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 1 recap.
Spoilers ahead!
Season 1 recap: Key moments in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
One thing you must understand about Rings of Power is that it is not exactly faithful to Tolkien’s world and stories. For instance, several events are squeezed into a much shorter timeframe to make sure the story does not have to undergo major time-jumps and we can follow most of the same characters throughout the story. This recap focuses on the show and is not necessarily accurate in terms of the original lore.
Morgoth is defeated, but the hunt for Sauron is on
After the massive War of Wrath, Morgoth is defeated, but his servant Sauron survives. Elf warrior Finrod is sent to hunt him but perishes. His sister, young Galadriel (played by Morfydd Clark), takes up the search but finds the trail cold in the northern wastes. The High King of Elves, Gil-galad (played by Benjamin Walker) insists the war against Morgoth is over. We meet young half-Elf Elrond (played by Robert Aramayo), and it appears he is Galadriel’s friend. Galadriel is granted an eternal life of bliss in Valinor, but she chooses to turn back and ends up in Númenór, the great island kingdom of Men that does not exist by the time we meet Frodo, Bilbo and the rest.
Down south, a squad of Elf warriors keep an eye out over Men whose ancestors were allies of Morgoth in the war. Those people are called Low Men for obvious reasons. One of those warriors Arondir (played by Ismael Cruz Córdova) has fallen in love with a human woman called Bronwyn (played by Nazanin Boniadi), much to the disapproval of others in his company.
Elsewhere, we meet Harfoots, from whom the hobbits are descended. Nori Brandyfoot (played by Markella Kavenagh) and her friend Poppy Proudfellow (played by Megan Richards) come across what looks like a crashing meteor, but is actually an unusually big man (played by Daniel Weyman) with no memory of how he got here.
Orcs are still alive in great numbers and they have a leader
Arondir, other Elves discover a group of Orcs led by Adar (played by Joseph Mawle), a corrupted Elf, (which is quite funny since all Orcs are corrupted Elves). Turns out not every Orc perished with Morgoth. Although Arondir is captured by the Orcs, he is later released with the message that every Southlander will be destroyed unless they swear fealty to him.
On the way to Númenór, Galadriel befriends a man called Halbrand, who is part of a group of people fleeing Adar. After a sea monster attacks, only Halbrand and Galadriel survive. They are picked up by Elendil (played by Lloyd Owen), a sailor and warrior who we know will end up as a leader in the war against Sauron (his son is Isildur, played by Maxim Baldry).
Nori and Poppy decide to keep the information about the Man (who came as a meteor crashing into the Earth), who they call the Stranger, secret for the time being. He displays an inherent knowledge of magic, though he still cannot communicate with them.
Elrond is sent to Eregion to help Elven-smith Celebrimbor (played by Charles Edwards) who has plans to build a new forge. From there, Elrond goes to take the assistance of the Dwarves in the still-thriving kingdom of Khazad-dûm, where he meets and makes amends with Prince Durin IV (played by Owain Arthur) for not keeping in touch. Durin informs Elron about the new ore they are mining called mithril.
Queen Regent Míriel (played by Cynthia Addai-Robinson) in Númenór does not have a lot of love for Elves and denies the request of Galadriel for a ship back to Middle-earth. In a library in the kingdom, she discovers that Halbrand is the heir to the throne of Southlands. When Galadriel demands help for the Southlanders from Míriel, she not only refuses but also imprisons Galadriel.
Evil again knocks at the doors of Middle-earth
Continuing this The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 1 recap, there are signs of evil rising again in Middle-earth. Sauron is nowhere to be found, but Orcs exist and are multiplying. Míriel reveals to Galadriel the reason she does not reestablish contact with the Elves. Apparently, there was a rebellion, and it led to Míriel occupying the throne. While trying to scry using a palantír, she witnessed the eventual destruction of Númenór. However, she changes her mind when she sees the White Tree’s petals falling.
The Stranger becomes a friend of Nori and saves her from a pack of wolves. A mysterious trio of three deadly-looking women appear to be searching for the Stranger, believing him to be Sauron. The Stranger ultimately uses magic to banish the women to another world. He also regains his memories and realises that he is one of the Wizards and has to travel to Rhûn. Nori decides to accompany him.
The final battle between good and evil
Okay, it is not the final battle of the show, only the climactic battle of the season. Arondir, other Elves and Low Men shore up defences against Adar and his Orcs. Eventually, they are overpowered and only saved by Galadriel, Halbrand, Elendil and other Númenórians. Halbrand defeats Adar on his lonesome. Lava erupts, thanks to a Low Men defector, and the Southlands are turned into a wasteland of fire and brimstone: Mordor. Halbrand is grievously injured, and it appears only Elvish medicine can help him. Galadriel takes him to Eregion.
Durin IV is stripped of his royal titles by his father Durin III (played by Peter Mullan) for mining mithril without his permission. Elrond is banished from Khazad-dûm. We are shown a Balrog stirring in the depths of the kingdom. He will go on to doom the place.
In Eregion, Halbrand recovers and seems to be particularly interested in Celebrimbor’s forge. He suggests using the mithril that Elron smuggled to craft a new object. And indeed, Halbrand is revealed to be Sauron all along. When Galadriel does not agree to come with him and is instead horrified, he flees to Mordor.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 trailer
Watch the trailer for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power below.
(Hero and Featured image: Courtesy of IMDb)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ is a prequel to J.R.R. Tolkien’s 'Lord of the Rings'. It recounts how Dark Lord Sauron was originally vanquished by the Free Peoples of the Middle-earth.
‘Rings of Power’ season 1 ended with the revelation of Halbrand being Sauron and the Dark Lord establishing his kingdom in Mordor.
We do not know for certain, but he is revealed to be one of the Istari or Wizards. His actual identity is not confirmed yet, but he is most likely Gandalf.
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Kshitij is a journalism graduate who did not initially intend to become a film critic, but such are the vagaries of destiny. Now, Kshitij is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic and a member of the Film Critics Guild, bringing expertise and experience in evaluating entertainment content with him. Additionally, he serves as a jury member on the Critics' Choice Awards in India. When he's not busy wielding words, catch him nose-deep in books or joyfully lost in the realms of gaming and photography.
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