‘Rings of Power’ Season 2 Finale Recap: The Lord of the Rings Is Revealed

Warning: Spoilers ahead for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 finale.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 ends in spectacular fashion, tying up many of the threads set up while also leaving the door open to continue the adventure in Season 3. While some storylines get left on the cutting room floor, the series ultimately succeeds by massively improving from its premier season and delivering an epic fantasy adventure.

Eregion has fallen, and now, with Sauron’s (Charlie Vickers) plans fully revealed, the people of Middle-earth must all find a way forward. While the Elves face the wrath of Sauron, the dwarves battle their own darkness in the pits of Khazad-dǔm, and The Stranger (Daniel Weyman) faces his destiny in Rhǔn as The Dark Wizard’s (Ciarán Hinds) power continues to rise.

‘Rings of Power’ Season 2 Episode 8 Reveals Durin’s Bane

In Khazad-dǔm, Durin IV (Owain Arthur) and Narvi (Kevin Eldon) make their way to the mine, where King Durin III (Peter Mullan) digs deeper into the mountain. Prince Durin demands that his father take the ring off and prove he is as strong as he always thought. King Durin ignores his pleas, saying Dwarves do not beg, and breaks through the mountain, revealing a massive cavern filled with Mithril.

The two look in amazement as the cavern begins to rumble. A flaming whip grabs King Durin, and a Balrog of Morgoth rises from the depths — the same Balrog Gandalf will one day face in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Durin runs to help his father but is thrown back by the monster. King Durin rises and takes off his ring, asking his son to forgive him and naming him King. The Dwarven King grabs his axe and jumps to meet the Balrog, and as their weapons clash, a shockwave rings out, sealing the cavern shut.

The Stranger Confronts His Destiny

To the East, we find that The Stranger has left his training to save Nori (Markella Kavenagh) and Poppy (Megan Richards) and arrives at the Stoors’ village. The Dark Wizard is there, and he tells The Stranger that Manwë promised he would come and that they are kin. The Dark Wizard goes on to say that of the five, The Stranger was the one to convince him to leave the the blessed realm and come to Middle-earth to defeat Sauron. The Dark Wizard promises The Stranger all the answers he seeks and brings out Nori and Poppy, who are being held at knifepoint by one of the armored scouts that have been stalking them. 

The Dark Wizard apologizes for their aggression, and when the leader threatens to kill Nori and Poppy, he kills him. The Stoors come out and are shocked by the murder, but The Dark Wizard assures them that that name was only given to him out of ignorance. The Stranger asks him if he seeks to destroy Sauron or succeed him, and The Dark Wizard says if he comes with him, they will both succeed him.

The Stranger refuses, saying he would rather be nameless forever than succeed Sauron as ruler. The Dark Wizard attacks him and begins to bring down the Stoors’ village, but The Stranger uses his powers to hold back the rubble and offer the Stoors a chance to escape. 

A New King Rises in Númenor

In Númenor, Pharazǒn (Trystan Gravelle) gathers the remaining members of the Faithful and tells them that Míriel (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) could only survive her trial by being aligned with Sauron. He declares them all traitors, and they are taken away as prisoners. We then see other members of the Kingsmen take to the streets, ripping members of the Faithful from their homes. Eärien (Ema Horvath) rushes through the chaos to find Elendil (Lloyd Owen) and is able to reach him before the guards, allowing him to escape.

Elendil makes his way to Míriel and says they must gather the Faithful and head to Middle-earth. Míriel refuses, saying that her place is in Númenor, and Elendil questions where his place is if not by her side. She gives him Narsil, the same sword that Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) will one day wield (though his reforged version has a different name — Andúril, the Flame of the West), and tells him to reclaim his lordship and destiny. Elendil takes the sword and begins his first steps to becoming the King he will one day be.

Celebrimbor Regains His Honor in the Season 2 Finale

Across the sea, Orcs invade Eregion killing everyone in their path as Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) leads survivors out of the city. They are able to make it out but are ambushed by Orcs, and Galadriel offers them the Nine in exchange for letting the civilians go. In Celebrimbor’s (Charles Edwards) forge, Sauron tortures him for the location of the Nine Rings. 

Sauron repeatedly shoots him with arrows, but Celebrimbor refuses to give them up, saying the Rings of Power will destroy him and that he foresees one will defeat him. Sauron stabs Celebrimbor, screaming that he is their master, and with his dying breath, Celebrimbor says he is their prisoner and names him The Lord of the Rings. Sauron cries as Celebrimbor dies impaled on his spear, and Orcs arrive to capture him.

We then meet up with Isildur (Maxim Baldry) in Pelargir, where he and Estrid (Nia Towle) reveal their feelings for each other and kiss. Númenorians arrive, but unfortunately, it’s Kemen (Leon Wadham) and the Kingsmen, who scoff at Theo (Tyroe Muhafidin) and the rest of the survivors and begin to give orders, claiming that Pelargir is now a fortress for Númenor and he is its commander. Isildur confronts him but is forced to submit after Kemen threatens to kill his horse Berek.

The Rings of Power’ Season 2 Finale Shows Adar’s True Face

On the battlefield, Galadriel is brought before Adar (Sam Hazeldine), and she accepts his previous offer, saying that if he stops his assault on Eregion, she will help him defeat Sauron. He asks her how she plans to do that without her ring and turns around to reveal him wearing her ring, and his face no longer scared. Adar says he looks like he did when he was called a different name, but Adar is the name that he has earned, and he offers Galadriel the ring. He promises that if she helps him, he will return the Orcs to Mordor and never wage war on Middle-earth again. 

Adar forgives Galadriel for killing so many of his children and says the rings can heal the rift between Elf and Orc, creating lasting peace. A group of orcs carries in Glug (Robert Strange), who was injured after his encounter with Sauron and refusing to betray Adar. Adar embraces him, but Glug stabs him, revealing it was a trick. The other Orcs jump in and begin violently stabbing him, paralleling Sauron’s death in Episode 1. As Adar lies in a pool of blood, Sauron arrives and takes Morgoth’s crown. He greets Galadriel but walks past her to look upon Adar and tell the Orcs to finish Eregion and leave no Elf alive except their leaders.

Galadriel and Sauron Face Off

Galadriel attacks Sauron, but he blocks it with Morgoth’s crown and demands that she give him the Nine. Sauron gets a couple of hits on Galadriel and toys with her by invoking the memory of her brother Finrod (Will Fletcher), recalling his line about touching the darkness. Galadriel gets the upper hand, but Sauron appears as Halbrand, which causes her to hesitate. He tells her that the door in her mind is still open to him and appears to her as herself and Celebrimbor as they continue to fight. 

Galadriel declares the door is closed, and she kicks him back and slices him in the throat, but Sauron then stabs her with Morgoth’s crown. He tells her that he would have brought all of Middle-earth to worship her and digs the crown in deeper. Galadriel tells him the free people will always resist him, rips out the crown, and jumps over the cliff side, leaving Sauron to recover the Nine.

The Dwarves Bring Hope to the Elves in the ‘Rings of Power’ Season 2 Finale

In Eregion, Elrond (Robert Aramayo), Gil-galad (Benjamin Walker), and Arondir (Ismael Cruz Cordova) are taken prisoner and watch helplessly as the Orcs destroy the statue of Fëanor in the city center. The Orcs begin to gather up the records from Celebrimbor’s forge, and Elrond begs them not to destroy them as they contain years of irreplaceable Elvish history and lore. The Orcs laugh at them, and the two Elf lords fight back but are quickly de-escalated.

They watch as the Orcs begin to burn the records, and suddenly, arrows start flying because the Dwarves have come to save the Elves. They quickly breach the gates and take out the remaining Orcs, freeing Elrond and the remaining Elves. Glug and the others tell Sauron that the Dwarves’ arrival has overwhelmed their forces, and Sauron kills him.

The Stranger Gets His Name

Back in Rhǔn, the Stoors try to pick up what remains of their homes. Nori tells Poppy that this is her fault and that she has to fix it, but Poppy assures her that sometimes things just can’t be fixed — the best you can do is rebuild. We then flash through the destruction across Middle-earth, with Eregion burning, Elendil fleeing Númenor, and Sauron holding Feanor’s hammer. Poppy decides to go with the Stoors, and they gather what they can carry and say goodbye to The Stranger. 

As they set off on their migration, Gundabale (Tanya Moodie) names The Stranger Grand-Elf, and he and Nori watch as they leave. With tears in her eyes, Nori tells The Stranger that if it were up to her, they would wander together forever, but she needs to find her own path — just as The Stranger must find his — and she sets off with the Stoors. Now alone, The Stranger begins to leave but finds his staff among the rubble. 

He returns to the valley to see Tom Bombadil‘s house and realizes that the test all along was to choose his friends over power. Tom reiterates his previous statement that a Wizard’s staff finds him, just like his name, and with that realization, The Stranger names himself Gandalf from the Stoor’s Grand-elf. Tom and Gandalf then sing together over the fire, and we see the Dark Wizard looming out in the night sky, looking at the Istar constellation.

Middle-earth Finds the Light in ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ Season 2 Finale

To the West, Elrond, Arondir, and Gil-galad find Galadriel, and the Elven King tries to heal her wounds. He says the darkness is too strong, and she is slipping into the shadow realm, but Elrond sees her ring and puts it on, proclaiming they can save her. Returning to Khazad-dǔm, Narvi tells Durin that Eregion has fallen and Elrond has led the survivors to a nearby valley. Durin says they are ready to bring them aid, but Disa and Narvi inform him that the other Dwarf-lords are questioning his claim to the throne and gathering arms, including his brother. 

Rings of Power‘s Season 2 finale continues with the Elves, Galadriel wakes up to find that her wounds are healed and sees Gil-galad watching over her, who assures her that they are safe. Elrond returns her ring to her, and the two friends finally reunite with Elrond now seeing the potential of the Rings to battle the darkness. Arondir tells them that he has gathered the rest of the survivors, and Gil-galad says they must choose whether to pursue Sauron or retreat to recover their forces.

They look to Galadriel, who says they should remember the words of Celebrimbor; that only light overcomes darkness — not strength — and that the sun still shines. The Elven lords look out among the remaining survivors, and the High King Gil-galad raises his sword. The Elves raise their arms and cheer as the sun beams behind them, closing out this season.

‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ Season 2 Sets a New Bar for Fantasy Television

Coming off of the excitement of last week’s penultimate episode, the Rings of Power Season 2 finale maintains its momentum and successfully sticks the landing in an episode filled with twists, action, and satisfying character arcs.

Unfortunately, while some storylines fall by the wayside, the season does succeed in bringing its numerous threads together, hopefully giving those characters more focus in future seasons. Overall, The Rings of Power Season 2 improves on nearly everything from Season 1 and brings The Lord of the Rings franchise back to the peak of fantasy content.

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