MANILA, Philippines — True to what the showrunners promised, Season 2 of Prime Video's “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” especially in its end part, got really dark.
But the feeling of hope, which is core to J.R.R. Tolkien's work remains. All eight episodes of the latest season are now streaming on Prime Video. The series is set in Middle-earth's Second Age or thousands of years before the events in Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings.”
Without spoiling the fun for those who have yet to watch the show, let's just say that all the events of Season 2 led to a two-part “Siege of Eregion,” the deadly war between the Dark Lord Sauron (played by Charlie Vickers) and the Elves of Eregion during the Second Age of Middle-earth. The siege also marked Sauron's ascent to power, which was made possible by his deception of the greatest of the elven smiths, Celebrimbor (played by Charles Edwards). The show culminates with a really major and heroic death, and the battle leaves the survivors weary and down, but not entirely defeated. Last scene shows the elves unbowed and ready to regroup for Season 3, perhaps?
Meanwhile, showrunner J.D. Payne previously told The STAR in an interview about balancing the darkness with hope, “You know, we try to always be true to that feeling. We don't shy away from the horror of where this story can take you because that is true to Tolkien.”
He noted that the darkness in the story reflects the tragic realities of war, particularly Tolkien's own experiences during World War I.
“These works were born in his imagination during some of the darkest times of World War I as he was in the trenches… He had lost several of his closest friends in war. There is real tragedy, real darkness, and real sadness that exists in Middle-earth.
“But then also, unlike a lot of other writers who came back from World War I, and wrote tales of alienation and fragmentation and brokenness, Tolkien wrote what he called a fairy story, and he found hope within that darkness. We are constantly looking for that,” J.D. said.
He continued, “The darkness comes kind of easily because there's a story about Sauron, and he's doing all kinds of horrible things, setting this army in motion over there and that over there, manipulating Celebrimbor and driving him to madness. So the darkness comes from that.”
But despite the grim themes, he stressed how characters find light in moments of friendship, among other things.
“But then the hope is the really important part where we ask, where are characters stopping at these moments of seeming hopelessness and saying, where is the light? How do we find the light? Sometimes, it's in a moment of friendship between two friends who love each other. Sometimes, it's in unexpected mercy or grace that comes from somewhere you didn't see coming. But there's always hope in their world and in ours,” J.D. added.
Director Charlotte Brändström also believes that there's lightness amid the bleakness of the season.
“I think we have the Harfoots who give us comic relief and bring some light into the story. It’s written that way. It’s going to be very dark for a while, but hope is coming back, thanks to a few of our characters,” she said.
Meanwhile, the female director, as well as cast members Cynthia Addai-Robinson and Trystan Gravelle, shared their ultimate lesson about power from Season 2.
“That power corrupts,” said Charlotte simply.
“Talking about how power corrupts, Cynthia mentioned how someone with good intentions can end up creating very powerful weapons. I sometimes actually compare Celebrimbor to Oppenheimer, who created the bomb with good intentions in the beginning,” she said.
“So, it’s interesting to see how Celebrimbor gets manipulated in doing this because he’s very responsible in a way. But not entirely, since Sauron has gotten into his head and has these illusions.”
As for Cynthia (who plays Miriel, the dethroned queen of the island nation of men), she said, “What starts with good intentions can be manipulated and corrupted. It’s tricky because for some people, their hearts are in the right place, but with such a powerful tool (rings), things can go sideways very quickly. Tolkien explored classic themes that are relevant throughout history, today, and into the future.”
Trystan, who portrays the Numenor usurper Pharazon, also weighed in on the theme of power: “If there are questions that need answering, sometimes the person in the street, you know, their voice isn't heard. So, when we see people’s ascension to power, it’s sometimes because they want to be heard. To do that, they sometimes have to climb that ladder. But by the time you get to the top, are you even the same person? I think that applies to everybody, not only in Middle-earth and Numenor.”