Charlie Vickers and Charles Edwards have opened up about what to expect from Sauron and Celebrimbor's mentally demanding relationship in The rings of power Season 2.
Speaking to TechRadar ahead of the popular Prime Video show’s return today (August 29), the pair revealed that the dynamic between the Dark Lord and the master elf smith won’t play out as many viewers expect. Indeed, Vickers and Edwards stressed that their relationship won’t be defined by Sauron – who is now disguised as Annatar – simply manipulating Celebrimbor into forging more of the titular rings. Instead, their power dynamic will play out with a greater degree of unpredictability.
“It’s not just about puppet and puppeteer,” Edwards told me of the respective roles Celebrimbor and Sauron play in their relationship. “They’re both brilliant minds pursuing this goal.” [creating the other rings] At first with honorable intentions, but they're also vying for control, so there's creative and domestic friction, and as we move into season two, he… [Sauron] start making me [Celebrimbor] question my own existence.”
“I come with a proposal to 'heal' Middle Earth,” Vickers added. “And with that, I say to Celebrimbor that he can be better than his grandfather.” [Fëanor]”So it all starts off with good intentions, but then it slowly turns into a power struggle, especially when I propose the idea of making rings for myself, something Celebrimbor rejects because men are so susceptible to corruption. That's when conflict starts to arise, and as a result of the increasing levels of disagreement, I need to enforce the law.”
Well, that doesn't sound good! It's understandable that they associate with The Lord of the Rings'The legendary villain is not something Celebrimbor consciously signed up for, but it's clear he's being tricked into crafting more magical artifacts in The rings of power As of Episode 4, Edwards previously told me that he'd taken a crash course in ring-making before filming the hit show's second season, so I'm hoping to see the other 17 rings (seven for the Dwarf Lords, nine for the Kings of Men, and even the One Ring) in the series finale.
Unfortunately for Celebrimbor (and Middle-earth as a whole), the rings are created before anyone in Eregion realizes that Annatar has been manipulating them like a fiddle. When his true identity is revealed on Amazon’s high-fantasy show, then, one can expect a melodramatic powder keg to erupt—something Vickers and Edwards are eager for audiences to see, especially once Celebrimbor understands the enormity of the situation and how he was tricked into playing a major role in it.
“Towards the end, the film becomes more substantial and darker,” Edwards says. “In every scene there is a new challenge and a new method of mental torture. The story builds and builds, and finally explodes in the most dramatic and shocking way possible.”
“There are two battles going on once we get to that point. [in the season]”There's the siege of Eregion happening outside, but there's also the siege of the mind as these two brilliant individuals face off. That's what made those sequences so fun to film. One day, you're walking around the walls of Eregion as things explode around you, and the next you're locked in a room as you engage in this battle of wills. Those things happening simultaneously is what makes this season finale so special.”
It seems, then, that one of Prime Video's best shows is doing everything it can to cement itself as the one Amazon TV Original to rule them all. And that's exactly what I said about The rings of power three-episode Season 2 premiere, which you'll want to binge-watch before heading back to Middle-earth on one of the world's best streaming services.
The first three episodes of The Rings of Power season 2 are now available on Prime Video. New episodes will be released weekly until October 3.
