Diksha Sundriyal
The second season of Prime Video’s ‘The Rings of Power’ comes to an end in an epic finale that resolves the storylines that had been building throughout the season. While episode 8 is mainly focused on the Battle of Eregion, it also sheds light on the fate of the other characters who are far from the war but are yet to play a significant part in the story. There are some major revelations and confirmations, fun Easter eggs, and shocking twists that pave the path for a more eventful next season. And it all centers around Sauron and the Rings. SPOILERS AHEAD
The Dwarves Find Themselves in Uncertain Times
At the end of the last episode, King Durin walked into the mines to dig himself, attacking his own people in the process. At the beginning of this episode, his son, Prince Durin, finds him and tries to reason with him, hoping that his father will find the strength to take off the ring and be himself again. However, the King doesn’t stop until he has found another way deeper into the mountain. At first glance, the discovery catches the Prince by surprise, realizing how much more the mountain holds that they haven’t touched yet. But it turns into horror when the creature they were afraid of awakening shows up. The Balrog makes an entrance, and it is only after seeing him that the King takes off his ring. He gives over the crown to his son and charges at the Balrog. The clash of their swords brings down the ceiling and seals the opening into the mountain.
With the King gone, it now falls on Prince Durin to take care of Khazad-dûm. But before that, he decides to do well on the promise of sending help to Eregion, though he doesn’t himself go to battle. By then, the elven kingdom has already been destroyed. Elrond watches helplessly as all of Celebrimbor’s work and all the knowledge stored in the place is destroyed by the Orcs. Luckily, before he is dragged to the feet of Sauron, the Dwarves arrive and chase away the Orcs, giving the Elves the chance to live and fight another day. While his forces help the elves, Durin mourns his father and the empty throne. However, he doesn’t have the luxury to mourn for long as it turns out that other Dwarven kingdoms are already making plans of their own. In his greed, the late King Durin had made some very rough decisions. Now, the others think that it is time for payback. Moreover, the king’s other son has decided to lay his own claim as the ruler of Khazad-dûm, posing a whole new bundle of trouble to Durin.
What Happens to Sauron? Why Does He Have the Hammer?
In the last episode, due to Celebrimbor’s actions, Sauron lost the Nine Rings of Men. He is adamant about getting his hands on them and tortures Celebrimbor for it. The old elf, however, has learned his lesson and is not going to show any weakness, especially now that he knows how important the Rings are to Sauron. Celebrimbor holds his own against all the pain inflicted on him and dies, but not before predicting Sauron’s fate, telling him that he is a prisoner to the Rings he thinks he is the Lord of and at the end of the day, one of those rings will be the reason for his downfall. Frustrated and infuriated by Celebrimbor, Sauron kills him, deciding the find the Rings himself.
Interestingly, just as Celebrimbor dies, the Orcs enter the room and confirm Sauron’s identity. Later, the same Orcs find Adar and tell him how Sauron attacked them. While Adar shows his concern, one of the Orcs pulls out a knife and kills Adar. It turns out that the Orcs have shifted allegiances. They are done with Adar and are now in service of Lord Sauron. This is a major blow to the good guys, especially after Adar offered an alliance to Galadriel, returning her ring and marking it as an alliance between the Orcs and the Elves. With Adar gone, that alliance is down the drain and now, Sauron has an army.
A fight ensues between Galadriel and Sauron, and he tries to tempt her into joining his side even now. However, she has wisened up to his tricks and puts up a good fight. Eventually, however, he proves to be more powerful. Galadriel suffers a fatal blow when Sauron stabs her with Morgoth’s crown. He takes the Nine Rings from her, however, she falls from the cliff with her own ring. With Eregion completely destroyed and Celebrimbor gone, Sauron now has to make the next ring himself. His resolve is evident from the fact that he has Fëanor’s hammer, which he looks at intently.
Is The Stranger Gandalf? What Happens to Nori and Poppy?
While the Elves and the Dwarves are busy fighting for their lives, the Stranger is on the path of his own. In the previous episode, he was told by Tom Bombadil to make a choice. Either he ventures into the forest to find his staff and gain the power he’d been seeking so long, or he walks away to find his friends, giving up the one opportunity he has to find out exactly who he is. The Stranger chooses his friends and arrives just in time to find the Dark Wizard taking over the residence of the Stoors. He welcomes the Stranger, calling him an old friend and telling him how they are supposed to unite in their common fight against Sauron. He even offers Nori and Poppy as a gesture of goodwill, but this act doesn’t fool the Stranger or anyone else.
When the Stranger refuses to join the Dark Wizard, he wreaks havoc on the Stoors, completely destroying the place where they’d so assiduously built their homes. Using his powers, the Stranger is able to limit the damage and save some lives, but it is not enough. The place is beyond reparation, which means that the Stoors will have to leave the place and venture on to find another place they can call home. Poppy decides to join them, and surprisingly, so does Nori, most likely to find Sûzat. She tells the Stranger that it is time they both walk their own paths and discover what is in store for them. The Stranger is sad to see his friends go, but he knows that this is what must happen. One good thing to happen out of this is that he finds his staff and, more interestingly, his name.
As the Stoors depart, they thank the Stranger and call him Grand-Elf, though Nori notes that they haven’t seen an elf in their lives before. Still, the name sticks, and “Grand-Elf” becomes “Gandalf.” With a staff and a name, the Stranger goes back to Tom Bombadil’s hut, now realizing that the choice he was previously given was a test. He was always meant to choose his friends over power because that’s how he would find what he was looking for. Tom Bombadil asserts that both the staff and his name have finally found him and now begins the next leg of his journey. But before that, they sit down by the fire and sing a song.
What Happens to Isildur and Elendil?
While the Middle-Earth is in upheaval, Numenor has troubles of its own. Despite Miriel proving herself in front of everyone by being given the green light by the Valar, Pharazôn finds a way to discredit her. The vision from the Palantir shows him that Sauron is none other than Halbrand, with whom Miriel aligned forces and walked into battle. This connection is enough for him to declare her and her followers traitors, including anyone else who follows their Faith. Scared for her father’s life, Eärien warns her father before the soldiers can find him. He tries to get Miriel to run away with him, but the Queen gives him Narsil, the sword that is meant to play a significant part in the battle against Sauron, and tells him to leave on his own and find his destiny while she faces her own in Numenor. As Elendil leaves, the vision he’d seen when he touched the Palantir is recreated.
Meanwhile, in Middle-Earth, Kemen arrives with his forces but is shocked to see Isildur alive. At first, he tries to fake affection, worried about what the man might do if he found out what had happened in Numenor with his father. However, when Isildur seeks passage on the ship with Estrid, Kemen refuses to let her or any other low-born board the ship while also revealing the new status of Isildur’s father and Miriel in Numenor. In the end, as the ship leaves, only Isildur is on board, as he looks back longingly at Estrid, whom he had shared a kiss with only a while ago and promised to take with him.
What Happens to Galadriel and the Elves?
Having received the Nine Rings for Celebrimbor to keep them safe, Galadriel helps the surviving Elves to escape the destruction of Eregion. When they are caught by the Orcs, she offers up himself in return for their safety and is taken back to Adar, who has her ring. Instead of being drawn to keep the ring for himself, Adar gives it back to Galadriel, offering an alliance, which immediately turns to dust when he is killed by his own children. This is followed by Galadriel fighting Sauron to keep the rings safe, but he proves to be more powerful, even when she holds her own very well. In the end, Sauron gets the Nine Rings, but refusing to give her own, Galadriel jumps off the cliff with it.
She is found by Gil-galad, Arondir, and Elrond. The wound from Morgoth’s crown has infested her with darkness, which needs to be removed if she is to be saved. Gil-galad cannot do it alone with his ring, which is when Elrond decides to wear the ring and use it to save his friend. When Galadriel wakes up, she and the Elves are miles away from Eregion. Gil-galad is pondering over the next step. Should they prepare their forces on the way and take the fight to Sauron, or should they take a step back and build their defenses instead? Galadriel states that it is not the time to fight back and that the Elves, as defeated as they might feel at the moment, must prepare themselves for the fight. With her words, the spirit of the Elves and their hope is renewed, and they look forward to fighting Sauron and his forces and saving Middle-Earth from complete ruin.
Read More: The Rings of Power: What Happens to Berek the Horse? Does He Die?
