The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Episode 8

And we will hold our hands up and say, we admit it, we were wrong! Halbrand is Sauron after all, as half the internet had guessed a few episodes ago. The reveal ...

[save the Elves](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/lord-of-the-rings-of-power-missing-lord-of-the-rings-movie-character/) and work with the Dwarves, the rise of [Mordor](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/lord-of-the-rings-of-power-southlands-mordor-mount-doom/), and the future of Men in [Pelargir](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/lord-of-the-rings-of-power-pelargir/). The story is coming together and things are moving forward in a direction that makes sense. Who were the Dweller, the Ascetic, and the Nomad? For non-book readers, this presents a minor plot hole, since the Rhyme of the Rings clearly refers to them; for film fans, we know that the Nine at least are very important. After not one mention of rings the entire season long, suddenly Sauron reaches Celebrimbor, makes a helpful suggestion, they start work, Sauron’s identity is revealed, and the Elven Rings are forged, all in one episode. Now we know, and we can get properly invested in the characters we are supposed to be invested in. [The Fellowship of the Ring](https://www.denofgeek.com/books/tolkien-lord-of-the-rings-early-drafts-killed-off-beloved-character/). Not only does this reassure us that we can stop all the endless guessing games because he really is Gandalf, it’s a lovely callback to [the Peter Jackson films](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/lord-of-the-rings-how-faithful-are-peter-jackson-movies-tolkien-books/). Similarly, should we be worried that Pharazôn is in charge of Númenor at the time of the King’s death? It is not enough to assume that everyone watching has read all the Appendices and can fill in the blanks for themselves. What sort of person (Elf) is he? [The Rings of Power](https://www.denofgeek.com/the-rings-of-power/) feels like it’s finally kicking into gear.

The Rings of Power Season 1 comes to an end with a fittingly epic episode that favors massive twists over sweeping battles. Here's CBR's review.

The season has gradually introduced major questions, and fortunately, the finale not only addresses them head-on but lays the foundation for what is shaping up to be an exceptionally epic Season 2. The [answers and shocking plot twists](https://www.cbr.com/rings-of-power-lotr-unanswered-questions-prime-video/) come fast and furious in the season finale, titled "Alloyed," with the episode both serving as a fitting end to the season and setting up plenty of exciting directions for the series to go next. This is an episode that more than earns its extended runtime, with not a single scene feeling superfluous as the season finale delivers on several longstanding promises while setting up the trajectory of the show. With the fate of the elves and the mystery of Sauron still hanging overhead, big decisions are made that will shape the course of Middle-earth as the battle for its soul continues to take fiery shape. Galadriel had endured crises of conscience before, but "Alloyed" takes things to the next level, with the elven warrior balancing despair with steely resolve in equal measure. [The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power](https://www.cbr.com/tag/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-rings-of-power/) Season 1 has been filled with questions about characters' true identities and motivations and the Prime Video original series' full connection to the works of J.R.R.

The season finale included at least one shocking twist and other revelations that set up future seasons. Here are five takeaways from the episode and from ...

What could “The Rings of Power” improve on in the seasons to come? Yet the creators also showed a strong command of that flash and grandeur, using it to frame a good story. Isildur has been a bigger factor in the plot, but given how important he is to the “Rings” saga as a whole, he too has yet to stand out from the sprawling cast. One of the flaws of this first “Rings of Power” season is that some key characters haven’t been developed enough to grab the audience’s attention. This episode also fulfills one of the main functions of a prequel, shading in some key details from “The Lord of the Rings” back story. In a moving sequence after the reveal, Sauron enters the elf’s mind, and corrupts her happy memories of her brother, intending to convince her that they have all had the same goal all along: a stable and peaceful Middle-earth. All of this happens before the opening credits, in a clever bit of narrative misdirection, intended to keep the audience from catching on too quickly that Halbrand is our Big Bad. Still, perhaps because of all the big revelations elsewhere in the episode, the action on the island in this finale was fairly forgettable. There is, as it happens, important new information about the Stranger this week, though it is something much more expected: He is, we learn, one of the Istari, or “wise ones,” or wizards. Tolkien dropped in both the text of “The Lord of the Rings” novels and in their extensive appendices. — it establishes a foundation for fresh conflicts in the next round of episodes. No matter how many new characters and locations the writers introduce, by the time the series reaches its intended end — after five seasons, if all goes according to plan — we will have witnessed the events that ended the Second Age of Middle-earth and led to Sauron’s all-controlling One Ring disappearing for thousands of years, before eventually landing in a hobbit’s pocket.

There are major character revelations in the season finale – but what does this all mean for the future?

The finale of Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is a banger of an episode and a satisfying, mystery-solving conclusion to this first season that focuses on character and story progression rather than simply swords-and-sorcery stuff. Happily (and inevitably), Galadriel stays strong, and after some messing about and finding that out while he traipses through her memories – as well as a visual callback to her other moment of temptation, with Frodo in Lothlorien – he vanishes from Eregion. Can we really ask much more of a Lord Of The Rings adaptation? That’s why she can donate her brother’s dagger and its super-pure Valinorean silver and gold to the forging of three rings for the elves. – he says a line that clearly echoes Gandalf (when he was momentarily lost in the Mines of Moria in the Fellowship Of The Ring). Fun fact: canonically, Sauron once worked with the Elven smiths of Eregion under the name Annatar, and was instrumental in figuring out how to forge the Rings of Power. After a genuinely emotional farewell to her family she sets off with the Stranger to see more of the world. Whadya know, the line died out a thousand years ago – which, in her defence, is basically yesterday in elf terms. He’s handed over to the Elven healers while Galadriel explains her miraculous reappearance to Elrond (Robert Aramayo) and Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards), who are understandably taken aback when someone last seen on a direct stairway to heaven shows up in armour, dragging a sick human behind. The first big story this week is a bluff, as the Stranger (Daniel Weyman) is bamboozled and then cornered by the strange cultists we saw before, The Dweller (Bridie Sisson) and her sisters. The Stranger has also taken on what Nori told him: he announces firmly that he is “good”, and you get the sense that he’s sure of that now. IIf the Stranger really were Sauron, after all, it would make a cruel joke of the attempted rescue by Nori (Markella Kavenagh) and her diminutive companions.

Prime Video's Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power ends its first season with tricky plotting, quick reversals, and a visit from our old friend Sauron.

- That’s all for the first season of The Rings Of Power. As he did with Finrod, Sauron tries convincing Galadriel that, actually, he wants to heal Middle-earth and that he’d love to make Galadriel his queen—complete with a painterly shot of Dark Lord and Queen in the reflection of the water. He brings such a warm presence to the screen. The shots of Galadriel at the end of the episode seemingly tease another twist. - The MVP this season has to be Clark, but Robert Aramayo is a close second. Galadriel does not take the offer, stabbing Sauron with her brother’s dagger and touching the darkness with the end of her blade. (Dare I say, it made a ring of the narrative.) It was especially nice to spend a little more time with Finrod (Will Fletcher). The episode opens with an instant reveal: The weird sisters, credited as The Ascetic (Kali Kopae), The Nomad (Edith Poor), and The Dweller (Bridie Sisson), catch up to the Stranger in the dripping forests of The Greenwood. Halbrand and Celebrimbor get back to forging when they realize that what they need to do is not force the ring into existence but allow the metals to come together. When we return to The Greenwood, the weird sisters catch “Lord Sauron” up to speed, teaching him to talk and putting him to sleep when he shows off his power. [The Rings Of Powe](https://www.avclub.com/tv/reviews/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-rings-of-power-2022) [r](https://www.avclub.com/tv/reviews/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-rings-of-power-2022)’s finale is almost as knotted and twisted as the lore’s titular jewelry that finally makes an appearance in the episode. Tolkien is always about the journey, and The Rings Of Power was smart to focus on the characters’ enjoyment of Middle-earth rather than simply rattling off plot points.

Nori Brandyfoot - Markella Kavenaugh Another new character created for The Rings of Power is a. Poppy Proudfellow - Megan Richards Nori's closest confidante and ...

Seeing as Halbrand and Celebrimbor were only chilling for a very brief amount of time it seems unlikely that the other rings that would eventually be given to the dwarves and men were forged at all. This is seemingly a big change from what we know in the books as the elves' rings were the last to be forged there. Obviously Galadriel is not having any of it, but she's also loath to tell anyone that she brought Sauron into the heart of the elves' home and kingdom. They then state that "he is the Other" and one of them whispers "Istari." He also convinces the elder elf to tell him about Mithril and soon is "gifting" him advice about how to forge it. In a very short span he teaches Celebrimbor how to forge the rings and gains his deep trust. But in the final episode of season one, The Rings of Power throws fuel back onto that particular fire. [Long ago in our first big Rings of Power breakdown](/articles/lord-of-the-rings-the-rings-of-power-every-major-player-introduced-in-the-premiere) we suggested that the Stranger seemed similar to Gandalf. While they never say the word Gandalf, the further into the episode we go the more clear it becomes that's the takeaway they want us to have. As we mentioned above, there are some serious discrepancies with the timeline as we know it. Since the very first episode of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, fans have been asking one question: Who is Sauron? That's what the show wants you to believe as its cold open reintroduces the Stranger (Daniel Weyman).

Galadriel - Morfydd Clark A brave elven warrior with a thirst for vengeance burning in her. Finrod - Will Fletcher With The Rings of Power set in Tolkien's ...

Seeing as Halbrand and Celebrimbor were only chilling for a very brief amount of time it seems unlikely that the other rings that would eventually be given to the dwarves and men were forged at all. [Nvidia Is 'Unlaunching' the 12GB RTX 4080 After Criticism2h ago - The 16GB RTX 4080 will still launch on November 16.](/articles/nvidia-is-unlaunching-the-12gb-rtx-4080-after-criticism) [Pokémon Sword and Shield Won't Be Supported Past November5h ago - Online trading and friendly battles will remain.](/articles/pokmon-sword-and-shield-wont-be-supported-past-november) [The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Finale Explained5h ago - Well... This is seemingly a big change from what we know in the books as the elves' rings were the last to be forged there. Revealed as part of Ubisoft Forward's Assassin's Creed Showcase, Assassin's Creed Mirage casts you as Basim Ibn Ishaq and is set in the city of Baghdad, twenty years before the events of Assassin's Creed Valhalla.](/videos/assassins-creed-mirage-reveal-trailer-ubisoft-forward-2022) [Dune: Awakening Reveal TrailerTake your place in the fight for Arrakis in Dune: Awakening, an open world survival MMO set in the sci-fi world of Frank Herbert's Dune.](/videos/dune-awakening-cinematic-reveal-trailer) [Assassin's Creed Codename Red - Reveal TrailerCheck out the reveal trailer for one of the many new Assassin's Creed games that will live under the Assassin's Creed: Infinity umbrella. Obviously Galadriel is not having any of it, but she's also loath to tell anyone that she brought Sauron into the heart of the elves' home and kingdom. He also convinces the elder elf to tell him about Mithril and soon is "gifting" him advice about how to forge it. They then state that "he is the Other" and one of them whispers "Istari." [Long ago in our first big Rings of Power breakdown](/articles/lord-of-the-rings-the-rings-of-power-every-major-player-introduced-in-the-premiere) we suggested that the Stranger seemed similar to Gandalf. While they never say the word Gandalf, the further into the episode we go the more clear it becomes that's the takeaway they want us to have. But in the final episode of Season 1, The Rings of Power throws fuel back onto that particular fire. Since the very first episode of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, fans have been asking one question: Who is Sauron? That's what the show wants you to believe as its cold open reintroduces the Stranger (Daniel Weyman).

Questions are answered and mysteries are solved as the hotly anticipated finale wraps up this excellent season of epic high fantasy with style.

The [crew behind Rings of Power](https://gamerant.com/lotr-the-rings-of-power-characters-created-show-hbo-max/) took that task and succeeded beyond the wildest expectations of many. Rings of Power is a wonderful adventure that serves as both a fitting return and a new vision to the beloved world of Middle-earth. Now that the season is done, there is so much interesting room to grow as the show goes into what could be years of future stories. Like Celebrimbor forging the Mythril into rings, the writers, directors, and showrunners take brilliant raw material and alloy it with something new to give the world a new experience. It's a work of art that pulls and reforges elements from the source material in much the same way that Tolkien pulled from old mythology. The strongest aspect of this storyline is the gradual push-pull of the various minds in the room. As Nori and her family deal with the sudden influx of evil magic, Galadriel and Halbrand join Elrond and Celebrimbor in their efforts to make use of Mythril. The answers to most of the big questions finally come in "Alloyed", and not only are they [satisfying in their closure](https://gamerant.com/lotr-rings-of-power-which-famous-lord-of-the-rings-character-will-halbrand-become/), but they also leave the door open for a fascinating season 2. [The mysterious robed trio](https://gamerant.com/lotr-rings-of-power-cult-of-melkor-need-to-know/) approaches the Stranger who fell from the stars and proclaims him to be Sauron. [pacing in the early episodes](https://gamerant.com/rings-of-power-history-moriondor/), but as the second half kicked into gear, it moved with impressive speed and grace. "Alloyed" manages to close the season well and leave the audience excited for the upcoming follow-up. The grand finale eschews the traditional sword and sorcery spectacle in favor of moving character growth and long-awaited answers to massive questions.