A quick recap of The Rings Of Power Season 1 (Photo Credit – Instagram)
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The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is finally coming back to Prime Video with its second season after a long wait. The series premiered in September 2022 and aired eight episodes, with the finale being released on October 14, 2022.
Since it has been almost two years since we last saw Middle-earth on our television screens, our readers might want to jog their memories and remember what happened in the first eight episodes of the show. To help you out, here is a quick recap of The Rings of Power Season 1.
The Rings of Power Season 1 Recap: Galadriel’s Quest and The Rise of Sauron
The story begins with Galadriel, a young Elf warrior, narrating the events after the defeat of Morgoth, the first Dark Lord. Even though Morgoth was gone, his servant Sauron remained a threat. Galadriel was determined to find and stop Sauron, believing that evil was still lurking.
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However, the High King Gil-galad declared that peace had arrived and rewarded Galadriel and her soldiers by sending them to Valinor, the land of the immortal Elves. But Galadriel refused to give up her mission, jumping off the ship and swimming back to Middle-earth.
In the Southlands, we met Arondir, an Elf, and Bronwyn, a human healer, who had a forbidden romance. The Southlands are a dangerous place, with people disappearing mysteriously. The locals, who were descendants of those who once sided with Morgoth, distrusted the Elves. Arondir discovered that something evil was rising beneath the land. Orcs, who served Sauron, were tunneling under the villages, leading to a battle between the villagers and the Orcs.
Bronwyn rallied the people to fight back, and they sought safety in a tower. Despite their efforts, the Orcs overpowered them, and it seemed all hope was lost. But Galadriel arrived with an army of Númenóreans just in time to save them.
However, their victory was short-lived, as Mount Doom erupted, destroying the Southlands and turning it into what would become Mordor. On the island of Númenor, we met Queen Regent Míriel and her advisor Pharazôn. The Númenóreans are proud people, descended from those who fought against Morgoth. But their society was divided, with some hating the Elves and others still loyal to the old alliance.
Galadriel arrived in Númenor and convinced Míriel to join her in the fight against Sauron. They gathered a fleet and sailed to Middle-earth, but the journey was filled with challenges, including conflicts within Númenor and the growing influence of Sauron. A key character introduced in Númenor was Halbrand, a man with a mysterious past. He became close to Galadriel, and it was revealed that he was the true king of the Southlands, though he was reluctant to take his throne.
Throughout the season, there were hints about his true identity, leading to a shocking reveal in the finale. In the Dwarven kingdom of Khazad-dûm, we saw the friendship between Prince Durin IV and the Elven smith Celebrimbor. The Elves faced a crisis as the light that sustained them was fading. Celebrimbor believed that the only way to save the Elves was by creating powerful artifacts that could harness the light and preserve their immortality.
Durin and Celebrimbor worked together to mine Mithril, a rare and precious metal that might save the Elves. However, their efforts were complicated by Durin’s father, King Durin III, who was wary of the Elves. The tension between father and son added depth to the Dwarven storyline, showing the complex relationships within their society. In another part of Middle-earth, reside the Harfoots, who are ancestors of the Hobbits. They are a nomadic and secretive people. Among them is Nori Brandyfoot, a curious and adventurous young Harfoot. Her life changed when a mysterious stranger fell from the sky in a fiery meteor.
The Stranger, who had no memory of who he was or why he was there, had powerful and dangerous abilities. Nori and her friend Poppy decided to help him, believing he had a great destiny. As the season progressed, the Stranger’s true identity became a central mystery, with hints that he might be a powerful being like Gandalf or even Sauron. The season built up to the forging of the Rings of Power, a key moment in Tolkien’s story.
Celebrimbor, with Halbrand’s help, began to create the Rings, not knowing that Halbrand was actually Sauron in disguise. Galadriel realized too late that she had helped Sauron, setting the stage for the epic conflicts that would follow. The season ended on a tense note, with the three Elven Rings forged and Sauron’s power growing. The Southlands are in ruins, Númenor is on the edge of civil war, and the Stranger’s identity is still a mystery. As these storylines come together, the stage is set for the rise of Sauron and the epic battles that would shape the future of Middle-earth.
