u/purplelena

I really like this imagery of Sauron possessing Morgoth's crown (resized) and Fëanor's hammer simultaneously, but also it's such a devious and incompatible clash of infamous figures. (Fëanor was the first to call Melkor 'Morgoth' if I'm not mistaken.)

Maybe creating anything with this hammer will be impossible for Sauron, prompting him to use his own self and perhaps gold coming from Middle-earth (tainted by Morgoth) in order to create the One.

(I also thought for a second that Galadriel might go steal the hammer to stop or delay Sauron, but yeah it's just a wild guess for now.)

"My friend, I haven't swum this far to drown at the shore."

I couldn't help but think of this scene when Ismael Cruz Córdova gave this reply when asked about Arondir's fate in the third season.

Obviously, he couldn't give anything away, but it sounded hopeful, and although they said that no one would be safe, maybe we won't see characters falling like they did in season 2. Will they endure everything and remain mostly unscathed, or do you expect things to be dire?

https://ew.com/rings-of-power-season-3-script-pages-reveal-sauron-struggle-create-the-one-ring-exclusive-12076032

"The forging of the One Ring has gone through iteration after iteration after iteration. Every single component of it has been something that has been thought through exhaustively, planned within an inch of its life, then executed by the most amazing craftsmen on planet Earth to make Middle-earth the best it can be."

"I mean, you have hair and makeup people who are looking at what happens when cinders from the volcano hit this part of Sauron's face, and then there's part of it that you do in prep in the makeup in terms of what's actually on set, and there's part of it that happens later on in post in VFX. You know... exactly how you get the lighting rigs just right so that it will look like lava is shimmering off of Sauron's face. You know, how is his costume going to change and evolve throughout this process? It takes the best minds working together to make something special."

"We're cooking, and let us cook. Season 4 is already on its way."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwQOzhZ7V9Y (at 3:00 and 4:00)

Sauron will suffer for his craft it seems. I can't wait to see it.

When the showrunners said we would meet a more innocent Elrond from the First Age, I didn't expect him to look like a birdling, featherless and more vulnerable (they went above and beyond). His clothes seem similar to what Galadriel wore during the prologue of the first season, evoking perhaps the style in Valinor.

Benjamin Walker recently shared this during an interview as he spoke about the Elves; it was partly said in jest, but it really just fits Gil-galad to a T. I'm gonna need to see more of him in season 3.

Kudos to the original meme: https://www.reddit.com/r/LOTR\_on\_Prime/s/yxoZ3AyRfy

Gil-galad and Galadriel were having terrible visions while Círdan, well-adjusted and serene, already discovered a way his ring could influence his surroundings.

It's not meant to be humorous, (it's technically sinister since Sauron is trying to do this to Middle-earth), but I still find the juxtaposition a bit funny. We have seen that their rings could heal and augment foresight, but I hope they'll show us their impact on natural elements such as their environment.

But the Elves were not so lightly to be caught. As soon as Sauron set the One Ring upon his finger they were aware of him; and they knew him, and perceived that he would be master of them, and of all that they wrought.

Then in anger and fear they took off their rings. But he, finding that he was betrayed and that the Elves were not deceived, was filled with wrath; and he came against them with open war, demanding that all the rings should be delivered to him, since the Elven-smiths could not have attained to their making without his lore and counsel.

But the Elves fled from him; and three of their rings they saved, and bore them away, and hid them.

The Silmarillion, p. 361

----

We know the forging will be a very long and intense sequence, but I'm curious to see how they'll show the Elves' response to it, especially since Gil-galad rejected the concept from the beginning.

I presume the Three Elven Rings won't be in the same place when Sauron wears the One for the first time, so I hope we get to witness their anger and fear, and how quickly they'll take their rings off.

This shot of Sauron staring at the Balrog reminded me of the last time he switched to Halbrand.

His eyes appear a bit innocent, almost innocuous, but there's also this strong undercurrent of 'you cannot hurt me' in his gaze. I can't wait to see how he'll behave towards the Balrog in order to get what he wants.

I'm not sure if what Elrond said to Galadriel was a clear confirmation that several Elves had actually died while trying to find Sauron, but this most definitely came back to him as he led Elves to save Eregion and watched them all perish around him, surviving to carry a very heavy conscience.

But don't let him actually set foot in them because it will surely end badly and doom them.

(It's a good thing he never physically entered Lindon. I don't think they would change that.)

I've seen some similarities between Celebrimbor's forge and Sauron's in Barad-dûr, but now I wonder how Mordor will appear in contrast to Númenor. Will it be desolate and quiet, or absolutely cacophonic, flaming with violence?

There might still be some disagreements between Elves, but I hope Círdan's advice will be put into effect in some way because it sounds like the Elven rings could maybe have some ill effects on those who wear them (even though they are used for good). They must stay united and support each other as Sauron is attempting to crush them.

I also hope to see more of (bearded) Círdan. He was undisturbed by his ring then, but perhaps this will have changed when we see him again.

They didn't share much about the Moriondor's past, but they pretty much implied they were all dead except for Adar at the time who stayed close to Sauron.

It's only a guess, but maybe they'll explain that one or all of them had Elven captives (with Celeborn among them), but once the Moriondor perished, the orcs under them roamed as they pleased, having no affiliation with Adar, and not caring to regroup under Sauron.

Source: https://youtube.com/shorts/fLgdRSI37sQ?si=EH6R-ViIQwBG-o3n

The Elves were relatively on the same page at the end of season 2, but perhaps they will have a rocky start once again with the war worsening.

Benjamin Walker might have been jesting a little, but maybe it means Gil-galad will not promptly sanction Galadriel's mission with Arondir, and maybe he will have to compel a slightly reluctant Elrond to go to Númenor with him.

It's sad to see how Celebrimbor deteriorated over time as he went on to make the Seven and the Nine rings, pushed by Sauron's viciousness.

They have said Sauron has been unable to create the One yet, well I hope when he does succeed, they will show how painful of a process it is for him, even if he is a Maia.

Balrogs know how to live in fire, and Sauron wants to acquire this knowledge? I hope he's going to burn in order to obtain the One. He has to struggle a bit to keep his physical form pristine.

>"It has to be mysterious because it's so explosive. It's so special, and it's much darker. It's darker. Nobody's safe. When you're talking about hope, hope is the least of people's concern. It's survival. It is absolute survival."

https://youtu.be/kGLVewuwJ_8?si=DzwlYd6AzBhzHdWG

I don't know if he was specifically talking about Arondir when he said that, but his words about hope and survival intrigued me. How far will the Elves go to secure their survival? How many hardened hearts will we see on screen?

(In this 2x07 scene, Galadriel tells Arondir they must find Sauron together, but it didn't happen. Perhaps they want it to happen in season 3, as a brief and dangerous encounter?)

>Deep dark inside of ourselves, we want to own Middle-earth. There's a bit of Sauron in us. All the other Elves went to the promised land, and we're like, "You know what? We're gonna stick around and play god." And then, we're like, "But they won't do what we want!" There's something sinister about us that becomes beautiful over time.

Source: @kaiakayy on instagram

It sounds like this aspect might be more at the forefront in the next season.

Celebrimbor and Galadriel spoke of light the last time they saw each other, but surely this war has taken a toll on the Elves and Galadriel.

Their losses must be severe if she is willing to take a chance with Marnûkh. I hope it's not a trap, and I hope they'll show us how the Elves stop themselves from despairing too much.

The Elven rings are helping them, but maybe they're also sending them scenarios in which the darkness is winning, which would be discouraging.

I think many already guessed that Elrond would go to Númenor, but J.D. Payne confirmed it, so it's out in the open now. He also said that Gil-galad would be going.

https://www.reddit.com/r/LOTR\_on\_Prime/comments/1vn22m0/the\_new\_interview\_from\_mcpayne\_explaining\_this/

The towers are definitely not identical at first glance, but the few glimpses we got of Sauron's new domain remind me of Celebrimbor's ruined workshop, but more orderly.