Our first panel, ‘Celebrating Tolkien Reading Day’ will be on Friday, March 28 at 6:00 pm in Room 207. We will be reading some selections from various Tolkien books, and there may be a few little surprises along the way. This panel, in particular, will be very family-friendly, we may even call a few children to the front to join us in storytelling. Follow the link below to see details.
Our second panel, ‘Lord of the Rings: Previewing Upcoming Projects’ will take place on Saturday, March 29 at 2:00 pm in room 211. This panel will be where we discuss all the recent and soon-to-come Middle-earth-themed shows, films, books, games, and more. The link below shows more details.
We were pretty sure it was coming, but today Prime Video have officially confirmed that The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will return for a third season.
Of note – director Charlotte Brändström is back for more; and the show has moved its production home, remaining in the UK but heading over to Shepperton Studios. No word on any new casting as yet. Prime Video did share this on X, re plotline: Jumping forward several years from the events of Season 2, Season 3 takes place at the height of the War of the Elves and Sauron, as the Dark Lord seeks to craft the One Ring that will give him the edge he needs to win the war and conquer all Middle-earth at last.
Here’s the official press release:
Prime Video Confirms Season Three Of The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power
Acclaimed directors Charlotte Brändström, Sanaa Hamri, and Stefan Schwartz set for upcoming season
Award-winning series is currently in pre-production at new production home,Shepperton Studios
CULVER CITY, California – February 13, 2025 – Today, Prime Video confirmed Season Three of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is in pre-production and will begin filming this spring in the series’ new production home at Shepperton Studios in the UK. Additionally, we are announcing three directors, two returning and one new, Charlotte Brändström, Sanaa Hamri, and Stefan Schwartz will be a part of this season. The globally successful series, which has attracted over 170 million viewers worldwide, continues to be one of Amazon’s strongest drivers for new Prime membership sign-ups.
“The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power continues to captivate audiences worldwide, and we’re thrilled that a third season is underway. The creative team has an extraordinary vision of what’s to come with stories that have left us enchanted and enthralled,” said Vernon Sanders, head of television, Amazon MGM Studios. “We look forward to continuing this epic journey, for our global customers, delving even deeper into the legendary tales that shaped Middle-earth.”
Charlotte Brändström, who served as co-executive producer and directed multiple episodes in Seasons One and Two, returns as executive producer and director for the third season. She is joined by returning director Sanaa Hamri, who helmed several episodes in season two, and veteran director Stefan Schwartz, marking his first involvement with the series. Each director will oversee multiple episodes in the upcoming season.
Brändström’s extensive directing credits include Shōgun (FX), Scarpetta (Prime Video), The Outsider (HBO), The Witcher (Netflix), and The Man in the High Castle (Prime Video). Hamri, an acclaimed director known for her work on The Wheel of Time (Prime Video) and Empire (Fox), brings extensive experience spanning television, music videos, and feature films, having recently directed The Bondsman (Prime Video) pilot while continuing her creative relationship with Amazon MGM Studios through an overall deal. Schwartz, whose credits include The Boys (Prime Video), The Walking Dead (AMC), Luther (BBC), and The Americans (FX), rounds out the talented directorial team.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has been an unprecedented success, with a broad, highly engaged, global fan base. Critics have praised the series for its epic scope and production values, and Seasons One and Two are Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. Season One remains the biggest TV premiere in the history of Prime Video and Season Two the most-watched returning season by hours watched.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is produced by showrunners and executive producers J.D. Payne & Patrick McKay. They are joined by executive producers Lindsey Weber, Justin Doble, Kate Hazell, and executive producer-director Charlotte Brändström. Matthew Penry-Davey is producer and Ally O’Leary, Tim Keene, and Andrew Lee are co-producers.
Charlotte Brändström is an award-winning director and graduate of the directing program at the American Film Institute. Recent projects include Shōgun for FX, The Continental with Mel Gibson for Starz, the upcoming Scarpetta with Nicole Kidman and Jamie Lee Curtis for Prime Video, and a pilot for Netflix Sweden titled The Unlikely Murderer. Her other directing credits for television include The Outsider for HBO; Jupiter’s Legacy, The Witcher, and Away for Netflix; The Consultant and The Man in the High Castle for Prime Video; and Outlander and Counterpart for Starz. Brändström also directed the entirety of two European limited series: Conspiracy of Silence for Viaplay and Disparue for FR2, and has also directed over 30 feature films, miniseries, and movies-of-the-week. Additionally, Brändström is an international Emmy award nominee for Julie, Chevalier de Maupin.
Sanaa Hamri is a renowned film, television, music video, and commercial director from Tangier, Morocco. She is currently in an overall deal with Amazon MGM Studios. She recently directed the pilot and episode 2 of Prime Video’s The Bondsman starring Kevin Bacon, as well as episodes from Seasons 2 and 3 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Previously she was EP/Director of Season 2 of Prime Video’s The Wheel of Time. Hamri was also EP/Director of the blockbuster series Empire on Fox from 2015 to 2020. As an acclaimed music video director, Hamri’s prolific career boasts collaborations with high profile hip hop/R&B musicians including Prince, Common, Lenny Kravitz, Rihanna, Justin Bieber, Snoop Dogg, Jay Z, and Mary J. Blige. Hamri has been awarded the NAACP Image Award for India Arie’s 2003 and an MTV VMA for Nicki Minaj’s 2010 blockbuster hit “Super Bass”. Hamri also directed Mariah Carey’s sold-out live arena concert documentary, The Adventures of Mimi. Hamri’s past episodic work includes Shameless, Rectify, Nashville, Elementary, Glee, Hit The Floor, and Desperate Housewives. Some of her feature film credits include Something New, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and Just Wright.
Stefan Schwartz is an award winning British/Canadian film and television director, writer, and producer. He has directed episodes of The Boys and My Lady Jane for Amazon MGM Studios, as well as The Americans, The Walking Dead, Fear the Walking Dead, Dexter,White Collar, Those Who Kill, Black Sails, and the BBC’s Luther and Spooks. He served as executive producer and directed episodes of Apple TV’s The Mosquito Coast, the Starz series Camelot, and the pilot of the CBC Television series Fortunate Son. His feature film directing debut was Soft Top Hard Shoulder, which starred Peter Capaldi and won two BAFTA Awards in Scotland and the prestigious audience prize at the London Film Festival. He also directed the films Shooting Fish (which he also wrote), The Abduction Club, and The Best Man, starring Stuart Townsend, Amy Smart, and Seth Green.
About Prime Video
Prime Video is a first-stop entertainment destination offering customers a vast collection of premium programming in one app available across thousands of devices. On Prime Video, customers can customize their viewing experience and find their favorite movies, series, documentaries, and live sports – including Amazon MGM Studios-produced series and movies Red One, Road House, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Fallout, Reacher, The Boys, Cross, and The Idea of You; licensed fan favorites; Prime member exclusive access to coverage of live sports including Thursday Night Football, WNBA, and NWSL, and acclaimed sports documentaries including Bye Bye Barry and Kelce; and programming from partners such as Apple TV+, Max, Crunchyroll and MGM+ via Prime Video add-on subscriptions, as well as more than 500 free ad-supported (FAST) Channels. Prime members in the U.S. can share a variety of benefits, including Prime Video, by using Amazon Household. Prime Video is one benefit among many that provides savings, convenience, and entertainment as part of the Prime membership. All customers, regardless of whether they have a Prime membership or not, can rent or buy titlesvia the Prime Video Store, and can enjoy even more content for free with ads. Customers can also go behind the scenes of their favorite movies and series with exclusive X-Ray access. For more info visit www.amazon.com/primevideo.
It’s that time of year again… awards season has begun! Many craft guilds and other award organizations have been busy honoring the best in film and television of 2024.
If you’ve read any of staffer greendragon’s past interviews with cast (not just for The Rings of Power, but going back to PJ’s Hobbit movies) you’ll know that craft and creation of character is something she loves to explore. So Gravelle was the ideal interviewee, gladly taking a deep dive (ha, suitable for Númenor) into what motivates and drives Pharazôn, and what might be in store for the character in Season Three. He also talks about growing up in Wales, and how that land of myth may have prepared him to be a part of Tolkien’s world.
Trystan Gravelle as Pharazôn
Here’s what he had to say:
greendragon: Hi, Trystan, good morning. It’s an absolute pleasure to chat with you; thanks for taking the time this morning. How are you doing?
Trystan Gravelle: I’m good, thank you! I’ve been enjoying the series. I’ve been sitting down like everybody else and just getting blown away by some of the battle scenes and the fantastic scenes between the two Charlies [Edwards and Vickers], Sauron and Celebrimbor. I’ve absolutely been loving it.
GD: How amazing is both the writing of that battle of wills, and their playing of it? Just spectacular.
TG: Oh yeah, really fantastic. You can really empathize with Charlie [Edwards] and you sympathize with him and you feel for him, but also you can see that, like everybody else, he’s fallen for it; fallen for the charms of this master manipulator. It’s fantastically done I think.
GD: It is! If I had any complaint about Season Two, it might be that I didn’t get enough of Pharazôn, one of my favourite characters – I love the Númenor scenes and plots. But we did get that amazing moment with the eagle! That was pretty spectacular. Were you pleased when you saw that finished and brought to life, when the episode came out?
TG: Oh, yes, absolutely. Yes. You know, you’re always living the dream when you’re on set, and it’s always great when you’re in these epic scenes. It’s just fantastic, the whole experience of it; to see it brought to life like that is something else.
I also like doing the intimate scenes, with Cynthia [Addai-Robinson, who plays Míriel] and Kemen [Leon Wadham]. It’s always lovely because you’ve got two different ways of being, I guess. You’re held accountable to Queen Míriel – or have been, in the past, to the Queen Regent- and with Kemen you have free rein to be yourself. I enjoy doing those scenes with those two, because there is one where there is this glass ceiling and you have to watch what you say; there are consequences to what you say and do with Cynthia. Then with Leon there are none, and it’s interesting to see. You know, they say the true measure of a person is how he treats people he doesn’t need to be polite to. I mean, that should never be the case in any scenario in life, it’s ridiculous – but you know what I mean…
Pharazôn uses the eagle for his own political ends
Father/son relationships
GD: Yes, totally. I was actually going to ask you, how do you perceive his relationship with Kemen? Because there doesn’t seem to be much fatherly love going on there. Why is he the way he is with Kemen?
TG: It’s definitely an abusive relationship, for sure. One could argue that he is utilitarian, that he maybe doesn’t feel the same way as other people. Another argument, as well, is that he is just a little bit more old-fashioned, a bit more traditional in his approach to his own son, and demands these high standards be met. Which is very hypocritical, because Pharazôn knows where he came from. He knows his roots; whereas Kemen, as we saw in episode five, doesn’t. So there’s a kind of rootlessness to Kemen, I believe.
Whereas with Pharazôn, he is very much aware of who he is and where he comes from. So the whole thing, you know, when you have the older generation going, to the younger generation, ‘Oh, you’re too soft, you’re lazy, you’re ill-disciplined.’ And maybe the older generation just had it easier than the younger generation! Times were simple, and you knew who you were. You didn’t have all this complexity to deal with.
Or it could just be that, as we saw, that sort of sociopathic behavior is just intrinsic within him. I mean, I know the truth [of the character] – but I think there’s an argument for both there.
Climb every mountain…
GD: So what is his real goal? Season Two has very much been the tale of the two Charlies, of Celebrimbor and Annatar, and that face-off and the forging of rings. And with Númenor, although obviously key things have happened, I feel very much that it’s been setting the pieces on the board for what we’re presumably going to see in Season Three. It has set us up in a very precarious and significant place, with Elendil going west, and Pharazôn and Míriel, and all of their tension.
So what do you perceive as being his real goal? Is it just power in Númenor? Is he looking beyond that? He mentioned immortality, and obviously there’s some envy of the Elves there. What’s driving him?
TG: I think he always had this glass ceiling. We saw him in the first season, and the beginning of the second, where Chancellor is as high as it could possibly get for him; and there you have to, like I was saying, watch what you say and what you do. You’re a totally different person to when the reins are off. And there’s an argument – some might say he’s more suited to be king, than Míriel was to be queen. But there’s also another argument as well, that if it was never meant for you to be king – because it was meant to go to Míriel anyway – then are you, as a person, ready yourself; have you prepared your own mind?
And I think what we saw in episode five is that now he realizes there’s no ceiling for him. He can act with impunity. There are going to be no repercussions, whatever he does. He is the most powerful person in the most powerful kingdom in Tolkien’s earth. So what does that do to you? You start looking outwards and you go, ‘Well, what else is there?’
We’re getting to the core of him now, actually; maybe he’s been lying to himself. What it is, is: ‘I don’t want to die. I found this second wind and it’s actually better than what I used to be’ – when Pharazôn was in his prime, you know, on the high seas and everything. We haven’t seen that, with him as Chancellor. We’ve seen him in the role of Chancellor. And now we’re going to get to see this guy rediscover his past glories; and it might be better than what he had [before]. He’s never been in this position before, where he’s not accountable to anybody.
GD: It sounds a bit like whatever he attains, he’s always going to be looking for what’s over the next mountain; it’s never like, ‘Oh, good, I’ve got this!’
TG: That’s a very human thing, because everything just sometimes seems to be such a chore, you know? We don’t help ourselves sometimes; we make it harder for ourselves. I think that in the human world – in Tolkien’s realm, the world of men – everything is to be overcome. Nature is to be overcome. You’re not meant to have this incredible relationship with nature like the Elves do; and – more complex and slightly brutal, I guess l, but it’s still in sympatico – what the Dwarves have; and what the Hobbits have. The world of men, they have to really work hard to overcome it. They don’t have that time; even though Númenoreans live longer than your average man, they still don’t have that time to be at peace with the ocean and watch trees grow, and have the same relationship with mountains and everything. Everything is to be overcome. There is hardship in their world; and when they overcome that, I guess it’s just in them [to look for] what’s next. The grass is always greener; there will always be something that needs doing; and it’s fast lane till crash! I think that kind of typifies us men, you know – where we go in this world and in Tolkien’s world!
What does the Palantír reveal?
The vision in the Palantír
GD: That’s really interesting, what you’re saying – that even for the Númenoreans with their longer life, it’s still a finite amount of life. And so there’s always that sense of the sands of time running – and fear as a motivator. I’m interested in the motivator of fear for Pharazôn, with what he saw in the Palantír; what has that done to him and his outlook, or his drive?
TG: I mean, it’s really plugged something and it’s really channeled something in him: fear, desperation, anger, a loss of pride, I would say. Because I think he thinks that he’s the ultimate chess player. He is Garry Kasparov and Magnus Carlsen rolled into one, he likes to think! So the fact that somebody may have violated his mind is galling, and it’s something that he may never get over.
I think we’re going to see the repercussions from that; and everything that he does from now on is as a direct result, maybe, from that. If you’ve built yourself up to be sort of physically and psychologically impenetrable, and to have the measure of everybody, and then to get foiled – or at least there’s something may have happened which didn’t come to your attention, which you weren’t aware of; what does that make you do, how does that make you feel? I think we’re going to see somebody who is hurting from that. That really smacked hard, I think!
GD: That’s fascinating. So for you, a lot of the damage that the Palantír does for him is not necessarily what he sees in it, but the fact that he sees anything; that whoever is on the other end of that ‘call’ has the power to present things into his mind.
TG: Exactly! And also, I always say that being a King’s man is an idea, an ideology, and the Faithful is more like a religion; and all of a sudden this antiquated religion has this resource that is far beyond anything that you’ve comprehended before. But you’re down this path now; and you know it’s the right path…
And the fury that these people kept this from you – this form of sorcery, or whatever it is, has been kept from you! You’ve lived in ignorance because your uncle decided to keep you in ignorance, and so did your cousin. There’s going to be repercussions for anybody who is involved there, I think! How dare they do that? How dare they live with that knowledge and not share it?
Because you’ve got to remember, Pharazôn’s knowledge, everything that Pharazôn is, he’s worked hard for. That’s him. You could say it’s pure talent and discipline for Pharazôn, pure discipline and hard work. He’s earned that place. Whereas if Míriel has had this wisdom from looking at a crystal ball – it’s almost a cheap trick! And that’s infuriating – that you [Míriel] have just been given this privileged life, whereas I’ve had to work hard for everything to be me. I’ve had to go through everything that I’ve gone through, whereas maybe you’ve taken a shortcut. I don’t think that’s fair! And I think I’m going to let people know about that as well – things are about to change!
The Pharazôn/Annatar chess match to come
GD: Well, obviously not giving anything away for the content of future episodes, but we know – those of us who’ve read the book – that if it was the Annatar/Celebrimbor show in Season Two, it’s going to be your turn to face off with Sauron coming up. It’s very interesting, what you say about Pharazôn’s belief in his own ability to play chess; and that pride is possibly going to cost him dear when he comes up against the ultimate deceiver. But he presumably feels like, ‘No, no, I can definitely have the upper hand here!’
TG: Well, yeah, it’s funny because, you know, with the relationship between Annatar and Celebrimbor, they were going towards a goal. They were inspiring each other – even though Celebrimbor was being gaslit like you couldn’t believe, poor guy! But they had this goal that they were going towards, and they produced their best work… Whereas I think the relationship between Sauron and Pharazôn is going to be… I’m not predicting anything, but it is starting out where Pharazôn might feel sort of 1-0 down in some game.
I definitely think Pharazôn is going to be very front-footed, and try to establish dominance. I mean, that’s the way he is anyway, but especially after he’s seen what he’s seen; I think there’s definitely going to be… well, we’re not going towards some goal here.
Everything exists on Númenor – like the animals – everything exists there now for the world of men. It didn’t used to be like that; and way back when, before Pharazôn’s time, I think there was a disenchantment with everything on the island, and there was a change, wasn’t there? Even though we live longer [than ordinary men], it’s like they seem to age just a little bit quicker with their bitterness towards the Elves and stuff. I [Pharazôn] think Sauron is going to be just another a tool [he can use] to sort of, I don’t know, just unlock the meaning of life for me, I think.
GD: Or so he hopes!
TG:[laughs] Exactly!
Growing up in Wales
GD: We’ve got three fabulous Welsh lead actors in this show. There’s you, there’s Morfydd [Clark, who plays Galadriel], and there’s Owain [Arthur, who plays Durin IV]. I was reading an interview the other day with Morfydd where she was saying how great it was to be able to speak a little Welsh on set. It made me think… Obviously there are a lot of fantastic Welsh actors! But I wonder also if there’s something about mythology and this kind of high fantasy, which is sort of in the blood for the Welsh. Wales is such a land of myth, and dragon, and King Arthur and Uther Pendragon, and all of that. I wonder if that perhaps gives you guys a bent towards this kind of storytelling?
TG: I think the landscape… Definitely we are, for the most part – and definitely historically – we’re molded by our environment; as everybody is molded by their environment. I think, looking at Season Two with the Elves, when they speak Quenya, Sindarin, it does sound Welsh. It’s like, ‘Oh, that’s Welsh, but I can’t really decipher it. Oh, I kind of understood that word there.’ You know, it sounds very, very similar. It’s as if somebody is speaking Welsh, but you go, hang on a second…They’re in the next room or something!
And I think growing up in Wales… My childhood was growing up in the South Wales coalfield there. I grew up in a council estate on the edge of town with all these woods, and the beach not far. So, yeah, it was climbing trees; it could be an Elven lifestyle, if you like. It could be a Hobbit lifestyle sometimes -people going down the pub and regaling each other with tales. And rugby was a big part of the community; so it’s kind of like that very Dwarven, sort of masculine culture. Yeah, it does lend itself, definitely, to Tolkien’s world, being Welsh. I definitely saw it as an advantage for me to get into character and everything, for sure. Or – because obviously Númenor is different – at least to have a sense of it all.
I mean, seeing the films and reading the books, you know it does speak to you. You go, ‘Oh that is like my childhood: idyllic, rough and tumble and very tough at times…’ You know the boys that you grew up with, they’re all tough. Nothing comes easy; but it is idyllic at the same time.
The Rings of Power ensemble at SDCC
The wonders of San Diego Comic Con
GD: I wanted to finish by asking you, how did you enjoy San Diego Comic Con this year and Hall H? Was that your first time experiencing something on that scale?
TG: The first time I experienced it was in 2022, and that blew me away; and this time as well! I’m always blown away by it! I have such fond memories every time I go to America anyway; I have fond memories whichever city I’m in, whichever state I’m in. They’re so generous, they’re so welcoming and hospitable, and everybody just has been so friendly every time I’ve gone to America. I really have had the champagne experience of it! It’s a wonderful place; and San Diego is definitely a place I hold dear in my heart, for sure.
GD: Well I, for one, can’t wait to see how your story will unfold in Season Three. I’m a big fan of what we’ve seen in Númenor, and of all of the cast who create that world. It’s interesting that you use the chess metaphor; I feel like that chess board is just so delicately poised right now. And we’re going to plunge in there – which is perhaps unfortunate terminology to use for Númenor! – but we’re going to plunge in there for Season Three.
TG: Very apt! Yeah, it’s going to be fun to do; and fun to watch it unfold, I think.
The complete The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 is now available on Prime Video. You can find the Rings and Realms Season 2 Retrospective here.
One week on from the drawing to a close of Season 2 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, here at TORn we are enjoying the opportunity to rewatch and reflect on all eight episodes as one story arc. Scenery, design, costumes, music – all are compelling. Perhaps the greatest asset of this show, however, is the extraordinary cast. Brought together by skilled casting directors, they are an enormously talented group who rarely put a foot wrong, delivering even the occasional clunky lines of the script with style and aplomb.
Hazeldine at San Diego Comic Con
Some members of this team are experienced theatrical actors, and their stage craft is evident in their creation of character. One such is Sam Hazeldine, who had the unenviable task of stepping into the role of Adar for Season 2. Joseph Mawle’s rendition of the character was, for many, one of the highlights of Season 1. When I met Hazeldine at San Diego Comic Con, I was curious to know if he felt daunted, taking on the mantle of an already popular performance. He told me that the strength of Mawle’s performance actually made it easier to take on the role; because he enjoyed and admired the choices Mawle had made, he found it easy to run with them, whilst also finding his own way into the mind of the ‘father’ of the orcs (or as Adar would prefer, Uruks).
Actor Sam Hazeldine – and seen as Adar
Weeks later, with the final episode of Season 2 airing, I had the opportunity to chat with Hazeldine again, and see how he felt now that his Adar was out there.
Here’s what he had to say:
greendragon: The last time we met was at San Diego Comic Con. We talked then briefly about stepping in and taking on the mantle of a role that had been played by another actor in Season 1, and you seemed very calm about it. I wonder how you’re feeling now that the season is out, and what reaction you’ve picked up on from viewers?
Sam Hazeldine: It seems to be positive!
GD: Did you have any trepidation at all?
SH: You know, somebody had to take over the role. I was lucky enough it was me! Even if it was a kind of beloved performance [from Joseph Mawle], the fact of the matter is it wasn’t going to be the same actor anymore anyway. So I guess it was just incumbent upon me to try and uphold and continue in the direction that the previous actor was going, and just to do my best. And yeah, I guess I did feel comfortable about that and, as I said before, it made it easier that I really liked Joseph, and the character that he – and the showrunners, obviously – had created. So it was a pleasure, really, that’s all. It’s nice that it seems to have been responded to well.
I think Adar has a new mission in Season 2, anyway; so it is a slight divergence from what went before in those terms. But [I was] trying to keep the conflict that I felt, with Joseph’s performance, was one of the greatest things about it; and understanding why that is. I think that more of that’s been revealed in Season 2 – or it’s been alluded to: what he’s been through, and why he feels this enormous burden of responsibility for his children.
Adar’s care for the Uruks
GD: I wonder – in your interpretation of the character, how ruthless do you think he is? It’s very interesting to me that he’s been, in some ways, a very sympathetic character; surprisingly so, because for most of Season 1, he was the knowable villain that we had, and yet he’s been very sympathetic. But as Season 2 has unfolded, we have seen more ruthlessness from him, and maybe some of the care seems to be falling away, particularly in the last two episodes of the show.
SH: I think it’s a case of … it’s not even cruel to be kind. I mean, he understands the existential threat that the resurgence of Sauron imposes to the Uruk. So it’s just what has to be done, really. You know, he says at any cost, at one point – which worries Glûg immensely. But I don’t think anybody understands; I don’t think anyone else was there, when Sauron was there before. I don’t think they really, truly understand how dangerous he is, and the threat that he poses to the Uruk. It’s Adar’s responsibility to know that, to do something about that, and to try to lead them to victory against Sauron. Even if half of the Uruk are killed, then at least the rest will be free at the end of it. Otherwise it’s curtains for everyone!
And I mean, Adar certainly knows that he himself is done for, but I don’t think he really cares about himself at this point. I think he is doing it just purely to save his children.
GD: There’s that great line where you say something like that you love them so much that you cannot allow them to become slaves.
SH: Sauron’s slaves, yeah, exactly. I believe he’s telling the truth.
GD: He does seem to be a character who tells the truth, which is a contrast [with Sauron].
SH: Yeah… There’s a little bit of cunning and deception, extracting information from Galadriel in episode six. And in the stuff with Charlie [Vickers] – with Halbrand in the jail cell early on [episode one]. Adar is aware that he could be Sauron, and he’s taken the beatings in that jail cell no human could take; but it’s like there’s nothing he can physically do. He needs to know for certain that he is Sauron – and he’s giving nothing away – so we let him go. It was a contentious point at the time; while we were filming it I wanted to understand. I was like well, why would I let him go?
There is a ‘one upman’ thing there, of who can outsmart the other; who’s the smartest? It’s a really bold – slightly foolish! it’s his undoing really – move of Adar’s; but he does try to outsmart Sauron, who is the great deceiver. You know, it’s never going to go well!
Adar leads the Uruks into battle
One of the first Elves?
GD: I wonder if that sense of maybe being able to outsmart Sauron is partly because Adar is one of the most ancient characters in the show. (Forget Tom Bombadil for a minute!) He is presumably one of the Elves from the first awakening of the Elves. How much did you fill in? (I thought we might actually get a name for him when I was watching episode eight!)
SH: I know! We made up a lot of names, some of them very silly – but I won’t go into them!
GD: How much of a backstory did you have in your own mind, about the centuries that this character has been alive?
SH: I thought about it a lot. I loved that there was a line of Joseph’s in his first scene, with Ismael [Cruz Córdova] where he says, ‘I went down that river once. The banks were covered in sage blossoms…’ It had this kind of beauty and nostalgia of a life past, and a life lost, and that sort of sense… I don’t think he [Mawle] necessarily did it with regret, but it felt like there was something of that in there, for me. From then on it made me think that Adar regrets his decision to volunteer [to serve Morgoth] in order to get more power and to have children. He was duped, obviously, but I think that he must have been a very unhappy elf, you know – dissatisfied. He wanted more; I think he must have felt that he wasn’t given the respect he wanted – or felt he should have had, perhaps. And that dissatisfaction led to him wanting more – which is a very relatable thing. All humans want more, really – and that’s where the problems begin!
So I think over these centuries, for thousands of years, he feels he is responsible, in his mind anyway – or in part responsible – for the creation of the uruk as a race who are cannon fodder. He’s created lives that are going to be miserable; and it’s his fault, as far as he is concerned. So his raison d’etre is to take care of these Uruk as best he can, knowing that he is responsible for them. I think that’s all he really cares about.
Morgoth’s crown returns at the end of Season 2
To be returned via Nenya [the ring of power worn by Galadriel], being healed by Nenya [in episode eight]; to have a glimpse, a really stark reminder of his life prior to that deal with Sauron and Morgoth… I think he’s finally got to a place he’s dreamed of millions of times since then – which is that he wishes he’d just been happy with what he had, and remained an Elf, and lived – possibly died – an Elf. But it’s too late now. It’s this incredible moment for him, and I think it stops him in his tracks. And that’s why he doesn’t go on and kill Sauron. He can’t do it; he can’t face him.
You know in Superman 2, when he loses his super powers? I felt like it was like that; it’s like his armour is gone and he’s starkly reminded of his fragility – and his “humanity”, in a way, as well. And so he needs Galadriel to take the mantle and to finish the job for him, because he can’t do it.
GD: It was a breathtaking moment to see him healed whilst wearing the ring; and it felt, to me at least, like an extremely noble gesture that he gave it back. That speaks something of his character. It’s interesting what you’re saying, that he perhaps couldn’t go on and so he had to give it back; but then it shows you something about an inherent depth to his persona, that he doesn’t say, ‘Aha, now I have this ring and it’s given me power!’
SH: And to take the rings from her as well – she’s got nine rings with her! I mean he succeeds, really, ultimately, in gaining the respect of the Elves. Galadriel is a very high Elf; and I think they feel like equals at that point. And that is something that he never had before, and that is the respect that he wanted. You know, it’s like the evil step-sister at the wedding – you’re the same as them, but you just feel like you’ve been cast out. And I think it’s as simple as that, that he finally has the respect of the Elves; or of Galadriel anyway. It’s a kind of homecoming for him, in a way.
GD: Unfortunately, though, he doesn’t have the love of some of his Uruks anymore by then.
SH: Because they don’t understand that he’s doing it all for them. And I think him being in Elven form is the last straw… First of all, he’s trying to make a deal with Elves, and they [the Uruks] don’t like that, and then he is an Elf again.
GD: It’s like ‘He was never really one of us.’
SH: Exactly. Can he be trusted with our fates anymore?
GD: And so you’ve just got your feet under the table, and now (presumably) we’re not going to see Adar anymore! That’s very sad, because he’s been a very popular character. He was created with a lot of regard, I think, for Tolkien’s writing, and cleverly combines various different origin stories that Tolkien had for the orcs: in some of the stories they were made, and in some of them they were corrupted Elves, so the showrunners have kind of combined the two. You’ve got ‘made’ orcs and a corrupted Elf. But it speaks a lot for both, first of all, Joseph Mawle’s performance, and then your performance, that this character has been so loved by the viewers in spite of not being a canon Tolkien character.
SH: Yes. I’m really glad of that. You know, Joseph is the one who started that. It’s a great character.
That kiss in episode 7…
GD: I have to ask you, before we come to the end of our time: there’s been a lot of reaction to the kiss between Galadriel and Elrond.
SH: You know, we talked about that a lot at the time, obviously.
GD: I was just going to ask you how Adar perceives it. He’s the one in the room at the time. From his angle, how does he perceive it?
SH: I was going to say “awks”! [laughs] Really bad pun, sorry! But anyway…
Robert Aramayo as Elrond
I saw a video – I think it was on Instagram – of Rob Aramayo talking about it, and I agreed with him completely. Nobody thinks about things more than Rob does. He is such a massive Tolkien fan and just such a clever and thoughtful guy. And yeah, as humans, we think, ‘Oh, romantic!’ – but it isn’t romantic. It’s a dear, dear friend; they’ve been through so much together – especially within the time of these two seasons. He’s not really sacrificing her, because he’s planning to save her – but there’s a chance [she might die]. But he gives her the thing so (hopefully) she can get away. Which she does! [feigns Adar-ish dismay] Yeah, that’s another story…
I think the kiss is transcendent. It’s a moment of pure beauty, as far as I’m concerned; of tenderness and real love. And it could be… when I say brotherly, sisterly, I’m not suggesting that brothers and sisters should be kissing each other on the mouth here in our world! If my sister reads this… [laughs] But this is different. This is Middle-earth and, you know, they have millennia between them and it’s a beautiful moment.
GD: Hearing you say that makes me think for Adar there’s some pathos there; because maybe that is the respect and love and camaraderie that he would have liked to have had with another Elf.
SH: Absolutely, yes. You’re absolutely right – that’s a really good point.
GD: Now I need to go back and watch it again from that perspective!
SH: I’ve actually watched episode 7 twice, because I loved it so much. Charlotte [Brändström, the director] did such an incredible job; and I love Bear’s music at the end. Bear is just great.
GD: Well, Sam, I’d love to say I’ll see you at the next press event; but unfortunately, perhaps not! – because I think your time in this version of Middle-earth has come to an end.
SH: I know, I know. It’s so sad.
GD: It has been such a pleasure to meet you and to hear a bit of your insight. Thank you for the seriousness with which I know you and all the cast approach your characters – with absolute seriousness. We really appreciate that as viewers, that there’s a professionalism and a depth of approach that is in no way dismissive of the work, or of fantasy as a genre.
SH: Yeah, not at all. It [fantasy] is everything! And thank you as well!
The complete The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 is now available on Prime Video. Look for TORn’s interview with Trystan Gravelle (Pharazôn), coming soon!
Oaths hold an astonishing power in Tolkien’s Middle-earth. Here, TORn Discord member Narrative Epicure explores how Sauron and Elrond’s understanding of this fact drives each to behave very differently toward others.
~ Staffer Demosthenes
Concerning Oaths in Middle-earth
by TORn Discord member Narrative Epicure
In December 3018 of the Third Age, everybody’s lucky number was nine. After an involuntary white-water rafting trip down the Bruinen, Sauron’s Nazgûl returned to Mordor. These servants, so long bound to him by works he wrought in ages past, gathered once more in the dark shadow of Barad-dûr. In the Elven realm of Rivendell, Lord Elrond prepared a Fellowship whose journey would determine the fate of Middle-earth.
“The Company of the Ring shall be Nine;”1 he declared, “and the Nine Walkers shall be set against the Nine Riders that are evil.”2
Contrasts between the Ringwraiths and the Fellowship are legion, but in their preparations, one particular distinction reveals the nature of the hands that send them: while Sauron insists on sending servants bound to him by rings of power, Elrond demands nothing of anyone but Frodo (to not cast away the ring or deliver it to an Enemy). To the fellowship, he says, “no oath or bond is laid upon you.”3
As they depart on their journey south, he demands no promise from the nine he sent.
This difference between Elrond and Sauron is illustrative of each lord’s perspective on oaths and—to a larger degree—of the way each lord interacts with and treats the people of Middle-earth.
Concerning Oaths
Oaths and promises are fascinating subjects that could fill volumes on their own. On a surface level, an oath is a set of words promising some conduct or restraint. Yet, the way we treat an oath transforms it from a set of words to a power. In our own world, this power is usually subtle, intangible, and typically confined to the effects on psyche, trust, or the occasional legal ramification. In large part, oaths have over us what power we give them. In Middle-earth, this intangible power becomes tangible. Tolkien writes of oaths not only as if they have power, but as if they behave.
Oaths are living things that bless those who honor them, and occasionally impose consequences on oathbreakers. Tolkien describes the Oath of Fëanor (an oath that drives much of the action and conflict of the First Age) as “ever at work,”4 and on other occasions he says it has “slept now for a time.”5
In The Lord of the Rings, we see the terrible result of going back on your word when the Men of Dunharrow break oaths to fight Sauron and Isildur curses them to “rest never until [their] oath is fulfilled.”6
Tolkien’s writing ascribes another unique trait to oaths: they bind people to each other. Tolkien’s Legendarium offers many examples of this: the Oath of Eorl bound Rohan and Gondor together, the Oath of Finrod bound him to aid the kin of Barahir (at the cost of his life), and the sons of Fëanor were “bound by the oath”7 they swore.
But the people of Middle-earth can be bound even without oaths. When Melkor darkened the two Trees of Valinor, the Valar determined that the light of the Silmarils could restore the trees if Fëanor allowed their use. Fëanor refused. The Silmarillion describes him as “fast bound” to the Silmarils. Long before his oath, the love of his crafts bound him.
It was this binding power that Sauron would seek to replicate. In the Second Age, he bent the power of oaths back on itself, twisting it into the shape of rings, “for his desire was to set a bond upon the Elves.”8
Bound by Oaths
In Season 1 of the Rings of Power, young Elrond describes his outlook on oaths. “To some, [oaths] may now hold little weight, but in my esteem, it is by such things our very souls are bound.”9
He sees oaths as Tolkien wrote of them, and he uses them to build a web of collective strength. Elrond gives oaths. He enters them freely as a show of loyalty to those he cares about. Some may argue he enters them too freely.
Yet, despite the impetuous manner in which he binds himself to others, he’s hesitant to let others make oaths to him. When the Fellowship departs, and he asks no oath or bond, he explains some of his reasoning (paraphrased to just dialogue):
Gimli: “Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens.” Elrond: “Maybe, but let him not vow to walk in the dark who has not seen the nightfall.” Gimli: “Yet sworn word may strengthen quaking heart.” Elrond: “Or break it.”10
He’s cautious to hold others to promises made without all facts. We see this again in the mines when he stops Durin from sharing his true name—an act that, while not an overt oath, would have bound the two together. And while he freely binds himself, he’s cautious with whom he makes such promises. Note that in Season 2, when Galadriel asks, he immediately refuses to swear any promise “whose asking is born of that ring.”11
But seconds later, he swears exactly what she wishes, only this time to her. He will not suffer himself to be bound to or by her ring, but holds no qualms for his friend. And despite his fears that she is bound to Sauron through that ring, he demands no similar oath from her lips.
At his core, Elrond believes oaths are about people. He cares much more about binding himself to others than binding them to him. He cares deeply about them. When he stumbled into Durin’s Mithril mine in Season 1, he wasn’t looking for mithril itself like Durin suspected. He was looking for his friend. He worried about Durin’s secrets and went there to maintain trust between them.
After swearing an oath to Durin, he’s given a nugget of mithril, which he immediately offers to return. His king sought that ore, but to Elrond, this was always about his friend. Incidentally, this outlook works to his favor. Durin never would have given him the mithril if it were why he came lurking.
Bound in Darkness
If Elrond is the give, Sauron is the take. Elrond builds strength, Sauron builds power. To the dark lord, the purpose of oaths is to ensure those beneath him remain subservient. We see this in the very terminology he uses. He almost always eschews the word “oaths” in favor of “binding.” He doesn’t want to forge webs like Elrond; he wants to forge chains.
Sauron is cautious about oaths he swears. When faced with no alternative, he tries to manipulate them in his favor. “I swear to serve the lord of Mordor”12 is the juicy example that springs to mind. He’s there to bind others to him, not the other way around. Oaths don’t show loyalty or closeness, they keep others in line.
In the finale of Season 1, he asks Galadriel to bind herself to him. What he wants from Galadriel is a promise—an oath—so he can make her a queen, fair as the sea and the sun, stronger than the foundations of the earth. But notice again his subtlety. He offers her effectively nothing. “You bind me to light, and I bind you to power.”13
In exchange for her legitimizing his “healing” of Middle-earth, he binds her to power. But in Sauron’s estimation, he is that power. He binds her to him, and in exchange, she validates his rule. But as Gandalf famously warned Saruman, “he does not share power.”14
He’s promised her only chains.
Since he cannot elicit true loyalty, Sauron must demand it. He can deceive and win hearts, but he cannot keep them. It is this inability to earn true loyalty that—in part—drives Sauron’s need for the rings. Elrond cares for people while Sauron seeks only what he can use from them.
Each ring of power is a literal manifestation of that search for utility. If the people of Middle-earth will not swear to him, he will find some other way to bind them to him.
Frodo observed that “the Shadow . . . can only mock, it cannot make: not real new things of its own.”15
Unable to make bonds and elicit oaths, Sauron mocks, imitating the power of an oath’s bond with his rings. That involuntary bond shreds trust, but he doesn’t need trust when he has control. Dominate some creatures, bind others, make empty promises, and—when your army is threatening enough—maybe some people will swear with less coercion and deception.
And so, nine walkers set out from Rivendell, each a hero, while nine riders set out from Mordor, each a thrall. Sauron told us his plan from a prison cell in Númenor: “identify what it is that [a person] most fears . . . [and] give them a means of mastering it so you can master them.”16
Elrond’s line of thinking would likely be more along the lines of “identify what it is that a person most fears, and swear to protect them from it.”
With that contrast laid out, it’s clear in which fellowship you’d find better company.
About the author:Narrative Epicure is an aspiring loremaster and practicing attorney longing to read or write things that aren’t legal. When he’s not buried in Tolkien’s Legendarium, he enjoys books, board games, and other activities with his Fellowship, which includes his wife and three daughters.
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