The Rings of Power season 2 episode 2 recap and review

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 premiere focused, mainly, on Galadriel, Sauron, Elrond, and the three rings created by Celebrimbor in the first season. For two episodes in a row (the season 1 finale and the season 2 premiere), we were without our friends of Khazad-dûm, Prince Durin, Disa, and the dwarves. That’s where the second episode of the season begins. 

Prince Durin and Disa are roughing it with the common folk after the Prince’s tiff with King Durin. They’re walking through the market when Disa senses an earthquake. She yells for everyone to brace themselves before the earth shakes and a giant chunk of rock wipes out a bridge. 

It appears that Mordor’s resurgence is causing issues throughout Middle-earth. Or, is this an issue of dwarves mining too deep? We’ll find out soon. 

Sauron gains Celebrimbor’s favor 

After the opening credits of season 2 episode, "Where the Stars are Strange," Galadriel is having terrible visions. She sees Celebrimbor killed by the vines of a tree. Sauron is haunting her mind. Gil-galad and his advisors are discussing plans to return to the Southlands and invade Mordor. Gil-galad asks Galadriel for her advice, and she shares the plan she has to attack Mordor. 

After the other advisors leave, Gil-galad and Galadriel discuss Sauron’s aim and plan. Galadriel knows that Sauron is not going to use armies to win this war and take power. Instead, he will use the rings to influence people and their will. 

Gil-galad admits to Galadriel that he’s also having visions of perilous things around Middle-earth. Galadriel tries to convince Gil-galad to let her leave for Eregion to warn Celebrimbor of the danger Sauron poses. Gil-galad will not let her go alone because he’s worried that she can’t face Sauron again. They send messengers instead. Big mistake, huge.

Meanwhile, Sauron, disguised as Halbrand, is denied entry to Eregion by Celebrimbor, but he won’t leave. He says that he’s going to stay until Celebrimbor changes his mind. Celebrimbor will not treat with him, at Galadriel’s request. He says that he’s waiting for word from Lindon, which should arrive any day, but then we see the messengers dead or dying, waylaid by someone on the road. 

Days pass and there’s still no word from Celebrimbor. Galadriel is going to travel to Eregion to see if Sauron has returned, but she asks for Elrond’s help. She tries to confide in Elrond about her mistake of trusting Sauron, but Elrond shuts her down. He tells her that Sauron has already influenced her, Gil-galad, and others, perhaps. She pleads with Elrond to help her because she knows that she can’t face Sauron on her own, but Elrond still won’t help. He says that they’ve chosen to become Sauron’s collaborators. Perhaps, this moment and his refusal to help now is what drives Elrond in the events of The Lord of the Rings to actually assist in making sure that the ring is destroyed. 

Later, Elrond, again, seeks the counsel of Cirdan, who shows Elrond the power of the rings. He warns that the rings must remain in the hands of the Elves and be used for good. If they fall into Sauron’s hands, they could do incredible damage. Cirdan asks Elrond to guide his friends, including Galadriel and Gil-galad, “before the darkness spreads across Middle-earth and blinds us all.” Okay, Cirdan! 

In Eregion, Celebrimbor crafts something out of the Mithril. His advisor offers to bring Halbrand a coat on this cold night. Instead, Celebrimbor asks Halbrand to leave or he’ll be removed. Halbrand claims to have spoken with Galadriel, but he has his hooks in Celebrimbor. He plays on Celebrimbor’s ego and the fact that Galadriel and Gil-galad haven’t reached out to Celebrimbor. That’s just what Celebrimbor was waiting for. He offers Halbrand food and drink in exchange for finding out if the rings worked. Halbrand reveals that the rings worked and saved the Elves. Celebrimbor celebrates the occasion, of creating something incredible after all these years. 

Halbrand continues to manipulate Celebrimbor. He finally reveals the true purpose of his visit. Halbrand wants to make rings for Men. Initially, Celebrimbor balks, but Halbrand reveals that he’s not actually Halbrand. Instead, he’s Annatar, a messenger from the Valar and bringer of gifts. He tells Celebrimbor that the rings of power are the only way of limiting the darkness spreading through Middle-earth. 

Celebrimbor doesn’t believe him until Annatar puts on a little magic show and emerges from the forge in a new Elvish form. Annatar promises to work with Celebrimbor to make him “the Lord of the Rings.” 

Who could turn down that opportunity? Not Celebrimbor. And, they get right to work! 

Back in Lindon, Gil-galad agrees to send Galadriel to Eregion, but Elrond will be in charge. 

Who is stalking Nori and the Stranger? 

We finally find out! The minions of a Dark Wizard, played by Ciarán Hinds, have sent someone to follow them. We see the Dweller from season 1, one of the servants of Sauron, has returned after the Stranger turned them into a bunch of moths. They give an update on Nori, Poppy, and the Stranger before the tracker with the skull mask enters. It reveals that the Stranger and Nori are headed for Rhûn, and it promises to bring the Stranger to the Dark Wizard in chains before he obtains his powers. 

Nori, Poppy, and the Stranger realize they are being followed. They use their invisibility blanket that looks very similar to the one Frodo and Sam used after causing a rockslide at The Black Gate of Mordor in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. They evade capture this time, but we know they’ll face these masked men at some point soon. 

Later, they continue across the desert landscape until the Stranger collapses. Luckily, they’re very close to a well. They seek out the well, but a bell chimes while they try to bring back the Stranger, who is unconscious. 

He wakes and finds a staff, very similar to the one from his dream. 

The bell attracts the attention of the skull-masked men on horseback. Suddenly, they’re riding toward them. The Stranger uses his power to create a tornado, but he quickly loses control of it. The tornado grows too big and throws Nori and Poppy through the air. 

Disa and the Stone Singers can’t hear the mountain anymore 

Back with the Dwarves, Disa leads the Stone Singers to King Durin for a report. One of Durin’s advisors tells the King and the council that Mount Doom’s eruption collapses shafts and passages through the mountains. Disa and the Stone Singers offer to sing to the mountain to find the way through and restore the light, allowing the Dwarves to grow crops, but it doesn’t work. The mountains collapse on them again. 

If the Stone Singers can’t find a way, the times are changing. “The hand of darkness has covered Khazad-dûm,” King Durin claims. 

Durin asks Disa to remain behind, and they have a heated argument about the King and Prince’s stubbornness about the grudges they are carrying. Disa appears to speak some sense into King Durin, and she asks the King to summon Prince Durin to bury the axe between them. 

That night, Disa and Prince Durin get into an argument about the state of things. Disa tells Durin that she’s scared because they can’t hear the mountain anymore. Durin tells her that they’ll get through it. But, will they? 

The episode ends with a message from Celebrimbor showing up at Prince Durin’s chamber. He has invited the Dwarves to Eregion. Uh-oh!

 It sure seems like we’re going to finally see some rings being made soon!