The first three episodes of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power are now streaming on Prime Video, and the premiere wastes little time in taking us back to the Dawn of the Second Age to reveal the shocking origin of Sauron (or at least, the origin of the version of the Dark Lord we met in season 1).
Major spoilers follow.
The first episode begins by introducing Sauron in his original form as a Maia spirit made flesh (played Slow Horses actor Jack Lowden) shortly after the defeat of his master, Morgoth.
Sauron gives a speech to a group of Orcs, attempting to convince them to embrace him as their new Dark Lord. However, Adar - now played by Sam Hazeldine - doesn't believe his would-be ruler has his "children's" best interests at heart, and instigates an uprising which results in Sauron's "death."
Though Sauron's spirit appears to leave his body, his blood flows into the earth, and the shape-shifting villain is eventually able to take the form of... well, what looks a lot like a Venom-type symbiote creature (yeah, this is definitely a new addition to the lore).
The writhing black mass gains power and size by absorbing animals, before ultimately coming upon an unfortunate human host and transforming into the man we came to know as Halbrand.
As Halbrand, Sauron appears to consider walking a new path, possibly even atoning for his evil deeds and living among a group of travellers he meets on the road. But fate intervenes, and encountering Galadriel at sea, he sets his plan in motion to reclaim Morgoth's crown and "heal" all of Middle-earth in the process.
When we catch up with Sauron in Mordor, he has surrendered to Adar, who still appears to believe that his captive is the King of the Southlands. Sauron convinces his former ally that they both want the same thing - The Dark Lord defeated once and for all - and returns to Eregion, where he will assume the "fair form" of Annatar and trick Celebrimbor into forging the rest of the titular Rings of Power.
What do you make of this new twist on Sauron's origin and return as Annatar? Let us know in the comments section down below.
"Sauron has returned. Cast out by Galadriel, without army or ally, the rising Dark Lord must now rely on his own cunning to rebuild his strength and oversee the creation of the Rings of Power, which will allow him to bind all the peoples of Middle-earth to his sinister will."
"Building on Season 1’s epic scope and ambition, Season 2 of Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power plunges even its most beloved and vulnerable characters into a rising tide of darkness, challenging each to find their place in a world that is increasingly on the brink of calamity."
"Elves and dwarves, orcs and men, wizards and Harfoots... as friendships are strained and kingdoms begin to fracture, the forces of good will struggle ever more valiantly to hold on to what matters to them most of all.. each other."
Returning cast members include Morfydd Clark, Benjamin Walker, Charles Edwards, Charlie Vickers, Markella Kavenagh, Nazanin Boniadi, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Tyroe Muhafidin, Maxim Baldry, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Owain Arthur, Trystan Gravelle, Ema Horvath, Sophia Nomvete, Megan Richards, Dylan Smith, Leon Wadham, Daniel Weyman, and Sara Zwangobani.
Sam Hazeldine (Peaky Blinders) replaces Joseph Mawle as Adar, with Ciarán Hinds (Game of Thrones), Rory Kinnear (Penny Dreadful), and Tanya Moodie (The Man Who Fell to Earth) joining the ensemble in key roles.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 returns to Prime Video on August 29.