Warning: Major spoilers ahead for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 finale!
Every narrative thread comes to a head The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 finale. The final season of the Prime Video prequel to JRR Tolkien’s novels saw the feeling of evil slowly spread across Middle-earth, with Galadriel still hunting for Sauron still revealing himself in his halfling guise, while the Dark Lord hides in Eregion in his Elven Form of Annatar to work with Celebrimbor to form new rings. All the while, Númenor finds itself in the midst of a power struggle between Míriel and Pharazôn, while the dwarven kingdom of Khazad-dûm falls into shambles.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power The season 2 finale sees Uruk’s siege of Eregion largely succeed, destroying the elven realm and all of Celebrimbor’s works, while Sauron kills the ring seeker and chases after Galadriel to obtain the rings made for men. Durin IV, meanwhile, must confront his father before he inadvertently unleashes a Balrog, while the stranger rescues Nori, Mon, and the stores from the Dark Wizard and his forces, finally landing on his identity as Gandalf.
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The ensemble Rings of power Season 2 cast remains full of new and returning faces, including Elrond’s Robert Aramayo, Benjamin Walker’s Gil-Galad, Charlie Vickers’ Sauron/Annatar/Halbrand, Galadriel’s Morfydd Clark, Durin IV’s Owain Arthur, Celebrimbor’s Charles Edwards, Arondir’s Ismael Cruz Córdova, Disael Cruz Sophia Nomvete, Nori’s Markella Cavenah and the stranger Daniel Wyman, among many others. In the same vein and world-building of Peter Jackson’s beloved original trilogy, season 2 shows that the creative team is only scratching the surface of JRR Tolkien’s source material.
for its premiere, Screen Rant Interviewed director Charlotte Brändström & DP Alex Disenhof to discuss The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 finale, watching Elrond’s transformation into a warrior from a politician, as they made Adar’s death a full-circle moment with the directorial style, and introduced the new elven country of Valley of Imladris, better known in Tolkien’s world as Rivendell.
Brändström & Disenhof are thrilled by Aramayo’s warrior transformation for Elrond
“… I find that Robert is a very, very intelligent actor as well …”
Screen Rant: I was talking to Vic about Robert about prepping to finally see Elrond in action. But what was it really like shooting Elrond’s fight scenes in both episodes 7 and 8 for you both?
Charlotte Brändström: Well, I mean, he’s incredible. I felt like, character wise, it was so interesting to see him change from a politician to who he is and even how he looked, and become this warrior. And then, I find that Robert is a very, very intelligent actor, so he feels his character moments, he feels his emotion. He knows when to play them. Thus, there was a moment that was very important for him at the end of 7. It is when he realizes that Durin betrayed him, was not going to come and save them, that the dwarves are not coming.
He can no longer fight, because he fought the night with all his courage, because he knew that he had to hold on until dawn, because then the Dwarf army would come. And when he knows that they are not coming, he knows that all is lost. He doesn’t want to fight anymore, he just sits down. I found it very emotional when he just sits and watches as the elves are slaughtered around him. So, it was really about finding those character moments with him, and he loved that.
Alex Disenhoff: Yeah, he’s a very thoughtful actor, Robert is, so it was fun to be with him during season 1 in his politician days. Seeing his transformation was just as satisfying as a kind of first audience. It’s cool to see him suddenly taking charge, being on a horse and riding into battle.
the duaMirrored somethingFrom Season 1 when filming the confrontation of Galadriel and Sauron
“… kind of a full-circle moment between them.”
I would also love to look at episode 8 for Sauron and Galadriel’s epic confrontation when he tricks her. I love the use of Dutch angles to really exemplify how off kilter she is in this sequence. How did you both come to the decision that this is what you wanted to go for in this sequence?
Charlotte Brändström: We actually mirrored something we did in the first season. There’s a scene in episode 6, at the end of episode 6, there’s a confrontation between Adar and Galadriel in the barn. It’s been quite a while, but we remember that, right? [Chuckles] That day we went Dutch, completely Dutch, the whole scene. So, Alex said, “It would be cool to just repeat the same thing and go Dutch again.”
Alex Disenhoff: Yeah, it’s kind of like remembering how their relationship is, and it’s off balance. We knew that this was the last moment between them.
Charlotte Brändström: We knew he would die at that moment.
Alex Disenhof: Yeah, kind of a full-circle moment between them.
The duo wanted a “Real visual departure“For the valley of Imladris
“We wanted to feel like a reawakening a little bit…”
Now I would like to hear about Galadriel awakening in the peaceful Elven land of the Valley of Imladris, which Lord of the Rings Fans obviously know how Rivendell is. I love the use of vibrant colors and kaleidoscopic-like images. How did you decide the right visual approach to keep us hopeful, even if it seems like all hope is lost after losing Eregion?
Charlotte Brändström: As you said, it was about hope, they wanted to keep the hope. They were on their way to a better world. They found this kind of safe haven that we’ll know more about in season 3. Even her costume we changed, we made sure she was dressed in white, we wanted her to look completely different. And therefore, we wanted to hope for a better future for the elves, so there was much softer lighting after all the crazy battles.
Alex Disenhof: Yes, it was important to establish a real visual departure from what we had just seen. So, we overexposed, we did a little bit of filtering, actually, which we don’t normally do in the show, so the highlights shine just a little bit. We wanted it to feel like a reawakening a little bit, and I’m really, really happy with the way it ends. I think we did what we set out to do.
About The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2
In Season Two of The Rings of Power, 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 nations of Middle-earth to his Evil will. Building on the epic scope and ambition of Season One, the new season plunges even its most beloved and vulnerable characters into a rising tide of darkness, challenging each to find their place in a world increasingly on the brink of Disaster. Elves and dwarves, orcs and men, wizards and harefoots… As friendships are strained and kingdoms begin to crumble, the forces of good will fight ever more valiantly to hold on to what matters to them most of all… each other.
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Source: Screen Rant Plus