Season 2, Episode 6, titled “Where Is He?,” of the Prime Video series, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, is directed by Sanaa Hamri and penned by Justin Doble. The episode unfolds under a growing darkness that envelops Eregion, Khazad-dûm, and Númenor. In Eregion, Sauron (Charlie Vickers) subtly manipulates Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) into forging the Nine Rings for Men. In Khazad-dûm, Durin III’s (Peter Mullan) insatiable greed spirals out of control, to the dismay of Durin IV (Owain Arthur) and Disa (Sophia Nomvete). Meanwhile, in Númenor, the Kingsmen gradually seize power, while the influence of the Faithful continues to wane. 

Annatar Manipulates Celebrimbor

Celebrimbor has become increasingly obsessed with perfecting the Nine Rings for Men, consumed by the project after countless trials and failures. His obsession has escalated to the point where he neglects his duties as Lord of Eregion, leaving Annatar (Charlie Vickers) to govern in his place. This shift in leadership frustrates the people of Eregion, prompting Annatar to address them and alleviate their concerns. However, how the gathering was depicted is problematic; the crowd was sparse, consisting only of a few jewel-smiths and soldiers. The scene would have been far more impactful had it featured a large assembly, with nearly every elf in Eregion present. Later, Annatar manipulates Celebrimbor, ensuring he remains distracted from the impending orc invasion of Eregion through illusions and deceit. He conjures visions of Eregion at peace, all while playing on Celebrimbor’s ego and his desire to surpass the beauty and power of Fëanor’s Silmarils.

Annatar in Khazad-dûm

The elves of Eregion discover the corpse of one of their soldiers outside the gates, his body marked with Black Speech that reads, “WHERE IS HE?” Annatar quickly realizes that orc legions are closing in, surrounding the realm of the elven jewel-smiths. Time is running out, and the Lord of Gifts must urgently secure mithril from the dwarves so that Celebrimbor can complete the Nine Rings for Men.

Annatar arrives in Khazad-dûm and seeks an audience with both Durin III and Durin IV. The Deceiver attempts to manipulate Durin III through the dwarven ring the king wears, hoping to acquire more mithril. However, Durin III, as a stubborn and resilient dwarf, resists Sauron’s influence, much to Annatar’s frustration. This scene highlights that while the seven dwarven rings cannot corrupt the dwarves as they do others, they instead amplify their repressed emotions and greed. Left with no other option, the Deceiver is forced to steal a bag of mithril for Celebrimbor to continue his work. However, Sauron is pleased to know that a Balrog is under Khazad-dûm and that the dwarves’ greed to mine more gold and mithril will be their undoing. 

The Greed of Durin III

Durin IV feels relieved that his father, Durin III, is rejecting Annatar’s deal and resisting his influence to procure more mithril. However, Durin III reveals a cunning plan: he intends to refuse all deals for now, only to later raise the price of mithril, which can be used for crafting swords, armor, and other accessories. While mithril is known in Tolkien’s lore for creating chainmail, helmets, and items like Nenya, it is never mentioned as being used to forge weapons.

Frustrated, Durin IV confronts his father, attempting to force him to remove his Ring of Power, believing it to be corrupting his judgement. The king refuses, leading to a brief but intense struggle between father and son. Unable to prevail, Durin IV turns to Disa with his concerns. Disa suggests overthrowing Durin III, believing his rule is faltering under the ring’s influence. However, Durin IV cannot bring himself to betray his own father. Disa remains adamant, urging her husband to act swiftly, warning that if they do nothing, Khazad-dûm will fall further into ruin. As a result, the dwarven couple work together to hinder the mining operations led by Narvi (Kevin Eldon) in order to save their home. 

The Stranger and Tom Bombadil

The Stranger (Daniel Weyman) has a vision of Nori (Markella Kavenagh) and her friends being attacked by the Dark Wizard and his minions. Though troubled by this, Tom Bombadil (Rory Kinnear) continues to guide the Istar in his training to become a true wizard. The first step in his journey is to find his true staff hidden among the branches of a cluster of trees. However, the Stranger remains anxious about the safety of Nori and Poppy, longing to find them and ensure their well-being before continuing his search for the staff. Tom persuades him to stay on his path, reminding the Stranger that all of Middle-earth will depend on his strength to fight both Sauron in the west and the Dark Wizard in the east. Both are fallen Maiar, and only the power of a loyal Maiar can stand against them and guide the peoples of Middle-earth in the battle against evil.

Meanwhile, Nori tries to convince the Stoors to flee Rhûn to escape the Dark Wizard’s oppressive influence. However, Gundabale Earthauler (Tanya Moodie) refuses, arguing that they cannot abandon the land they’ve grown up in. She urges Nori to understand this connection to their home. Nori, after reflecting, decides to stay and help the Stoors fight off the Dark Wizard, should he come to invade their homeland in pursuit of the Istar.

Elendil’s Trial

Ar-Pharazôn (Trystan Gravelle) presides over the trial and believes Elendil should be spared from execution, owing to his many years of loyal service to the Kingdom of Númenor. This sentiment may stem from Pharazôn’s past friendship with Elendil’s father, Amandil, with whom he was once close despite their ideological differences. Out of respect for Amandil, Pharazôn likely does not wish to see his old friend’s son executed. Moreover, Elendil holds sway over the Faithful, a group Pharazôn despises but seeks to appease to ensure that both the Faithful and the Kingsmen remain loyal to his rule. Pharazôn aims for a peaceful consolidation of power without resorting to bloodshed, and he chastises Kemen (Leon Wadham) for his reckless actions.

However, Pharazôn’s mercy comes with a condition: he will only spare Elendil if he renounces his crimes and pledges fealty to him. While Elendil does renounce his crimes, he refuses to kneel before Ar-Pharazôn, as he remains loyal to the Faithful and to Númenor’s rightful queen, Míriel, daughter of Tar-Palantir. This defiance frustrates Pharazôn, but Belzagar (Will Keen) advises that they let the Valar decide Elendil’s fate to avoid provoking unrest among the Faithful.

Trial By Abyss

Belzagar’s suggestion was to present Elendil before a sea wyrm, a creature created to guard Valinor and serve the Valar. If the sea wyrm devoured Elendil, it would appear as though the Valar themselves had executed him, preventing any uprising among the Faithful, who revere the Valar as divine. However, before the execution could take place, Eärien (Ema Horvath) uses her influence among the Kingsmen to convince Míriel to take her father’s place. Eärien loves her father deeply, and Míriel agrees, knowing that Elendil is the future leader of the Faithful should anything happen to her. 

Pharazôn is shocked but permits his cousin, Míriel, to take Elendil’s place in the trial. The sea wyrm drags the blind queen beneath the water to test her worthiness, either to spare or execute her. To the astonishment of the crowd, the sea wyrm spares her, tossing Míriel back to shore. Witnessing this, the people are awestruck, beginning to view Míriel as their true queen, believing the Valar themselves have validated her rule. This inspires Elendil and the Faithful, strengthening their resolve to restore Míriel to the throne.

​​Frustrated by these developments, Pharazôn turns to the Palantír for guidance, only to realize the visions confirm that Halbrand is, in fact, Sauron—much to the false king’s shock. This revelation may explain why Pharazôn is later motivated to assist the elves and dwarves during the War of Eregion and Lindon, despite not being one of the Faithful. However, in the novels, the true reason is that Gil-galad requested Númenor’s aid, and Pharazôn had not yet fully descended into darkness and cruelty until Annatar (Sauron) was taken prisoner and manipulated his way into becoming the king’s personal advisor.

Adar and Galadriel

Adar (Sam Hazeldine) and Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) discuss their shared goal of destroying Sauron. They delve into Sauron’s insidious power, particularly his ability to exploit the deepest desires of his victims. By understanding what they wish to become and what they crave, Sauron manipulates their minds, making them believe the power they seek is already within their grasp—if they only reach out and take it. This irresistible allure makes the fulfilment of their desires seem inevitable. Galadriel sought an army, while Adar longed for children. It seems Sauron allowed Adar to raise a new generation of orcs, like a father, during the First Age, which may explain why the Moriondor remained loyal to him until the dawn of the Second Age.

Adar then presents the crown of Morgoth, which Sauron reforged to suit his own needs. The crown appears to have the power to weaken a Maiar enough to render them vulnerable to death by conventional means. Adar offers Galadriel an alliance, proposing they use their combined forces, the crown of Morgoth, and the power of the three elven rings to destroy the Dark Lord once and for all. Galadriel hesitates, but Adar remains adamant, having discovered that Halbrand is, in fact, Sauron and that he is in Eregion, manipulating the elves to his dark will.

The Armies of Darkness

Galadriel agrees to the alliance with Adar and advises on how they might unite the elves and orcs to defeat Sauron. However, Adar has a change of heart upon realizing that High King Gil-galad will never show mercy to the orcs, who will always be seen as creatures of darkness. This revelation leads Adar to resolve that he will show no mercy to either Sauron or the elves. To Galadriel’s horror, he summons his legions to attack Eregion. She pleads with Adar to stop, screaming that this is exactly what Sauron wants—to pit the elves and orcs against each other so that he can eliminate Adar and reclaim control over his forces. If successful, Sauron would use the surviving orc legions to crush the elves and enslave them. However, there is a chance that Numenor will come to the aid of the elves. 

Rating: 7/10