Season 2, Episode 7, titled “Doomed to Die,” of the Prime Video series, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, is directed by Charlotte Brändström and penned by J.D. Payne, Patrick Mckay, and Justin Doble. The episode depicts the Siege of Eregion in full, showing the legions of orcs invading the realm of the elven jewelsmiths in their attempt to destroy Sauron (Charlie Vickers). Despite the scale of the battles, the portrayal is not faithful to J.R.R. Tolkien’s original account. In Tolkien’s narrative, Sauron himself led the assault on Eregion, while Celebrimbor commanded his forces in defense of the great city. Unlike in the show, where he appears entirely helpless, Celebrimbor, as a scion of Fëanor, fought valiantly until the bitter end.
Elrond and Durin IV (13:16)
Elrond (Robert Aramayo) arrives in Khazad-dûm to warn Durin IV (Owain Arthur) of Sauron’s return and the looming threat to Eregion. In response, Durin IV pledges his support to his elvish friend, vowing to bring the army of Khazad-dûm to reinforce the elven forces of Eregion and Lindon in the coming battle. With the help of Disa (Sophia Nomvete) and Narvi (Kevin Eldon), Durin IV overthrows King Durin III (Peter Mullan), effectively becoming the ruler in his father’s place. The former king, corrupted by his ring of power into a greedy and selfish leader, descends into the mines, obsessively seeking mithril and gold. Narvi warns Durin IV that his father is nearing the area where the Balrog lies dormant. This forces Durin IV to make a difficult choice: remain in Khazad-dûm to protect his people or march to Eregion to aid Elrond and the elves. However, Narvi’s warning might be an illusion created by Sauron, as suggested by the scene’s transition from Narvi’s warning to Sauron wielding his power in Eregion.
Celebrimbor’s Helplessness
In Eregion, Sauron keeps Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) trapped in an illusion where his city appears peaceful, even though it is actually being consumed by the fires of war. Under this false reality, the Lord of Eregion continues forging the Nine Rings for Men with great success. However, he soon realizes that the world around him is nothing more than a time loop, noticing subtle inconsistencies like a mouse repeating the same actions and a candle that doesn’t burn. Celebrimbor also discovers that the mithril Annatar gave him is the black blood of Sauron.
Forced to drop his disguise, Sauron reveals his true identity as the second dark lord of Middle-earth. Horrified, Celebrimbor tries to warn Mirdania (Amelia Kenworthy) and his soldiers, but they refuse to believe him. Annatar has already deceived them into thinking their lord has gone mad. The situation worsens when Sauron manipulates Celebrimbor into accidentally killing Mirdania, shocking the elven soldiers. Believing their lord has lost his sanity, they follow Annatar’s orders to return Celebrimbor to his workshop. Celebrimbor, the scion of Fëanor, is horrified as he glimpses the war raging outside of the illusion. However, Sauron assures him that he will spare Eregion if the Nine Rings for Men are completed.
Sauron and Celebrimbor
Sauron drags Celebrimbor back to his workshop and chains him to the forge, forcing him to continue working on the Nine Rings for Men. The Dark Lord blames Celebrimbor for his downfall, accusing him of succumbing to hubris and pride, which ultimately led to the fall of his realm. Sauron even extends the blame to Morgoth, suggesting that both Celebrimbor and Morgoth shaped him into what he has become. He claims he never wanted to resort to brute force to conquer Middle-earth, insisting his goal was to bring peace and perfection to the continent.
However, Celebrimbor sees through this façade and calls out Sauron’s hypocrisy, mocking him as the true “Great Deceiver” for deceiving even himself. This moment reveals Sauron’s pettiness, contrasting him with Morgoth, who openly embraced his evil nature. In contrast, Sauron hides behind a guise of virtue, driven by pitiful and spiteful reasons. It should be noted that Sauron is no god-king, but rather a disappointing failure—just like Saruman and all who followed in Morgoth’s footsteps.
Elrond meets with Adar
After leaving Khazad-dûm, Elrond and High King Gil-galad (Benjamin Walker) lead the armies of Lindon against Adar (Sam Hazeldine) and his orcish legions. During the battle, Adar calls for a parley, attempting to convince the elves to allow him to raid Eregion, claiming that all the elves there are already corrupted by Sauron’s influence. Elrond firmly refuses, declaring that the elves of Lindon will not abandon their kin to such a dark fate. Before departing, he secretly leaves a key for Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) to use to free herself from her chains.
The subsequent scene between Galadriel and Elrond feels out of place. The gentle kiss between them comes off as awkward, especially since Elrond is destined to marry Galadriel’s daughter, Celebrían. For many fans, this moment is strange and unnecessary, as it disrupts the established dynamic. A heartfelt hug would have been more appropriate, and the background music only adds to the scene’s discomfort. Following Elrond’s departure, Galadriel escapes into the night and makes her way to Eregion with the help of Arondir (Ismael Cruz Córdova).
Celebrimbor Reunites with Galadriel
When Sauron departs to oversee Eregion’s defenses, Celebrimbor attempts to destroy the Nine Rings of Men but fails. Desperate, he cuts his own thumb to free himself from his chains and tries to flee Eregion with the rings, hoping to keep them out of the Dark Lord’s grasp. However, elvish soldiers soon find him and attempt to drag him back to his workshop. Galadriel arrives just in time, stopping them and revealing the truth—that Annatar is, in fact, Sauron. Relieved and tearful, Celebrimbor is grateful for Galadriel’s intervention and entrusts the nine rings to her, vowing that he and the remaining soldiers will distract Sauron. Although hesitant, Galadriel agrees to his plea and heads toward the dwarven tunnels to make her escape.
The Power of Sauron
Sauron erupts in fury at Celebrimbor’s escape, tearing through the workshop in a frenzied search for the Nine Rings of Men. His rage subsides when he spots Celebrimbor re-entering the workshop with his soldiers. They attempt to subdue Sauron, but he unleashes his power, killing all the elvish soldiers while sparing Celebrimbor. It is likely that Sauron intends to torture the great elven smith for information on the rings’ whereabouts and the secrets of crafting the Rings of Power with skill and ease. This sequence is expected to culminate in Sauron’s pursuit of Galadriel to reclaim the Nine Rings, as hinted in a Rings of Power trailer where he confronts her in a duel, a duel where he wins and reclaim what is his.
The Siege of Eregion
The battle between the elves and orcs rages on as High King Gil-galad, Elrond, and Arondir fight valiantly against the invading forces. Despite their efforts, the elves are heavily outnumbered and many are subdued by the overwhelming might of the orc legions, which far exceed the combined forces of Lindon and Eregion. After managing to slay the hill troll Damrod (Benjamin Walker), the elven armies hold their ground, hoping for the dwarves of Khazad-dûm to arrive with reinforcements. However, the reinforcements do not come, leaving Durin IV’s decision uncertain. As a result, the elves prepare for their last stand. In the ensuing chaos, Adar defeats Elrond in a fierce duel and claims Nenya as his prize.