Season 2, Episode 8, titled “Shadow and Flame,” 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 and Patrick Mckay. The episode delves into the aftermath of the Fall of Eregion and the looming war between the Free Peoples of Middle Earth and those under Sauron’s dominion. While the Season 2 finale was undoubtedly exciting, it is important to note that, much like Netflix’s The Witcher and HBO’s House of the Dragon Season 2, this show was not faithful to its source material. The constant addition of unnecessary creative elements to make the show more engaging ended up being a significant misuse of the show’s budget.
The Rings of Power could have focused on the settings of Lindon, Eregion, and Khazad-dûm, with Celebrimbor as the central protagonist—the “Ned Stark” of the series. Fans would have likely appreciated a deeper exploration of Celebrimbor’s character, his friendship with Narvi and the dwarves, and his growing mentorship under Annatar in Season 1. This approach would have allowed for a more nuanced depiction of Celebrimbor and Annatar’s “friendship” as Sauron manipulates and deceives him into furthering his own sinister goals.
Additionally, the show’s considerable budget could have been used to introduce key elven characters such as High King Gil-galad, Lady Galadriel, Lord Celeborn, Lord Elrond, and Círdan the Shipwright, giving them each ample time to shine. The same could be said for the dwarves, including figures like King Durin III, beyond just Narvi. Season 2 could have employed some time jumps to depict Sauron’s return to Mordor to forge the One Ring and the War of Eregion and Lindon, leading up to the intervention of the Númenóreans in aiding the elves.
Lastly, the Harfoot plotline, along with the introduction of the Stranger and the Rhûn storyline, felt unnecessary to the main narrative, despite the strong performances by the Harfoot actors and the actor portraying the Stranger.
Durin’s Bane: The Balrog of Morgoth
In Khazad-dûm, King Durin III (Peter Mullan) continues mining deep within the mithril veins of Khazad-dûm, driven by greed and the influence of his dwarven ring. Prince Durin IV (Owain Arthur) descends into the mines, pleading with his father to stop before he inadvertently awakens the Balrog and brings disaster upon their people. Ignoring his son’s warnings, Durin III presses on, ultimately uncovering a vast deposit of mithril. However, his actions disturb the Balrog, awakening the fallen maiar, who attacks the king in a fit of rage.
In the face of this deadly threat, Durin III is shaken from his greed and recognizes the harm he has caused his son and his people. In a final, selfless act, he removes his dwarven ring, showcasing the dwarves’ resilience and capacity to resist Sauron’s power. Sacrificing his life to protect Durin IV, he ensures his son is pulled to safety by Disa (Sophia Nomvete) and Narvi (Kevin Eldon). Durin IV, grief-stricken, watches as his father falls to the Balrog’s wrath.
During the funeral, Durin IV mourns his father’s death but remains steadfast in his promise to aid the elves of Eregion. Honoring his father’s sacrifice, he sends Narvi to lead the dwarven armies in his place.
The Stranger Confronts the Dark Wizard
In Rhûn, the Dark Wizard (Ciaran Hinds) confronts the Stranger (Daniel Weyman) at the home of the Stoors. Brank (Zates Atour) and his trackers hold Nori (Markella Kavenagh) and Poppy (Megan Richards) captive to ensure the Stranger’s compliance. The Dark Wizard expresses delight that Manwë, the Lord of the Valar, has sent another Istari to Middle-earth to aid the Free Peoples in their fight against Sauron. He claims that five wizards, including himself, were dispatched on this mission. With feigned compassion and empathy, the Dark Wizard attempts to gain the Stranger’s trust, even offering to kill Brank to demonstrate his supposed goodwill.
However, the Stranger sees through the Dark Wizard’s deception, recognizing him as yet another fallen Maiar seeking to supplant Sauron as the one, true Dark Lord. Enraged, the Dark Wizard unleashes his power, destroying the canyon and forcing the Stoors to flee as their home is reduced to rubble. In the chaos, the Stranger uses his powers to protect the Stoors from the falling debris, ensuring their escape.
Nori’s Farewell to the Stranger
The Stoors finally decide to leave their home, traveling west for safety, away from the Dark Wizard’s influence and the servants of Sauron in Rhûn. Nori is saddened by the loss, lamenting that they cannot rebuild their former home. However, Poppy gently reminds her that not everything can be fixed and that sometimes, the only way forward is to leave the past behind and build something new. This moment subtly foreshadows how the halflings of Middle-earth would eventually come together to create the Shire and identify themselves as hobbits. The Shire, alongside Rivendell, would become one of the safest places in Middle-earth, far from Sauron’s shadow—though it would later face threats from the Nazgûl and Saruman during events like the War with Angmar and the Scouring of the Shire.
The Stranger stays behind to continue training under Tom Bombadil (Rory Kinnear) to become a full-fledged wizard. Before parting ways, he says goodbye to Nori. As he wanders the ruins of the Stoors’ home, he finds his staff beneath a broken tree and discovers his true name: Gandalf. The Stoors had mistaken him for an elf and had called him “Grand Elf,” giving rise to the name that he adopts. Gandalf shares this revelation with Tom, who confirms that he has passed his trials by choosing friendship over power and waiting for both his staff and name to come to him. In this, Gandalf succeeded where the Dark Wizard had failed.
The Persecution of the Faithful
In Númenor, Ar-Pharazôn (Trystan Gravelle) grows increasingly paranoid, suspecting that the Faithful have been secretly colluding with Sauron (Charlie Vickers) during his time as Halbrand. In his mistrust, he orders his soldiers and King’s Men to arrest the Faithful as traitors to Númenor. Elendil (Lloyd Owen), with the help of his daughter Eärien (Ema Horvath), manages to reach Queen Míriel (Cynthia Addai-Robinson). Elendil tries to persuade her to flee west with him, where the Faithful are most numerous and where his son Anárion has already taken refuge.
However, Míriel refuses, choosing to stay behind to watch over the capital. Instead, she orders Elendil to go west and rally the Faithful in her stead. Before he departs, she entrusts him with the sword Narsil, asking him to claim his lordship among the Númenóreans. With the sword in hand, Elendil is to lead the Faithful in the conflicts that lie ahead.
Númenor’s Takeover of Pelargir
In Pelargir, Kemen (Leon Wadham) arrives with a host of Númenórean soldiers, transforming the Númenórean colony into a military outpost. Furious upon learning that Sauron had been in Númenor, Ar-Pharazôn is now eager to wage war against the Dark Lord. As a result, the Númenóreans begin preparations for war, which could lead them to aid the elves in defeating Sauron and ultimately capturing and imprisoning him in Númenor.
However, Kemen treats the people of the Southlands with disdain, viewing them as nothing more than “low men.” His actions and attitude even provoke Isildur (Maxim Baldry), especially when Kemen shares news of the persecution of the Faithful and his attempt on Elendil’s life. Despite Isildur’s anger, Kemen forces him to return to Númenor aboard a ship, likely as a prisoner and hostage to use against Elendil, who has managed to escape Ar-Pharazôn’s grasp.
Sauron Kills Celebrimbor
In Eregion, Sauron tortures Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) and toxically blames the latter for his broken situation. The dark lord even states he only wishes to heal all of Middle Earth with the Rings of Power. Celebrimbor furiously declares and foresees that the Rings of Power will destroy Sauron and that one of them will be his very demise. This foreshadows how the destruction of the One Ring will bring Sauron’s end. Morgoth’s former lieutenant impales Celebrimbor like a flag on a banner out of anger, fear, and sorrow as he begins to fear his death and demise. After Celebrimbor’s passing, his spirit returning to Valinor to the Halls of Mandos, Sauron is confronted by the orcs who fear the dark lord’s power.
The Orcs Betray Adar
During the siege, Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) leads the survivors out of the city but is eventually captured by the orcs. They take her to Adar (Sam Hazeldine), who now possesses Nenya. The power of the elven ring has healed Adar, restoring him to his original elven form and freeing him from the corruption of being an orc. Overwhelmed with astonishment and regret, Adar feels the weight of his past actions as the “lord father” of the orcs. He expresses deep remorse for attacking Eregion and vows to ally with the elves to defeat Sauron, promising that the orcs will return to Mordor and never wage war again.
In an act of redemption, Adar returns Nenya to Galadriel. However, this immediately causes him to revert to his orcish state. Seeking to share his new resolve with his orc lieutenants, Adar is instead met with betrayal. The orcs turn on him, killing him mercilessly. Galadriel watches in horror as Sauron emerges, holding Morgoth’s crown in his left hand and Adar’s sword in his right. The orcs brutally finish off Adar, proclaiming Sauron as their new master. With this act, Sauron finally regains the orc legions he needs to conquer Middle-earth.
Galadriel’s earlier warning from Season 1 proves true: the orcs are nothing more than enslaved creatures of darkness, entirely unlike elves, dwarves, or men. They can be seen as cowardly beings that mimic the behaviors and personalities of the Free Peoples to increase their chances of survival. Like animals, they cling to an alpha—Morgoth or Sauron—no matter how cruel or abusive. Adar’s naive belief that orcs could find redemption and live peacefully was tragically misguided.
Galadriel vs. Sauron
Sauron attempts to tempt Galadriel, offering her the chance to become a powerful queen in Middle-earth if she agrees to serve him. However, Galadriel refuses and engages Sauron in a duel, determined to slay him and end the war. Despite her efforts, Sauron defeats her and reclaims the Nine Rings of Men. He then demands that she hand over Nenya, but Galadriel defies him, leaping off a cliff to escape his grasp. Sauron is momentarily shocked, but his shock quickly turns to fury when he sees the dwarves of Khazad-dûm arriving to aid Eregion.
The dwarves free High King Gil-galad, Elrond (Robert Aramayo), Arondir (Ismael Cruz Córdova), and any surviving elves. However, Arondir’s survival is a plot hole, as Adar fatally stabbed him in the previous episode. With his plans thwarted, Sauron is forced to retreat and regroup with the remaining orc legions, preparing to launch a new campaign to conquer all of Eriador.
Sauron begins to consider forging the One Ring as a means to take full control of all the Rings of Power and thwart Celebrimbor’s warning that one of the rings would lead to his downfall. Ironically, the very ring Sauron seeks to craft will ultimately be the source of his doom.
The Elves Rally Against Sauron
The elves of Eregion, along with the surviving armies of Lindon, retreat to a valley north of the fallen city of the jewel-smiths, now crumbling into ruin. In the future, the valley will eventually be Rivendell with Elrond as its lord and ruler. In this refuge, Gil-galad and Elrond work together to heal Galadriel’s wounds and discuss their strategy for the battles ahead. Galadriel recalls Celebrimbor’s words: that it is light, not the strength of armies or power, that can overcome darkness.
Inspired by this wisdom, the elven leaders resolve to press forward against Sauron, despite the diminished state of their forces. Regardless of whether they march toward their doom, the elves vow to continue fighting Sauron and to aid the dwarves and men of Middle-earth for as long as they can, until the Dark Lord is finally toppled from his dark throne.
Rating: 8/10