From the moment Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) saw fit to forge three powerful rings for Elvenkind, one question has ruled over all in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: How much power did Sauron really exert on the Elven rings? Galadriel’s intentions with the rings were pure as they come: with the Elven city of Lindon in decay, there was nothing stopping Middle-earth from the darkness of Sauron’s rule. But the fact that Sauron himself — FKA Halbrand (Charlie Vickers) — had the idea to forge rings in the first place did put a damper on her victory. The Elves are more powerful than ever thanks to those rings, but is that just another part of Sauron’s plan?
Even if the rings were forged without the Dark Lord’s involvement, that doesn’t entirely absolve them of his influence. But as the Elves are much stronger than any other race in Middle-earth, recognizing the effects of Sauron’s magic has been easier said than done. Apart from a few haunting visions of the future, he doesn’t seem to have much influence over the Elves. But what worked for them might not work for the other races that Sauron hopes to subdue with powerful jewelry.
In Episode 3, “The Eagle and the Sceptre,” the Dwarf lords of Middle-earth came into possession of their own Rings of Power. We haven’t gotten the chance to see how these rings affect them just yet, but Inverse can share an exclusive clip from the series’ latest Episode 5, which teases a startling change for King Durin (Peter Mullan) of Khazad-dûm. Check it out below.
Episode 5 sees Prince Durin (Owain Arthur) returning to the forge of Eregion to confront Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards). At this point, his father has embraced the “gift” presented by Celebrimbor and Annatar — who’s Sauron in disguise — and chosen to wear a ring of power. Though it’s not clear whether the ring has healed the mountain that the Dwarves call home, it’s definitely had an effect on the king.
“He’s changed,” Durin tells Celebrimbor. “It’s like he’s colder; quicker to hunger.” He’s also hoarding the remaining Dwarven rings (apart from his, there are six total) until the Dwarf lords pay a tribute. In short, he’s become a slave to his own greed — and according to Durin, this is the first time he’s ever been ruled by that vice.
Celebrimbor is surprised to hear of the king’s corruption, as he and Annatar repeated the same process used to create rings for Elves. “There simply cannot be a fault in your ring,” he tells Durin.
But what if there was a fault in the one who made the ring? “How much do you know about this Annatar?” Durin asks, which seems to plant a slight seed of doubt in Celebrimbor. One might hope that the Elven smith gets the courage to confront Annatar — but either way, Sauron’s plan is nearly complete.
Unlike the Elves, the Dwarves could have more trouble resisting the power hidden within their rings. And that’ll go double for the kingdom of Men, who’ve become Sauron’s next target. The future is set for Middle-earth, and things will only get dicier from here. But with the help of some eerie foreshadowing and great performances, The Rings of Power is doing what it can to keep this familiar story interesting.
