The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 Teaser Trailer Reaction

The teaser trailer for the second season of ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ as arrived, hinting at what will happen in Middle-earth in the near future. It emphasises that this will be a much darker time for Middle-earth, with Mordor rising to power and the other kingdoms dealing with the threat on their doorstep. It also suggest what audiences can expect from Sauron’s story going forward.

Opening the trailer, the darker tone shift is evident rightaway, bordering on horror. Durin warns of an ancient and powerful evil returning, likely referring to the Balrog that the dwarves awoke at the end of season 1. It’s a powerful foe, and will eventually force the dwarves out of their home in Khazad-dûm. This is hinted at later in the trailer, with some destruction inside the mountain. 

Black, swampy goo, possibly an orc in disguise moves through a marshland, though it’s purpose or true nature is unknown. It’s extremely creepy and unpleasant looking, certainly not a monster that audiences would like to to meet on a misty night. Unfortunately for Galadriel, her and the hunting party she’s leading probably encounter it in the mist, forced to fight a terrible horror. 

The voiceover talks about someone worming inside the mind, likely a literal process as worms or snakes slither along a forest covered floor, ready to compel others to their bidding. It’s a horrible thought. While this is the dark times for Middle-earth, the trailer does seem to lean a bit too hard into that horror. It’s something that seems to snuff out all hope, which is not true of this era at all. 

After, Celebrimbor stares at a hot flame in his workshop. Is this the forging of the seven dwarvan rings and the nine for men? Only the three for elves have been crafted so far, so there are more rings to come. Not to mention the one ring to rule them all. Next is a voice of a worried elf, speculating that he, Sauron, has been here the whole time, before cutting to an elf that’s likely Sauron. 

Where the first season left off, Sauron tricked Celebrimbor into creating the three elven rings, and was on his way to Mount Doom to forge the One Ring in secret. This differs from the books as Celebrimbor created all 19 lesser rings at the same time, so Sauron is likely returing to the elf kingdom to coax Celebrimbor into creating the rest of the rings, rebooting what was already done in the first season. 

After this, are some more shots, one of a vicious sea monster, before there’s a more cheerful tone, with later shots being more vibrant. The Ringverse is teased in text, quickly followed by the three elven rings. Towards the end are more action shots, including the inclusion of a massive battle with the return of Adar, the imposing orc leader. His lie about killing Sauron will be exposed through this season, and making his role unqiue. It’s not clear how he fits into this, he’s a wildcard character. 

The final shot audiences get is Sauron unleashing his powers on the elves, being a more active. This is great to see, as during ‘The Lord of the Rings’ Sauron was of course incapable of meaningful action himself, it had to be done through others. Hopefully this means a look at how he operates, trickery and lying before force. 

One thing that’s conspicuous by its absence are the Halfings. It hints that their presence will be dimished in the season, which is a welcome relief. While they provided some cheer and levity, they were a drag on the narrative, and ultimately unecessary to the story. 

‘The Rings of Power’ releases on Prime Video on August 29.