Mr. Tolkien, we meet again. After a two-year hiatus, “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” returns to Prime Video for its third season. The war is in full swing, as Sauron and his nefarious forces move quickly to take over Middle-earth. However, the Elves, the Dwarves, and the people of Númenor plan to defend their world to the bitter end.
To (mis)quote Boromir at the Council of Elrond, “One does not simply return to Mordor without a refresher course.” While I’m pleased that “The Rings of Power” is back, it’s difficult to remember every storyline and plot point when new seasons have been released every other year since 2022. Here are five things to remember before embarking on another journey set in Middle-earth.
Sauron is no longer hiding
Sauron is not a good guy. Not a good guy at all! In season 1, Sauron (Charlie Vickers) appeared as Halbrand, a drifter fleeing from the Orcs who befriends Galadriel (Morfydd Clark). By the end of the season, Halbrand reveals himself as Sauron and asks Galadriel to rule alongside him, which she vehemently rejects.
In season 2, Sauron convinces Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) that he is an elf named Annatar. Sauron manipulates Celebrimbor into forging the Rings of Power. After killing Celebrimbor, Sauron attacks Galadriel and steals the Nine Rings of Power for Men. While surveying his kingdom in Mordor, Sauron becomes fixated on one mission: forging the One Ring to rule Middle-earth. The making of the One Ring is arguably the most anticipated moment in the show to this point.
The Stranger reveals his identity
Welcome to the party, Gandalf! For the majority of the two seasons, Daniel Weyman played “The Stranger,” a mysterious bearded wizard who fell from the sky. The Stranger befriended Nori (Markella Kavenagh) from the Harfoots’ clan. After saving Nori and Poppy (Megan Richards) from the Dark Wizard, the Stranger and Nori decide to go their separate ways.
Enter Tom Bombadil (Rory Kinnear), the legendary character from Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings.” The Stranger returns to Tom Bombadil and takes a branch to use as a magic staff. It’s here that we learn that the Stranger is Gandalf—yes, the illustrious wizard played by Ian McKellen in Peter Jackson’s trilogy. Selfishly, it'll be much easier to call this character Gandalf rather than the Stranger, the Giant, or the Big Fella.
Prepare for the time jump
“The Rings of Power” season 3 will not pick up in the immediate aftermath of the season 2 finale. Instead, the series will feature a time jump five years into the future. Co‑showrunner Patrick McKay told SFX Magazine that the time jump brings the action to the “tipping point” of the war between Sauron’s armies and the Elves.
Think of the time jump as a soft reboot. Many of the same characters return for season 3, but it’s a fresh start for the story as a whole. The showrunners have a lot of ground to cover in Middle-earth’s Second Age, one of which I’ll discuss later. The showrunners originally envisioned the series as a five-season saga, so expect more time jumps to occur in the future.
The Balrog has been awakened
So far, we talked about the Elves and Gandalf. One of the primary races in “The Rings of Power” is the dwarves, who live in the underground realm of Khazad-dûm in the Misty Mountains. In season 2, King Durin III (Peter Mullan) became corrupted by his Ring of Power and dug deeper into the mountain to mine mithril. It was a catastrophic mistake, as Durin III awoke the Balrog, a fiery, demonic creature. Left with no other choice, Durin III attacked the Balrog, sacrificing himself by causing the cavern to collapse and burying himself alongside the creature.
When season 3 begins, Durin IV (Owain Arthur) is the newly crowned king and, more importantly, has the ring that drove his father mad. However, Durin III’s sacrifice did not destroy the Balrog. In season 3, Sauron will confront the Balrog as he seeks to uncover the secrets of forging the One Ring. That’s not all. The Balrog will speak for the first time on-screen, with Simon Pegg providing the voice. Unfortunately, I’m not expecting Pegg to provide comedic relief as he did as Benji in the “Mission: Impossible” franchise.
Númenor is in trouble
I debated whether to include this point about Númenor as one of the five things to remember before the season. Is it a spoiler if you already know Númenor’s fate? I won’t reveal it explicitly, but most viewers can tell that Númenor is in trouble. After Queen Regent Míriel (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) went blind, cracks began to appear in Númenor's metaphorical armor. Then, Pharazôn (Trystan Gravelle) successfully seized the throne in a coup, as his King’s Men faction arrested the remaining members of the Faithful.
Under Pharazôn and the King’s Men, Númenor is in a horrible place due to the political instability and a hatred of the Elves. The kingdom is heading in the wrong direction. There are still several major storylines to play out in Númenor, but let's just say that if things don't change, the kingdom is heading toward its end.
'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' season 3 release schedule
“The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” season 3 has an interesting release schedule on Prime Video. The first four episodes premiere on November 11. Episodes 5-6 will stream on November 18, and the final two episodes of the season will air on November 25. So mark those dates in your calendar now!
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