The Rings of Power makes up some new lore for Sauron that will open season 2

The Rings of Power is, nominally, a Lord of the Rings prequel series, although it doesn't bear much resemblance to the lore of Middle-earth as fans of J.R.R. Tolkien know it. No where in The Lord of the Rings or The Silmarillion does Tolkien mention Sauron disguising himself as a hunky dude named Halbrand and flirting with Galadriel, nor does he write about a wizard who may or may not be Gandalf (but who is definitely Gandalf) wandering into the east with a proto-Hobbit. If you're a hopeless dork like me and know way too much about this world, the best way to watch The Rings of Power is to treat it as its own thing. Don't expect it to conform to Tolkien's vision and it can't hurt you.

It sounds like that advice will come in handy when season 2 rolls around next month. Co-showrunner Patrick McKay told Total Film about the opening scene, a flashback to Sauron's past. "We open in the darkness, an orc walks in, and we see there are thousands of orcs gathered. He’s about to be crowned, pitching his vision of Middle-earth, and right before they lay the crown on his head, his right-hand man, Adar, turns it upside down, and stabs him in the back. It’s the assassination of Sauron."

Apparently this scene takes place towards the end of the First Age of Middle-earth, after Sauron's master Morgoth has been defeated. In The Silmarillion, we're told that Sauron repented of having helped Morgoth in his wars against the elves and sued for mercy, but balked when the conquering army from Valinor said he must return to the sacred isle and face judgment. He fled and hid somewhere in Middle-earth, where he apparently met a twisted elf named Adar who will stab him with a crown during a coronation gone wrong. Sure, why not?

Again, I think I'll get the most out of this show if I don't think of it as a Lord of the Rings story. It's just that a lot of the names are similar, is all. "Right from the beginning, Sauron is the center of gravity," McKay added. "It’s an ensemble show, but the focus is starting to get pulled towards him. He’s driving everything."

The second season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will kick off on Amazon Prime Video on August 29. Charlie Vickers will again will Sauron, this time disguising himself as an elf-like creature who will trick the elves into forging the rings of power...even though they already met him when he was disguised as Halbrand and he's basically just changed wigs. Again, best not to think about it.

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