Rings of Power Season 2: What Could Happen in Númenor?
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power have sometimes positively surprised fantasy fans: Yes, the series from Amazon is not that bad … it also depends on the level of knowledge of the respective viewer. Because die-hard Tolkien fans were probably less sympathetic to the first season of Rings of Power than those viewers who have little or no clue as to the underlying lore. Apart from that, Tolkien nerds can also have fun with Rings of Power – because the series is not bad at all! 6.9 out of 10 points from over 280,000 reviews Imdb for the first season (at Rotten Tomatoes is judged a bit harsher as usual), that’s something to be proud of!
And there will be quite a few fans of the series who will tune in to future episodes as well. All release dates for Rings of Power Season 2 are currently pure speculation, but it can be expected in winter 2023 or spring 2024. We definitely have to wait a while longer. But that’s enough time for us to think about what could happen where in the second season! After all, there is a rough template, namely the work of Tolkien!
Because I love crystal ball gazing, I’m now doing a new series of articles on Rings of Power, exploring what could happen by canon in season 2 of the show – and what might have been hinted at in the season finale anyway! As always: If you have your own ideas, then feel free to write them in the comments; I’m not omniscient after all 🙂
What happens in Númenor in Season 2?
The first target of my personal eye of Sauson (ahahahahaha) is also the easiest: Númenor. Those in the know know where the star-shaped island nation’s story arc is headed, but before we get there, there are a few other things that will happen from a Lore perspective. I assume that in the second season of Rings of Power the civil war in Armenelos, the actual capital, will gain momentum (although the series probably features Rómenna for logistical reasons, forget about it).
Pharazôn, after some political banter and power games, is very likely to have his own wedding and coronation at the same time.
Source: Prime Video/Amazon Studios
What is the latest stand in the serial númenor?
In the series, King Tar-Palantir has died, one of the last rulers who somehow wanted to keep the friendship between Edain and Eldar and Valar alive. Elendil and Tar-Palantir’s daughter Míriel, interim ruler of Númenor, have just returned to Númenor from their foray into the Southlands of Middle-earth and are greeted by a sea of mourning flags. We don’t know for sure, but it is likely that Tar-Palantir Elendil’s daughter Eärien actually took a peek inside the palantir. We don’t know where Isildur is. Pharazôn, Chancellor and Míriel’s uncle, is last shown in front of the king’s deathbed. And probably it will play a role that Míriel is blind.
What happened there in the lore?
The conflict between the king’s party and the followers was already hinted at in the series, but it has been developing in the history of Númenor for centuries. It is reasonable to assume that since Tar-Palantir dies according to Tolkien’s writings in the year 3255 of the Second Age, we are at about that time in Númenórean history. Ar-Pharazôn becomes the 25th king of Númenor by marrying the rightful heir to the throne and his niece Míriel against her will.
Míriel went blind on her trip to Middle-earth and it is likely that this will be her undoing in the fight for the throne.
Source: Prime Video/Amazon Studios
Looking ahead to Númenor in season 2
I assume the civil war and its end through Pharazôn’s illegal marriage to Míriel will be the biggest story arc of season 2. In detail: On the one hand, after the death of the king, Pharazôn gathers more and more loyal fans around him, the “immortals” more than ever despise. Meanwhile, Míriel continues to seek to fuel faith in the Eldar and Valar in order to avert the prophecy of Númenor’s doom. However, Míriel will probably fall behind due to her blindness.
Based on their scene together on board the ship in Season 1 Episode 8, I’m assuming that Míriel and Elendil will have a little romance, or at least make eyes at each other (if possible). However, since Míriel is deemed unable to rule Númenor due to her injury, Pharazôn will make his move and not only separate the “lovers” from one another, but also celebrate the season finale with his wedding to crown himself king. If I’m being mean, I suspect Elendil will be thrown in a dungeon, since he’s a follower, after all. On top of that, I think it’s likely that the season finale will then kick off with the news that Sauron is taking his armies against the Númenórean ports of Middle-earth, and Ar-Pharazôn is deciding to sail against the enemy.
Eärien and Kemen
A so-called blind spot are of course the characters Eärien and Kemen – Elendil’s daughter and Pharazôn’s son – who are not known from Tolkien’s lore. Kemen himself, like his father, is someone who loathes, hates, envies the Eldar and Valar, take it as you will. He wanted to keep Míriel’s fleet from leaving the harbor by blowing them up, but somehow Isildur managed not only to save Kemen, but also (my feeling) to convert him a bit. The question is: Was there a love affair between Eärien and Kemen? Yes? No? I am undecided. In any case, Kemen uses Eärien’s fear of loss to incite her against Elendil and Isildur’s departure. It’s quite possible that Isildur’s disappearance and Elendil’s (I impute) interest in Míriel further plays into his hands. The prerequisite for this is, of course, that Kemen remains a hardliner even after his failed Battleship game.
Elendil will be troubled at the apparent loss of Isildur – but perhaps Eärien knows where her brother is.
Source: Amazon Studios
The Palantir
The question is also whether or not Eärien looked into the Palantir. Palantíri were created by Feanor and allow long-distance communication. The Master Stone that everyone else could see was on the island of Tol Eressea, in the Undying Lands. Seven Palantíri will bring Elendil to Middle-earth. The power of the palantíri is a relatively mysterious one, and their workings were primarily explained in the Third Age. Smaller stones could only look in a certain direction if correctly aligned, with larger ones the positioning was relatively irrelevant. It is said that users of the stones were able to see not only across national borders, but also across the borders of time.
That is why Míriel is probably shown the downfall of Númenor in the Palantir. Suppose Eärien also sees the fall. Will she then be more inclined to maintain her anti-Eldar course, or will she fight for the faith in Eldar and Valar? The previously unknown answer to this question makes Eärien much more interesting than she was in Rings of Power. On the other hand, she could also see something else, such as the whereabouts of Isildur. If so, her role could also gain weight, as it could be up to her to rekindle Elendil’s faith in Middle-earth – who looked rather disillusioned after the supposed death of Isildur.
Isildur is missing and his brother Anárion will probably not appear.
Source: Prime Video/Amazon Studios
Will we see Anárion?
Anárion is actually Isildur’s brother and has only been mentioned so far. I’ve already explained that Eärien doesn’t actually exist in Tolkien’s lore and that she was invented for the series. Given the way the characters of Rings of Power were presented leading up to the launch of Season 1, I don’t really expect Anárion to play a role. The cast is actually already too big now, and even if I assume that it will be noticeably shortened for season 2 – the stranger and Nori are traveling alone, for Theo, Bronwyn and Arondir there’s no real justification yet (except maybe in Pelargir , but that’s another topic) – I don’t think gaps will be filled in large.
Tolkien connoisseurs know, however, that Anárion plays a central role in the history of Middle-earth. However, the second season of the series will not be all about Númenor, although Númenor deserves a series of its own, srsly! I don’t think Anárion will be thrown into the ring after that. Hahahahahaha, that play on words!
Reference-www.buffed.de
