Warning: spoilers ahead for The Rings of Power season 2, episodes 1-3.The Rings of Powermakes a host of changes to its source material, but one specific deviation regarding Sauron’s corruption of the rings leaves a plot hole that cannot be ignored. Prime Video’sThe Rings of Poweris effectively a much longer version of the prologue from the beginning ofThe Fellowship of the Ring, chronicling howSauron crafted the One Ringto control the nine rings for men, seven rings for dwarfs, andthree rings for elves.
The Rings of Powerseason 2’s opening episodes showSauron in his Annatar formmaking sure to fondle the mithril before it enters the forge, demonstrating in visual terms how the Dark Lord infuses his evil influence into the seven rings for dwarfs. Because Sauron never physically touched the elves' three rings back in season 1, however, Galadriel, Gil-galad and Círdan insist those particular creations are safe. Elrond isn’t so sure, and he may have a point, becauseThe Rings of Power’s Annatar story is risking an almighty plot hole.
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In J.R.R.Tolkien’s Second Age timeline, Sauron, posing as Annatar, was directly involved in helping Celebrimbor craft the rings for dwarfs and men, but Celebrimbor created the elves' three rings alone after Sauron departed Eregion. The villain’s exact intentions are left somewhat open to interpretation by Tolkien, but the author strongly suggests thatthe elves' rings were not part of Sauron’s initial plan, and he only discovered their existence after Celebrimbor made them.
Sauron stood right there conspiring with Celebrimbor inThe Rings of Powerseason 1, and even touched the chunk of mithril that was smelted into the elven rings.
Tolkien’s account made it very easy to understand why the rings for dwarfs and men were corrupted, yet the elves' rings were relatively safe. Sauron presided over the forging of the former, but had no clue about the latter. The only reason the elves' rings were susceptible to the One Ring’s control was thanks to Celebrimbor utilizing the skills he learned from “Annatar” when devising them.
The Rings of Powerfalls victim to a plot hole because Sauron was indeed present during the creation of the elves' three rings. Sauron stood right there conspiring withCelebrimbor inThe Rings of Powerseason 1, and even touched the chunk of mithril that was later tossed into the melting pot. WhereasSauron in the books had no opportunity whatsoever to corrupt the elves' rings, he had every opportunity inThe Rings of Power, and it makes no sense that the Three were somehow spared from his interference.
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The inconsistency can be addressed through two semi-plausible explanations. Firstly,Sauron may need to be physically present during the final stages of the forgingto corrupt aRing of Power inThe Lord of the Rings. Perhaps posing as Halbrand and helping Celebrimbor crack the formula, touching the mithril, and guiding the process just wasn’t enough. It could even be argued that Sauron was unable to finish inflicting his evil upon the elves' rings because Galadriel uncovered his identity prior to the last forging. By posing as Annatar inThe Rings of Powerseason 2, Sauron can ensure that oversight is not repeated with the batches for dwarfs and men.
Sauron may not have known that the elves created an entire trio of rings because that decision was only made after he left Eregion. Nevertheless, Sauron was aware that the elves sought to create rings that would save their own race.
While the above solution is logical enough, it requires an inductive leap to assume Sauron was unable to complete his spells before being ejected from Eregion by Galadriel. The explanation is also far more convoluted than how Tolkien devised the story. The books' answer was beautifully simple: Sauron couldn’t corrupt Rings that he didn’t know were being made.The Rings of Powerasks viewers to accept that Sauron knew the elves' rings were being created and watched over most of that process, but somehow managed not to corrupt them.
The second possible workaround is that Galadriel, Gil-galad, and Círdan are all wrong, and the elves' rings, as far asThe Rings of Power’s canon is concerned, are just as infected as the Seven and the Nine. This would represent a massive deviation fromThe Lord of the Ringslore, in which the Three are considered less evil than the other rings made by Celebrimbor in the Second Age.
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On the other hand, the elves' rings being sullied by Sauron would fit considerably better within the TV show’s world. By introducing Sauron’s “Halbrand” persona and including him in the forging of the elves' rings,The Rings of Powerbacked itself into a corner during season 1. The best way to escape said corner would be to accept the elves' rings couldn’t possibly have avoided being poisoned by Sauron. Even if it means another big source material change, running with that idea would leave far fewer kinks inThe Rings of Power’s continuity.
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“Where the Stars are Strange”
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“The Eagle & the Sceptre”
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October 3
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Set in the Second Age of Middle-earth, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power explores the forging of the iconic rings, the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron, and the epic events leading up to the stories in J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic novels. The series chronicles the creation of legendary characters and the historic alliances and rivalries that shape the fate of Middle-earth.
