Introducing the Lord of Gifts. For many Tolkien fans, watching the was a confounding experience. The episode changes the established timeline of its Second Age story by concluding with forging the three Elven Rings of Power at the insistence of Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) in the aftermath of her discovery that her longtime companion, Halbrand (Charlie Vickers), was secretly Sauron all along.
This, to put it lightly, isn't how the Elves' Rings are made canonically. According to Tolkien, the three are forged last and in secret by Celebrimbor, who’d spent years unknowingly working with Sauron to forge the Rings of Power for the Men and Dwarves of Middle-earth. Celebrimbor's Elven Rings were said to have been forged free of Sauron's corrupt influence, but were ultimately still bound to the all-encompassing control of the One Ring because they were made using the same magic and techniques that Sauron taught the smith.
's decision to significantly alter the timeline left fans scratching their heads. It also raised questions about whether the show would skip . However, the confirms that isn't the case.
The teaser features shots of Vickers' Sauron walking around Middle-earth with long, Elvish-esque hair and narrower features. His new appearance implies Sauron will indeed don his "fair form" in Season 2 and likely begin going by Annatar, the Lord of Gifts, the alter ego he assumes in Tolkien's books to trick Celebrimbor. There are also brief shots of a bloodied and beaten Celebrimbor .
