At nearly $60 million per episode, the first season of Amazon’s The Rings of Power was a historic investment in bringing a famed literary universe to the small screen. Reviewers and audiences were initially ambivalent about the series. And although some criticism endures, the sophomore season has given viewers—whether Tolkien devotees or more casual fans—much to appreciate.
In this second season we see the forging of the eponymous rings, first the three for the Elves followed by the seven for the Dwarves and then eventually the nine for Men. Sauron, who masquerades as Annatar, which means “the lord of gifts,” partners with the famed Elven smith Celebrimbor, and the relationship between these two forms the foundation for the name of the subsequent series (of books as well as films). Whether Celebrimbor or Sauron is ultimately the Lord of the Rings is still in doubt as the season concludes, but what is no longer questionable by the end of this season is the quality of this adaptation.
There are truly epic moments, including Durin’s confrontation with his Bane in the Mines of Moria, as well as the climactic conclusion to the partnership of Celebrimbor and Sauron. The temptation of power, whether wielded in the form of magic rings, royal intrigue, romantic love, or wizard’s might, is a constant in the series. A key exchange between Elrond, who is the half-Elven liegeman of the high king Gil-galad (who also features in The Hobbit as well as The Lord of the Rings), and the Elven lord Círdan captures the tension of the narrative dilemma over whether there is a right use of power. At the same time, the discussion illuminates contemporary controversies over so-called cancel culture, providing a counterpoint that is sensitive to the shortcomings of all creatures.
The three Elven rings of power have been successfully forged by Celebrimbor, but the Elves have now discovered that Annatar is Sauron, and so Elrond strongly opposes using the rings since they might be corrupted by Sauron’s dark influence. But if the Elves do not use the rings, they will be forced to leave Middle-earth and in so doing practically guarantee that Sauron will be able to hold sway in their absence. Elrond’s best friend, Galadriel, favors using the rings to restore health and vitality to the forest and to bring light to oppose Sauron’s spreading darkness.
But Elrond is so concerned about the danger these rings of power represent that he takes them and flees to Círdan. Their later dialogue provides Elrond with an important historical lesson, one that gives audiences resources for discerning the right use of the inherited gifts of culture, which must inevitably come from faulty and flawed human beings.
Círdan asks Elrond, “Do you not wish to live in beauty?” Elrond responds, “Master Círdan, I cannot trust these Rings. What is beauty, when it is born, in part, of evil?”
Elrond’s concern for the possible corruption that might have been inflicted on these rings blinds him to their possible blessings. Indeed, Círdan responds that such things are “no less beautiful.” He challenges Elrond: “Would you cast Rúmil’s verses into the flame, because the poet was a drunkard?”
Elrond responds in disbelief: “Rúmil was a drunkard?” Círdan, chuckling softly, replies, “Do not ask of Daeron. Insufferable. But a voice, a voice that could make the very sun weep tears of fire.” Círdan chides Elrond’s fear: “Judge the work, and leave judgment concerning those who wrought it to the judge who sees all things.” When Elrond expresses doubts about such an approach, Círdan says that such a posture “is called humility. And it is difficult for most. But it is the truest form of sight.”
“I wish I could know your peace,” laments Elrond. “You can,” says Círdan.
We do not yet fully understand these Rings. But look at the power they exert over every form of life. In Sauron’s hands, they could work an evil beyond reckoning, dominating the minds and wills of all. This is why they must remain in the hands of Elves. You are wise to fear this power, Elrond. But do not let that fear blind you to the ways it can be used for good. For it is not your enemy that bears these Rings … but your most trusted friends. If you believe they have strayed, do not abandon them, but rather open your eyes and guide them … before the darkness spreads across Middle-earth, and blinds us all.
We ultimately find out that Círdan is right, and that without the use of these Elven rings, Sauron would perhaps already have been victorious and certainly the Elves would have already had to abandon the other peoples of Middle-earth to his lust for domination. Círdan is right to counsel the wisdom to distinguish between abuse and proper use, just as he is right to advise the humility to leave ultimate judgment to the divine.
As Lord Acton so sagely observed, “Power tends to corrupt.” And so Elrond is right to be wary of the power represented in these rings. But that is even more reason to be sure that this power is wielded by those who seek to use it for good. This does not guarantee that they will never be misused. But it does at least leave open the possibility that these lesser powers can be employed to check the absolute power sought by Sauron. These other rings of power, which are untainted by Sauron’s corruption, can function as counterweights to his tyrannical quest for domination.
Power can be tempting and indeed can be corrupting, but that is not an argument for abandoning the field to the enemies of liberty and prosperity. It is, instead, a call to use power responsibly and with the humility of a steward, one who is entrusted with a task and the strength to fulfill it. In Círdan, Galadriel, and Gil-Galad, we see examples of what it is to wield power responsibly and in service of others, even as in the cases of the Dwarves and Men we already begin to see the inevitable corruption of power that is employed selfishly and for tyrannical dominion.
Power takes many forms, as do the temptations and corruptions of power. But if the wise and the virtuous are unwilling to wield power to protect the good, we might wonder with King Théoden of Rohan when facing similar enemies, “What can men do against such reckless hate?” We ought to answer with Aragorn, “Ride out with me. Ride out and meet them.” Not for death and glory, but for our loved ones and for the good of the world.