And so it begins—the long-awaited second season of The Rings of Power. This show, rooted in the appendices of The Lord of the Rings, continues to weave together threads of Tolkien’s vast mythology with the creative interpretations of modern storytellers. As we dive into the first episode, we’re immediately reminded that this is more than just a tale of Middle-earth; it’s a narrative that explores timeless themes of power, corruption, and the eternal battle between good and evil.

This season too takes place in the Second Age, a time long before the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. It’s easy to forget that the title “The Lord of the Rings” refers not just to the One Ring that Frodo famously bears to Mount Doom, but to Sauron himself—the Lord of all the Rings. These aren’t just rings of power; they are symbols of temptation, corruption, and the vulnerabilities of even the noblest beings.

What this episode does brilliantly is it gives us a glimpse into the past of Sauron. Now, it’s worth noting that due to rights limitations, the creators of the show can’t delve into the First Age—a period richly detailed in The Silmarillion. But the cleverness of the writers shines through as they draw connections between the events of the Second Age and the shadowy history that precedes it. We get a sense of the ancient, almost primeval, nature of Sauron’s evil—an evil that has been biding its time, shape-shifting, and waiting for the right moment to strike.

The Master of Deception

This episode brings to the fore a theme that Tolkien, rooted in his own Christian beliefs, wove throughout his works: the seductive nature of evil. Sauron, who in The Lord of the Rings is often represented as the fiery, all-seeing eye atop Barad-dûr, is much more than that. He’s a master of deception, a figure who can appear benign, even benevolent, before revealing his true malevolent nature.

In the first season, we saw how Sauron was able to infiltrate Middle-earth by disguising himself as a savior, Halbrand—a figure who many believed was a force for good. In this second season, we witness how Sauron has used this same tactic in the past. A flashback brings us to the dawn of the Second Age and we see how Sauron, looking very different from the form we’ve seen before, delivers a speech to a group of orcs—creatures who, in Tolkien’s lore, are twisted, corrupted descendants of elves. His words are political, calculated, and deeply manipulative. He plays on the orcs’ feelings of marginalization, presenting himself as their liberator, the one who will lead them to reclaim what was “stolen” from them.

Adar, one of Sauron’s servants, decides at the last moment to betray Sauron. In a tense confrontation, he appears to succeed in vanquishing the Dark Lord—only to discover, much later, that Sauron is still very much alive. This scene underscores a fundamental truth about evil: it is persistent, insidious, and almost impossible to completely eradicate. Sauron may lose his physical form, but his essence endures, ready to corrupt again.

Tolkien’s understanding of evil is deeply influenced by his Christian faith. Evil, in his view, is rarely blatant and obvious; more often, it is subtle, enticing, and disguised as something good. This is a theme that runs through the Bible as well—starting with the serpent in the Garden of Eden, who tempts Adam and Eve by presenting disobedience as a path to godliness. In the New Testament, too, we see warnings about false prophets and false gods, figures who claim to offer goodness but lead their followers down a path of destruction.

This episode of The Rings of Power illustrates this perfectly through the story of the Elven Rings. Last season, we saw the creation of the three Elven Rings of Power—rings forged under the deceptive guidance of Sauron. In this first episode of season two, we see the elves, including Galadriel, wrestle with the temptation to use these rings. Despite knowing that they were crafted under Sauron’s influence, they are tempted to wield them, believing that perhaps, just perhaps, they could use these tainted objects for good.

A Moral Dilemma

It’s a classic moral dilemma, and one that Tolkien loved to explore. Can evil means ever justify a good end? The answer, as Elrond warns, is a resounding no. You cannot defeat evil by collaborating with it, even in a small way. Evil, even when harnessed with the best of intentions, has a corrupting influence that cannot be contained.

There’s a powerful scene where Elrond attempts to dispose of the rings by entrusting them to Círdan, the oldest and wisest Elf in Middle-earth who is to throw them in the depths of the waters near the Gray Havens. Círdan, at the last moment, hesitates. He hears the seductive whisper of the ring, urging him to reconsider. It’s a moment that many of us can relate to—a moment where temptation creeps in, and we find ourselves rationalizing a choice we know deep down is wrong. It’s like trying to quit a bad habit—just one more cigarette, just one more drink. The danger, of course, is that this “one more” can lead to a slippery slope of compromise.

As a priest, I see this struggle play out in the lives of people every day. It’s the reason we have confession—a sacrament that allows us to confront the small corruptions in our lives before they grow into something unmanageable. It’s a way of humbling ourselves, acknowledging our weaknesses, and seeking the grace to start anew.

In this first episode of season two, we see the elves, those paragons of wisdom and nobility, grappling with their own pride. They are so used to being the guardians of Middle-earth, so accustomed to their role as protectors, that they fail to see the danger in using these tainted rings. They believe they can control the power within them, but as the episode shows us, this is a dangerous illusion.

Vigilance and perseverance

The frustration we feel watching this episode mirrors our own experiences with the cyclical nature of evil in our world. We defeat one form of corruption, only to see it rise again in another guise. It’s easy to become cynical, to question the point of fighting at all. But the lesson here is one of vigilance and perseverance. The battle against evil is never truly over, but each victory, no matter how small, makes us stronger, more aware, and more capable of resisting the next time.

So, as we continue this journey through The Rings of Power, let us remember that the fight against evil—whether in Middle-earth or in our own lives—is ongoing. But it’s a fight worth waging, for with each battle, we learn, we grow, and we inch ever closer to the light.