Did you spot it?
(Image credit: Prime Video)
Back in season 1, Celebrimbor lamented that, while the master craftsman Fëanor’s works had “nearly turned the heart of the Great Foe himself,” his own had accomplished nothing. It’s a sentiment that feels all the more upsetting when you remember that Celebrimbor would later forge the rings of power themselves under the manipulation of Annatar, as seen in The Rings of Power season 2.
But, tragically, his work managed to turn the heart of one foe – he just wasn’t around to see it.
In the season 2 finale, shortly after Celebrimbor’s death at the hands of Sauron, Galadriel encounters Adar. In the previous episode, Adar stole the ring Nenya from Elrond, and here Galadriel sees its effect – it has completely cured Adar of his corruption, returning him to his Elven form and seemingly softening his heart, too. But, it’s a sadly short-lived change, as his Orcs turn on him and betray him shortly afterward.
In a recent interview with GamesRadar+, co-showrunner JD Payne reflected on the tragedy of Adar. “Ultimately, [with] the Second Age, there’s something tragic about it and we love in tragedy those moments when things could have been different,” he shared. “This moment when he and Galadriel are reaching towards each other like, ‘Wow, could there actually have been this detente between Orcs and Elves and could they maybe have coexisted?’ If not in a carebear, happy rainbow land, at least in a place where the Orcs lived over here and the Elves lived over here, and everyone gave each other their space. And could that have happened in some alternate universe? But, you know, Sauron comes and does what he does, and Adar is killed, and now we’ll never know. When you can touch it but not grab it, there’s something doubly painful about that.”
The Rings of Power season 3 is in the works (though it has yet to be officially announced), but there’s no release date at the moment. While you wait, check out our guide to all the most exciting new TV shows on the way.
