‘The Rings of Power’ is about to get its Helm’s Deep moment

The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 is down to its last three episodes, and these are going to be some heavy hitters. From the identity of The Stranger, to a Sauron and Galadriel face-off, and even the show’s very own Helm’s Deep moment, we’re going to be eating well!

Spoilers ahead for The Rings of Power season 2!

The Rings of Power season 2’s big moment which it has been building up to all season is the siege of Eregion, the city of the elven smiths that Elrond referred to in episode 5 as the “jewel” of Elvendom on Middle-earth. In episode 5, we see Elrond arrive at Lindon to inform High King Gil-galad that instead of Mordor, their armies ought to be heading to Eregion as that’s where Adar has taken his legion in pursuit of Sauron. And the king warns him that Lindon could not stand against the might of both Adar and Sauron. This means they need help. And who is an ally that is close enough to help them? The dwarves, of course!

The Rings of Power has done this a little differently, where Sauran as Annatar is already in Eregion, as he needs Celebrimbor’s knowledge and skill to craft the rings. However, in the books, Tolkien has written that Sauron led armies in an attack on Eregion, while both Elrond and Galadriel’s husband Celeborn led elven armies to defend the city. And the dwarves of Khazad-dûm also joined the fray against Sauron. 

What the outcome of the battle was I won’t spoil it for you, but we can expect Elrond in the upcoming episode 6 to send a word to his reconciled bestie Durin the Younger for help with Eregion. With Annatar having given the dwarves rings, and King Durin under the influence of one of them, we can also expect some friction between father and son (in keeping with the Khazad-dûm storyline’s focus on the father-son relationship) over whether they should help the elves or not.

The lore also states that the doors of Durin which once remained open to the elves of Eregion when they worked together would be shut after this war, until the events of The Fellowship of the Ring. So how we get there is going to be something worth watching!

Meanwhile, Galadriel, who faced the orcs alone so that Elrond and his company of elves could escape with Nenya, her elven ring, is in the captivity of Adar, who tells her they have a mutual enemy. This is one scene the promos have gotten everyone hyped for—a conversation between Adar and Galadriel, who are seated at a table, probably exchanging whatever information they have on Sauron and even Halbrand.

Is this the point when Sauron’s grand plan will be out in the open? Will we discover more about Adar’s past, since his meeting with Galadriel carried that elven greeting and he called her Alatáriel, the Telerin name that was given to her by her husband, Celeborn?

As the chess pieces move on the board, Sauron as Annatar is doing a terrifying job of gaslighting the elven smiths, and has even gotten the initially hesitant Celebrimbor to help in crafting the nine rings. As his deception deepens (and he reveals his true colors in a black outfit that’s a totally slay), Eregion teeters on the brink of war, and the people of the city are going to be like sitting ducks, with their minimal defenses, until reinforcements arrive.

The siege of Eregion, with the elven armies putting up a fight, and dwarves arriving to help, and a lost king who needs to be broken from his stupor to fight for his people is reminiscent of the Battle of Helm’s Deep, one of the most iconic battle scenes written and produced in a film. And this, if done right, could absolutely be The Rings of Power’s Helm’s Deep moment!

Let’s not forget that we are also going to find out The Stranger’s identity, what happens to Nori, Poppy, and the Stoors, and perhaps who the Dark Wizard truly is. The political turmoil in Númenor awaits a tipping point, as we last saw Kemen kill Valandil and become public enemy no. 1 for the fans, while Elendil was arrested for the entire fiasco and thrown into prison for it.

We know he doesn’t die, but what happens with him, his daughter Eärien, the queen Míriel in Ar-Pharazón’s Númenor is a climax I can’t wait to witness. And finally, our Pelargir people—Theo, Isildur, Estrid, and Arondir have their fates tied to what happens in Númenor and Eregion.

When is episode 6 of The Rings of Power coming out?

In keeping with its weekly release schedule, The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power will release its next episode, episode 6, on Thursday, September 19, 2024.

Clearly, episode 6 of The Rings of Power has a lot to do, and I will be seated!