In episode 5 of season 2, just broadcast, a very short scene nevertheless says a lot about the character of Sauron. The Rings of Power on Prime Video have just revealed one of its darkest faces.
From Annatar to Halbrand, via his flaming Eye, overlooking Barad-dûr, in Mordor, Sauron has demonstrated his ability to change face and form, depending on the circumstances. In this season 2 of Rings of Powerhis character, falsely warm, darkens as the rings of power are forged, one by one.
Episode 5, however, marks a turning point: its darkest form has just been revealed in secret to a particular character.
Warning, the rest of this article contains spoilers for episode 5 of season 2 of Rings of Power.
A Glimpse into the Invisible World
For the first time in the series, the supernatural artifacts influenced by Sauron’s evil reveal their full harmfulness. If we could have suspected it before, this episode 5 of season 2 proves to be the most explicit on the subject. King Durin III, Lord of Khazad-dûm, is also the victim.
But the most spectacular effect takes place leagues from here, in Ost-in-Edhil, the capital of Eregion, where the famous magic rings are forged. We see the young Elf Mirdania all troubled by her recent experience: she slipped into the Invisible World, when she put on her finger one of these rings, visibly far from being finished.
This ability is of course reminiscent of the experience lived by Frodo, in The Lord of the Ringswhen he wears the One Ring for a few moments: he too has visited this Invisible World. Celebrimbor, who has seen the effects of the ring on Mirdania, asks her to tell what she has experienced… and seen.
A skin “made of flames”
It is then that the young woman evokes something, or someone, with a terrible description: ” He was tall. And his skin was made of flames. He came toward me. And his breath reeked of death. And I saw… I saw his gaze, eternal, merciless. I believe he is here. I believe he has been among us since the beginning. ».
All this, with a decisive staging: besides the music, disturbing, the editing makes sure to specifically show the face of Annatar (therefore, Sauron), on the screen, at the moment when Mirdania quotes this “skin made of flames”. Just after, moreover, Annatar intervenes verbally to try to reassure the young woman, and change the subject.
A new trick from Annatar
Sauron, who has been working for some time to deceive the Elves, takes advantage a little later of the young woman’s confusion to reveal a secret to her: what she glimpsed in the Invisible World would be the dark side of Celebrimbor, his true face. He suggests that he, too, has visited this dimension. He therefore understands it and can explain its mysteries to her.
All this, of course, is a ruse designed to turn the Elves against Celebrimbor and persuade them that he is harmful to the creation of the rings of power. His goal: to remain the sole master in the matter and to take total control of the magical artifacts. He started with the rings of the Dwarves, he intends to continue with the rings of Men.
According to Annatar, “ things appear as they are ” in the light of the Invisible World. ” Beings composed of light and darknesss,” he adds, staring into space. But this description does not quite apply to Celebrimbor. What Mirdania saw was in truth a far more evil creature: Sauron himself.
The description given by Mirdania directly echoes to the way Sauron appears later, in the form of a huge flaming eye, but also as a silhouette bathed in flames. Forms that more closely resemble Sauron’s true envelope, which he tries by all means to hide, under the features of a Man or an Elf.
Without really wanting to, Sauron has just revealed one of his darkest forms, even if his malice allows him to always turn the situation to his advantage.
Source: www.numerama.com
