This interview contains spoilers for The Lord of the Rings: Ring of Power season 1 finale.
Amazon’s prequel series The Rings of Power has always had to serve two masters. JRR Tolkien’s deep knowledge of Legendarium has allowed him to point out perceived transgressions to the most enthusiastic fans, and the general public to whom knowledge may be put into action. As deep as a Peter Jackson movie.Geeks alone can’t reward reporting for the first season $715 million invoice.
But getting to those average viewers wasn’t easy, Patrick McKay, one of the series’ two showrunners, said in a group call on Wednesday. You’ll understand, you don’t have to speak Elvish.
This week’s season finale did a great job highlighting that challenge. When one of the series’ apparent central heroes so far, Halbrand (Charlie Vickers), is revealed to be the supervillain Sauron, what was a bad guy for many fans comes to an end. was hit. Seasonal guessing gameBut how do you land those big moments on multiple levels when many in the audience may not even be guessing?
“That’s a question we’re still looking for an answer to,” JD Payne, the series’ other showrunner, said by phone.
The solution was to try to tell a story that allowed both levels of fandom to meet along the way, with clear emotional dynamics for all and extra for the hungry book-reader. There is lore. But then McKay and Payne realized that Galadriel’s mission could be made more specific, and more emotional.
They worked backwards, linking Sauron to the death of her brother Finrod and developing her personal stakes.
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“Even if you don’t know anything about Tolkien’s Legendarium, you can say, ‘OK, this guy named Sauron is bad news,'” said Payne. “If you knew, you would think, ‘Oh, Finrod was killed by werewolves controlled by Sauron.'”
Taking a break from season two production outside of London, McKay and Payne discussed some revelations from the finale, including the big news about Sauron. These are edited excerpts from the conversation.
As you know, there are multiple Saurons. Sauron seeking redemption. Sauron the Deceiver. Anata, the king of gifts. Which Sauron is this?
Patrick McKay These are all thoughts we’ve talked about, the idea that he’s gone through a period where he wanted redemption, the idea that he’s a fraudster and an opportunist in disguise. Sauron may say to Galadriel: you got me into this But looking at the chain of events, he’s oiling his wheels. He encouraged her.
The fact that he was at the bottom of the raft when the magical Golden Ticket appeared is a very good explanation. he was playing hard. How many times does he say “When are you going to get that army?” There are really good cases of him manipulating and cheating on her every step of the way.
To what extent is he an improviser, an opportunist, a master planner? has another name, and that’s Sauron. And now everything you’ve learned about him means something a little different.
JD Payne Sauron is often said to be a power addict. There are several ways to play around with his desire to relinquish power and seek healing, so to speak, on the wagon. You can see his behavior the same way you see an addict’s behavior. They can always rationalize it. I’m fine. I can go to the grocery store. The liquor is in aisle 20. Sauron always has an addict who wants to push him into power.
Mackay Talked about Milton from the first minute in the writer’s room [and his characterization of Lucifer in “Paradise Lost”]Ahab [in “Moby-Dick”]Fagin [in “Oliver Twist”] and Richard III. Not just pure evil and danger, but the complexity of evil. Sauron is a rich character who keeps layering on.
What is the relationship between Sauron and Adar (Joseph Maul)? Was Adar’s story another lie?
Mackay: In a way, the whole idea of season one being an origin story in Mordor was one of the early ideas for Writers’ Room. A lore about environmental destruction and the rise and fall of evil has a central thematic idea. Mount Doom goes dormant and wakes up again. There are cycles that unfold over the centuries. Dramatizing one of those reawakenings that felt in tune with the canon and potentially delicious to us.
pain: Adder adopted the plan for his own purposes, but it was basically Sauron’s plan. It has multiple readings.
As they say, Sauron unlocks dams with Mithril. How much manipulation was done behind the scenes?
Mackay: It’s an honest breakthrough.celebrinball [Charles Edwards] I have the idea to create something that is so beautiful and can heal the world. On the other side of the map, Sauron seeks to build power in the unseen world. Peanut butter and jelly.
Sauron is powerful, but not powerful enough to design everything. We’ve talked a lot about the ideas of Steve Jobs here and Bill Gates there, but it’s only when the two of them work together on the right technology that this new power can be harnessed. Sauron needs Celebrimball as much as Celebrimball needs the right metal, and Sauron’s inspiration for it all to come together.
Let’s talk about how Mithril is supposed to cure the elves’ sudden fading.
Mackay: Tolkien has this poetic idea of elven fading.The elven immortality has a time limit. So the legend of how we ended up in Mithril, and how it could actually have magic, is the elven decline. It was a standard issue and how the ring wrestled with how to stop it.
pain: In terms of timescales, the Elves of the Third Age are preparing to leave Middle-earth. Because no matter what happens in One Ring, their fate is decided. Either their rings stop working or they are all fooled. So what was the fading like just before the ring paused? They might have been in a hopeless place.
How did you handle cases that may have contradicted lore?
Mackay: One of the things we are really free to do is compress time. It was not the date that mattered to Tolkien’s fortune, but the principle of the storyline and sequence of events. is gone, Numenor falls, Gondor is established, and ends in the final battle of the Alliance. Does it matter if 100 or 500 years passed between those events?
The finale reveals that the stranger (Daniel Wayman) is an Istari, or wizard. Given his comments, some might think of Gandalf.always follow your nose“
Mackay: I can’t confirm anything! One of the first ideas he had for the Hobbit predecessor was that beings with incredible powers would land in their backyards. It was, more than anyone else, how this being would disrupt this girl’s life. He is on his own journey of self-discovery. He has yet to discover his name.Neither he nor Nori knows [Markella Kavenagh]If he knew his name, or name, it would become part of their story.
tell me where are you CerebornI want to talk to him.
pain: [Laughs.] Galadriel didn’t say he was dead. “I never saw him again,” she says.
Mackay: Hopefully, more beloved canonical characters join the party. Sildan It will be part of Season 2.
pain: There are many places in Cerebone, and various ways he could or could not return to life in Galadriel.
Who is Sauron in you?
Mackay [Laughs.] I.