The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power finally has its first trailer — but if you
don't know your Númenor from your Valinor, you might be wondering what exactly was going on.
Wanna know why an elf would go ice climbing? Keep watching to find out.
The island nation of Númenor is a pretty big deal during the Second Age,
the era of Middle-earth history that "The Rings of Power" will primarily be covering.
It's a powerhouse nation of Men that functions as one of the premier political powers during the
era of Sauron's first return. Its kings are descended from Elrond's twin brother Elros,
a royal lineage that ultimately gives Aragorn his claim to the throne of Gondor.
"A rumor has reached him; the heir of Numenor still lives. Sauron fears you, Aragorn."
That said, very little of the show's Númenor has been revealed — until now, that is. In the opening
shot of the Rings of Power, a ship can be seen sailing into a splendid port that might remind
you of the architecture of Gondor. There is a massive statue to the left side of the frame,
recalling the Argonath from The Lord of the Rings, which was also built by the Númenoreans at a much
later date. Additionally, there's a single mighty mountain in the distant background.
This scene is almost certainly the Númenorean harbor of Rómenna. It isn't the capital of the
nation, but it's still a critical location in the story. This is the primary stronghold of
The Faithful, a group of Men who play a key role in the history of Númenor
and the foundation of Gondor. For one thing, it's the home of Isildur, the man who eventually cuts
the One Ring from Sauron's hand. If this really is Rómenna, then the mountain in the background would
be the Meneltarma, the holy mountain that stood at the center of the star-shaped island of Númenor.
While we've known for a while that Númenor will play a central role in the show, seeing
the first glimpse of the majestic sea nation is sure to send a thrill up any fan's spine.
When Amazon Prime released its first image from The Rings of Power way back in August 2021,
it came as a shock to many diehard fans. The jaw-dropping picture shows the Two Trees of
Valinor, monuments of ancient wonder that ceased to exist long before the Second Age. This left
many people wondering when in Middle-earth history this show is supposed to take place.
While we know that the central plot will follow a condensed Second Age timeline,
it's entirely possible that the show could go back even further.
In the first official trailer for The Rings of Power, we get yet another hint that we're going
to see some more of Galadriel's backstory. In the first half of the trailer, a couple of scenes
feature a majestic yet dangerous-looking frozen landscape. One even sees Galadriel jump across
an icy cliff, securing herself to the frozen precipice using her gold-and-silver dagger.
Some have floated the idea that this ice-climbing sequence could be taking
place during the flight of the Noldor from the Blessed Realm,
which required them to cross a deadly area of bitterly frozen land called the Helcaraxë.
But according to a preview of The Rings of Power in Vanity Fair, the sequence actually
shows Galadriel in the Forodwaith, also known as the Northern Waste, during a mission to hunt down
and destroy remnants of the original Dark Lord, Morgoth, and his missing lieutenant, Sauron.
Wandering, traveling, and generally moving from one place to the next is a big theme in both The
Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. One of the finest moments in Tolkien's works appears in
a poem about Strider in "The Fellowship of the Ring," which features the iconic line:
"Not all those who wander are lost."
It appears that Amazon Studios has embraced this concept on every level.
In the trailer for "The Rings of Power," for example, you might have spotted a pair of
strange men carrying massive antlers. Fans were alerted to these characters in Vanity Fair's
recent behind-the-scenes report as "nomadic hunters wandering the fields of Middle-earth."
You'll also have heard a youngster talking about the many wonders of the wider world.
Further in, we see glimpses of what very well could be lots of far-flung areas of the map,
many of which are completely new to fans of the cinematic adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien's works.
These include the Elven kingdom of Lindon, as well as a quick shot of a chained man
attacking what looks like a structure from the Southlands. If ever there were any doubt that
the Amazon series will take audiences to every corner of Middle-earth — well, here's the proof.
The beginning of the Second Age comes after one of the most momentous events in
all of Middle-earth's long and melodramatic history: the War of Wrath. This literally
earth-shattering battle is the final conflict that takes place against the first Dark Lord,
Morgoth. In the end, the enemy is defeated, and his servants are either captured,
killed, or — like Sauron — flee into parts unknown.
While the war itself is no doubt epic, the fallout from the event is straight-up
apocalyptic. Once the fighting is over, an entire portion of the continent of Middle-earth
sinks below the waves in a cataclysmic ending to the First Age. Beleriand,
the region of Middle-earth in which most of the events of the First Age takes place,
is drowned out over the course of a few years. This leads to a number of mass migrations and,
while Tolkien doesn't go into a lot of detail, it's likely a stressful time for many of the
peoples of Middle-earth. Halfway through the Rings of Power trailer, you can see a massive surge
of water tossing a tiny raft around, carrying Galadriel and the original character Halbrand.
While it'll be interesting to see where these characters end up during the narrative,
it's hard not to wonder if this scene is a glimpse into some of
the chaotic destruction that ushers in the show's Second Age setting.
Of course, how this storm might play into the story remains a mystery, and fans will
have to wait until the premiere of "The Rings of Power," on September 2nd, 2022, to find out.
"I think I'm quite ready for another adventure."
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