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Spoilers for The Rings of Power season 2, episode 8 follow.
After all the scheming and forging, Sauron stands at a crossroads during The Rings of Power season 2 finale. While he was able to significantly wound Galadriel and make off with the Nine Rings for Men, it's clear that the Dark Lord has plenty of work ahead of him if he wants to bring Middle-earth to heel.
The last shot of Sauron this season, then, is an intriguing one. Still in his fair form as Annatar, he ponders the next move while silently ruminating on what's just transpired with Galadriel, Celebrimbor, and the siege in Eregion. Tellingly, he also grips Faenor's hammer with purpose.
To take us behind the moment, we asked Sauron actor Charlie Vickers what was going on in Sauron's mind during that parting scene. As you might expect, the One Ring figures into the equation…
"It's an interesting little sort of image that you're left with, isn't it?" Vickers tells GamesRadar+. "I think it's part reflection and part looking forward for Sauron, at least. I think he's probably thinking about Celebrimbor, and thinking about Celebrimbor's dying words to him. I think they kind of left a mark on Sauron."
Vickers continues, "So I think he's remembering this person that he respects enormously from a creative sense, but then also, looking forward, he still has intentions to, as we know, craft more rings – one in particular. And maybe the hammer is symbolic of his future plans."
Those with even a passing knowledge of Tolkien and Lord of the Rings will know that, inevitably, Sauron makes good on those plans. Right now, though, it appears that, in the short term, his next steps involve actually trying to forge The One Ring.
The Rings of Power season 2 is now streaming on Prime Video. For more on the show, check out our guides to The Rings of Power season 3, The Rings of Power season 2 ending, and a look at Prince Durin's brother.
