EXCLUSIVE | Charlie Vickers and Jamie Campbell Bower tease what to expect from ‘The Rings of Power’ Season 3
Ruling Middle-earth apparently comes with a few setbacks, even for Sauron. ‘The Rings of Power’ Season 3 finds the Dark Lord pursuing his next move while still dealing with the fallout of his last one. Charlie Vickers says viewers will meet a more unsettled version of the character. And the cast’s hints suggest his plans will take him into some unexpected company.
Speaking to MTN, Vickers describes Sauron as “slightly more unstable than he's been in the past.” Viewers previously saw him manipulate others as Halbrand and Annatar. Season 3 leaves those disguises behind, with his pursuit of power out in the open. He connects that state of mind to Sauron killing Celebrimbor, played by Charles Edwards, in Season 2. The smith’s death has left him needing to gather himself before continuing. He also needs to unlock Celebrimbor’s secrets to forge the One Ring.
Daniel Weyman, who plays Gandalf, hints that creating it will test Sauron. He says the character must “pour his evil out inside a volcano to try and create this ring.” Weyman warns that “it's not going to be straightforward.” His comments put the difficulty of making the ring at the center of the season’s surprises.
Jamie Campbell Bower offers another clue about what lies ahead. “There's a fiery monster that exists in the depths that in our world has a voice,” he teases. That creature is the Balrog, with Simon Pegg joining the series to voice it. The creature survived its Season 2 confrontation with King Durin III, who sacrificed himself to send it back into the depths of Khazad-dûm. Sauron seeks its advice about surviving the fire needed to forge the ring.
For showrunner Patrick McKay, putting those two characters together was a gamble. When asked about the season’s creative leap, he answers, “Sauron having a conversation with a Balrog.” He calls that “a big risk” but adds, “we really are thrilled with the results.” Filming Sauron entering a volcano and emerging with the One Ring presented another challenge, which McKay describes as “not an easy thing to film.”
Cynthia Addai-Robinson, who plays Míriel, has already seen the forging sequence despite not appearing in that part of the story. She calls it “pretty epic” and “pretty major.” Watching it gave her a chance to experience the show from the audience’s side. Her verdict was simple: “My jaw was on the floor.”
The season also moves the story forward five years after Eregion’s fall. The jump brings changed alliances and the arrival of cities including Rivendell and Barad-dûr. Bower enters as Celeborn, Galadriel’s long-lost husband. Co-showrunner J.D. Payne says the chemistry between Bower and Galadriel actor Morfydd Clark helped settle the casting decision.
‘The Rings of Power’ Season 3 premiered on November 11 with four episodes on Prime Video. Episodes five and six arrive November 18. The final two follow November 25, completing the eight-episode season. The first two seasons are also available on Prime Video.
