‘Sauron Needed To Up His Game’: Rings Of Power’s Charlie Vickers And Patrick McKay Broke Down Sauron’s Epic Episode 2 Monologue

‘Sauron Needed To Up His Game’: Rings Of Power’s Charlie Vickers And Patrick McKay Broke Down Sauron’s Epic Episode 2 Monologue

As a die-hard fan who has lived and breathed Middle-earth for decades, I can confidently say that the Rings of Power Season 2 is delivering beyond my wildest expectations. The scene where Sauron emerges as Annatar and convinces Celebrimbor to create the rings was nothing short of mesmerizing. It was a testament to the show’s attention to detail, the cast’s acting prowess, and the writers’ understanding of these iconic characters.


Beware! This discussion may reveal significant plot points from the first two episodes of The Rings of Power Season 2. To watch the show, consider subscribing to Amazon Prime and streaming it online.

In a series such as “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” it’s not common to casually use phrases like “Rings of Power” or “Lord of the Rings.” These terms have significant weight, so when Sauron uttered them both in the same scene, my excitement erupted because their appearance felt perfectly timed.

When discussing Season 2 with the cast of The Rings of Power, I couldn’t help but inquire about a crucial scene where Sauron appears as Annatar and persuades Celebrimbor to collaborate with him. Charlie Vickers, who portrays the villain, and Patrick McKay, the showrunner, shared insights on this significant moment and their methods for bringing it to life.

‘Sauron Needed To Up His Game’: Rings Of Power’s Charlie Vickers And Patrick McKay Broke Down Sauron’s Epic Episode 2 Monologue

Rings Of Power’s Patrick McKay Explains Why Saruon Gave That Speech To Celebrimbor

During the second season premiere of “The Rings of Power,” which debuted on TV schedules in 2024, Sauron visits Celebrimbor with the intention of deceiving him into forging the Rings of Power. To achieve this, he assumes the form of Annatar, the Lord of Gifts. In a pivotal scene where Sauron metamorphoses from Halbrand into Annatar, he speaks about the “rings of power as our final opportunity to revive the light” and suggests that Celebrimbor could be esteemed as “the lord of the rings.”

As a dedicated gamer, I don’t toss around phrases like that lightly. But in this very instance, those exact words held significant weight, as showrunner Patrick McKay shared with TopMob during our Season 2 junket interview.

Essentially, the story hinges on the characters, doesn’t it? It’s based on mythology, where Sauron disguises himself as Annatar to trick Celebrimbor into forging the rings. However, when considering the narrative unfoldment, what intrigues us and whom we believe in is: could Celebrimbor be so easily deceived? He can’t just be a fool, right? Sauron had to work hard to win over Celebrimbor. After all, Celebrimbor isn’t simple-minded; he’s brilliant, a genius. So, Sauron needed to outsmart him, to present himself in such a way that would impress and captivate Celebrimbor.

From the previews of ‘The Rings of Power’, we can see that this season will be dominated by evil. This notion became particularly clear in a specific moment. As McKay pointed out, Celebrimbor is not easily fooled, so Sauron had to use his most powerful tactics. Consequently, everyone working on the scene also had to give their best to portray these high-stakes events accurately.

‘Sauron Needed To Up His Game’: Rings Of Power’s Charlie Vickers And Patrick McKay Broke Down Sauron’s Epic Episode 2 Monologue

Charlie Vickers And Patrick McKay Reveal How They Shot Sauron’s Monologue

In order to effectively set the stage for the crucial event unfolding between Celebrimbor and Sauron in this current season, McKay revealed that extensive planning was required over several months, covering topics such as designing Annatar’s outfit, fine-tuning Vickers’ acting, and organizing rehearsals.

He also spoke about the importance of Celebrimbor’s extreme reaction to Sauron’s monologue, saying:

On the film set, actor Charles Edwards, who portrays Celebrimbor, occasionally expresses surprise and amazement, causing others to question if he’s going too far. However, they are quickly reassured, as when you witness what he’s looking at, it becomes clear that his performance is perfectly justified. After all, this scene marks a significant turning point for Celebrimbor, one that sets him on a path with a climactic ending – so keep watching!

As I chatted with Charlie Vickers, he let me in on a little secret about his iconic monologue in the game. Since you noticed, he’s not on camera for most of it, but the lines were actually repeated numerous times during ADR sessions. Yet, he had the chance to deliver those powerful words live on set while Edwards reacted, making the moment feel even more authentic. The actor portraying Sauron went on to share insights about perfecting this pivotal speech, walking me through the process behind bringing it to life.

If I’m not mistaken, that’s when you speak, when you’re not present, correct? [Celebrimbor] walked through at that moment. So I recorded the voiceover approximately twenty times. And I recall I recorded it on set, voicing it through a high-quality microphone during his acting. However, they didn’t use that recording because, as far as I know, it was too quiet… and then I made some temporary recordings, and later, I went into a recording booth and recorded it in countless different ways.

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‘Sauron Needed To Up His Game’: Rings Of Power’s Charlie Vickers And Patrick McKay Broke Down Sauron’s Epic Episode 2 Monologue

Intriguingly, when asked which Lord of the Rings character they’d emulate if given a ring, the cast of The Rings of Power revealed an unexpected favorite.

As he carried on talking, he mentioned that it was fortunate for him to have multiple chances to retake that specific scene since he knew the dialogue would carry significant weight. And boy, was he correct about that!

The instance under discussion is astonishingly impactful and profoundly intense, and its effectiveness stems from the meticulous thought and dedication put into it. As many early reviews for The Rings of Power‘s second season have pointed out, Vickers delivers a remarkable performance this season, and the tale between Sauron and Celebrimbor is captivating. I’m eagerly anticipating how their story will continue to unfold following this intense encounter.

Great news! We’ll get to discover more soon since the series “The Rings of Power” will keep releasing new episodes every Thursday on Amazon Prime.

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2024-08-29 20:07