The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is back in a big way, dropping the first four episodes of season three all at once. This recap is therefore of the extra-beefy double-double variety.
At first, we spend a bit of time checking in with all the storylines, since there’s been a five-year time jump since season two. That doesn’t take long, though, and most of the episodes are full speed ahead with family drama, political drama, wizard drama, and all the mega-drama Sauron is whipping up as he tries to craft his One Ring to rule them all.
We start with a “previously on” that spotlights important characters and plot points to remember. Then, we shift to “the War between the Elves and Sauron is in its fifth year,” as Galadriel’s narration over an animated map of Middle-earth catches us up with everything that’s transpired.
Sauron’s power has escalated. His Orc army has invaded nearly everywhere. But he doesn’t have the three Elven rings, which are protecting Rivendell and Lindon. He doesn’t have the seven Dwarven rings, which are not in use. He does have the nine rings crafted for men, as we saw in season two, though the two biggest kingdoms of men haven’t picked a side yet: the island of Númenor and the desert of Rhûn.
