In case you missed it, we finally found out who Sauron is in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. It was a truly jaw-dropping reveal that had people reeling but does this mean that this version of the Dark Lord is truly unique? Co-showrunner J.D. Payne has just pointed out that Sauron has a lot of similarities with the lowly yet equally important Gollum.
WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS FROM THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RINGS OF POWER EPISODE 8, PROCEED WITH CAUTION!
In The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Episode 8, Halbrand finally confirmed that he is actually Sauron after Galadriel confronts him about his identity. Halbrand tries to convince Galadriel to join him as his queen and rule over Middle-Earth but she refuses and he escapes to Mordor.
The idea that Sauron goes by two names in The Rings of Power is something that J.D. Payne claims to be an important point. The co-showrunner told Total Film that the Dark Lord is comparable to Gollum.
"There’s something in him that is sort of vaguely reminiscent of Gollum, when you watch it again, where you see these two forces driving within him," Payne said. "In some ways, Gollum is to Sauron as Sauron is to Morgoth, a little bit."
"The One Ring is operative on his consciousness at all times," he continued. "And even maybe if he tried to turn away from it and be Mairon, the Maier, who, in the beginning, was good, there's this shadow that has operated upon his soul that he is enslaved to, that you always see, every decision he makes, takes him, in one way, towards the good, but it also takes him towards power."
We have yet to see if Halbrand/Sauron will listen to the side that still wishes to be with the Maier. Perhaps it is something to look forward to in the second season.
All episodes of the Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power are now streaming on Amazon Prime.
Related: The Rings of Power: Daniel Weyman Breaks Silence After Shocking Stranger Reveal
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