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Where The Stars Are Strange deepens the sense of gathering shadow across Middle earth while advancing several key storylines with a steadier hand than much of the previous series. It balances intimate character moments against larger forces of upheaval, and the result is an episode that feels purposeful, visually striking and increasingly tense.
The episode opens in the great dwarven halls of Khazad dûm, where Prince Durin and his wife Disa navigate a more modest existence after the prince’s earlier quarrel with his father, King Durin. Their scenes in the marketplace carry a warm domesticity that has become one of the series’ quiet strengths. Disa urges reconciliation, reminding her husband that her loyalty was never tied to titles or status. Their conversation is interrupted by a violent tremor, an aftershock linked to the eruption of Mount Doom far to the south. Rockfalls destroy a bridge and, more critically, seal the sun shafts that channel natural light into the mountain kingdom. The once luminous caverns fall into near darkness. Crops begin to wither. The mountain itself no longer answers Disa’s songs as it once did. The scenes establishes a growing environmental and spiritual crisis for the dwarves, one that will clearly demand hard choices in the episodes ahead. The performances of Owain Arthur and Sophia Nomvete remain as engaging as ever, grounding the larger spectacle in genuine affection and worry. Hopefully they will be used more going forward.
Meanwhile in Lindon the elves grapple with the consequences of the three rings already forged. Galadriel experiences a vivid and disturbing vision in which Celebrimbor appears before her, only for the scene to twist into horror. Vines seize the elven smith and he is killed while reciting the now familiar verse that outlines the distribution of the rings of power: three for the elven kings under the sky, seven for the dwarf lords in their halls of stone, and nine for mortal men doomed to die. The nightmare leaves Galadriel unsettled and more determined than ever to act against the rising threat of Sauron. At a council High King Gil galad weighs intelligence suggesting Sauron may have travelled into Mordor, possibly seeking to supplant Adar and claim the orc armies for himself. The elves debate whether the rings can be used to strike swiftly and decisively. Elrond remains deeply suspicious of the rings’ origins and potential for corruption. His caution creates friction with Galadriel, whose own experience with the ring has heightened her perception of the unseen world and of future dangers. Eventually, after counsel from Círdan, Elrond agrees to journey to Eregion, though the command of the company is transferred to him rather than remaining with Galadriel. The political and personal tensions among the elves are neatly laid out, and the visuals in of Lindon, still bathed in the renewed light of the great tree, contrasts effectively with the gathering gloom elsewhere.
Far to the east in the lands of Rhûn the Stranger continues his trek with Nori and Poppy. Their journey across the harsh desert is interrupted by the return of familiar threats. One of the white clad mystics from the previous season reports to a commanding figure known as the Dark Wizard, played with quiet menace by Ciarán Hinds. The mystic’s reforming from a swarm of butterflies is one of the episode’s most inventive and unsettling visual moments. The Dark Wizard, displeased by earlier failures, dispatches masked riders to capture the Stranger. The three companions, low on water and strength, locate a well that briefly revives the Stranger. The ringing of a bell at the site, however, alerts their pursuers. In the ensuing confrontation the Stranger discovers a staff that echoes one from his dreams. He channels power through it to summon a fierce sandstorm that drives the riders away. The storm quickly slips beyond his control. The staff disintegrates and the winds carries Nori and Poppy away into the desert, leaving the Stranger alone and further from understanding his own nature. This all highlights both the raw potential of his abilities and the danger of wielding them without mastery. Daniel Weyman’s physical performance conveys exhaustion, confusion and sudden force with equal conviction.
The episode’s most significant development occurs in Eregion. Sauron, still wearing the guise of Halbrand, gains an audience with Celebrimbor. The smith is initially wary after Galadriel had warned him never to interact with him again. Halbrand claims knowledge of the three rings’ success in restoring the light of Lindon and asserts that he has spoken with Galadriel. He presses Celebrimbor to consider forging further rings, specifically for men, arguing that the races of Middle earth stand on the brink of ruin and that only such instruments of power can restore balance. When Celebrimbor resists, citing the susceptibility of men to corruption, Halbrand reveals a greater truth of his choosing. He declares himself a messenger of the Valar, sent to guide the wise and share knowledge none other possesses. Theatrical displays of power follow: windows burst open, lights dim, and the forge itself becomes a stage for transformation. From the flames emerges a new form, fair and elven in appearance, who names himself Annatar, the Lord of Gifts. He promises Celebrimbor that their collaboration will ensure the smith is remembered as the Lord of the Rings. Celebrimbor, moved by ambition, pride and the apparent divine endorsement, accepts the partnership. Plans are set in motion to draw the dwarves into the work as well. Charlie Vickers handles the shift in demeanour and presence with impressive subtlety, while Charles Edwards conveys Celebrimbor’s mixture of caution, wonder and vanity with quiet precision. The scene is the emotional and thematic centrepiece of the episode, illustrating how easily even the most gifted can be guided by carefully chosen truths and flattery.
Across these threads the production design and cinematography remain consistently impressive. The sudden darkness that engulfs Khazad dûm carries real weight. The desert expanses of Rhûn feel genuinely inhospitable. The forge sequence in Eregion blends practical intensity with measured visual effects. Bear McCreary’s score continues to lend emotional texture without overwhelming the quieter moments. Scenes are allowed to breathe while still advancing the larger narrative. Character motivations feel clearer than in some earlier outings, and the sense of interlocking fates across distant lands grows stronger.
There are still occasional moments where pacing shifts in a way it feels that everything is about to come to a halt. Yet the episode that largely succeeds in its ambitions. The growing crisis in Khazad dûm, the moral and strategic debates among the elves, the perilous journey in Rhûn and the pivotal deception in Eregion all contribute to a mounting atmosphere of inevitability. The rings are no longer abstract objects of power. They are active agents reshaping relationships, ambitions and the very landscape of Middle earth.
Where The Stars Are Strange demonstrates that the series has found a more assured footing in its second season. It respects the weight of its source material while forging its own path through the Second Age. The performances are committed, the visual storytelling is often beautiful, and the central conflict between creation and corruption is handled with increasing sophistication. Hopefully this will continue as the season continues to unfold.
Where to watch The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power – Season 2, Episode 1: Elven Kings Under The Sky: