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Exclusive | The Rings of Power star Charlie Vickers reveals he didn’t know Halbrand was Sauron until episode 3 of first season: ‘I was sus though’

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power's makers indeed did a commendable job in the first season of the show hiding Halbrand's true identity until the very end.

Actors Charlie Vickers and Morfydd Clark as Halbrand and Galadriel, respectively, in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. (Image: TLOTR on Prime)

Widely regarded as one of the most influential authors of all time and a pioneer of the fantasy genre, John Ronald Reuel (JRR) Tolkien has profoundly inspired countless writers with The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, encouraging them to expand their creative horizons and infuse their stories with as much fantasy as possible. Although Tolkien’s stories have been adapted into various forms of media, the newest addition to the list is the fantasy streaming series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

Drawing from Tolkien’s detailed history of Middle-earth, primarily the appendices of The Lord of the Rings, The Rings of Power is set thousands of years before the events of the novels, mainly set in the Second Age. The first chapter concluded with a shocking twist: Halbrand (Charlie Vickers), who was thought to be the long-lost King of the Southlands, was actually Sauron, the former lieutenant of the Dark Lord Morgoth, in disguise. This revelation surprised not only Galadriel (Morfydd Clark), the elven warrior, but also the audience.

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Actor Charlie Vickers as Halbrand in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. (Image: TLOTR on Prime)

Now, nearly two years after the pilot episode first aired, streaming giant Amazon Prime Video has returned with the Rings of Power’s second season, offering a deeper dive into the dark age when evil is leaving no stone unturned to ensure its resurrection and the coronation of Sauron as the saviour of Middle-earth.

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Nevertheless, The Rings of Power’s creators JD Payne and Patrick McKay, along with their writing team, did a commendable job in the first season of hiding Halbrand’s true identity. Not only did they lead viewers to believe he was a key ally for Galadriel in her quest to find and defeat evil, but the narrative also cleverly suggested that other characters, including the Stranger (Daniel Weyman), might be Sauron, given their ambiguous nature and suspicious behaviour.

Watch Charlie Vickers and Charles Edwards interview for The Rings of Power Season 2 here:

Now that the secret is out, we were curious whether actor Charlie Vickers knew about the twist from the beginning or if the show’s creators kept him in the dark until later. In an exclusive interview with The Indian Express in Singapore, Vickers revealed that he initially didn’t know about the twist. “They (Payne and McKay) actually didn’t tell me until we were just about to start filming the third episode (of season one). Then they took me into a part of the set, which is the Northern Waste (also known as Forodwaith), where you see the opening sequence of this season, and they said, ‘This is your kingdom,’ and that Halbrand is Sauron,” he added.

“It was a big relief because I was sus (suspicious). I was thinking maybe there’s more to this Halbrand character. So, it was nice to finally be officially told,” the Australian actor added.

While the first three episodes of The Rings of Power’s second season have been unveiled on Amazon Prime Video, the remaining five will be released weekly, every Thursday.

Anandu Suresh

Anandu Suresh is a Senior sub-editor at Indian Express Online. He specialises in Malayalam cinema, but doesn't limit himself to it and explores various aspects of the art form. He also pens a column titled Cinema Anatomy, where he delves extensively into the diverse layers and dimensions of cinema, aiming to uncover deeper meanings and foster continuous discourse. Anandu previously worked with The New Indian Express' news desk in Hyderabad, Telangana. You can follow him on Twitter @anandu_suresh_ and write (or send movie recommendations) to him at anandu.suresh@indianexpress.com. ... Read More

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