Sauron's Identity is Just What You Expected, And People Are Underwhelmed
Is anybody surprised, really?
Warning: the following article contains spoilers for The Rings of Power episode 8
What could have been the biggest cliffhanger of Amazon's The Rings of Power ended up being quite predictable. Yes, the disguised Sauron ended up being just who you expected him to be: Halbrand, the proclaimed king of the Southlands.
Wow, we guess?.. It turns out that few people are actually surprised or shocked by the cliffhanger.
Others, however, have another reason to be disappointed.
"I am disappointed at the Sauron 'reveal' because it doesn't feel like he is the 'fair' "Annatar". Like the "Shadow of Mordor" have, which is what he is supposed to be (not a worn-out soldier!)," Redditor introvertedmonstah said.
Some fans believe that Halbrand being Sauron "doesn't make any sense". In fact, many people were "surprised in the worst possible way" when they found out that Halbrand is Sauron.
"[H]albrand!sauron does seem to genuinely like [G]aladriel… wasn't he talking about making her his queen or something?" Redditor fallenarist0crat wondered.
The Rings of Powers' fans appeared to have cracked the mystery even before the show premiered, when Halbrand's character was introduced in the trailers and other promotional materials. Then there was his very first phrase, "Looks can be deceiving", which he uttered in the very first episode when Galadriel appeared on his raft. Since then, the Sauron identity was the worst kept secret for many fans.
The second season of The Rings of Power is already being filmed. The new chapter might now be focused more on Sauron, unlike the first season that mostly had the main villain in the shadows. The premiere date for The Rings of Power season 2 is to be announced later.