[+] The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power - SPOILERS ALLOWED

[Dioltach]

I would imagine the master of the ring could make the ring itself invisible.

Especially if no one had been warned to look for it.

I'm thinking more along the lines of the Jack Black skit from the Council of Elrond.

 

[reelo]

Here is how I think the TV series will play out (if it runs its full course).

Celebrimbor crafts the 3 rings, with the help of Durin IV.
Adar (AKA Fake-Sauron) declares himself in Mordor.
Galadriel leads an army of Numenorians to attack Fake-Sauron. [end of series one]
Meanwhile, Real-Sauron befriends Celebrimbor.
Fake-Sauron persuades the Numenorians to attack the Valar.
Real-Sauron suggests that rings for men and dwarves would help to secure future alliances.
Numenor sinks, Real-Sauron crafts the One Ring. [end of series two]

The thing is, the 3 elven rings were crafted after the others, iirc, not before.

 

[MarkB]

The thing is, the 3 elven rings were crafted after the others, iirc, not before.

They were all elven-crafted though, right? What, were they using the Dwarves and Men as beta testers?

 

[Ryujin]

They were all elven-crafted though, right? What, were they using the Dwarves and Men as beta testers?

"Hey, why don't we knock out a few trinkets and get the feel of the new tools, before we knock out the real works of art?" Sounds pretty Elf-like to me.

 

[reelo]

"Hey, why don't we knock out a few trinkets and get the feel of the new tools, before we knock out the real works of art?" Sounds pretty Elf-like to me.

Yes, all rings were forged in secret, by the Gwaith-i-Mirdain (Celebrimbor's smiths) under the "tutelage" of Annatar/Sauron.

The 3 elven rings were forged "behind Sauron's back" so to speak. And that's why he assailed and devastated Eregion.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

This is a matter of the motivation of Sauron, which isn't well defined. Does he seek power, or seek to cause suffering? Given how the One Ring is portrayed in LotR, you are suggesting he threw a fight he could easily have won purely to engage is a spot of sadism.

It being a ploy doesn’t mean he could have easily won.

That would make Sauron to be really pretty dumb.

How so? It was an unprecedented event.

 

[Hriston]

He does, but that is clearly changed. Which is probably a good thing in this case. If the One Ring is so all powerful how come the Numenorians could defeat him? It undermines the premise of The Lord of the Rings.

So you believe Númenor's challenging of Sauron's might in Mordor is imminent. I'm not so sure. We haven't seen much worth challenging yet - just some goblins digging tunnels.

And Sauron possessing the One Ring when he surrenders to Númenor doesn't undermine the premise of the LotR which is that Sauron at the end of the Third Age is already too powerful for any force present in Middle-earth at the time to defeat through strength of arms alone, even without the ring, and that destroying the ring is the only chance the free peoples have of stopping him. Of course, if he gets the ring, things will be that much worse, but he's going to win anyway.

In the Second Age, even after Sauron forges the ring, things are very different. Númenor and the realm of Gil-galad are both quite powerful and together drive Sauron back to Mordor in SA 1700, at the end of the War of the Elves and Sauron. Much later in the Second Age, Sauron surrenders due to the overwhelming might possessed by Númenor alone, realizing he can only destroy his greatest rival from within. Finally, contrary to your point considering the event's prominence in LotR lore, at the end of the Second Age, Sauron loses the ring because his forces are defeated at the Battle of Dagorlad by the Last Alliance of Elves and Men, the combined forces of Gil-galad and the new realms in exile, Arnor and Gondor and is besieged in the Barad-dûr for seven years, ending with Sauron himself making a last desperate sortie in which he was wounded by Gil-galad and Elendil, allowing Isildur the chance to cut off his finger.

At the end of the Third Age, there is no Last Alliance to be formed. Arnor has been destroyed and Gondor is a shadow of its former strength. The elves are departing across the sea, forsaking Middle-earth. Sauron's victory is a forgone conclusion because there is virtually no one to stand against him.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Ah, so you’re imagining that Sauron allowed Finrod’s body to be recovered or even had it delivered to Galadriel in order to set her in motion following his trail. Hmm.

If ordinary elves can be made into orcs, could Galadriel conceivably be made into something more?

 

[Zaukrie]

I really wish there was a thread about the sow,, and a thread for super fans. Because some of us don't want to know more than is in the show. Nor to wade through pages of posts to talk about it. Oh well. Have fun debating details.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

So you believe Númenor's challenging of Sauron's might in Mordor is imminent. I'm not so sure. We haven't seen much worth challenging yet - just some goblins digging tunnels.

Definitely. This is a TV show, the audience want to see BATTLES. There needs to be one before the end of the first season (and besides, we have seen glimpses in trailers).