‘Rings of Power’ Season 3 Script Proves the One Ring Is Actually, Finally, Arriving

After a somewhat slow-moving first season, season two of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power finally got the story into ring-making position. And while some key pieces of jewelry did get distributed around Middle-earth, Elven-smith Celebrimbor was killed by Sauron before the all-important One Ring could be finished. But in season three, it’s finally time for the precious. The official Prime Video synopsis says as much: “The Dark Lord toils day and night, obsessed with harnessing a power that will bring the last of his enemies to their knees: One Ring to rule them all...” The season’s key art also depicts Charlie Vickers’ Sauron wearing his signature crown and gazing at his golden creation. So we were already pretty confident that Rings of Power would at last be introducing its ultimate ring of power, and a new glimpse at the season three script proves it—almost. Entertainment Weekly has a look at the opening scene from season three, and it shows Sauron running into some roadblocks on his sinister journey. “Season three is the one where Sauron makes the One Ring in the volcano,” co-showrunner Patrick McKay confirmed to EW. “But for him, on a personal level, it’s a bit of a struggle to craft a ring more powerful than any that have ever been crafted before.” As the scene shows, Sauron has zero issues treating Orcs as his lab rats. But while he’s not putting himself at any risk, he’s still growing impatient with his failure. “Sauron has fallen back down that rabbit hole of frustration and darkness,” Vickers told EW. “In killing Celebrimbor, he has lost control and killed the person that could have helped him most on this quest. So he is doubting himself, which is a very unusual thing for Sauron when we rejoin him in the season.” We have a feeling it won’t take too long for Sauron to get what he wants—though this is Rings of Power, so it could also plausibly take the entire season to get there. We’ll start to find out when The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season three kicks off November 11 on Prime Video. Want more io9 news? Check out the best movies and TV shows to stream this month and all the upcoming sci-fi, fantasy, and horror books that should be on your radar.