The following contains spoilers for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 1, Episode 8, "Alloyed," now streaming on Prime Video.
Whether it's justified or not, there are plenty of complaints about The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power's characters and plot. There is, however, little room for complaint about Season 1's visuals. The casting is excellent, the costumes are on-point (regardless of some fans' criticisms), and the settings are fantastic. Sweeping vistas, erupting volcanoes and architecture -- everything looks like it came out of J. R. R. Tolkien's universe.
Given the wide variety of settings, they are even more impressive. Lindon captures the majesty and splendor of the High Elves, while Eregion shows the creativity of Celebrimbor and his craftsmen. On top of that, Númenor boasts the grandeur of the Sea, and Moria puts the Dwarves' skill on display. While all of that is impressive, Season 2 will need to add an evil location called Rhûn.
Why Meteor Man Couldn't Find His Constellation
When Meteor Man first crashed to Middle-earth, Nori found him, and she started teaching him to speak. Over time, he remembered something about the stars and wanted to find a particular constellation. Nori then tried stealing some sheets out of Sadoc Burrows' book. Unfortunately, the sheet they needed was burned when Meteor Man scared everyone in the camp. As such, finding that constellation remained a mystery until Episode 8, "Alloyed."
In the season finale, the three White Robes were convinced that Meteor Man was Sauron. They told him about his power, and they explained that the constellation he sought was called the "Hermit's Hat." He hadn't been able to find it because the constellation was only visible from a place called Rhûn; that faraway land was where the evil priestesses wanted to take him. They also said that it was their land, indicating that Sauron and his followers had been there before. So, where exactly is Rhûn and why is it significant?
Where Is Rhûn In Middle-earth?
In The Lord of the Rings, Rhûn is more of a region than a specific place. The Sea of Rhûn was located to the East of Greenwood the Great, and it represented Rhûn's Easter boarder. Basically, anything East of Rhovanion -- the area of Greenwood, Lothlorien, and the Iron Hills -- was considered part of Rhûn. It was never shown in The Lord of the Rings' stories, but it was the home of the Easterlings that served Morgoth and (the much better villain) Sauron. From that knowledge, it's easy to see why the White Robes wanted to return to Rhûn: Sauron already had a following there, and it was far away from the Elves' watching eyes.
Of course, the White Robes were wrong about Meteor Man being Sauron, but that doesn't mean that seeing Rhûn is out of the question. At the end of the finale, Meteor Man (or is it Gandalf?) began an adventure with Nori, and their destination was Rhûn. For some reason, he felt the call toward the region, and that would make sense if he was sent to oppose Sauron's evil machinations. It's also said that Saruman and the Blue Wizards explored Rhûn once upon a time, so it's possible that the area will serve as a rendezvous for multiple wizards in Season 2 of The Rings of Power.
The Rings of Power Season 1 is now streaming on Prime Video.