The following contains spoilers for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 1, Episode 8, "Alloyed," now streaming on Prime Video.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power had a pretty dramatic season finale. It showed the evil powers of the White-Robed Cultists, and then it killed them off. In the same scene, Episode 8, "Alloyed" revealed that Meteor Man was one of the Istari (and probably Gandalf). Later in the episode, Halbrand exposed himself as Sauron in a bid to draw Galadriel to darkness. When that didn't work, he made his way to Mordor where he'll stew until the release of Season 2.
Unfortunately, fans will have to wait awhile for new episodes. Given the production timeline from the inaugural season and the fact that Season 2 will be bigger and better, fans shouldn't expect its premiere until at least 2024. With that long of a wait, there's plenty of time to predict what might happen. Here's a look at what to expect when Season 2 finally arrives.
Pharazôn Will Take Over In Númenor
For all of Season 1, there has been an implicit conflict between the King's Men and the Faithful in Númenor. However, in Season 2 that will become much more prevalent. While Elendil and Míriel were away rescuing the Southlands from Adar, King Tar-Palantir died. That left Pharazôn in charge, and during that short amount of time, he asserted his influence. As Elendil sailed into port, he saw the litany of black banners, which indicated the rule of the King's Men. Míriel won't go down easily, but she is destined to fail.
Sauron Will Occupy Mordor
Now that fans know that Halbrand is Sauron, they're excited to see what comes next. The season ended with him spying Mount Doom in the distance, so it's likely that he will take up residence there for a time. But there are a few lingering questions. For one, fans want to know how he will punish Adar. There's also the Annatar plot that The Rings of Power didn't use. While it seems unlikely, there's a chance that he could infiltrate Eregion as Annatar and take advantage of Celebrimbor a second time. That would give Celebrimbor a reason to make the other rings of power.
The Other Rings of Power Need to Be Made
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The timeline in "Alloyed" isn't completely clear. It's possible that Celebrimbor and company forged the other, lesser rings before the three Elvan rings, but that seems unlikely. As such, nine rings still need to be made for Men, and seven still need to be made for the Dwarves. With Halbrand out of the picture, the series will need to come up with a reason for Celebrimbor to make those 16 other rings -- unless Sauron does it by himself in this adaptation of the story. Either way, progress needs to be made on the rings front in Season 2.
The Fate of Isildur Could Be Revealed
Isildur didn't appear in "Alloyed," but he was referenced. Elendil made it clear that he thought his son was dead. He was never found following the eruption of Mount Doom, so they had presumed him dead. Of course, fans know that he's not dead, but where he is and what he's doing is still a mystery. Maybe he'll wind up in Pelargir with Bronwyn and Theo, and have a hand in the early founding of Gondor.
The Balrog Could Become More Prominent
LOTR fans know that Durin's Bane showing up in Season 1 of The Rings of Power was a bit of a stretch. He shouldn't have been awoken for at least another 2,000 years, so the Balrog was a bit of unneeded fan service. Regardless, however, the Balrog is a part of the story now. How it factors into Season 1 is hard to predict, but in a fiery version of Chekhov's gun, it's hard to introduce a demon from the ancient world and not use it in the story.
Meteor Man's Road Trip to Rhûn
"Alloyed" also hinted at Meteor Man/proto-Gandalf's whereabouts for Season 2. Just as things wrapped up, he and Nori headed off to the land of Rhûn. That can be found to the far East of Middle-earth, where the Easterlings dwell. It's probable Meteor Man will meet up with some other wizards, or will start campaigning against Sauron. Either way, fans will be excited to visit a never-before-seen part of Tolkien's universe.
The Rings of Power Season 1 is now streaming on Prime Video.