Though viewers had been led to believe that Sauron would finally make his presence felt during tonight's penultimate episode of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, it was another of Morgoth's servants who ended up emerging from the darkness in the closing moments of "The Eye."
Major spoilers follow.
In episode 5, Gil-Galad recounts the tale of a battle between a mighty Elven warrior (possibly based on Glorfindel) and a Balrog. The pair fought over a tree which was believed to contain the last of the lost Silmarils. During their clash, lightning struck the tree and drove the power of the jewels deep into the Misty Mountains, resulting in the creation of Mithril.
The Elven king believes this precious ore is the only thing that can restore the light of Ilúvatar to his race, and tasks Elrond with retrieving as much as he can from the Dwarf kingdom of Khazad Dum so they might rejuvinate their immortal souls. Unfortunately, King Durin denies Elrond and his son's request to mine Mithril.
Determined to save his friend, Durin decides to defy his father and begins to dig... only to awaken the Balrog in the depths of Moria.
We don't get to see what damage the Flame of Udun inflicts on the Dwarves as the episode ends with the demonic creature letting out a thunderous roar, but there's a good chance "Durin's Bane" will earn his moniker in the season finale by putting an end to the fan-favorite Dwarf prince or his father. It was actually one of their descendants in the books, but the series is clearly condensing the timelines.
How do you guys see the season finale of The Rings of Power playing out? How do you feel about Moria's Balrog being introduced at this point in the story? Drop us a comment down below.