The Rings of Power season 2 finale's big death scene was originally much longer but was "condensed" on the day: "I think we all felt it's maybe going on a bit too long"
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Warning: Major spoilers for The Rings of Power season 2, episode 8 follow.
As many had anticipated, Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) met his end atAnnatar’s hand this week, but not before being riddled with arrows and hoisted into the air – an image that paralleled the vision we saw inGaladriel’s visionweeks ago.
As Edwards tells GamesRadar+, the Elven smith’s words of defiance, spat at a snarling Sauron, was the result of a creative reworking during filming.
“There was a lot of talk on the day…We’ve ended up with a condensed version,” Edwards explains.
“There was more dialogue there, but then you get to the point where you’re in that position and it’s a death speech and I think we all felt it’s maybe going on a bit long. I think what we distilled it down to was exactly what needed to be said – which is, that note of defiance. You are a prisoner, and will be forevermore.”
“He had quite a long speech,” Charlie Vickers, who plays Sauron/Annatar recalls. “I remember him working on it with the showrunners. They cut it down, I think, to make it more punchy and make it feel less like, ‘This is my dying Shakespearean soliloquy’… it becomes more direct.”
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On the moment, which featured a bold Celebrimbor declaring that Sauron won’t be able to follow him to the afterlife, Edwards adds, “He does get one over on [Sauron] and that’s very delicious. It was very delicious to play and watch back. All kinds of mechanics were going on with harnesses and lifts at the right moment to pull me up, all that stuff. With all that going on, I’m very happy we managed to get that moment of very intense, intimate challenge at the end.”
The Rings of Power season 2 is now streaming on Prime Video. For more, be sure to check out our explainers onThe Rings of Power season 3,The Rings of Power season 2 ending, andNarsil.
I’m the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you’ll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.
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