Small Details You Missed In The Amazon-Exclusive Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power Teaser

"The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" has been slowly approaching its release date for, well, years now. The rights were purchased way back in 2017 (via The Hollywood Reporter), and the following years were filled with rumblings and rumors until the marketing really started to pick up early in 2022. The centerpiece of those promotions was a 60-second trailer Super Bowl spot released way back in February. At least, that was the main piece of footage until early July.

Nearly five long months after the Big Game teaser, "The Rings of Power" has finally released another longer (though still brief) piece of footage. A second 60-second clip was uploaded, this time behind the hidden doors of Prime Video itself. That means the exclusive clip is technically only available to Prime subscribers — although it started to leak beyond the streaming service immediately.

The new footage has a couple of familiar shots. For instance, we see Gil-galad (Benjamin Walker) gazing up into the sky again. We also see a different but similar clip of Nori Brandyfoot (Markella Kavenagh) looking up into the sky, as well as Durin IV (Owain Arthur) moodily gazing up into the heavens.

In fact, the sky is a big deal in this teaser — and the overall vibe of the firmament is anything but welcoming. While we don't get too much new information, it should come as no surprise that there are a lot of little details tucked away in the vignette that are well worth exploring.

Ents have been rumored to show up in "The Rings of Power" for a while now. From potential teases in character posters to an imaginative clip in a LOTR-themed Prime Video promo, there have been hints and speculation that the arboreal guardians of Middle-earth's forests will show up at some point during the show.

The setting is perfect, too. The Second Age features some of the tree folk's most exciting, interesting, and harrowing history. Treebeard and his people have a running romance with their counterparts, the Entwives, and the latter get caught up in Sauron's bid to dominate Middle-earth.

While the possibility of Ents has been on the table for years, there hasn't been any actual footage to confirm that they're involved in the show. It appears that has changed as of this latest clip. At one point, the camera pans down to reveal a group of trees that have distinct humanoid forms. Arms can be seen and there is motion amongst the leafy congregation.

Of course, this is a far cry from a formal confirmation. Nevertheless, it seems like a safe bet that Amazon Studios is sending some strong Entish signals. The Ents and their sad story seem set to be part of this massive, 5-season, multi-story undertaking.

In Amazon's original teaser, there are two distinct fiery events. The major one is the man in the fire. Dubbed "meteor man" by many, the overheated stranger is unnamed and is shown crawling around a fiery pit that also seems to contain Nori Brandyfoot. Before that combustible clip, the teaser also shows an image of a ball of fire streaking across the sky. It looks foreboding and draws the attention of Gil-galad — something we see once again in this new clip.

However, in the second teaser, the fireball is much more of a focal point. We see several people looking at it and it's shown whizzing across the sky in different settings. At the end of the clip, we see it fly over Nori Brandyfoot's head and then land with a big explosion a short distance away.

While many had already jumped to the conclusion that the fireball and meteor man are connected, the dots seem much easier to connect here. The empyrean projectile is seen landing right near the Harfoot. Even if it does contain the mysterious, fire-resistant fellow seen in the crater, it still begs the question: who on Middle-earth is this guy?

One of the faces that we see gazing up at the Middle-earth UFO is a new and potentially important one. Cynthia Addai-Robinson's character is yet to be confirmed as of this writing. However, the actress is shown in one brief shot looking up at that same imposing fiery projectile as everyone else.

Addai-Robinson is rumored to play Miriel, a character who comes straight out of Tolkien's own works. In the source material, the character's formal title is Tar-Míriel. She is a direct descendant of the royal line of Númenor — making her a distant relative of both Elrond and Aragorn. Tar-Míriel is the daughter of the aged king Tar-Palantir and is in line to become the ruling queen of the island nation.

However, in the books, what should be a long and peaceful rule from Tar-Míriel is hijacked by her brash, proud relative Ar-Pharazôn, who forcefully weds his cousin in order to usurp the throne. The power that Tar-Míriel inherits and then loses to Ar-Pharazôn is a critical catalyst that sets in motion some of the most destructive events of the Second Age. The question is, will Addai-Robinson's character follow this tragic storyline or will it be different in "The Rings of Power"?

Tolkien's Atlantian island nation of Númenor is a major part of the Second Age. Heck, it's a major part of all Middle-earth history. The ripple effect of the nation's history is still sending shockwaves through the world when Aragorn makes his bid to topple Sauron and reclaim the throne of Gondor thousands of years after the events of "The Rings of Power" wrap up.

Even so, it's here, in the Second Age, that Númenor's story primarily takes place. In fact, the island that the Mannish nation is situated on literally only exists during this time. While Númenor will doubtless play a major role in the story, the "Rings of Power" promotional team has been reticent in revealing much about their iteration of the area. We saw a very short clip in the first teaser and have seen a little more in pictures, but overall, details on the location have been sparse.

The new teaser doesn't have much else to add, either, but it does end with a shot that seems to be of a ship sailing on a river deep into the island nation itself. A large collection of aesthetically pleasing white buildings are shown built into the mountain range in the distance, too. This could be part of the important Númenórean port city of Rómenna. However, some fans have also gone a step further and speculated that it might even be Armenelos, the capital city itself, which is situated further inland.

Either way, it appears that the marketing campaign is slowly starting to reveal the island kingdom in all of its resplendent glory.

There are many different connections that will be interesting to see during the show. Several of these center on different Elvish leaders as they network with one another and attempt to build a coalition strong enough to resist the evils (including but not limited to Sauron) that perpetually afflict Middle-earth.

The trailer shows multiple important Elven pairings that we're excited to see on the streaming screen. One of these is Elrond and Celebrimbor. Not long before the teaser was released, Fandom published an exclusive clip that provided an overview of the mighty Elven smith Celebrimbor (portrayed by Charles Edwards in "The Rings of Power"). The release didn't provide much information that we hadn't already covered about Celebrimbor in the past, but it did provide a still of Celebrimbor and Elrond (Robert Aramayo), adding that the former sends the young Elrond to court the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm.

The teaser shows these two Elvish compatriots together once again — and not surprisingly, they're gazing up at the fireball as it dashes across the sky. Just before this shot, we also see a quick glimpse of the Elvish kingdom of Lindon and its leader, Gil-galad. The High Elven King appears to be in the same ceremonial space we've seen a couple of times now, but this time it's dark out. Behind him is another character shrouded in shadows, but upon a closer look, it appears to be Elrond once again. 

Of course, readers of "The Silmarillion" will remember the book's description of Lindon: "Gil-galad son of Fingon was their king, and with him was Elrond Half-elven, son of Eärendil the Mariner and brother of Elros first king of Númenor." The two characters are often attached at the hip — and it's good to see them already working together.

In Vanity Fair's First Look of "The Rings of Power" way back before the Super Bowl, the outlet provided details about several of the characters who have been made up for the show. This included the Human healer and single mother Bronwyn (Nazanin Boniadi) and the Silvan Elf Arondir (Ismael Cruz Córdova). The pair are specifically described as having a "forbidden love" along the same vein as Aragorn and Arwen as well as some of their Elvish/Human ancestors.

The new teaser is the first time we see this attraction in action — even if it's in a very small, easy-to-miss manner. At one point, halfway into the clip, the footage cuts to a close-up of Arondir and Bronwyn's faces. Both look concerned and — you guessed it — they're looking up. The camera cuts to a silhouette of the pair of lovers as the fireball blazes overhead. Notably, if you look down, you can see the two hold hands as they look with trepidation at the unknown threat that streaks overhead.

While the specifics of the couple's verboten attraction remain to be seen, there's no doubt that it's already on display, just two short promotional minutes into the show.

Sadoc Burrows (Sir Lenny Henry) was introduced to us on the cover of Empire Magazine back in June. However, the character hasn't shown up on the screen until this clip. In fact, in the second teaser, Burrows is the only one who actually gets to utter words. The teaser starts with Burrows saying "The skies are strange" in an off-beat Irish accent apparently created for the Harfoots of the show.

Before Burrows says these prescient words, he's shown looking at a book. The pages are covered in strange writing that almost looks like a form of pictography. For instance, a sun and moon can be made out at one point. While we're unaware of the translation, there's one area to the right of the picture that looks like it might not be formal writing at all.

Instead, several small crosses, varying in size, are scattered across the right side of the page. Burrows' hand is touching one of these, and it seems that the Harfoot's attention is drawn to that portion of the writing. Between the upward focus of the teaser and Burrows' following line, it's tempting to guess that the images are stars, perhaps even a constellation of some sort. At the least, it's not out of the question to assume that a primitive group like these proto-Hobbits would be familiar with star patterns and placement in the skies — especially considering the fact that stars have always been a hallowed part of Tolkien's world.

The promotional material for "The Rings of Power" has already talked quite a bit about a new location that it's adding to the map: the village of Tirharad. Harad is an area of Tolkien's world that can also be translated as the Southlands. Naturally, the area is south of the Middle-earth equator and is a vague and distant part of the map.

Previous promotional material has also shown a picture of a gigantic watchtower with what appears to be an Elven figure located at the top of the structure. Fan site Fellowship of Fans has stated that this tower is, in fact, in Tirharad and that the figure is none other than Arondir himself. The site also described the building as a "watchtower" — a foreboding name. To top it off, there is an ominous mountain range away in the distance that is eerily reminiscent of Mordor.

The newest clip adds to the drama, not by clarifying what the tower is or what its purpose might be, but rather by expanding on the structure itself. Along with the soaring vertical portion of the building, an additional horizontal section can also be seen. It appears to include a bridge as well as another, smaller domed structure. This begs the question, why would such a large, imposing building be located in the Southlands of Middle-earth, and what is an Elf doing in it?

One point in the teaser shows Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) on a boat with several presumably Elvish companions. A bright light is shown in the distance and there is almost a misty parting of the clouds around them. A flock of birds flies down and circles the ship. The whole setting points to one of two likely locations.

First, the boat could be approaching Númenor. In "Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth," J.R.R. Tolkien wrote, "In Númenor birds that dwell near the sea, and swim or dive in it, abode in multitudes beyond reckoning." The text also adds, "When any ship approached the land seabirds in great flocks would arise and fly above it in welcome and gladness, for they were never killed or molested by intent. Some would accompany ships on their voyages, even those that went to Middle-earth."

While the presence of the birds is telling, the light and parting of the clouds could point to another, more hallowed Middle-earth location: Aman. Also known as the Blessed Realm, this is the area far in the West where Frodo and his companions sail to at the end of "The Return of the King." In the book, it also says that when the Ring-bearer gets there, "the grey rain-curtain turned all to silver glass and was rolled back, and [Frodo] beheld white shores and beyond them a far green country under a swift sunrise."

As of this writing, the case can be made either way. While it remains to be seen if the upcoming July 14 promo will answer any questions as to this location's exact whereabouts, it also seems possible that we'll have to wait until the series premiere on September 2 for any conclusive answer.