Sauron has begun his plan to take over Middle-earth in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2, but is he really getting anything done with all this flirting? The Prime Video series has taken a fresh approach to Tolkien’s works, bringing the Second Age to the screen rather than the better-known Third Age (in which Frodo’s story is set). This means a chance to show Sauron’s rise to Dark-Lord status using his Rings of Power, but there is a lot to be filled in here since Tolkien didn’t provide many specific details in this regard. As it is, Rings of Power has introduced some surprises.

In The Rings of Power season 2, episode 5, Sauron and Celebrimbor successfully create the Seven Dwarven Rings, and the Dark Lord sets his eyes on the Nine intended for Men. However, this is when things begin to spiral out of control at the Eregion forge. Celebrimbor didn’t want to make the Nine, leading Sauron (Annatar) to become deeply frustrated. He had to pull out all the stops to manipulate the smiths to do his bidding again and stick to his plans—including some solid flirting with Mirdania.

Sauron Flirts With Mirdania In The Rings Of Power Season 2 (After Galadriel In Season 1)

The Lord Of Gifts Is On To His Next Victim

Hoping to get Celebrimbor to get back to working on the Nine, Annatar purposely messed a few things up, suggesting that the Elves add more mithril to their attempts at making the Rings. The chaos that followed had the desired effect since Celebrimbor couldn’t stand to watch them mess things all up. However, in the effort, Mirdania wound up with one of the Rings on her finger, and she saw Annatar as he truly was—an evil being that reeked of death.

He did basically the same thing in Rings of Power season 1 when he charmed Galadriel with smoldering glances and heart-to-hearts as Halbrand.

Of course, Sauron couldn’t let Mirdania figure out that the being she saw was him, so he turned on the charm and convinced her that what she saw was Celebrimbor’s tortured essence. He really laid it on thick, too. Sauron preyed on not only her compassion but her vanity as well, telling her that in certain lights, she looked just like the beautiful Lady Galadriel. Of course, this wasn’t Sauron’s first attempt at such a tactic. He did basically the same thing in Rings of Power season 1 when he charmed Galadriel with smoldering glances and heart-to-hearts as Halbrand.

Are Sauron’s Feelings For Galadriel & Mirdania Real?

Sauron Always Has A Goal In Mind

Sauron’s flirting shouldn’t be confused with real affection. Mirdania is especially someone who would be entirely unworthy of his notice (in his opinion). Galadriel, on the other hand, is a different story. While he isn’t in love with her in the traditional sense. Sauron recognizes Galadriel’s power and was likely earnest when he confessed feeling a certain something as he fought by her side. He truly wants her to be his queen in Rings of Power since she would strengthen his own rule over the hearts and minds in Middle-earth. This is and always will be a point of temptation for Galadriel.

Galadriel is known for her beauty among the Elves, so Sauron’s compliment to Mirdania was bound to do the trick.

Sauron might have been genuine when he said that Mirdania looked like Galadriel, and it’s even possible that he admires her intelligence (she is the only one who seems to realize something is very wrong at the forge). Still, his goal is only to earn her trust and affection so that she is easier to manipulate. However, this may end up backfiring. Sauron has a lot of puppets doing his bidding, but even a powerful being such as he will run out of hands to control them. His flirting with Mirdania demonstrates the Dark Lord’s ever-growing desperation.

The Rings Of Power’s Sauron Is Like A Sulking Child (& Celebrimbor’s The Parent)

Rings Of Power Season 2 Has Involved A Lot Of Pouting

Custom image by Simone Ashmoore

The more frustrated Celebrimbor gets in Rings of Power season 2, the less Sauron is able to keep himself together. His mask as Annatar, the Lord of Gifts, continues to slip as Celebrimbor refuses to cooperate. Eventually, Sauron goes as far as to announce that he will just make the Nine all by himself before storming out of the room like a spoiled child. He then used the old tactic of weaponized incompetence to get Celebrimbor back on board, knowing he couldn’t resist taking over if Annatar and the smiths were doing a bad job.

Unfortunately for Celebrimbor, the centuries-old teenager sulking around his forge is much cleverer than him.

Unfortunately for Celebrimbor, the centuries-old teenager sulking around his forge is much cleverer than him. So, Sauron’s flirting, flattery, and manipulation are working, and the Lord of Eregion is slipping ever more into madness and despair. Unfortunately, Celeborn doesn’t have much hope left. In the end, there isn’t much hope for Sauron either after Rings of Power—though that’s a much longer way off.