Rings of Power showrunners tease Sauron reveal in "emotional" finale

When asked if the audience had already met Sauron and if the mystery surrounding his identity would continue, the pair teased a resolution to this in the finale.

McKay commented: "I would say there's one more episode in the season. Yeah, it feels very climactic. But there's, there's at least one strand, if not a couple more that are still lingering. And we'll have to watch the next one to find out."

When questioned directly on whether Halbrand (Charlie Vickers) could be the Dark Lord, McKay added: "What I would say is, you know, Sauron’s a deceiver. Sauron could be anyone and we always felt like it would be a waste to just have him be out in front at the beginning and that if there was a story that would engage people and let them lean in and let them read into things and have ideas and theories, that would be delightful and wonderful.

"And if you think it's [Halbrand], it's one version of the show. If you think it's somebody else, it’s another version of the show, and I just hope the next episode is exciting for you."

When asked to further tease the show’s finale, Payne also gave hints on what fans can expect.

Payne revealed: “I think we can say that there are some plotlines that will come together and that we've sent some people off in some places at the end in terms of you've watched the Numenoreans go home and there are surprises awaiting them there. You've watched Halbrand and Galadriel head off somewhere. You've sort of left Elrond in a predicament where all he has is this one blanket of Mithril - what's he gonna do the Eldar’s still fading and all these guys, one little piece of Mithril.

“So, you know, that tees us up to have some things that have been brewing all season kind of come together and collide - hopefully, in an unexpected and fun way.”

Then, McKay added of their finale: “We always like the idea of going underneath it. You know, it can become very tempting to end your season with a huge battle. We liked the idea of, first of all, a more intimate emotional battle, at least that was the aspiration. And then and then going deeper and deeper and deeper into character. And hopefully, you know, when you watch the eighth episode, you feel like that's what it feels like, you know, we want the stakes to feel bigger - not necessarily the scope or the special effects.

“You know, a temptation and a pitfall we see quite a bit in movies and in some of these big shows is like, you gotta keep topping yourself. You got to keep Keeping Up with the Joneses. More aliens in the sky over New York. More giant lasers shooting up to the clouds. Like, no no no no no no…go deeper in. And if it feels that way, awesome."

Read more on The Rings of Power:

• Rings of Power release schedule: When are Lord of the Rings episodes out?
• How to watch The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies in order
  
• Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power review – Dazzling prequel doesn't let Tolkien fans down
• What is Valinor in Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power?
• Who is Morgoth in Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power?
• Who is Galadriel’s brother? Meet Finrod actor Will Fletcher
• What is the Second Age of Middle-earth? Rings of Power timeline explained

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 1 concludes on Friday 14th October 2022 on Amazon Prime Video – try Amazon Prime Video for free for 30 days.

If you’re looking for something else to watch, check out our TV Guide or visit our dedicated Fantasy hub.

The latest issue of Radio Times is on sale now – subscribe now to get each issue delivered to your door. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times podcast.