As season two of Prime Video’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” wraps up, one of the more intriguing plots centers on the eleven prince, Celebrimbor, who forges the rings in season one and is enticed by the evil Sauron in season two.

While viewers question how the prince can be so easily deceived, especially considering the warning of Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) to stay away from Halbrand, diving deeper into the character’s mental state provides clues and draws a spiritual parallel.

Charles Edwards (“The Crown,” “The Duke”), who stars as Celebrimbor, traces the beginning of his character’s dark journey to a chance meeting with Halbrand in season one.

“They have a brief scene in the Forge,” he said. “I think the spell was cast when they have a brief discussion about the Mirthril and he suggests using it a certain way to make it last longer. I think that’s when Sauron ensnares him.”

As season two opens, Celebrimbor is in Eregion is feeling cut off, isolated and perhaps a little unappreciated, not knowing if the rings worked. Cue Halbrand, who turns up to meet with him, but is refused a meeting. But Halbrand doesn’t leave. He stays, insisting on a meeting, sitting out in the rain until somehow his persistence appeals to Celebrimbor who comes out to shoo him away. Instead, he’s intrigued.

“He’s feeling out of the loop and starting to feel like ‘Come on, I can do what I want to in my place’,” he said. “So when (Halbrand/Sauron) turns up, there’s something in him that wants to see him, even though he’s been told not to. Suddenly, he wants to, like a little boy, misbehave. And there’s something about Hallbrand that Celebrimbor finds . . . cool.”

Charlie Vickers, who plays Halbrand-turned-Sauron, likens the visit to a divine appointment. Sauron appears as a Maiar in order to overwhelm and entice Celebrimbor to do his bidding.

“If someone steps out of the flames and presents himself in that way, you’re going to go with them,” he said. “It’s like being visited by God. So that worry that you may have about ‘Why is Celebrimbor so stupid to buy twice?’ It’s totally erased. Everything is intentional. Everything has to be intentional from Sauron’s perspective. It can’t just be evil for the sake of being evil.”

The entire sequence is a common theme in stories. Darkness often hides itself in the light.

In 2 Corinthians 11:14-15, the Apostle Paul warned against deception in all forms and even says that Satan will present himself as an “angel of light” when discussing false prophets who lead followers to their destruction.

“Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.”

As the descent into corruption continues, Edwards and Vickers are intrinsically woven together in season two. The actors said their chemistry happened mostly because of the proximity of filming for so long together.

Unlike most series, Edwards pointed out their story was shot in chronological order, deepening the intrigue and revealing mystery.

“We had a very focused two months in the Forge,” he said. “And we both were so excited to do the story and be involved in this story, because it’s the story that people were dying to see done, because it’s never been done before. And it’s one that we both cared very much about.”

Vickers said he initially questioned the intrigue of the two actors dialoguing most the time, especially while other characters are shooting arrows, wielding swords and fighting on the frontlines for the sake of Middle Earth. In the middle of war, however, it really comes down to two men and one of them fighting for his soul.

“We were in the same room for the whole season,” Vickers said. “We always chatted about how this going to be very boring because it’s just two just chatting for most of the show. But it’s really exciting to watch. It’s still high fantasy. You get this microcosm of this world, which is like a psychological thriller.”

While Celebrimbor and Sauron’s journeys will continue to expand and evolve, Halbrand’s change to Sauron is the most pronounced. Alternating between two sides of the same person, the actor worked with a dialect coach and focused on similarities and differences between them. The transformation into the epic villain of the entire “The Lord of the Rings” series, keeping audiences guessing as to who it was going to be was a critical point in the “Rings of Power.” Once revealed, it was a big relief for Vickers, who had been keeping it a big secret for a long time.

“I’ve had so much in my head for five years about Sauron, going through letters and going through everything, everything I possibly could to learn about his character and what Tolkien intended for him to be,” he said. “And it’s all been in here (points to his head). So now to finally be able to actually talk about it to people, just nonstop, it’s a really nice feeling.”

“The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” is currently airing on Prime Video.

DEWAYNE HAMBY is a communications specialist and longtime journalist covering faith-based music, entertainment, books, and the retail industry. He is the author of the book Gratitude Adjustment. Connect with him at www.dewaynehamby.com or on twitter – @dewaynehamby.