The Rings Of Power Season 2 Finale Confirms The Stranger’s Real Identity – TheShockNews

Halt, buddy! Earlier than you enter, be warned that this text has some main spoilers for the “Rings of Energy” Season 2 finale.

Properly, after a two-year wait, “The Rings of Energy” Season 2 is totally right here. The finale aired on Thursday, October 3, and in its fading moments, we acquired one of many greatest reveals of all the present up to now: who the gosh darn Stranger is. People, right here it’s: The Wizard is Gandalf.

That’s proper. Because the episode ends, The Stranger (Daniel Weyman) is thanked by the survivors of the devastated and displaced Stoor group for safeguarding lots of them from the antagonistic antics of Ciarán Hinds’ Darkish Wizard (extra on him in a bit). Within the scene, multiple of them refers to him as a “grand Elf,” a time period they coined earlier within the season. When the Stranger returns to Tom Bombadil’s (Rory Kinnear) house, J.R.R. Tolkien’s enigmatic otherworldly character coaxes the Istar’s identify out of him, resulting in a scene the place we shut in on the Wizard’s face as he formally places collectively the 2 phrases “grand Elf” into “Gandalf.”

There it’s. Whereas many individuals have been hoping the unnamed Wizard would turn into one in all Tolkien’s mysterious Blue Wizards, in the long run, showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay opted to go along with the face that each one Center-earth followers are conversant in. TheShockNews known as it method again in Could once we mentioned that Bombadil’s presence solved Season 1’s huge thriller — the Stranger needed to be Gandalf. Lower than half a yr later, the finale has put the Istar’s id past all doubt. This man is Gandalf. Let’s break down what which means.

While you step again and have a look at the gathering of proof, it seems that there are fairly a number of factors the place the present hinted that Weyman’s Wizard would find yourself being Gandalf. These began method again in Season 1 when he arrived in Center-earth alone. The Blue Wizards are normally referenced collectively. Within the Season 1 finale, The Stranger dropped one other main trace to his id when he instructed Nori, “When unsure, Elanor Brandyfoot, all the time observe your nostril.”

Season 2 didn’t wait lengthy earlier than including grist to the rumor mill. In episode 4, the Stoor chief Gundabel (Tanya Moodie) initially coined the “grand Elf” identify. In that episode, Bombadil additionally tells him, “Nice deeds are left to the palms they have been positioned in,” which is a Rings of Power Easter egg that harkens immediately again to one thing Gandalf says to Frodo in “The Lord of the Rings.”

When Nori (Markella Kavenagh) and Poppy (Megan Richards) assist the Wizard search for a employees at a separate level within the season, additionally they check with it as a “gand.” Even the easy proven fact that this man is hobnobbing with Halflings is a Gandalf transfer. In “The Fellowship of the Ring,” Gandalf (Ian McKellen) explains to Frodo (Elijah Wooden), “Among the many Clever, I’m the one one which goes in for hobbit-lore: an obscure department of data however filled with surprises.” 

All over the place you look, the hints are there. Truthfully, it had gotten to the purpose the place if he hadn’t been Gandalf, it could have been fairly awkward explaining why this random Wizard had so many similarities to a Gray Wizard half a world away.

The Stranger doesn’t simply reveal his identify within the Season 2 finale. He additionally confronts the Darkish Wizard and, within the course of, comes into his personal as a magic wielder. He stops a cascade of boulders singlehandedly and saves his proto-Hobbit buddies. Actually, although, his journey has simply begun — and his heartwarming goodbye to Nori is the start of that journey.

“We’re very totally different creatures, Nori, when all mentioned and performed,” he tells her, and whereas she retorts that they aren’t that totally different, in actuality, the reality is, effectively, they’re. Nori probably has some function to play in the remainder of the story, however Gandalf’s goes to solely get larger as time goes on. We all know from “The Lord of the Rings” that he’s the one Istar sturdy sufficient to struggle Sauron — and even then, he doesn’t achieve this via direct confrontation. As a substitute, his function might be to remain true to his mission, befriend all the Free Peoples of Center-earth, and assist coordinate the Battle of the Ring and Frodo’s quest hundreds of years later.

For now, although, Gandalf is operating wild in an tailored story with no clear path ahead. Within the supply materials, the Wizard doesn’t even present up till a thousand years into the Third Age. He additionally says throughout “The Lord of the Rings” that he doesn’t go into the East, and but that’s the place the present has him.

It’s doable to clarify these away. Perhaps he doesn’t go to the area of Rhûn later in Center-earth historical past as a result of he had a foul expertise prior to now or his job there may be already full. So far as timing goes, it’s additionally value mentioning that “The Rings of Energy” showrunners and writers haven’t been afraid to alter the Tolkien timeline. They’ve rearranged occasions, condensed tales, and pulled characters ahead to combine them into issues that passed off earlier in J.R.R. Tolkien’s writings. That mentioned, possibly we’re simply going to have Gandalf concerned within the Second Age no matter what the writer initially meant — however we’re hoping there’s nonetheless at the least some rationalization for the shift when Season 3 rolls round.

No matter how “The Rings of Energy” chooses to combine Gandalf into the Second Age, one factor is obvious: he doesn’t have one enemy however two. Sauron is the massive cheese, however he’s half a world away, duping Elves into forging Rings of Energy. Proper now, Gandalf’s greatest menace is the fearsome rogue Istar that he briefly confronted on the finish of Season 2. Within the finale, he stops the Darkish Wizard’s oblique assault on his buddies, however the two don’t really come to blows. That’s clearly being saved for a later date. The query is, who is that this Darkish Wizard within the first place?

Once more, Gandalf isn’t on this a part of the supply materials, so we will’t simply observe the books. Nonetheless, it’s value noting that J.R.R. Tolkien did write a model of the story the place his Blue Wizards break dangerous like Saruman and find yourself main secret cults within the East. Does that imply the Darkish Wizard is a Blue Wizard? Probably.

That mentioned, bear in mind, the Two Blues are normally seen collectively, and we’ve solely seen one Wizard to this point to oppose Gandalf. The guide “Unfinished Tales” does add the necessary element that “[The Blue Wizards] handed into the East with Curunír, however they by no means returned.” Who’s Curunír, you ask? Why, that’s Saruman. Yep. he goes into the East at one level with the Blue Wizards, though he comes again alone. So, in concept, the Darkish Wizard may very well be Saruman or a Blue Wizard. The guide additionally says that the variety of Istar in Center-earth is technically unknown, though there are 5 most important Wizards. In concept, the Darkish Wizard may very well be one other Wizard. If we needed to put cash on it, although, we’d go along with a Blue Wizard or Saruman.

The primary storyline for “The Rings of Energy” is fairly simple at this level. Sauron has cast the Rings of Energy and can quickly be creating his personal Ring to rule all of them. He’ll assault the Elves and their allies and destroy Númenor. Finally, although, he might be defeated by the armies of the Final Alliance. That is an occasion that we’re all conversant in from the opening scene of Peter Jackson’s trilogy, the place Isildur (Harry Sinclair) cuts the One Ring from Sauron’s hand.

However what concerning the Gandalf storyline? The Wizard is out within the deserts of Rhûn, exterior of his canon storyline and really distant from the individuals who want him most. What occurs subsequent in Rhûn is anybody’s guess, however there are a number of apparent instructions issues may go in.

First, there’s Nori. Primarily based on the best way issues are going, we wouldn’t be stunned if she leads the displaced Stoors again to the Harfoots. Heck, possibly they’ll even run into the third group of proto-Hobbits, known as the Fallohides, and the trio will head off and located the Shire collectively. (Sure, that occurs later within the supply materials, however who’s counting at this level?)

So far as the Stranger, issues are huge open. He’ll in all probability duke it out with the Darkish Wizard, and possibly we’ll see extra of Rhûn and the encompassing areas within the course of. That area is chock-full of Human tribes and even some Dwarves in addition. Lots of the tribes of Males are pro-Sauron (a few of them even worship him), and possibly Gandalf will take it upon himself to guide a resistance in opposition to the resurgent Darkish Lord. Then once more, possibly he’ll pack issues up and head again east to assist the Elves. All we all know for certain is that Season 3 can’t get right here quick sufficient.