The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Energy wrapped up its first season with seismic shifts and room for enlargement. The billion-dollar present, which has already been greenlit for 5 seasons, discovered room for explosive moments and almost-shocking revelations, and even a reworked map of Center-earth. But it surely was nonetheless table-setting — the Lord of the Rings we all know remains to be far down the timeline.
With the primary season finale launched to the world, listed below are the key questions on what precisely occurs subsequent in season 2 and past. And because of The Rings of Energy author Gennifer Hutchison, we already know a little bit about the place Sauron, Galadriel, and the Stranger are headed.
Is the Stranger truly Gandalf?
Because the Stranger (Daniel Weyman) confirmed up his identification has been a thriller, spurred on by the solid and crew of Rings of Energy making reference to him as a “acquainted” character to followers.
After eight episodes the reply appears to be… perhaps. Although the finale offers some compelling proof: The White Robes resolve he’s not Sauron, and as a substitute name him “Istar,” which Tolkien followers will acknowledge as a singular type of Istari, the elven phrase for the wizards of Center-earth. He turns them into swarms of moths — a transfer definitely related to the Gandalf of the Peter Jackson motion pictures. He picks up a employees to do that magic (or no matter we’re calling it), which appears to evoke a sure sort of grey and later white wizard. And now that he can converse in full sentences he’s definitely sounding extra like Gandalf, even cribbing from a number of stuff Gandalf mentioned within the Jackson motion pictures.
The place are the Stranger and Nori headed?
Photograph: Ben Rothstein/Prime Video
After confronting the White Robes, with the Stranger deciding that he’s completely not Sauron, he decides it’s time to go east to Rhûn to find extra about himself. Nori, ever desperate to get off the harfoot path, decides to go along with him whereas Poppy stays behind.
In Rhûn they’ll have the ability to see the constellation the Stranger has been chasing all season, which is known as “The Hermit’s Hat,” and hopefully get the solutions the Stranger’s been looking for all season about his identification, powers, and what he ought to truly do on this world.
What occurs in Númenor now that the king is lifeless?
With out stepping into spoilers about what occurs to the Númenóreans canonically, suffice it to say the island nation is in a tough place. Queen Míriel and Elendil have returned house to enlist the nation in a combat in opposition to the orcs residing within the newly created Mordor (not that anybody can name it that), to search out that the king has died. Pharazôn is continuous to rally the residents on a extra conservative way forward for Númenor and worry of outsiders/elves.
What is going to Eärien do with the palantir?
Earlier than Númenor’s king dies, he lets Eärien into the key passage with the palantír. Whereas we don’t see what occurs after — whether or not she makes it to the room or touches the crystal ball — however contemplating what Míriel has seen with the palantír, it looks as if no matter occurs to Eärien in that room may have penalties for Númenor. And after we spoke to Rings of Energy author Gennifer Hutchison, she agreed utterly.
Whereas Eärien’s father, Elendil, is aligned with these trustworthy to the elves, Hutchison mentioned through Zoom, she’s the member of the household who represents the extra isolationist Númenórean viewpoint. “She’s been left behind,” mentioned Hutchison, “and introducing her into that very intimate area with the king allowed for us to trace at how there is perhaps some battle, which we’ve been constructing a lot in Númenor — and to make it extra intimate, with characters which might be straight a part of the story.”
Is Isildur lifeless?
Photograph: Prime Video
Pay attention: No. He very a lot reveals up later within the canon in a giant means. However for now, nobody within the present is aware of that apart from his horse. Godspeed, horse!
What does Galadriel do with the data that Halbrand is Sauron?
Halbrand obtained his closing little bit of manipulation within the eighth episode of The Rings of Energy as he satisfied Celebrimbor to make some rings (perhaps even of energy), and it was proper about this time that Galadriel lastly realized what many have theorized and identified for weeks: Halbrand is Sauron.
Although she rejects him and his supply of energy, Galadriel doesn’t divulge to anybody what she is aware of, basically following the steerage laid out by the Finrod in her imaginative and prescient (slash the Finrod that Sauron put in her imaginative and prescient) to do nothing to cease Sauron’s plan. So with Halbrand/Sauron’s ring plan transferring ahead (with the essential — perhaps? — addition of a 3rd ring) and Galadriel wanting like a goober at having palled round along with her sworn enemy for all this time, it’s not an awesome look. Although it definitely units up some rigidity for season 2, particularly since…
What does Elrond do now that he is aware of Sauron is Halbrand?
Photograph: Ben Rothstein/Prime Video
Although Galadriel doesn’t share her information, Elrond is suspicious and wanders out to search out the family tree scroll that leads him to determine that Halbrand is Sauron. Sadly, he finds this information too late, arriving again on the workshop simply because the elven rings (the rings of energy) are being accomplished.
Elrond has spent a lot of this season working round attempting to extra straight assist Celebrimbor and Gil-galad determine the best way to save the elves, harness the ability of mithril, and customarily do good on this planet. The query that continues to be is: Will Elrond hold his promise to belief Galadriel and never reveal what he is aware of?
Hutchison mentioned that the problem of Galadriel and Elrond’s friendship was framing a powerful connection, even when the characters shared so little display screen time.
“Once they come again collectively [in this episode] it’s such a such a giant second for them —he despatched her away, and now she’s again. He’s between his guilt, ‘I ought to have trusted you,’ and he’s additionally simply so joyful to see her. It’s been a tough time, now your buddy’s again. We tried to actually make investments that in that scene with the 2 of them, speaking collectively about what’s occurred. Fortunately, these actors are so fantastic and unimaginable that I really feel like they will actually play these subtleties.”
That dilemma was among the many essential pillars of the episode. “I feel it’s fairly clear on the finish that there’s a little bit of battle in that second,” Hutchison mentioned. “She’s made a giant ask of him. We actually did need to have that. ‘That is the true check; you mentioned you’ll belief me.’ We actually needed to ensure that got here by way of.”
What occurs to Durin IV and his dwarven succession?
One thing everyone knows is that dwarves rule and there must be extra of them on this planet. Durin’s plot to (perhaps) overthrow his dad, King Durin III, so he may hold mining for mithril. Positive, there’s a balrog within the combine there too, however I care extra about watching dwarves rip and customarily deliver the social gathering.
