We have waited a long time for our ships to return to the Gray Havens, but now we have reached Middle-Earth. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is here to bring back that sense of awe experienced while viewing a wide variety of unique people and unusual beings that could only be produced by J.R.R. Tolkien’s Legendarium. And straight away, at the conclusion of the first episode, the season’s first (and possibly biggest) mystery is revealed: who is the man who is trapped within the meteor that fell from the sky?
Let’s refer to this person as The Stranger (Daniel Weyman) for the sake of clarity since that is the name under which he has been referred to thus far. Even though he didn’t play a major role in the promotion for The Rings of Power, any glimpse that was ever given of him at the time sparked a tonne of rumours in the deepest corners of the internet. We are beginning to understand him a little better now that we know a little bit more about him, but we still don’t have a clear answer.
We only know a few things, like the fact that he was carried away by a meteor and obviously possesses magical skills. The ever-curious Harfoot Nori (Markella Kavenagh) was able to approach him safely because the fire started by the fall wasn’t hot to the touch. The next day, when Nori and her companion Poppy (Megan Richards) concealed him in a secure location away from the Harfoot camp, he awoke after spending the majority of the previous night unconscious. He opened his eyes, still very feeble, and ate the snails Nori had brought him, shell and all, while saying “mana” and “ur.” When Poppy shows up unexpectedly, he raises his voice to a supernatural pitch and manipulates the weather and light in the process.
There are currently two main theories as to who and where The Stranger may be from, and these first episodes do a superb job of piqueing audience interest in both of them without delaying any major spoilers. The first and most well-known theory is that he is none other than Gandalf, the Gray Wizard of the Istari. The second, more sinister theory holds that he is actually the Dark Lord Sauron, the main antagonist of the entire production. However, let’s examine the facts first before making any judgments.
Everyone adores Gandalf, and anyone who disagrees is simply mistaken. But even if The Stranger is Gandalf, he still has a long way to go before becoming the beloved character we all know and love. J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay would have to take some artistic licence in order for this to be a possibility, and we all know how protective the Tolkien Estate is of its assets. But it shouldn’t be too much of an issue for the sake of storytelling. The first of these creative licences is to alter Gandalf’s arrival in Middle-earth.
The Blue Wizards had already arrived before he and two other Istari, Saruman (Christopher Lee) and Radagast (Tom Baker), arrived. His abilities provide as proof for this theory. The powers used by Ian McKellen’s Gandalf in the Peter Jackson trilogy are mostly shared by The Stranger. It’s possible that Nori’s generosity to The Stranger was the beginning of their lovely friendship (and Gandalf always did have a preference for the most adventurous Hobbits, of which Nori must clearly be an ancestor, because come on). Additionally, stars are frequently considered to be good omen in the Tolkien Legendarium, because what else is a meteor if not a fallen star? None of it excludes the potential that The Stranger is also an Istari or an Istari-related being that we are currently unaware of. Being such a revered figure, it would be a huge loss if Gandalf was never featured in another Lord of the Rings production.
Now let’s talk about You-Know-Who, er, Sauron. The Stranger has always been shown as a plain man who primarily wears a cloak and only ever holds an apple in his hand in the advertising campaigns for The Rings of Power. Apples are gifts that typically have consequences (thanks, Adam and Eve), and that would suit the bill for Annatar, the name acquired by Sauron in his fair form. Tolkien aficionados are typically familiar with Christian symbolism. In the Second Age, Sauron attempts to rule the inhabitants of Middle-Earth by creating the Rings of Power before going to battle with them. Even though Sauron was a skilled artisan, he wasn’t nearly very attractive.
Even though Sauron is an excellent craftsman, he wasn’t all that hot himself at the time the event was at. He sought out the Elves for advice and knowledge. He first tries to become friends with Gil-Galad (Benjamin Walker) while posing as Annatar, which means “lord of presents,” but the Noldor High King promptly dismisses him. He then travels to Eregion, where he is welcomed in Celebrimbor’s forges with far greater warmth (Charles Edwards). They would work together to forge the Rings of Power there, with the elven blacksmith being unaware of who he was actually forging the rings with.
Well, that’s all right, but what does that have to do with the Harfoots (or Harfeet)? With a lot of time and patience, Sauron is renowned for corrupting everything he touches and making beautiful things terrible. Naturally, he also possesses strong magical skills, thus this idea would also make sense in terms of The Stranger’s presentations. Additionally, there are hints of Sauron’s theme in Bear McCreary’s score at both the time he is discovered by Nori and when he raises his voice afterwards. The apple is crucial, though. He realises the logic of exchange among Middle-earth beings when Nori hands him an apple (in a scene seen only in trailers so far). Even though apples are among nature’s most basic fruits,
Read More: The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power Trailer
