Rings of Power Season 2’s Smallest Heroes Tease Eastern Adventures

There’s a batch of very Lord of the Rings-ian things in The Rings of Power. There’s elves, dwarves, orcs, and hobbit-adjacent smallfolk. There’s tales of hope, rising acheronian to beryllium fought, and, well, rings of power. But if anyone’s doing immoderate due Lord of the Rings-ing successful play two, it’s not the elves preparing for war oregon adjacent Sauron pulling the strings successful his just disguise: it’s 2 halflings and their unusual friend, moving astir the astir beauteous vistas you’ve ever seen and conscionable having a due adventure.

That is, of course, the improbable trifecta of the Stranger (Daniel Weyman), Nori (Markella Kavenagh), and Poppy (Megan Richards), who each find themselves swept up to a travel into Middle-earth’s eastbound lands coming into play 2 of the Amazon prequel. Having learned that the Stranger is successful information 1 of the almighty Istari—magical agents sent by the Valar themselves to combat the increasing menace of the Dark Lord—at the climax of play one, Nori finds herself tagging on arsenic helium journeys to Rhûn alongside, arsenic we larn rapidly into play two, her champion person Poppy. But adjacent if their travel is that 1 that feels astir traditionally Lord of the Rings, from quiescent camping moments to treks crossed sweeping landscapes, this play the Stranger, Nori, and Poppy’s storylines volition intersect a small person thematically to the remainder of the series. For successful Rhûn, conscionable similar anyplace other successful Middle-earth, determination are caller allies to beryllium found… and caller acheronian to woody with.

For the Stranger astatine least, that newfound assistance volition travel successful the signifier of a legendary fig from Tolkien’s writing: Tom Bombadil, the mysterious forest-dweller encountered by Frodo and his friends aboriginal into The Lord of the Rings, but famously up to this constituent mostly chopped from adaptations of the books. Played by Rory Kinnear in Rings of Power, Tom volition beryllium captious to the Stranger’s exploration of his existent aforesaid successful the coming season.

“In play one, there’s a batch of clip erstwhile the Stranger doesn’t truly recognize however his vigor is working, and truthful however it affects Nori and Poppy, and the wider Harfoot community,” Daniel Weyman precocious told io9 during a property junket for Rings of Power‘s 2nd season. “It feels similar the Stranger is doing these reasonably random things, and that the Harfoots are having to respond to this alternatively chaotic character. But with Tom Bombadil, it feels similar it’s been flipped. Suddenly the Stranger, for the archetypal time, is interacting with a being that’s steps up of him, and doing random things he doesn’t understand.”

“He’s truly trying to drawback up [to Tom], trying to travel him… and truthful that’s rather a amusive spot to spot the Stranger, I think. We haven’t seen him successful that portion before, and it should beryllium rather a bully ticker seeing however helium copes with each the benignant of enigma.”

It’s not conscionable the Stranger uncovering caller friends though: Nori and Poppy, distantly separated from their Harfoot family, volition some get to research acquainted faces erstwhile they travel crossed immoderate distant cousins successful the signifier of the Stoors. One of 3 predecessors to the Hobbits we cognize and love, the Stoors and their settled civilization volition supply an absorbing avenue of exploration for the young halflings.

“It’s mesmerizing for Poppy to adjacent spot that arsenic a possibility, arsenic a mode of living,” Richards said of the Stoors’ quality successful play two. “Obviously they person their ain differences, but there’s decidedly similarities determination which causes their intrigue. To spot that they aren’t migratory is the main happening [for her], that she’s similar ‘wow, you person a place, a belonging’—which, for Poppy, is thing she’s perpetually looking for. That is her travel passim this season, uncovering her places and her beings that correspond that belonging for her.”

“For Nori, it’s besides an denotation that it’s a anticipation for the Harfoots to 1 day, hopefully, person that aforesaid consciousness of place,” Kavenagh added. “It truly benignant of opens her eyes to what her intent mightiness beryllium extracurricular of her helping the Stranger.”

They’ll each request the assistance they tin get successful this far-flung land, particularly arsenic we’ve since learned that Rhûn is location to 1 of Rings of Power‘s caller and astir mysterious threats successful the signifier of Ciarán Hinds’ Dark Wizard. Indeed, it seems that nary storyline this play volition beryllium capable to flight the rising darkness.

Rings of Power returns to Amazon Prime Video aboriginal this week, connected August 29.

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