The Rings of Power bosses figured out the Stranger’s identity as they went

The Rings of Power bosses figured out the Stranger's identity as they went

Beware SPOILERS for The Rings of Power season 2 finale below!

As a long-time devotee of Middle-earth and a scholar who has spent countless hours poring over the intricate details of Tolkien’s works, I find myself both enchanted and exasperated by the recent adaptations of The Lord of the Rings on Amazon Prime. While I appreciate the effort to bring this beloved world to life in a fresh and exciting way, it seems that the showrunners have taken a rather liberal approach to the source material.

The second installment of Amazon’s “The Lord of the Rings” prequel series, titled “The Rings of Power,” has come to an end. If the showrunners, Patrick McKay and J. D. Payne, aim to complete their five-season plan, there are three more seasons remaining. McKay shared with The Los Angeles Times that they were fortunate to secure the job because they pitched it as a long, serialized narrative spanning 50 hours, which resembles a single movie. While adjustments may arise during production and they don’t want to be rigidly bound to a plan that overlooks something better, they are adhering to their original plan. They have a predetermined destination, arc, and journey for the story that will hopefully surprise us by connecting to future tales in an unpredictable manner.

Essentially, McKay is expressing that while they have an overall plan for the series, there’s a certain degree of adaptability in it. He mentioned that even the identity of a key character, the enigmatic wizard known as the Stranger (Daniel Weyman), wasn’t decided until the end of the first season. McKay added that both the character and the writers were on a path of exploration, discovering the Stranger’s origins and his role. In other words, they wanted to portray the story of a wizard finding his identity and purpose.

In the final episode of Season 2, it is revealed that the mysterious figure known as The Stranger is none other than Gandalf, a renowned character from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series, which takes place millennia after the storyline of The Rings of Power. By the conclusion of Season 1, creators McKay and Payne had decided on this narrative direction, subtly hinting at it through details such as The Stranger delivering Gandalf’s signature line, “If you’re uncertain, always trust your nose.

At that stage, they asked me to record approximately five distinct passages, some of which were intended for Gandalf and some that had never been spoken before, according to Weyman. He recalled feeling the significance of these lines. As we discussed them, the thought emerged that perhaps a line originally assigned to Gandalf could have been uttered by an unnamed wizard during the Second Age instead. Over time, this concept evolved into what is now considered a ‘wizard thing.’ At that point, the character didn’t yet have a name, which was irrelevant to me.

The whole first season was about keeping the audience in the dark about whether he was going to be good or whether he was going to be evil. And the whole of Season 2, I didn’t feel too bothered about the buzz around his name because I was just playing these really precise scenes. To suddenly be given this information was a real pinch-me moment as a 47-year-old thinking back to my childhood dreams of being a wizard.

The Rings of Power bosses figured out the Stranger's identity as they went

“There’s no such thing really as canon in Tolkien,” says professor hired to defend The Rings of Power

It seems contradictory to claim both that a series had an overall plan from the start and that the creators didn’t know the identity of the main character. While it’s understandable that not every detail might be set in stone five years prior, having a general outline or direction for the show should have been established, wouldn’t you agree?

It appears quite evident after two seasons that “The Rings of Power” is quite liberal with the original works of J.R.R. Tolkien, as demonstrated by its portrayal. For example, this series depicts incidents from Middle-earth’s Second Age, which, according to Tolkien, spans over millennia. However, in “The Rings of Power,” these events appear to have been condensed into what seems like just a few months.

I don’t mind that the series strays from the original storyline so much, as long as it’s engaging – and I’ve found this show generally enjoyable. However, it’s become rather irritating when the producers keep claiming they’re adhering to the books. Frankly, it seems rather absurd to insist on that connection at this stage.

In simpler terms, McKay’s statement means that in their show, they find gaps or missing pieces in the story (mythology) and try to fill them with additional details. However, his concern is that they are suggesting Gandalf had a completely new identity that Tolkien never even hinted at. This isn’t filling a gap; it’s creating an entirely new narrative. In McKay’s view, this isn’t adapting the original story but rather inventing something new. He doesn’t mind the invention as long as it’s enjoyable, but he finds it odd that they continue to claim they are staying true to the original when they are actually adding significant new elements to the story.

It appears this restriction will persist throughout future seasons. For example, Payne queries why such a ban was imposed, given Tolkien’s assertion that wizards were forbidden to challenge Sauron’s power directly. “Why could this prohibition have been enforced?” he questioned. “If there are five wizards against one, why couldn’t they engage Sauron in a full-blown wizard battle royale? This is a question we’re exploring to understand Gandalf’s journey during the Second Age that could explain this prohibition being upheld in the Third Age.

In “The Silmarillion” and the appendices of “The Lord of the Rings”, it appears that the Valar, or the deities in this world, initially forbade the wizards from directly confronting Sauron when they sent them to Middle-earth during a previous age. However, Payne seems to be suggesting an event in the Second Age that necessitates this restriction being imposed on the wizards during the Third Age, which is the era of “The Lord of the Rings”. This contradicts the text of the book, but Payne finds a dramatic potential in it. I must emphasize that I’m not annoyed at his disregard for the text – such choices were made long ago – but rather at his assertion that the adaptation remains faithful while clearly deviating from it.

One of the wildest examples of this comes from an interview with Tolkien scholar Dr. Corey Olsen that The Rings of Power has posted to its Twitter page. “There’s no such thing really as canon in Tolkien,” Dr. Olsen says. “Tolkien’s ideas were ever evolving.”

He arrives with the intention of instilling optimism across Middle-earth, as explored by the Tolkien Scholar and Varking in their detailed examination of Gandalf’s background within Tolkien’s mythos.
— The Lord of the Rings on Prime (@TheRingsofPower) October 3, 2024

Olsen is discussing the evolution of J.R.R. Tolkien’s ideas regarding the arrival times of Gandalf and other wizards in Middle-earth. Originally, they were said to have arrived during the Third Age, but later in life, Tolkien was contemplating a change to their arrival being during the Second Age. This shift in perspective is indeed accurate; Tolkien’s thoughts on certain aspects did evolve over time. However, to suggest that there’s no real “canon” in Tolkien’s work is absurd. After all, this author dedicated his life to meticulously creating languages, characters, histories, and mythologies – a claim like that would be preposterous.

It appears that Dr. Olsen is defending The Rings of Power series, suggesting that it adheres to Tolkien’s work while making changes, despite the apparent contradictions. For example, in the books, Gandalf says “To the east I go not,” but in season 2 of The Rings of Power, Gandalf does travel to the eastern region of Rhûn. However, according to Olsen, when Gandalf mentions “the east,” he is actually referring to Mordor, and his statement should be interpreted as “I won’t confront the Dark Lord at the gates of Barad-dûr.

In one perspective, Tolkien’s works lack a definitive canon, yet there’s a specific way to interpret that line which aligns with the truth. It appears to me that Olsen is making arguments necessary for “The Rings of Power” to uphold the pretense of staying true to Tolkien’s original work. If we take the phrase “To the east I go not” at face value, Gandalf’s journey to Rhûn becomes illogical. I wish the creators would simply admit, “Gandalf says he won’t go east in the books, but we sent him there anyway because it was entertaining”; such honesty would be appreciated. Instead, they are creating a smokescreen where Tolkien’s writings matter only when they align with the producers’ plans, and in all other cases, they allow for flexibility in interpretation.

Once more, I’m expressing this as someone who found enjoyment in Season 2 of “The Rings of Power,” despite my belief that it may not be a show one should take too seriously due to certain aspects. You can stream both seasons currently on Amazon Prime Video. It’s likely that a third season will be released soon.

2024-10-03 18:42

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