Rings of Energy’s greatest ending and season 2 questions, answered

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. Nevertheless it was nonetheless table-setting — the Lord of the Rings we all know continues 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 due to The Rings of Energy author Gennifer Hutchison, we already know just a little about the place Sauron, Galadriel, and the Stranger are headed.

Is the Stranger truly Gandalf?

Because the Stranger (Daniel Weyman) confirmed up his id 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 determine he’s not Sauron, and as an alternative 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 actually 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 kind of grey and later white wizard. And now that he can communicate in full sentences he’s actually sounding extra like Gandalf, even cribbing from a variety 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 desirous to get off the harfoot path, decides to go along with him whereas Poppy stays behind.

In Rhûn they’ll be capable of 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 in search of all season about his id, powers, and what he ought to truly do on this world.

What occurs in Númenor now that the king is lifeless?

With out entering 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 dwelling 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 concern of outsiders/elves.

What’s 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 like no matter occurs to Eärien in that room might 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 devoted to the elves, Hutchison mentioned by way of Zoom, she’s the member of the household who represents the extra isolationist Númenórean standpoint. “She’s been left behind,” mentioned Hutchison, “and introducing her into that very intimate house with the king allowed for us to trace at how there could be some battle, which we’ve been constructing a lot in Númenor — and to make it extra intimate, with characters which can be straight a part of the story.”

Is Isildur lifeless?

Photograph: Prime Video

Pay attention: No. He very a lot exhibits up later within the canon in an enormous manner. 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 bought his remaining 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 provide of energy, Galadriel doesn’t divulge to anybody what she is aware of, primarily following the steering 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 trying like a goober at having palled round along with her sworn enemy for all this time, it’s not an incredible look. Although it actually units up some stress 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 operating round attempting to extra straight assist Celebrimbor and Gil-galad work out methods to save the elves, harness the facility of mithril, and customarily do good on the earth. The query that is still 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.

“After they come again collectively [in this episode] it’s such a such an enormous 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 pal’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’ll 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 an enormous ask of him. We actually did need to have that. ‘That is the true check; you mentioned you’ll belief me.’ We actually wished to guarantee that got here by means of.”

What occurs to Durin IV and his dwarven succession?

One thing everyone knows is that dwarves rule and there needs to be extra of them on the earth. Durin’s plot to (perhaps) overthrow his dad, King Durin III, so he might hold mining for mithril. Positive, there’s a balrog within the combine there too, however I care extra about watching dwarves rip and customarily carry the occasion.