Very The Lord of the Rings-ian things Ring of PowerThere are elves, dwarves, orcs, and little people similar to the Hobbits. It’s a story of hope, a battle against the darkness, and the ring of power. But if someone could do it right, The Lord of the RingsSeason 2 won’t feature elves preparing for war or Sauron pulling the strings disguised as a beautiful woman, it’ll feature two halflings and their oddball friend on a full-blown adventure through some of the most beautiful scenery you’ll ever see.
That, of course, is the unlikely trio of Stranger (Daniel Wayman), Nori (Markella Cavenagh), and Poppy (Megan Richards), who get caught up in a journey to the eastern lands of Middle-earth in Season 2 of the Amazonian prequel. After learning in the climax of Season 1 that Stranger is actually one of the powerful Istari (wizards sent by the Valar to fight the growing threat of the Dark Lord), Nori ends up accompanying her best friend Poppy on the journey to Rune, as we soon find out in Season 2. But even if their journey feels like the most traditional one, The Lord of the RingsFrom quiet camping moments to walking journeys across vast landscapes, the storylines of the Stranger, Nori, and Poppy this season fall a little closer thematically to the rest of the series. Like the rest of Middle-earth, Rune has new allies and new darkness to deal with.
For the Strangers, at least, that new help will come in the form of Tolkien’s legendary character, Tom Bombadil, a denizen of the Mysterious Forest who Frodo and friends encounter early in the story. The Lord of the RingsHowever, it is well known that the role was significantly cut from the original at this point. Ring of PowerTom will likely play a key role in The Stranger’s search for his true self in the upcoming season.
“There’s a lot of time in season 1 where the Stranger doesn’t really understand how his energy works and how it affects Nori and Poppy and the broader Half-Foot community,” Daniel Weyman recently told io9 during a press conference. Ring of PowerIn season two of What Happens Next, it feels like the Stranger is doing pretty random things and the Harfoot family has to react to this pretty wild character. But with Tom Bombadil, it feels like that’s been reversed. All of a sudden, for the first time, the Stranger is interacting with someone who’s one step ahead of him, doing random things. he do not understand.”
“He’s really trying to catch up. [to Tom]trying to track him down… So I think that’s a pretty fun place to see The Stranger. We haven’t seen him in that Zone before, and it should be pretty interesting to see how he deals with all kinds of mysteries.”
Not only will strangers find new friends, but far from the Halftots, Nori and Poppy will encounter some familiar faces as they explore, meeting distant relatives called House Stoll. One of three ancestors of the Hobbits we know and love, House Stoll and their settled culture will provide some fascinating avenues of exploration for the young Halflings.
“For Poppy, just seeing that as a possibility, as a way of life, is fascinating,” Richards said of the Stoore family’s introduction in Season 2. “Obviously they have their differences, but they definitely have commonalities and that’s what makes them intriguing – mainly because we see that they’re not mobile. [for her]she said, “Wow, you placeFor Poppy, it’s a constant search. That’s her journey this season, finding a place and a presence that represents her sense of belonging.”
“For Nori, this also signals the possibility that one day the Harfoot family will, hopefully, have that same sense of place,” Cavenagh added. “It opens her eyes to what her purpose is beyond just helping the Stranger.”
They all need the help they can get in this faraway land. Rune, in particular, Ring of PowerThe new and most mysterious threat in The Hunger Games comes in the form of the Dark Wizard, played by Ciarán Hinds, and certainly, it seems like no storyline this season can escape this growing darkness.
Ring of Power It will return to Amazon Prime Video later this week on August 29th.
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