One trump card against evil is making its way across the desert terrain of Rhûn. This is the partnership between the Stranger and Nori. They’re trying to unlock the Stranger’s destiny and what could be the full-blown power of the Istar (a wizard). Unfortunately, as their journey continues, an immense tragedy unfolds that could break the Stranger in a big way.
Rings of Power Season 2 Brings Poppy Back to Nori and the Stranger
The Rumored Gandalf Gets His Fellowship Back
Nori ended Season 1 of Rings of Power by leaving the Harfoots. She wanted them to find a haven, which fans would come to know as the Shire years later. Meanwhile, she felt she had a higher calling in helping the Stranger — a man who has barely regained his memory since falling to Earth. Nori left her best friend, Poppy, behind, but the latter sneaks around and catches back up with the duo this season.
Poppy just can’t leave her “sister” to make the trek alone, which makes them the Sam and Frodo of their era. They’re undertaking a big task with the person many assume to be a younger Gandalf. While that’s yet to be confirmed, there is wizard magic at play. The Stranger uses his powers to conjure up some food from nature. While he gets nourishment, he admits he is scared. He can’t control his powers, which he knows will endanger his allies.
As the team becomes parched and hungry, he passes out. The girls decide to drag him to a well, but when they pull up water, the bucket is latched to a bell. It rings out loud to let people know intruders are around. There are also predators who have been looking at this fellowship as prey. The tracking process has been made easier with this audible beacon.
Rings of Power Season 2 Separates the Stranger and His Friends
The Stranger’s Powers Go on the Fritz and Sends The Harfoots Away
When the bell is rung, hunters arrive on the scene. They have been stalking the group for some time as part of a bounty. These masked figures want to take the Stranger to Ciarán Hinds’ Dark Wizard. Once the handover is complete, they think the villain will cure them of some mysterious ailment. The affliction is making them as ruthless and desperate as possible. In the melee, the Stranger uses a makeshift staff to generate a sandstorm he hopes will blow the villains away. While he does so, he also loses control and sees the girls get caught up in the swirling vortex. This dusty tornado takes them in and sends them away.It’s a very jarring sequence of events that gives Rings of Power Season 2, Episode 2 a more tragic edge. The Stranger has found Tom Bombadil and wants to hone his magic. He can tell Tom has the knowledge to help. However, the Stranger’s confidence is low. He’s uncertain if he can find the girls again, or if he does, how capable he’ll be in defending them. Being this vulnerable comes at the worst time. The Dark Wizard has the Dweller and other “white wings” out there. They have supernatural powers, too. Therefore, the Stranger will face constant trouble. The hunters are normal men who don’t mind using the girls as hostages and bartering tools.
Tom warned him of these threats and the rising difficulty level. The Dark Wizard’s mystical acolytes have tools that the Stranger might not be ready to handle yet. It carves out a very unpredictable picture. Once the Stranger finds Nori and Poppy, he’ll also have to deal with the guilt of knowing what he dragged them into. It’s a very debilitating situation in terms of his destiny and effectiveness on this journey of self-discovery. At the end of the day, the Lord of the Rings movies and books have always been about the consequences of one’s actions. It has viewers tentative of what’s due to transpire.
Rings of Power Season 2 Is Exposing the Stranger’s Weakness
The Dark Wizard’s Hunters Are Seeing the Stranger’s Kindness as an Opening
The enemy knows the Stranger’s weakness: He has compassion and love for these Harfoots. It could result in the mystical agents or the hunters going after Nori and Poppy’s tribe, as well as the new clan they meet: the Stoors (another Harfoot species). If there are casualties, that would certainly crush the Stranger’s soul in Rings of Power Season 2.
Should he turn out to be Gandalf, it would explain his affinity and deep bond with the Harfoots and the Hobbit descendants to come down the line like Bilbo and Frodo. The Harfoots may well have bled, sacrificed and died for the Stranger in these harrowing times. While the collateral damage would feel bleak, it would honor what this series is: a show about war and bloodshed. No matter how one spins it, lives will be lost, people will be used as pawns, and extreme measures will be taken to achieve victory.
The Dark Wizard senses the Stranger’s potential, so he has no problem greenlighting his minions to go as hard as possible, and as dark as possible. The Stranger may soon learn that he is a curse, and not the blessing he assumed he was. With Tom at his side, he is poised to learn that being an Istar has a price to pay. Whatever this Stranger’s role, and whoever he is, the operatives loyal to Morgoth’s teachings won’t stop trying to break him. He is an obstacle to them and the darkness they all want to seed out. They are jostling for power and wouldn’t like an Istar trying to dictate who gets to rule the realm.
Moving forward, the Stranger will have a huge target on his back. Any Harfoot with him will have a similar bullseye. They are innocent, selfless people he won’t want hurt. As it stands, he will need to gain his bearings and figure out how his powers work. Tom knows this, too. It leaves the Stranger with a heavy burden: if he doesn’t unlock his magical firepower, he won’t be able to protect anyone, whether it be the Harfoots, Stoors or himself. It places pressure on him, but he has the heart, soul, grit and motivation to level up. He is slowly learning not to let tragedy define him or hinder his higher calling on this mortal plane.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 debuts new episodes Thursdays on Prime Video.
News
“Already better than Star Wars Outlaws”: Black Myth Wukong Brings the Most Loved Villian From Star Wars Franchise in Its Latest Mod
Star Wars Outlaws is getting one-upped by Black Myth Wukong in the best way possible. Star Wars Outlaws has just been released for various gaming consoles and the reception could have been better. The gaming community had high hopes for this…
13 Reasons Why Star Wars Outlaws Is a Must-Play for Star Wars Fans
As the first proper open-world game set in the galaxy far, far away, Star Wars Outlaws is a treat for fans of George Lucas’ space opera. Star Wars Outlaws is filled with characters, experiences, and details we know and love from…
“It’s so f*****g bad”: Star Wars Outlaws’ AI Would Be Laughable 10 Years Ago, Let Alone in 2024
The gaming community is baffled by the ridiculous AI in Star Wars Outlaws and wonder if it is living up to the standard of a triple-A title. Star Wars Outlaws is an upcoming open-world game set within a galaxy far, far…
“Refund that s**t”: Things Seemingly Going From Bad To Worse For Star Wars Outlaws As a New Patch Is Deleting Game Saves On PS5
Star Wars Outlaws has yet another problem and it isn’t even technically out yet. Ubisoft’s latest release, Star Wars Outlaws, is facing backlash from players who are being forced to restart their game due to a problematic new patch. Despite the…
“Ubisoft is really giving the middle finger”: Star Wars Outlaws Angers Every Struggling Fan With Latest News
Star Wars Outlaws Early Access period was not as exciting and rewarding as players had hoped, all thanks to the day-one patch. Ubisoft’s new title, Star Wars Outlaws is one of the most anticipated-game releases this year. The game is currently available…
Is Star Wars Outlaws Responsible? Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot Seemingly in Big Trouble as Stock Price Plummets, Shareholders Demand Action
One of the Ubisoft investors has published an open letter demanding change for Ubisoft’s management after the failure of Star Wars Outlaws. Massive Entertainment’s Star Wars Outlaws, the first open-world Star Wars video game, debuted on August 27th. The game was…
End of content
No more pages to load