The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 took audiences on an epic journey as Sauron’s (Charlie Vickers) plan took shape. With all but the One Ring forged, the show has set up plenty of danger for the world, and there is no shortage of directions for the story to continue. Though Prime Video has yet to officially renew the series, Season 2 leaves unanswered questions about the fate of the characters and the war they are fighting for Middle-earth. The audience will have plenty of time to wonder how Elendil’s (Lloyd Owen) escape would impact the story or who will be the next King of Khazad-dûm, but before these things became concerns, there were others.

While the more recent installment cleared up, or at least built on, many pressing issues the audience had after Season 1, several outstanding questions went unaddressed. There is a lot going on in The Rings of Power, so much so that the show had to pick and choose which elements to focus on at the expense of others, but after two years of speculating, the lack of clarity on these storylines is frustrating. Hopefully, future seasons will explore these storylines, providing the answers we still lack.

Who Are the Three Mystics?

Image via Amazon Studios

In Season 1, the Stranger (Daniel Weyman), who we now know to be Gandalf, is pursued by three witches dressed in white. They were known as The Nomad (Edith Poor), the Ascetic (Kali Kopae), and the Dweller (Bridie Sisson), and by the Season 1 finale, we learned very little about them. They followed Gandalf, believing him to be Sauron, whom they planned to serve and are capable of strange magic. Season 1 also revealed that these mystics are from Rhûn, motivating Gandalf and Nori (Markella Kavenagh) to travel there in their Season 2 plot. However, there were still many mysteries around them, and Season 2 hardly shows them at all.

Once Gandalf and Nori get to Rhûn, their focus shifts to other mysteries, and understandably so, but the lack of The Nomad, the Ascetic, and the Dweller is disappointing, as they desperately need more explanation. Season 2 revealed one additional thing about them: their connection to the Dark Wizard (Ciarán Hinds). Yet, even that is not explained, as the Dark Wizard takes center stage and uses the Men of Rhûn to do his work rather than the mystics. Season 2 left one of Season 1’s biggest mysteries intact, as fans, yet again, have to wonder about the magical group that serves Sauron.

What Does Theo Being Marked by Sauron Mean?

Another Season 1 storyline that seems to be forgotten is the mark on Theo’s (Tyroe Muhafidin) and what it means. In Season 1, Theo gets his hands on a dark hilt connected to Sauron, and that sword leaves a mark on Theo’s arm. The hilt played a role in Season 1 as it instigated the catastrophe that created Mordor, but the mark got less explanation. It’s clear that, through the mark, Theo is tied to the darkness, but The Rings of Power does not explore this in Season 2.

Because of outside factors, Theo’s story took a sudden turn in Season 2 with the death of his mother, Bronwyn (Nazanin Boniadi). The character’s Season 2 arc centered on his grief as he tried to fill her shoes. But his connection to the darkness has not gone away. With the introduction of Estrid (Nia Towle), the series did address a Mark of Sauron, but when the wildmen saw Theo’s arm, they didn’t consider him one of them, making whatever Theo has unique. While Season 2 could have used Theo’s grief to emphasize his darkness, it left him in a better place as he has seemingly accepted his mother’s death, but the mark, nor its implications, are gone, meaning it is something later seasons must explain.

What Did Eärin See in the Palantir?

Eärin (Ema Horvath) plays an important role in the Númenor plotline as she helps Pharazôn (Trystan Gravelle) in his attempt to gain power, going against her father to do so. One significant moment for her character occurred when she discovered the Palantir in Season 1. As the old King died, he mistook Eärin for his daughter, allowing her to discover the Elven artifact Míriel (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) uses to see the future. Touching the artifact gives a person visions, like Míriel’s of the fall of Númenor, but what Eärin sees is not revealed.

The scene certainly impacts Season 2 as Eärin reveals the Palantir to the people of Númenor to inspire mistrust in Míriel. When she brings the Palantir to Míriel’s coordination, she knows better than to tough it directly but does not mention what she saw herself. Míriel makes a big deal about Elendil’s vision, as it is the first time in years that it has shown something other than Númenor’s destruction, so it’s odd that no one thinks to ask Eärin. Did she see Númenor drowning like Miriel, or was it another threat? Considering the drastic choices she makes in Season 2, her Palantir vision could explain her motivation.

Where Is Galadriel’s Husband?

Image via Prime Video

One of the biggest elements that The Rings of Power has yet to explore is the backstory for Galadriel’s (Morfydd Clark) husband, Celeborn, who is absent from the series entirely. Galadriel mentioned in Season 1 that he died, which is a huge departure from J. R. R. Tolkien‘s books, which include the character alive and well when the Fellowship meets Galadriel thousands of years later. At no point did Tolkien mention Celeborn going missing, raising questions about where The Rings of Power is going with this story.

Despite the audience latching on to this mystery, Season 2 didn’t even give the Elf so much as a name-drop. Perhaps Celeborn’s continued absence is to allow the connection between Galadriel and Sauron to be the focus or to alleviate the confusion that could arise from the similar names of Celeborn and Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards). But no matter their reason, The Rings of Power will, at some point, have to explain where Celeborn is and why Galadriel believes him dead, and the longer they wait, the more time the audience’s expectations will grow.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 1 and 2 is available to stream on Prime Video.