The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power creators Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne explain why it was a challenge to introduce Tom Bomabdil in season 2. Based on the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, Prime Video’s Lord of the Rings series returned for its sophomore outing last month, continuing the story of Sauron’s (Charlie Vickers) rise in Middle-earth. The Rings of Power season 2 introduces a handful of new characters, with episode 4 bringing a live-action Tom Bombadil (Rory Kinnear) to life for the first time after his introduction in Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring.

In a recent interview with THR, McKay and Payne touch on Bombadil’s introduction in The Rings of Power season 2, revealing that bringing the character to life was a challenge. According to the showrunners, the difficulty stemmed from having to navigate the balance between Bombadil’s sillier qualities and his role as one of the wisest and oldest beings in Middle-earth. They say Kinnear’s performance, however, was able to walk that line. Read Payne’s comment on Bombadil below:

I think there’s a long tradition of these kinds of characters — the wise trickster. Think about Yoda a little bit. He’s a funny green puppet who’s playing around with Luke’s stuff and then something ends up being the wisest being in the galaxy. We’re trying to walk a similar knife edge with Tom. Does he sing and spout nursery rhymes? Yeah, absolutely. But was he also older than the first rain drop? Yes. And the delight of it is that one being can embody all those things, and Rory plays him with such a grace.

In one moment he is singing, and then I love [when] he turns and The Stranger asks him, ‘Who are you?’ And he just says, ‘Eldest.’ I get chills when I see him say that, because I believe he is the oldest being on all of Middle Earth in that moment.

So there are moments where he’s very serious and very intense and other moments he’s laughing and cracking jokes. The fact that both beings can exist in one body is again part of the delight. I’m really curious to see how audiences who’ve been waiting to see him respond. And I dare say there’s a good balance here between the wise, sage, ancient Tom and the Tom who’s just messing with you.

What Tom Bombadil’s Introduction Means For The Rings Of Power Season 2

The Character Was Excised From Peter Jackson’s Lord Of The Rings Films

Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy was wildly successful and all three films were critically acclaimed. Though many aspects of Tolkien’s novels are included, Bombadil is not featured, with The Fellowship of the Ring cutting this entire storyline.

In the Fellowship of the Ring book, Frodo Baggins, Samwise Gamgee, Merry Brandybuck, and Pippin Took, before meeting Strider in Bree, flee from the Black Riders into the Old Forest where they encounter the dangerous Old Man Willow and barrow-wights. Bombadil ultimately comes to the Hobbits’ rescue, singing merrily the whole time and giving them some magic swords before sending them on their way.

By introducing Bombadil into The Rings of Power, the show is bringing in more Tolkien lore that hasn’t been shown on screen before. Bombadil is set up to play an important role in The Stranger (Daniel Weyman) and Nori Brandyfoot’s (MarKella Kavenagh) story, particularly as it relates The Stranger learning to control his powers and season 2’s new Dark Wizard (Ciarán Hinds). Much of Bombadil’s past remains unexplored in the source material, so The Rings of Power, as a prequel, shouldn’t have to worry too much about altering Tolkien lore to make him fit into this new story.

Our Take On Tom Bombadil In The Rings Of Power

The Lord Of The Rings Show Has A Delicate Balance To Strike

Custom image by Ryan Northrup

How exactly Bombadil will factor into the larger story unfolding in The Rings of Power season 2 remains to be seen, but his power, wisdom, and age, make him a tricky character to include. As someone who seemingly knows more than anybody else and has somewhat vague magical abilities, the show could fall into a trap of having to explain why this mysterious figure doesn’t do more to influence the dark goings-on in Middle-earth.

That being said, Kinnear’s performance thus far as part of the Rings of Power season 2 cast has been charming. The writing, too, has been able to balance the quirkiness of the book version of the character with the darker tone of the show. Many questions remain about Bombadil, but he could be crucial to the remaining episodes of season 2.