Who is The Stranger in The Rings of Power? It's one of the biggest, if not the biggest, questions that's been on viewers' minds since his introduction in season 1.
Well, if you were hoping that the arrival of fan-favorite Lord of the Rings character Tom Bombadil would provide some long overdue answers, you'll want to check your expectations. With the pair set to cross paths soon, I suspect audiences were expecting Rory Kinnear's enigmatic 'Old Tom' to help us solve the mystery concerning The Stranger's identity.
That won't be the case, though. Speaking to TechRadar ahead of The Rings of Power season 2's first three episodes dropped on August 29, Daniel Weyman, who plays The Stranger, suggested 'Old Tom' isn't willing to simply hand over that information. Indeed, in typical Tom Bombadil fashion, his penchant for riddles and apparent moral neutrality means that the latter will find answers hard to come by in the hit Prime Video show's sophomore season.
"There's a huge amount of guilt and fear," Weyman said when I asked him about The Stranger's ongoing inability to control his powers; the latest incident leading to him being separated from Nori and Poppy in season 2 episode 3. "Everything he's seen, heard, or learned has come from his interactions with the Harfoots, so all the things he's picked up are directly linked to these friends who he might have lost. He literally hasn't been alone [since his season 1 introduction], either, which is deeply unsettling for him.
"As he stumbles through the desert and finally interacts with Tom, he's ripe to be toyed with because he's so vulnerable. The Stranger has existed in this small sphere of awareness with the Harfoot community but, as he moves further through this adventure, there's an expansion of his reality and his place in this world. Tom's fear isn't just about Middle-earth; it's universal. He goes backwards and forwards through time simultaneously as well. As The Stranger moves through that aura, what does that do to a being who also has that power in his DNA, but doesn't fully understand it? Ultimately, I think The Stranger is hoping for some answers from Tom, and it seems to me he doesn't give them up easily."
Fair enough, but surely Tom will provide some clues about The Stranger's name, where he's come from, how to channel his powers for the greater good, and/or act as a magical guide that helps The Stranger works these out for himself, right? Just as in The Lord of the Rings novels, things aren't so straightforward in Amazon's TV adaptation, too.
"I think The Stranger finds it deeply frustrating," Weyman added, "and Tom feels like he's got this very malleable thing to work with, so things get pretty dramatic between them. In season 1, we saw The Stranger treading this tightrope with his powers and not knowing who he is. But, through his interactions with Nori, banishing the Mystics in the season 1 finale, and then knowing where he has to go, he finally has a path to walk.
He's ripe to be toyed with because he's so vulnerable
Daniel Weyman
"But, because he defeated the Mystics and then uses his powers to find food for him and Nori this season, he thinks he's got a handle on his abilities. That leads to a bit of pride and, certainly with the sandstorm [in season 2 episode 3], he gets caught up in his own brilliance and bravado, which is when disaster strikes [with Nori and Poppy being blown away].
"Now he's back at square one, what does that do to a character? What happens when, no matter what turn you take or you think you're doing your best, it ends in the same result? It can cause choice paralysis and I think what Tom forces The Stranger to ask himself is 'do you have the courage to go back inside yourself and sort yourself out, or is he going to keep dithering while Middle-earth starts to burn?"
Want another Tom Bombadil-focused exclusive? Find out whether Kinnear's performance will include the character's famous sing-talking in season 2. Or, if you haven't watched its three-episode premiere yet, read my spoiler-light review of The Rings of Power season 2 to see what you're missing. And stick with TechRadar over the next few weeks for even more exclusives in and around each new episode.
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