The series The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power confirmed the identity of the Stranger, who many suspected from the beginning. The character, played by Daniel Weyman, learns his name in the final episode of season 2. Does the showrunners’ decision to go in this direction pose a problem with regard to Tolkien’s legend?
The eighth and final episode of season 2 of Rings of Power was broadcast on October 3, 2024 and the stranger’s identity has now been revealed. In fact, this puts an end to a long chase that started during the first season. Two theories clashed: either it was Gandalf, or it was in fact one of the two blue mages. The showrunners have decided.
The following contains spoilers for episode 8 of season 2 of Rings of Power.
The Stranger is Gandalf in The Rings of Power
So much the worse for the supporters of the blue mage theory. The Stranger is indeed Gandalf. The character pronounces this name during an exchange with the very mysterious Tom Bombadil. The latter had already slipped a clue to this effect in a previous episode. There were also others throughout the series that pointed towards the trail of the gray magician.
It must be recognized that this decision is surprising in more than one way. In the canon established by JRR Tolkien, elements indicate when and how Gandalf arrives in Middle-earth.
- He arrives during the Third Age (and not the Second, period of the series);
- He first appears at Gray Havens, in Lindon (and not further inland);
- It a priori normally arrives in Middle-earth (not by falling from the sky, like a meteorite);
- It is not established that Gandalf suffers from amnesia, contrary to the series’ approach;
- He is welcomed by the carpenter elf Círdan (and not received by nomadic hobbits);
- Gandalf claimed never to have traveled to the east of Middle-earth, even though that is where the intrigue with the Stranger unfolds;
In addition, the order of magicians (istari) to which Gandalf belongs has several members. Two others are known, Saruman and Radagast. We also know that there are two others, nicknamed the blue mages. We also know that these two characters, named Alatar and Pallando, were missioned to help the east of Middle-earth.
There was another argument in favor of the blue mage trail. In later notes written by JRR Tolkien, the British writer fixed the arrival of these two wizards (also nicknamed Morinehtar and Rómestámo, respectively “Slayer of Darkness” and “Helper from the East”) during the Second Age.
Additionally, it is established that Gandalf arrives in Middle-earth after his other comrades. Even if the series The Rings of Power is a series that takes liberties, for creative reasons, adaptation or rights, it seemed unlikely to rewrite the timeline regarding the arrival of Gandalf. He’s such an important character.
In short, the series had room to instead follow the trail of one of the two blue mages. After all, we know that they arrive in Middle-earth one after the other, and not together. Additionally, they were not known in the west of Middle-earth, unlike Gandalf, which fit with the plot moving to Rhûn, i.e. the east.
Because of these elements, the theory betting on Gandalf seemed very dangerous to us, and this, from 2022. Furthermore, we could estimate that on a narrative level, it was somewhat lazy to invoke the figure of Gandalf instead of proposing something new and more daring. It was forgetting the aura of the sorcerer and his marketing potential.
What Tolkien wrote and envisioned for Gandalf in the Second and Third Ages
One question remains: is the choice of showrunners trampling on JRR Tolkien? At first glance, the series appears to be in violation of the legendary. Still in the appendices, it is indicated that the mages arrive approximately a thousand years after the start of the Third Age (and therefore approximately 3300 years after the events of the series).
The fact is that Tolkien sometimes changed his mind, made mistakes (like the ros problem) or create a riddle with the same name for two characters separated by thousands of years (the Glorfindel case). It’s the same with blue mages. Later notes rather fixed their arrival in Middle-earth in the Second Age, and no longer in the Third.
We can find the same contradiction on Gandalf. In the “ ultimate writings » by JRR Tolkien, which occurred in the last year before his death (September 1973), the writer slipped in indications suggesting that Gandalf could have traveled to Middle-earth as early as the Second Age – a sign that the author had thought about the question.
These latter writings were published in 1996 in the work The Peoples of Middle-earth (not translated into French). This is the twelfth volume in the History of Middle-earth series, edited by Christopher Tolkien, his son. There are also unfinished texts, as well as information on the Second and Third Ages.
In these writings we read “ (that) it is probable that Olórin (Gandalf, Editor’s note), as was possible for one of the Maiar, had already visited Middle-earth and had become acquainted not only with the Sindarin Elves and the other inhabitants of Middle Earth, but also with Men, but nothing has yet been said on this subject. »
It was then a reflection concerning the famous Glorfindel, his links with Gandalf, and the way in which the problem was resolved, via reincarnation. There are also other manuscript traces in which Tolkien was able to establish a possible presence of Gandalf during the Second Age. This doesn’t mean it’s canon, but that it was thought of.
Besides the work The Peoples of Middle-earthsimilar indications were detected. As one user summed it up:
- In early 1959, Tolkien established a timeline of the First Age in which Gandalf aided an event called the Great March ;
- In 1960, a manuscript mentions Gandalf in an event which is linked to the Second Age;
- In 1972-1973, Tolkien suggested that Gandalf may have been visiting Middle-earth for some time.
Concerning the first mention, which dates back the presence of Gandalf in Middle-earth from the First Age, it appears in The Nature of Middle-earthanother work published in 2021 (not translated into French), with numerous unpublished texts provided by Christopher Tolkien. This work was collected by Carl F. Hostetter, a Tolkien scholar.
According to Carl F. Hostetter, the texts received have been qualified par Christopher Tolkien « of late philological essays “. The encyclopedia Tolkien indicates that the work deals with “ ‘nature’ of Middle-earth, in the two main senses of the term: both metaphysical and natural/historical “. These are Tolkien’s reflections on his work.
An opening exploited by the showrunners
Are these additional elements likely to overturn the canon and change Gandalf’s timeline? In any case, it’s an opening that the showrunners exploited, points out the Los Angeles Times on October 3. Patrick McKay and JD Payne have drawn from the volumes of The History of Middle-earth to go in this direction.
« In volume 12 of The History of Middle-earth, (Tolkien) confirms that Olórin had previously visited Middle-earth. Tolkien therefore left open the possibility that Gandalf arrived before the Third Age “, Payne told the newspaper. However, the showrunners admit that they once considered making Saruman or even a blue mage.
However, these other two possibilities were ruled out because, according to the Los Angeles Times, citing McKay and Payne, they did not make sense for the story. Obviously, the decision to go this route was made during the season 1 finale and, as a result, specific Gandalf-related lines were requested from the actor, Daniel Weyman.
« They had about five different lines they wanted me to record at that time, some of which were Gandalf lines and some that would never have been said before “, he explained. “ Of course, I knew there was resonance there. But according to the person concerned, he thought it was just a trick of magicians. »
« The idea was that it would be nice to have a phrase from Gandalf spoken by an unknown wizard from the Second Age. Over time, it became a wizard’s trick. All this pleased me because at that time he had no name and I didn’t need to know him “. It was in the middle of filming season 2 that he finally knew who he was really playing.
There is little doubt that the decision to insert Gandalf into the adventure, via the Stranger, will be widely commented on. Until season 3 of Rings of Powerundoubtedly, which should be released in two years. One thing is certain: the showrunners were able to find arguments in Tolkien’s writings supporting their bias.
Source: www.numerama.com
