The first three episodes of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 are now streaming on Prime Video, and ep 2, "Where the Stars are Strange," introduces a mysterious character who might just turn out to be the secondary antagonist of J.R.R. Tolkien's trilogy.
We know most of you will be well aware of who we're referring to, but just in case, spoilers follow.
After first catching up with Durin, Disa and the other Dwarves of Khazad-dûm, we find out who sent the masked marauders that have been tracking Nori, Poppy, and the Stranger through the deserts of Western Rhûn: A powerful sorcerer known only as the "Dark Wizard" (Game of Thrones alum Ciarán Hinds).
At first glance, there appears to be little doubt that this clearly wicked individual is Saruman, but there are other possibilities.
Rings of Power has taken a few liberties with certain aspects of Tolkien's works already, of course, but if this is Saruman it would be a pretty major deviation from the lore. For one, the wizard didn't arrive on Middle-earth until the Third Age (though the same can be said for Gandalf, who is almost certainly The Stranger). Also, "Saruman the Wise" was initially a force for good before being corrupted later in the timeline.
With this in mind, could he actually be one of the Blue Wizards, Alatar and Pallando? Very little is written about these characters, but Tolkien said that these "others of the Istari went into the east of Middle-earth, and do not come into these tales." Leaving the geographic inconsistencies aside, depicting either of these guys in a villainous light would be an odd choice, but - again - the show has already played fast and loose with the lore, so it wouldn't be that surprising.
There is another possibly: What if the Dark Wizard is a brand-new character created for this series? Sure, Tolkien purists would really throw their hands up if a sixth Istar was introduced, but he could simply be posing as one of Gandalf's order.
What do you think? Is this Saruman, or someone else? Let us know in the comments section.
"Sauron has returned. Cast out by Galadriel, without army or ally, the rising Dark Lord must now rely on his own cunning to rebuild his strength and oversee the creation of the Rings of Power, which will allow him to bind all the peoples of Middle-earth to his sinister will."
"Building on Season 1’s epic scope and ambition, Season 2 of Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power plunges even its most beloved and vulnerable characters into a rising tide of darkness, challenging each to find their place in a world that is increasingly on the brink of calamity."
"Elves and dwarves, orcs and men, wizards and Harfoots... as friendships are strained and kingdoms begin to fracture, the forces of good will struggle ever more valiantly to hold on to what matters to them most of all.. each other."
Returning cast members include Morfydd Clark, Benjamin Walker, Charles Edwards, Charlie Vickers, Markella Kavenagh, Nazanin Boniadi, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Tyroe Muhafidin, Maxim Baldry, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Owain Arthur, Trystan Gravelle, Ema Horvath, Sophia Nomvete, Megan Richards, Dylan Smith, Leon Wadham, Daniel Weyman, and Sara Zwangobani.
Sam Hazeldine (Peaky Blinders) replaces Joseph Mawle as Adar, with Ciarán Hinds (Game of Thrones), Rory Kinnear (Penny Dreadful), and Tanya Moodie (The Man Who Fell to Earth) joining the ensemble in key roles.