The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power wrapped up its first season with seismic shifts and room for growth. The billion-dollar present, which has already been greenlit for 5 seasons, discovered room for explosive moments and almost-shocking revelations, and even a reworked map of Middle-earth. But it was nonetheless table-setting — the Lord of the Rings we all know continues to be far down the timeline.

With the primary season finale launched to the world, listed below are the main questions on what precisely occurs subsequent in season 2 and past. And because of The Rings of Power author Gennifer Hutchison, we already know a little bit about the place Sauron, Galadriel, and the Stranger are headed.

Is the Stranger truly Gandalf?

Since the Stranger (Daniel Weyman) confirmed up his identification has been a thriller, spurred on by the solid and crew of Rings of Power making reference to him as a “familiar” character to followers.

After eight episodes the reply appears to be… perhaps. Though the finale offers some compelling proof: The White Robes resolve he’s not Sauron, and as a substitute name him “Istar,” which Tolkien followers will acknowledge as a singular type of Istari, the elven phrase for the wizards of Middle-earth. He turns them into swarms of moths — a transfer actually related to the Gandalf of the Peter Jackson films. He picks up a workers to do that magic (or no matter we’re calling it), which appears to evoke a sure sort of grey and later white wizard. And now that he can communicate in full sentences he’s actually sounding extra like Gandalf, even cribbing from lots of stuff Gandalf stated within the Jackson films.

Where are the Stranger and Nori headed?

Photo: Ben Rothstein/Prime Video

After confronting the White Robes, with the Stranger deciding that he’s completely not Sauron, he decides it’s time to go east to Rhûn to find extra about himself. Nori, ever wanting to get off the harfoot path, decides to go together with him whereas Poppy stays behind.

In Rhûn they’ll be capable to see the constellation the Stranger has been chasing all season, which is named “The Hermit’s Hat,” and hopefully get the solutions the Stranger’s been searching for all season about his identification, powers, and what he ought to truly do on this world.

What occurs in Númenor now that the king is useless?

Without entering into spoilers about what occurs to the Númenóreans canonically, suffice it to say the island nation is in a difficult place. Queen Míriel and Elendil have returned house to enlist the nation in a struggle towards the orcs residing within the newly created Mordor (not that anybody can name it that), to search out that the king has died. Pharazôn is continuous to rally the residents on a extra conservative way forward for Númenor and worry of outsiders/elves.

What will Eärien do with the palantir?

Before Númenor’s king dies, he lets Eärien into the key passage with the palantír. While we don’t see what occurs after — whether or not she makes it to the room or touches the crystal ball — however contemplating what Míriel has seen with the palantír, it looks as if no matter occurs to Eärien in that room may have penalties for Númenor. And after we spoke to Rings of Power author Gennifer Hutchison, she agreed fully.

While Eärien’s father, Elendil, is aligned with these trustworthy to the elves, Hutchison stated by way of Zoom, she’s the member of the household who represents the extra isolationist Númenórean viewpoint. “She’s been left behind,” stated Hutchison, “and introducing her into that very intimate space with the king allowed for us to hint at how there might be some conflict, which we’ve been building so much in Númenor — and to make it more intimate, with characters that are directly part of the story.”

Is Isildur useless?

Photo: Prime Video

Listen: No. He very a lot exhibits up later within the canon in a giant method. But for now, nobody within the present is aware of that aside from his horse. Godspeed, horse!

What does Galadriel do with the data that Halbrand is Sauron?

Halbrand acquired his remaining little bit of manipulation within the eighth episode of The Rings of Power as he satisfied Celebrimbor to make some rings (perhaps even of energy), and it was proper about this time that Galadriel lastly realized what many have theorized and identified for weeks: Halbrand is Sauron.

Though she rejects him and his supply of energy, Galadriel doesn’t disclose to anybody what she is aware of, primarily following the steerage laid out by the Finrod in her imaginative and prescient (slash the Finrod that Sauron put in her imaginative and prescient) to do nothing to cease Sauron’s plan. So with Halbrand/Sauron’s ring plan transferring ahead (with the essential — perhaps? — addition of a 3rd ring) and Galadriel wanting like a goober at having palled round together with her sworn enemy for all this time, it’s not a terrific look. Though it actually units up some stress for season 2, particularly since…

What does Elrond do now that he is aware of Sauron is Halbrand?

Photo: Ben Rothstein/Prime Video

Though Galadriel doesn’t share her information, Elrond is suspicious and wanders out to search out the family tree scroll that leads him to determine that Halbrand is Sauron. Unfortunately, he finds this information too late, arriving again on the workshop simply because the elven rings (the rings of energy) are being accomplished.

Elrond has spent a lot of this season operating round making an attempt to extra immediately assist Celebrimbor and Gil-galad work out the right way to save the elves, harness the facility of mithril, and usually do good on the planet. The query that is still is: Will Elrond preserve his promise to belief Galadriel and never reveal what he is aware of?

Hutchison stated that the problem of Galadriel and Elrond’s friendship was framing a powerful connection, even when the characters shared so little display time.

“When they come back together [in this episode] it is such a such a big moment for them —he sent her away, and now she’s back. He’s between his guilt, ‘I should have trusted you,’ and he’s also just so happy to see her. It’s been a hard time, now your friend’s back. We tried to really invest that in that scene with the two of them, talking together about what’s happened. Luckily, those actors are so wonderful and incredible that I feel like they can really play those subtleties.”

That dilemma was among the many essential pillars of the episode. “I think it’s pretty clear at the end that there’s a bit of conflict in that moment,” Hutchison stated. “She’s made a big ask of him. We really did want to have that. ‘This is the true test; you said you’ll trust me.’ We really wanted to make sure that came through.”

What occurs to Durin IV and his dwarven succession?

Something everyone knows is that dwarves rule and there needs to be extra of them on the planet. Durin’s plot to (perhaps) overthrow his dad, King Durin III, so he may preserve mining for mithril. Sure, there’s a balrog within the combine there too, however I care extra about watching dwarves rip and usually carry the occasion.