As a seasoned gamer and long-time fan of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic saga, I can’t help but feel like I’ve stumbled upon the One Ring itself while diving deep into the world of Amazon’s “The Rings of Power.” The latest revelation that Daniel Weyman’s character, The Stranger, is indeed Gandalf left me absolutely gobsmacked – much like the time when Frodo accidentally put on the ring and disappeared from his hobbit hole.
❗️Attention! We’re diving deep into colossal spoilers concerning the finale of The Rings of Power Season 2, scheduled for this year on TV. If you haven’t watched it yet, I strongly advise catching up with the show using an Amazon Prime membership before continuing to read further.
Throughout Season 1 of “The Rings of Power”, there was much speculation and debate surrounding the identity of Sauron. This mystery was finally resolved in the season finale when it was revealed that Halbrand, played by Charlie Vickers, was actually the evil Lord of the Rings character in disguise. Yet another enigma remained unresolved during these early episodes, concerning The Stranger’s true name, which carried over into Season 2. Now, we have learned the identity of this mysterious wizard, who is portrayed by Daniel Weyman. Intriguingly, Vickers, who shares similarities in guarding his character’s secrets, has shared insights on that major revelation and the challenges it brings.
Indeed, Vickers and Weyman held the most significant confidences, as they portrayed iconic characters from the epic tale of Middle-earth, namely Sauron and Gandalf respectively. While it became clear in the last season that Vickers embodied Sauron, it wasn’t until the Season 2 finale of The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power that Weyman’s character was unveiled as none other than the enigmatic Gandalf himself. (This serves as your final spoiler alert)
Indeed, considering the significance of the revelation regarding The Stranger’s identity, I inquired from the actor portraying Sauron about his perspectives on this pivotal scene and whether they had ever discussed it with their fellow cast member. To my query, he responded:
It’s clear that he was far superior to me when it came to guarding secrets. I never felt the need to question him about this, as whenever the topic arose in our discussions, he would skillfully steer the conversation elsewhere. He never revealed his secrets to me, not even in moments of casual sharing like, “Wow, I’ve got this secret and it blows my mind that you found out.” Instead, he displayed an honorable approach to secrecy, while I have been more open about my struggles. In comparison, he appears to be quite noble.
Since it became known that Halbrand is actually Sauron, Charlie Vickers has been candid about the challenge of keeping this secret. He’s also shared numerous times that he hadn’t realized he was portraying the antagonist until a few episodes into filming the series, as he mentioned during our interviews at SDCC for The Rings of Power.
Check Out Our Other Rings Of Power Interviews
‘The Rings of Power’ Season 2 Interviews with Morfydd Clark, Charlie Vickers, Daniel Weyman & More
Indeed, he shared with me that he believes Weyman has handled secrecy quite admirably. To this day, it’s unclear for how long he had been aware of his role as Gandalf, but one thing is certain: he has remained tight-lipped on the subject, even when questioned about it repeatedly.
What’s truly impressive about all this is that even though fans were suspicious that The Stranger was the wizard Ian McKellen played in the films, it was never fully confirmed until the finale when he finally said his name, “Gandalf,” to Rory Kinnear’s Tom Bombadil.
Vickers elaborated on the recent disclosure, highlighting its contrast with his previous season’s pivotal moment. Unlike Halbrand who was always aware of being Sauron and had been plotting all along, The Stranger remained unaware of his true identity. This caused the actor portraying Sauron to wonder if Weyman managed his secret more discreetly.
Perhaps the uniqueness lies in the fact that The Stranger remained unaware of his own identity, which might have made it less prominent in his thoughts.
As a gamer putting myself in Weyman’s shoes, I must admit that your observation hits the nail on the head. In The Stranger’s world, discovering his identity was everything – finding his name and purpose was his quest. Consequently, adopting Gandalf’s character while keeping such a secret would have indeed presented a unique challenge, altering my approach significantly.
In summary, Vickers expressed great delight over his co-star’s performance and praised their successful execution of the climactic surprise in the Season 2 finale. From the pivotal test conducted by Tom Bombadil that forced The Stranger to decide between “fate” and “friendship,” to the Stoors addressing him as an “elven man,” it was a captivating twist that brought a smile to my face. The actor portraying Sauron shared this sentiment, reminiscing about his initial reaction upon watching the episode for the first time.
I saw it for the first time last night, and I’d forgotten how he finds out. So it was like, I was watching it for the first time, because I hadn’t read that script in so long. So it was really cool, really cool.
As a devoted fan, I’ve been eagerly awaiting this moment for years – the unveiling of The Stranger’s identity, subtly disclosed by his tiny Hobbit companions. The way it unfolded was nothing short of delightful. Now, both these enigmatic figures no longer need to carry the burden of their secrets, and I can’t help but imagine how liberating that must feel for them.
I hope we’ll have another season with them returning! It turns out that Gandalf has only recently discovered his own name, and Sauron continues his pursuit of forging the rings and ruling Middle-earth. Perhaps one day, Charlie Vickers and Daniel Weyman will act together again as their iconic Lord of the Rings characters!
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2024-10-03 16:07