In The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2, fans are seeing a smart evolution of JRR Tolkien's lore. So much so that at times it feels like Prime Video is rebooting the The Lord of the Rings from the movies people have seen. One of the main aspects of this boils down to the new stories being told about the Hobbits' predecessors: the Harfoots.
It centers on Nori and Poppy: the young women who tried to help the Stranger unlock his powers in Rhûn. However, as much as it seemed like they would be plot crutches and supporting players on his journey, the show is giving them a greater purpose. They could very well be the building blocks that Peter Jackson’s films were built on.
Nori and Poppy from Rings of Power meet the Stoors
The Stoor are the ancestors of the Hobbits
|
Actor's name |
Markella Kavenagh |
Megan Richards |
|
Rings of Power Character |
Nori Brandyfoot |
Proud Poppy |
|
Date of birth |
January 30, 2000 |
March 30, 1999 |
|
Place of birth |
Australia |
England |
|
Notable Films |
The True Story of the Kelly Gang, My First Summer |
N/A |
|
Notable TV Shows |
Twilight, bad behavior |
Pan Tau, Doctors, Desire to travel |
In Rings of Power Season 2, Nori and Poppy are separated after the Stranger's sandstorm backfires. They are blown out of the reach of the Dark Wizard's hunters, but are lost. Luckily, they end up meeting a Harfoot-looking boy named Merimac, but he's not one of them. He's a Stoor, another of the Hobbit ancestors Tolkien wrote about.His books have them more in the Third Age, not the Second Age that this series is based on.
Merimac takes them to her boss, Gundabel, but she doesn't like girls. She sees them as spies for the Dark Wizard or reasons he'll send his henchmen to cause trouble. In the midst of all this drama, Nori and Poppy are struck with wonder. The Stoor have a similar structure to the Harfoots, except that they are not nomadic.. They have a cottage, more advanced machinery, and seem more inclined to invent. It is a real village rooted in stability and immobility.
That doesn't mean the Harfoots aren't geniuses, but they have a more primitive way of life. It's more simplistic, compared to this pseudo-industrial revolution that the girls are seeing. For them, it's what the future will be like. They embrace these scenes fully, because they want their lives to be like that one day, too.
Gundabel finally admits that while he wants to keep them prisoner, they may not be dangerous after all. Everything changes when he tells them of a prophecy. It is because they mentioned their Trail-finder, the late Sadoc Burrows. That surname is legendary to the Stoors as it is tied to the place where Tolkien planted them later in their lives.
Sadoc Burrows of Rings of Power is the descendant of a legend
Nori and Poppy may have to follow the Burrows legacy
Gundabel shows them the glyphs and admits that the Stoor had a Chosen One: Rorimas Burrows. He left the dusty village to find a land of rolling hills, lush grass, and cold rivers. She calls it Sûzat, which Tolkien students know to be the Shire.. The problem is that they haven't heard from him since. It's a problem the Harfoots also encounter, losing their people to animals and monsters when they wander. Sometimes, they have no idea what happened to these individuals.
It seems that Rorimas has settled down, founded the Harfoot tribe, but has failed to get word to the Stoors. Given the distance he would have to travel and the dangers on the road, that is understandable. This cultural exchange is quite enlightening because Gundabel now sees the girls as the answer to their riddle. The True North to what Rorimas was supposed to find. Prepare Nori and Poppy to take the clan to the destination carved in their rocks.
In other words, the show could be set up to mix both the Harfoots and the Stoors and create the Hobbits.This sets the stage for descendants like Bilbo Baggins, Frodo, Smeagol and the others involved in the One Ring saga. Rings of Power Season 2 could also tease an angle where the caravan might encounter the third tribe of Hobbits: the Fallohides, creating an origin story no one expected. But still enjoyable, given how important the Hobbits are to stopping Sauron's reign centuries later.
This approach makes Nori and Poppy a Chosen One couple.. They have lost loved ones along the way, yet they are selflessly dedicated to helping the Stranger. Alas, they could very well create something bigger, more impactful and alluring in terms of how much their kind has influenced Middle-earth.
Rings of Power's Nori and Poppy are in the crosshairs
The dark wizard wants the girls so he can capture the stranger
A huge obstacle will be the Dark Wizard's hunters. Some of them come to intimidate Gundabel and capture the hostages. Gundabel warns them, but they confess that they will return with reinforcements. They could be other hunters or the Dark Wizard himself. He wants to use the girls to lure the Stranger. This suggests that he is a potential ally of Sauron who wants to spread death and destruction in the realm.
The Stranger is training with Tom Bombadil, but the seeds are planted for a clash with the Dark Wizard. All the villain needs are the girls as pawns. He may end up using the Stoors as bargaining chips, too. If the Stranger is later revealed to be Gandalf, it sets up a story in which he protects the Hobbits before they officially become Hobbits.It would be very exciting and serendipitous.
That would make both sides thorns in Sauron's side before movie fans see the evil overlord working with the likes of Saruman. Conversely, Nori and Poppy could end up being some sort of war leaders. They helped the Stranger fight the Dark Wizard's mystics in Rings of Power Season 1. They are able to help the Stoor grow stronger, not only in their desert base, but also when the time comes to hit the road.
It won't be easy, because the girls have targets on their backs and a huge contingent that they are endangering.. They will feel guilty if the Stoor lives are lost. This makes viewers eager to see the Stranger improve his magic with Tom and come to the aid of the “common folk.” Ultimately, they will need firepower with the Dark Wizard's legion looming and encroaching. Ultimately, this foreshadows a tender arc with the Stoor, as well as a mystical battle to come that will redefine a new era for Middle-earth.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power debuts with new episodes every Thursday on Prime Video.