Harfoots aren’t really in the books exactly.
We do know that Gollum’s (Smeagol) community on the shores of the Anduin was a permanent settlement but that was only 500 or so years before the time of the Hobbit. (2463 TA). Bilbo’s adventure was roughly 80 years (2941 TA) before the War of the Ring. (3018 TA)
So we don’t know what the Harfoots were up to in the 2nd age.
I believe I saw one or two when the Stranger was crashing through the camp at the end of the “We wait for you” ceremony.
There is a YouTube channel called In Deep Geek, and they have just put up a video with their analysis of who or what they think the Stranger is, after 3 episodes. I don’t agree with their analysis, but they are usually pretty knowledgeable about Tolkien lore. I’m going to spoiler the next paragraph in case you don’t want to read it.
Due largely to the apparent association with evil (especially the poisoned dying leaf that Gil-Galad picks up as the meteor flies over, the meteor fire not being hot [like the place where Galadriel and co. fight the ice troll], and the dead fireflies) and the strong association with fire, they think it is likely to be a balrog. Maybe the one that ends up in Moria (contra canon) or maybe not. I think they have forgotten about Gandalf/Olorin’s association with light and fire as a Maia before coming to ME.
Of course they also leave themselves an out if it is something completely new.
That is very weak.
A balrog is one of the worst suggestions I’ve heard. I would actually be angry with the show runners if Deep Geek is correct.
Agreed with your comment and reasoning.
Is the name made up for the series or are Harfoots named by Tolkien as an ancestor of Hobbits?
All I remember in the background for that was the fire and the tent. 
I have to pay more attention. I’m one of those people that never re-watch anything, so if I miss it on the first run…
The purported five year run will all be one continuing story of the Second Age, is that correct? I’m kind of looking for something that would give me an condensed version to hit the high points to get better acquainted with the story, but everything that has any sort of detail is enormous. I guess that’s to be expected with the vast world Tolkien created.
Harfoots are one of the 3 branches of Hobbits. There were also Stoors and Fallohides.
By the way, Harfoot literally means one with hairy feet.
Sorry, meant to include, the Harfoots were the most numerous of the Hobbits in the Shire. The Fallohides were most often their leaders though.
Harfoots are one of the three main branches of Hobbits in the Shire. The other two are Fallohides and Stoors.
I believe WE is saying that the Harfoots as we see in the series aren’t portrayed in the books. In “Concerning Hobbits”, which is in the prologue of the LotR books, it describes the three different main types of Hobbits. It says of the Harfoots that they are of browner skin that the other kinds (which is consistent with what this show portrays), don’t wear shoes, and don’t have beards.
But none of the stories that take place in this time period actually describe what they were doing or how they lived, so the writers have a lot of freedom to do what they want with them.
Same. I don’t really care if things go against canon, but that would just be terrible story telling.
I mean, Smaug makes more sense than their suggestion.
It’s possible my summary of the video wasn’t sufficient to make their case. But I too thought they were on the wrong foot, especially with their insistence on the Stranger being evil. And they will cheerfully admit their error, if it turns out that way.
Maybe Radagast? Or has that been shot down? They might have more freedom with him than Gandalf.
There’s been a few bad omens (leaves turning black, fireflies dying) of the Stranger’s arrival that I reckon would need to be explained if he turns out to be a goodie. Stranger has less to hide / explain than Halbarad, the supposed “Aragorn of the South” whose shipwrecked crew mysteriously dissapeared, along with his John Wick kung fu abilities.
We haven’t seen the Balrog (Durin’s Bane) the Dwarves of Khazad-Dum will awaken, yet. I am pretty sure they have no ability - like Sauron - to “appear fair” even in their leisure time.
Agree completely. I won’t like it if that’s the explanation.
We’ve seen a definite good person being seen by others as accompanied by evil omens and events before, to the point where it was noted in-story. Paging Mr Crow. Mr. …Storm… Crow.
If Galadriel had first appeared (sans flashbacks and partly sailing to the West) in the waters off Numenor, I would be suspect that she was Sauron in disguise. We can, of course, discard that idea.
The man she floated into Numenor with, Halbarad, has something to hide. I reckon that Sauron - at his best - passes the “looks fair but feels foul” test and Galadriel is only suspect of him because of her library evidence.
The Stranger from the meteor(-ite, since it hit Middle Earth) exhibits the kind of partial amnesia we see in Gandalf the White when he’s first seen in the Old Forest (though as I recall he had already been to Lothlorien at least). It would be a good story if he is Olorin/proto-Gandalf that takes an interest in the proto-hobbits - perhaps introducing them to pipe-weed and perhaps influencing where they eventually settle (maybe some suggestions to Isildur about how grand an idea the area around the Brandywine is). I actually like the idea that he is at least a goodie yet that may be subverted - perhaps not in the 4th episode.
Then there is Adar. I reckon he is one of the OG Dark Elves/Avari Morgoth broke bad. If he is Sauron then we have to buy into Sauron essentially being able to teleport to Eregion while changing his appearance. In the 4th episode his back story should be revealed.
(ETA: looks fair but feels foul!)
Halbrand. Halbarad is someone else entirely.
It’s the hobbits who introduce Gandalf to pipeweed, not the other way around:
But even the Dunedain of Gondor allow us this credit: Hobbits first put it into pipes. Not even the Wizards first thought of that before we did. Though one Wizard that I knew took up the art long ago, and became as skilful in it as in all other things that he put his mind to
Why does he have to teleport? And him changing appearance rapidly is certainly a thing he’s done before
If Adar is Sauron (unlikely IMO) then he would need to check out of being Adar - the leader of the “Make-Mordor-Great” team and grab the next warg (assuming avian transport is unavailable) to Eregion.
All your other points are right on. I stand corrected and will just let Prime Video make it all happen. 
This is Sauron we’re talking about, before he poured his personal power into the One Ring. - he doesn’t need transport. He can just fly there himself.
Playing catch up while Mrs G and I wrapped up binges on some other series…finished with Episode 2 so far. Some thoughts…
The cinematography/editing is very off-putting for me. The value/brightness seems very homogeneous, like it’s been HDR’d heavily, leaving no sense of depth to any of the scenes. Everything feels very flat. The framing is also very close up with little attention paid to the “sets” and environment, except for an occasional establishing shot. All together, it gives the whole production a “pan and scan” feel and that I’m missing some of the best elements outside of frame. Polar opposite to the original LOTR movies and what epic cinematography should be.
During the Galadriel jump in the water, Mrs G said “It’s the shrieking eels!”. Major props to her on that snark.
I love the Harfoots as proto-hobbits. Very well done, with good banter and dialogue.
The dwarves are tipping too far into Warhammer/Warcraft dwarf caricatures for my personal taste. LOTR Rhys-Davies is the gold standard for me.
I’m on team Gandalf for meteor-man’s reveal.
That was one thing I always found weird about Tolkien-he’d just toss out a one-off creature and never mention it again. Like the vampires! I know the Hobbit was written before, but the stone-giants and the talking trolls always puzzled me (and the castles on the way). I would love it if Thuringwethil popped up, but I know she’s very likely dead by now.
Whereas one of my greatest complaints about the LOTR movie was that Gimli was played for comic relief, and not as an epic hero.
So these dwarves are seriously annoying me.