How about the leader of the pursuers being Sauron in one of his “fair” forms? Certainly has some big-time magical power, appears to be evil, and is pretty freaking creepy.
I’d love to see the Stranger turn out to be Radagast, if for no other reason than to rehabilitate the character from the “very silly person” portrayal in the Hobbit movies. But probably Gandalf.
I know why, lorewise, it shouldn’t be anyone we know, but I also know that most fans will be very disappointed if it isn’t.
If it’s Gandalf, well, that was obvious from the beginning. If it’s Sauron, then that’s a good twist. If it’s Radagast or Bombadil, well, those are names I’ve heard, at least. If it’s Matchikna, the purple wizard, people are going to feel let down.
Is it, though? When it seems like half the 'net commentariat thinks that’s who it is, and have been saying so for the last 6 episodes?
Depends on what percentage of viewers are the “net commentariat.”
I believe that most people watch it by themselves or with a friend, they don’t have a whole lot of knowledge of the lore, and they don’t engage in detailed discussion and analysis on internet forums.
So, when his identity is revealed at the end of the next episode, most fans will be saying, “Ah, Gandalf, I knew it!”, or “Oh, Sauron? I guess he did seem ominous, what with the fireflies and all.” or, “Radagast, wasn’t he in the Hobbit movie?” or “Bombadil? Who? Oh, wait I think I remember someone mentioning him one time.”
Or, “Matchikna, the purple wizard? Who the hell is that?!”
I’ll be a hell of a lot more upset if it turns out to be Bombadil than if it turns out to be Matchikna. The stranger violates everything we know about Bombadil, the most important item of which is that he’s very very secure in his knowledge of who he is.
It probably isn’t, I just named names of people that most viewers would have heard of, but haven’t seen in this show yet, all of which would violate known lore. However, if it is it is because this is written more for the people who don’t know the lore as well as you, or even as much as I know.
Just saying that it’s going to be a disappointment to most fans if the Stranger turns out to be someone they never heard of.
On most days, sure, but after falling out of the sky? Might scramble the noggin for a little bit.
Not Bombadil’s. Seriously, that’s just not HIM.
Agreed. Bombadil would make less sense than most.
Though to be fair, very little has really made sense in context of what we do know.
Are we deciding when Gandalf traveled to Middle Earth (or the other wizards) or when they arrived in Arda?
I think Olórin (aka Gandalf) was hanging in Valinor for a long time before he went to ME. I assume the other wizards did likewise (not sure though).
If I were spending Jeff Bezos’ money, I would try and get Jack Black to play him [* Bombadil]
It would be good to have the Stone Trolls Tom, Bert & William. I’m sure they’re around. They could give them an origin story that covers how they end up with a horde of stuff from Gondolin.
All 5 Wizards were Maiar. They were all in Valinor from before the First Age.
There is no debate on this part.
Everything Tolkien ever wrote said Gandalf, Radagast & Saruman came over in the Third Age.
Later writings indicated that the 2 Blue Wizards came over in the Second Age, probably around 1600. Same with the Elf Captain, Glorfindel.
Bombadil was the first thing on Arda, right? He’s Oldest and Fatherless.
Tom says so:
“Eldest, that’s what I am. Mark my words, my friends: Tom was here before the river and the trees; Tom remembers the first raindrop and the first acorn. He made paths before the Big People, and saw the Little People arriving. He was here before the Kings and the graves and the Barrow-wights. When the Elves passed westward, Tom was here already, before the seas were bent. He knew the dark under the stars when it was fearless - before the Dark Lord came from Outside.” ~J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
The former.
I’m going to quote the essay I mentioned earlier, I found an online copy. This essay is about Glorfindel, but since he is mentioned as being a friend and follower of Olorin since his time in Valinor, the essay discusses Gandalf briefly.
That Olorin, as was possible for one of the Maiar, had already visited Middle-earth and had become acquainted not only with the Sindarin Elves and others deeper in Middle-earth, but also with Men, is likely, but nothing is [> has yet been] said of this.
That is from Tolkien’s notes. While there is nothing written about it in the Hobbit or Lord of the Rings books (or appendices), Tolkien himself presumed that Gandalf might have traveled Middle-earth prior to his Third Age arrival with the other Istari.
Based on that, I don’t think it’s too outlandish to have Gandalf running around in the Second Age. It seems like the door has been opened for that kind of thing already.
Yeah, he really can’t be Bombadil.
I was betting Sauron, but if they wanted to keep with the canon, one of the Blue Wizards- who certainly could be Gandalf-like. I won’t have a tantrum if Gandalf, since I guess he could have been to ME before, and then resent later. JRRT kinda left that open.
Glorfindel would work of course, but the Stranger is not an Elf, nor do Elves grow beards like that.
I mean, I don’t think it is, I just threw out names that fans of the movie may know.
But OTOH, how are we so very, very certain that it’s not? The only thing that really we know about him is how very little we know about him. We don’t know that he wasn’t experimenting with fireworks late in the second age, blowing himself halfway across Middle-Earth, and leaving him with a little TBI that it takes him a bit to shake off.
No beard.
Short guy.
As they came to the gates Círdan the Shipwright came forth to greet them. Very tall he was, and his beard was long, and he was grey and old
Not sure I understand your meaning. Who doesn’t have a beard, and who is “short guy”?
Tom Bombadil | The One Wiki to Rule Them All | Fandom.
“Tom Bombadil appeared as an old man, at least to Hobbit eyes, with a wrinkled and ruddy face, bright blue eyes, and a bristling brown beard . He was said to be taller than a typical Hobbit, but too short to be a Man,”
Tom does have a beard, just like the stranger, and while the Stranger seems kinda tall, we’ve only seen him in comparison to Hobbits (Harfoots).
So, I’m not sure who are are talking about when you say, “No beard.” as both have beards, and I’m also not sure who you are talking about when you say, “Short guy”, as both Tom and the Stranger don’t seem to be especially tall.
To add to the similarities, the Stranger does have blue eyes, just like Tom.
Maybe expand on your 4 word post? As it stands, it’s both confusing and apparently wrong.
I don’t think it’s Bombadil either, but Tom definitely had a beard. And was taller than a hobbit:
“At any rate he was too large and heavy for a hobbit, if not quite tall enough for one of the Big People, though he made noise enough for one, stumping along with great yellow boots on his thick legs, and charging through grass and rushes like a cow going down to drink. He had a blue coat and a long brown beard; his eyes were blue and bright, and his face was red as a ripe apple, but creased into a hundred wrinkles of laughter.”