Our return to Middle-earth has been a thrilling experience so far. With breathtaking views from Lindon, to terrifying new creatures and monsters, to expensive pieces of jewelry that have the ability to tear entire races apart, it is good to have The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power back. After a super-sized, three-part Season 2 premiere last week, the fantasy series returned with its fourth episode titled, “Eldest”, and it introduced the powerful, yet jovial character of Tom Bombadil (Rory Kinnear). Bombadil’s seeming all-knowing nature and his control over the elements, has the Stranger (Daniel Weyman) seeking his guidance. Who could know all he knows, wield the power he wields, yet remain neutral? Perhaps Tom Bombadil is the God of Middle-earth?
J.R.R. Tolkien’s original work depicts him as a character who has been present since the beginning of time, a sentiment that was expertly portrayed in the character’s depiction in Rings of Power. Showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay have both weighed in on the debate surrounding Old Tom’s nature, and the chances of him being the god of this troubled land called Middle-earth. “We would have no problem if that question was being asked because people say that about the character in the books,” co-showrunner Payne told The Hollywood Reporter. “And I think people asked that of Tolkien himself. Tolkien chose to remain silent on it, and so shall we,” Mackay added, preferring to stick with the ambiguity Tolkien gave to the subject.
Old Tom is the most powerful figure in Middle-earth. With an immunity to the sways of the One Ring, that separates Tom as being even more powerful than the Dark Lord Sauron (Charlie Vickers) himself – and he is no slouch. Payne goes on to discuss him in more depth, adding, “In one moment he is singing, and then I love him, he turns and The Stranger asks him, ‘Who are you?’ And he just says, ‘Eldest.’ I get chills when I see him say that, because I believe he is the oldest being on all of Middle Earth in that moment. So there are moments where he’s very serious and very intense and other moments he’s laughing and cracking jokes.” Tom’s ability to seamlessly switch between personalities, adds to the character’s appeal, “The fact that both beings can exist in one body is again part of the delight. I’m really curious to see how audiences who’ve been waiting to see him respond. And I dare say there’s a good balance here between the wise, sage, ancient Tom and the Tom who’s just messing with you.”
Pain and Sorrow Abound in Middle-earth
Setting aside the jovial nature of Old Tom, much of Middle-earth is in torment. Evil has awoken, and it would seem like pain and sorrow are set to become the order of the day. One character who is riddled with these sad features is the Elven warrior Arondir (Ismael Cruz Cordova). In the show’s first season, the Sindar elf fell in love with the human healer Bronwyn (Nazanin Boniadi). However, real life challenges meant Boniadi chose to step away from her role, with the show choosing not to recast the character with Bronwyn succumbing to the venom in a wound sustained in the first season. In an interview with Collider’s Carly Lane, Cordova elaborates on how Bronwyn’s loss will impact Arondir going forward.
“I can only speculate, but I think it can go either way. Some people have one true love that carries for the rest of their lives, but then again, love is unexpected. It can hit you in your most vulnerable moments. So, I like to think that he would be open to love when the time comes. With that,
I also know that he will feel his grief as fully as necessary.
I don’t think he’s one to shy away from having the emotional experience that is authentic.”
Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is available to stream exclusively on Prime Video, with new episodes on Thursdays.
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