Spoilers for Rings of Power Season 2 are ahead! If you aren’t caught up, you can stream the series with an Amazon Prime subscription.
The Stranger’s story is at a turning point in Rings of Power, and it deeply involves his Harfoot pals Poppy and Nori. After spending some time with Tom Bombadil, who made his on-screen debut in this series, Daniel Weyman’s wizard learned a bit more about what it means to be an istar and what he needs to do to help Middle-earth. However, that might mean abandoning his friends. So, when I got the chance to interview the actresses who play said Harfoot friends, I had to ask them how they reacted to this imperative moment that will ultimately affect their characters.
Following my initial Rings of Power interviews for Season 2, I had the chance to catch up with Markella Kavenagh and Megan Richards, who play Nori and Poppy, respectively. While we chatted about their interactions with the Stoors, we also spoke about The Stranger, who has been separated from them for a while now, and the big decision looming over him at the end of Episode 6. In reference to Tom Bombadil telling the wizard “Your friends or your destiny? The choice is yours,” Kavenagh said:
It’s like when you first meet someone just in life, and people ask ‘What do you do?’ It’s like one of the first questions. And I remember speaking to someone who was like, ‘I just wish that wasn’t the first question that people ask,’ because there’s so much more to who they are as a person. And I feel like in that scene, and reading that scene in particular, what was nice was it was a question about what The Stranger felt about his destiny and who he is as a being.
Let us remember, not only do we not know The Stranger’s identity, he doesn’t either. He’s on a quest to figure that out and help Middle-earth, but beyond that, he’s not quite sure what to do. However, he does know he loves his friends and he wants to help them. It’s an impossible trolley problem he’s facing, and he’s not sure what to do next after Tom leaves him alone on that cliff. In response to that, the Nori actress told me:
It felt bigger than the choice itself, of choosing his friends and choosing whatever else lay ahead to fight. So it was nice, because it felt like it was more encouraging The Stranger to reflect on who he is as a being.
Megan Richards agreed with her co-star, explaining that her answer was “eloquently put.” She then went on to ponder the comparison to someone asking a friend what they’re going to do next with their life, and elaborated on it and The Stranger’s choice a bit further, saying:
I suppose also in life, you never, it’s very rare that you get asked to either go left or go right. Normally, it just kind of presents itself, and then you’re kind of like, ‘Oh, maybe I will…’ you know, it feels more sort of fluid whereas that feels like such a definitive thing.
Obviously, since Poppy and Nori weren’t there, they don’t really know where The Stranger is going to go next. However, Richards told me that “watching” the scene left her in awe as Weyman’s wizard was left “completely alone” to ponder his next move.
Overall, I think both Kavenagh and Richards have eye-opening thoughts about this moment for their characters’ friends. It kind of is like being asked what you’re going to do with the rest of your life, and not knowing the answer to it, which is something I think most of us can relate to. Now, the question becomes: Which path will their magical pal pick? Will save Middle-earth or his friends? Or will he find a way to do both? I hope it’s both, because I’d love to see these loveable Harfoots back with The Stranger.
To see what happens with this trio’s stories next, you can stream new episodes of Rings of Power as they air on the 2024 TV schedule every Thursday on Prime Video.