To be clearer, I would much rather that The Stranger turn out to be Sauron than Halbrand. That would likely be the final straw for me.Voronwë the Faithful wrote: ↑Sun Sep 25, 2022 9:22 pm To be clear, I don't *want* the Stranger to be Sauron (honestly, I don't want the Stranger, period). But after the Mithril/Silmaril thing, nothing will surprise me, and there seems to be a lot of signals that he is Sauron.
The Stranger of Udûn? - New Info and the Identity of Meteor Man
- Voronwë the Faithful
- At the intersection of here and now
- Posts: 46342
- Joined: Mon Nov 21, 2005 1:41 am
- Contact:
Re: The Stranger of Udûn? - New Info and the Identity of Meteor Man
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
Re: The Stranger of Udûn? - New Info and the Identity of Meteor Man
Out of curiosity, why? Halbrand seems on the face of it to be a more sensible option.
The Vinyamars on Stage! This time at Bag End
- Eldy
- Drowning in Anadûnê
- Posts: 1507
- Joined: Sat Sep 14, 2013 3:44 am
- Location: Maryland, United States
- Contact:
Re: The Stranger of Udûn? - New Info and the Identity of Meteor Man
I'm on Team Halbrand Is Sauron And Also He Hooks Up With Galadriel.
Hidden text.
- Voronwë the Faithful
- At the intersection of here and now
- Posts: 46342
- Joined: Mon Nov 21, 2005 1:41 am
- Contact:
Re: The Stranger of Udûn? - New Info and the Identity of Meteor Man
What is sensible about having Sauron/Annatar pose as a human, a lesser being, when he is supposed to pose as a great giver of gifts able to provide the Elves with skills that they don't already have?
What is sensible about having Sauron already go to Númenor when when of the main components of the story as written by Tolkien (which probably won't manifest in the show) is having Sauron trick Al-Pharazon into bringing him to Númenor?
What is sensible about having Sauron trick Galadriel, one of the characters that Tolkien wrote he did not trick, and who is supposed to be (but admittedly is not being portrayed as) the greatest and wisest (or among the greatest and wisest) of the Eldar?
If by "sensible" you mean "completely contrary to what Tolkien wrote" then I agree that Halbrand is a sensible option.
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
- Dave_LF
- Wrong within normal parameters
- Posts: 6832
- Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2006 10:59 am
- Location: The other side of Michigan
Re: The Stranger of Udûn? - New Info and the Identity of Meteor Man
I no longer think there's any real chance Halbrand is anything other than what he seems to be. There are still more secrets in his past to be sure, but I feel pretty confident the information we've been given is essentially correct. Like, maybe it'll turn out he's the guy who killed the king instead of *being* the king, but he doesn't make sense as Sauron in disguise anymore (if he ever did).
Re: The Stranger of Udûn? - New Info and the Identity of Meteor Man
It seems to me Sauron can't possibly be anyone the series has focused on thus far.
He must be a powerful, convincing, fair-of-face type who is already conniving behind the Elven scenes: someone who can talk elves into thinking there is some kind of necessary deadline for making this darned forge.
That can't be Halbrand (Sauron isn't yet in Númenor--they're not going to waste the whole plot line of him surrendering corrupting Númenor from within, surely!) and can't be scruffy meteor man. Just can't. Scruffy meteor man is not going to be persuasive for the elves AND the corruption of the elves already seems to be happening.
Thus I conclude some beautiful, convincing, but evil presence has yet to be introduced to us!
He must be a powerful, convincing, fair-of-face type who is already conniving behind the Elven scenes: someone who can talk elves into thinking there is some kind of necessary deadline for making this darned forge.
That can't be Halbrand (Sauron isn't yet in Númenor--they're not going to waste the whole plot line of him surrendering corrupting Númenor from within, surely!) and can't be scruffy meteor man. Just can't. Scruffy meteor man is not going to be persuasive for the elves AND the corruption of the elves already seems to be happening.
Thus I conclude some beautiful, convincing, but evil presence has yet to be introduced to us!
“Wilbur never forgot Charlotte. Although he loved her children and grandchildren dearly, none of the new spiders ever quite took her place in his heart. She was in a class by herself. It is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer. Charlotte was both.” E. B. White, who must have had vison in mind. There's a reason why we kept putting the extra i in her name in our minds!
Re: The Stranger of Udûn? - New Info and the Identity of Meteor Man
While Daniel Weyman, who plays the Stranger, is not my type, I think he could clean up well enough into a suitable Annatar.
His current state is reminiscent of Gandalf after his fight with the Balrog, including the memory loss and the general out of time and placeness. I can see him being introduced to other groups of characters as a powerful but benign protector of the Harfoots, and working out from there.
Or he could be Gandalf. I guess they could let him bumble along doing small things which possibly have plot impact, until he evolved into the Gray Wizard firm in season 5.
His current state is reminiscent of Gandalf after his fight with the Balrog, including the memory loss and the general out of time and placeness. I can see him being introduced to other groups of characters as a powerful but benign protector of the Harfoots, and working out from there.
Or he could be Gandalf. I guess they could let him bumble along doing small things which possibly have plot impact, until he evolved into the Gray Wizard firm in season 5.
If there was anything that depressed him more than his own cynicism, it was that quite often it still wasn't as cynical as real life.
Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
- narya
- chocolate bearer
- Posts: 4904
- Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2005 7:27 am
- Location: Wishing I could be beachcombing, or hiking, or dragon boating
- Contact:
Re: The Stranger of Udûn? - New Info and the Identity of Meteor Man
Seems to me that if the show writers have no difficulty inventing non-canon elves, dwarves, men, and harfoots, they'd have no trouble inventing new maiar as well.
In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer. ~ Albert Camus
- Voronwë the Faithful
- At the intersection of here and now
- Posts: 46342
- Joined: Mon Nov 21, 2005 1:41 am
- Contact:
Re: The Stranger of Udûn? - New Info and the Identity of Meteor Man
I would love to hear more about why you think that Halbrand seems on the face of it to be a more sensible option. It is entirely possible that there are reasons that I simply haven't thought of.
Only read the following if you want to read major potential spoilers.
Hidden text.
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
Re: The Stranger of Udûn? - New Info and the Identity of Meteor Man
I read the spoiler. Argh.
'You just said "your getting shorter": you've obviously been drinking too much ent-draught and not enough Prim's.' - Jude
Re: The Stranger of Udûn? - New Info and the Identity of Meteor Man
I just preemptively said Argh and didn't read the spoiler.
If there was anything that depressed him more than his own cynicism, it was that quite often it still wasn't as cynical as real life.
Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
- Voronwë the Faithful
- At the intersection of here and now
- Posts: 46342
- Joined: Mon Nov 21, 2005 1:41 am
- Contact:
Re: The Stranger of Udûn? - New Info and the Identity of Meteor Man
Hidden text.
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
Re: The Stranger of Udûn? - New Info and the Identity of Meteor Man
I read the spoiler and if that's the case, I will be upset, because it seems a bit obvious. But then again, after episode 5, I have little faith in the writers now!
- Voronwë the Faithful
- At the intersection of here and now
- Posts: 46342
- Joined: Mon Nov 21, 2005 1:41 am
- Contact:
Re: The Stranger of Udûn? - New Info and the Identity of Meteor Man
New spoiler
Hidden text.
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
Re: The Stranger of Udûn? - New Info and the Identity of Meteor Man
Is this the opposite of "I am Spartacus"?
If there was anything that depressed him more than his own cynicism, it was that quite often it still wasn't as cynical as real life.
Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
- elengil
- Cat-egorical Herbitual Creativi-Tea
- Posts: 6248
- Joined: Thu Dec 01, 2005 11:45 pm
- Location: Between the Mountains and the Sea
Re: The Stranger of Udûn? - New Info and the Identity of Meteor Man
Hidden text.
The dumbest thing I've ever bought
was a 2020 planner.
"Does anyone ever think about Denethor, the guy driven to madness by staying up late into the night alone in the dark staring at a flickering device he believed revealed unvarnished truth about the outside word, but which in fact showed mostly manipulated media created by a hostile power committed to portraying nothing but bad news framed in the worst possible way in order to sap hope, courage, and the will to go on? Seems like he's someone we should think about." - Dave_LF
was a 2020 planner.
"Does anyone ever think about Denethor, the guy driven to madness by staying up late into the night alone in the dark staring at a flickering device he believed revealed unvarnished truth about the outside word, but which in fact showed mostly manipulated media created by a hostile power committed to portraying nothing but bad news framed in the worst possible way in order to sap hope, courage, and the will to go on? Seems like he's someone we should think about." - Dave_LF
Re: The Stranger of Udûn? - New Info and the Identity of Meteor Man
I'm leaning towards Gandalf for Meteor Man. After all its made pretty clear in the LotR that he was the only one of the Istari who was friendly with Hobbits. Also, as I said previously, he exhibits similar traits to Sauron, who was also a Fire Maia.
The Vinyamars on Stage! This time at Bag End
Re: The Stranger of Udûn? - New Info and the Identity of Meteor Man
I have it!
The Vinyamars on Stage! This time at Bag End
Re: The Stranger of Udûn? - New Info and the Identity of Meteor Man
Lol.
'You just said "your getting shorter": you've obviously been drinking too much ent-draught and not enough Prim's.' - Jude