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But there’s more to Rhûn than just being off to the East. According to Tolkien’s drafts published in The History of Middle-earth, at their creation Elves and Men first awoke far to the east before travelling west. Rhûn and the East are also quite strongly associated with the Bad Guys in Tolkien’s lore. Sauron went and hid out in Rhûn after his defeat by the Last Alliance, and the Easterlings, the human inhabitants, fought for him in the War of the Ring. This might be why Tolkien thought the Blue Wizards could have become corrupted there.
Still, Rhûn itself is not inherently evil, rather it’s the cradle of Elven and Human life on Middle-earth. This is an equally good explanation for why the wizard will be able to get answers in Rhûn. It’s the association of Rhûn with the earliest creation that is important for the Stranger, especially if he’s exploring an important part of Gandalf’s history we haven’t seen before.
Gandalf the Grey and What’s Next for the Stranger in Season 2
Gandalf, or Olórin as he was originally called, was a Maiar of Manwë and Varda, the King and Queen of the Valar (a bit like the Greek Zeus and Hera, but not brother and sister, and with much less sexual misconduct on Manwë’s side!). Varda was also associated with light and with the stars, and both Frodo and Sam call on her by the name of Elbereth Gilthoniel when in danger as they are making their way into Mordor in The Lord of the Rings. This would explain the Stranger’s strong association with stars and star maps.
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We also heard the Stranger quote Gandalf from the film adaptation of The Fellowship of the Ring when he says to Nori, “when in doubt, Elanor Brandyfoot, always follow your nose.” Gandalf said exactly the same thing to Peregrin Took in the Peter Jackson film (and he expressed the same idea in different words in the book). It would have been nice to actually hear him name himself Olórin (or Mithrandir or Gandalf) but this seems like a pretty clear indication that the Stranger is indeed Gandalf, and he has just shown up on Middle-earth earlier than expected.
Of course, there’s always the chance this version of Gandalf is not the one we meet in the Third Age at all. It’s possible the writers could end up taking things back to the way Tolkien originally outlined them by killing the Stranger at some point in The Rings of Power, setting up his return later on in the Third Age. For fans of the Lord of the Rings movies and the books, this surprise twist would even rhyme with Gandalf the Grey’s story in Fellowship. After all, Gandalf really does die fighting the Balrog, but because of his task of helping the peoples of Middle-earth to fight Sauron is not yet complete, his spirit is sent back by Ilúvatar in the form of Gandalf the White. So there’s nothing to stop The Rings of Power eventually killing him off with the understanding that he will be sent back to Middle-earth in the form of Gandalf the Grey in the Third Age.
As for what awaits him in the more immediate future in season 2, it’s possible that his story will start to connect with the rest of the characters through contact with Khamûl, the only one of the Ringwraiths, or Nazgûl, whose human name is known. He was most likely an Easterling and eventually became the second-in-command to the leader of the Nazgûl, the Witch-King of Angmar. Khamûl is the first Black Rider we meet in The Lord of the Rings, as he rides around the Shire sniffing for the One Ring. If Gandalf and Nori are heading to Rhûn, it’s possible that they will encounter Khamûl in his human days, and maybe even come across Sauron himself if Sauron heads out there gifting more Rings of Power and corrupting people.
