Meteor guy (RoP and LotRO spoilers)

[LagunaD2]

One of several mysterious elements in the Amazon episodes is an apparently human-looking figure ("The Stranger") who arrives in Middle-earth as a blazing meteor.

In an unsubtle message that may well be a red herring, the impact crater vaguely resembles a flaming eye, but the fire in it isn't hot and doesn't burn.

Searching the interwebs turns up a lot of speculation about who the unidentified figure might be, including Sauron, one of the Istari, or Tom Bombadil.

One thing I didn't see mentioned in the articles I found was the Stranger's actual words. He is incoherent, but I was watching with sub-titles, which revealed that he was attempting to use words of Quenya:

"úrë-"

and

"mana-"

From what I could find, the first is the root meaning "fire" or "heat" (thus appropriate in context), and the second means "who".

I don't think it can be Sauron, who would, as Sam Gamgee might say, "look fairer and feel fouler", and wouldn't arrive in Middle-earth as a meteor-riding amnesiac stammering in High-Elven.

The Istari we know of arrived thousands of years later, and I originally thought the appearance of Gandalf in LotRO's Mordor Besieged was taking rather egregious liberties with the lore, until I found (I can't remember where, but I think somewhere in The History of Middle-earth) that Tolkien himself wrote that Olorin/Gandalf had gone to Middle-earth before, in different guises, and provided counsel to those resisting the Shadow.

Could the show-runners have seized on the same hook as the Mordor Besieged quest writers? Gandalf the White says he was sent back naked (like the Stranger), and also seemed to need some time to fully recover his memories.

But Olorin was a maia of Manwe (associated with air, not fire) and Tolkien suggests Gandalf's fire-affinity was tied to Narya, the elven ring (although he refers to himself as a servant of the secret fire, this is the sacred life-force of Arda that Melkor sought unsuccessfully because it resides with Illuvatar, rather than simple fire itself...). But anyhow, Olorin doesn't seem like a great fit for the Stranger either. The Stranger, while not reeking of evil as one might suppose Sauron should, is still fairly creepy.

[LagunaD2]

The passage about Olorin/Gandalf I mentioned is actually from The Silmarillion (Valaquenta):

Of Melian much is told in Quenta Silmarillion. But of Olorin that tale does not speak; for though he loved the Elves, he walked among them unseen, or in form as one of them, and they did not know whence came the fair visions or the promptings of wisdom that he put into their hearts. In later days he was the friend of all the Children of Illuvatar, and took pity on their sorrows; and those who listened to him awoke from despair and put away the imaginations of darkness.

[Bakenellan]

Given that the show is targeted to the people who watched the movies or at most read the book (not to mention those who did neither) I'd go for Gandalf. He was the fire wizard and I don't remember if it was pointed in the movies that his power over fire came from Narya. And of course he mentioned the Secret Flame like you pointed.

The more crazy theory I've heard is that the Stranger is a Balrog (or maybe even the Balrog) - repentant or maybe not.

[Radhruin_EU]

Given that the show is targeted to the people who watched the movies or at most read the book (not to mention those who did neither) I'd go for Gandalf. He was the fire wizard and I don't remember if it was pointed in the movies that his power over fire came from Narya. And of course he mentioned the Secret Flame like you pointed.

And check out the bit where he whispers to the fireflies, just like when Gandalf was talking to that moth in the FOTR movie. Subtle, it ain't. Plus they've already given us Nori and Poppy as a female Frodo and Sam duo, what else goes with that? Gandalf, or at least someone like him. Now all we need is some more people and some sort of mission. Quest. Thing.

These guys are so desperate for relevance they're hijacking everything. Hobbits, Istari, the Balrog, you name it. Now all we need is a dragon and we've got the lot...

[LagunaD2]

Hobbits, Istari, the Balrog, you name it. Now all we need is a dragon and we've got the lot...

"Fool of a Brandyfoot!"...?

[TesalionLortus]

Now all we need is a dragon and we've got the lot...

Their perfect occasion to make the intro bombastic was to have a dragon in there during the First Age battle and the only thing they were capable of was that cheap awkward shot of PJ's Fell Beast vs Eagle (or maybe that was their version of a dragon lmaof). So I doubt we'll be seeing any dragons here...

[elvenes]

One of several mysterious elements in the Amazon episodes is an apparently human-looking figure ("The Stranger") who arrives in Middle-earth as a blazing meteor.

In an unsubtle message that may well be a red herring, the impact crater vaguely resembles a flaming eye, but the fire in it isn't hot and doesn't burn.

Searching the interwebs turns up a lot of speculation about who the unidentified figure might be, including Sauron, one of the Istari, or Tom Bombadil.

One thing I didn't see mentioned in the articles I found was the Stranger's actual words. He is incoherent, but I was watching with sub-titles, which revealed that he was attempting to use words of Quenya:

"úrë-"

and

"mana-"

From what I could find, the first is the root meaning "fire" or "heat" (thus appropriate in context), and the second means "who".

I don't think it can be Sauron, who would, as Sam Gamgee might say, "look fairer and feel fouler", and wouldn't arrive in Middle-earth as a meteor-riding amnesiac stammering in High-Elven.

The Istari we know of arrived thousands of years later, and I originally thought the appearance of Gandalf in LotRO's Mordor Besieged was taking rather egregious liberties with the lore, until I found (I can't remember where, but I think somewhere in The History of Middle-earth) that Tolkien himself wrote that Olorin/Gandalf had gone to Middle-earth before, in different guises, and provided counsel to those resisting the Shadow.

Could the show-runners have seized on the same hook as the Mordor Besieged quest writers? Gandalf the White says he was sent back naked (like the Stranger), and also seemed to need some time to fully recover his memories.

But Olorin was a maia of Manwe (associated with air, not fire) and Tolkien suggests Gandalf's fire-affinity was tied to Narya, the elven ring (although he refers to himself as a servant of the secret fire, this is the sacred life-force of Arda that Melkor sought unsuccessfully because it resides with Illuvatar, rather than simple fire itself...). But anyhow, Olorin doesn't seem like a great fit for the Stranger either. The Stranger, while not reeking of evil as one might suppose Sauron should, is still fairly creepy.

if Mana Ur is Fire Who? maybe Meteor Man will find the Balrog teased at the very end of the last trailer. Or awaken it. Or become it, who knows (Not trying to be snarky, it's all possibilities). It is nice to speculate without trash talking the show ever 5 seconds.

[Altair6]

Could he be looking for Celebrimbor and have something to do with the new "super" forge he's trying to build?

[Halphast]

I don't want to believe it's Gandalf, but I bet that's exactly who it is. Especially having the Harfoots discover and care for him- it sets up Gandalf's particular love for Hobbits. As has been mentioned, him talking to fireflies is like him talking to the moth in the Fellowship film. Also the way he roars and alters reality around himself is very like Gandalf when he gets angry at Bilbo in the Fellowship film. Add in fire imagery, the fact he has a beard, the fact that he arrived naked and his first clothing is to drape himself in blankets like a robe... etc etc.

All signs seem to point to Gandalf... but I don't like it.

[LagunaD2]

All signs seem to point to Gandalf... but I don't like it.

I'm not sure it's "all signs".

The meteor doesn't make sense. It could just be a bad writing choice for dramatic effect, of course. But when Gandalf and friends arrived in the 3A, he took a ship. If a ship wasn't available or fast enough, one of Manwe's eagles could have taken him anywhere he needed to go. The Silmarillion says he was able to surreptitiously aid the elves - who are pretty sharp - without their realizing it. Meteors crashing into the ground aren't so subtle.

Also, the fire flies died after he spoke to them, which doesn't seem very Gandalf-y.

Another idea I had. Perhaps the Stranger is a maia who discovered something Sauron didn't want him to see, or quarreled with him; so they fought, and Sauron had the upper hand. So the Stranger's arrival isn't willing, and his mental stupor is (in effect) the result of hay-maker landed by Sauron. He's in a very similar state to Gandalf after fighting the Balrog. Perhaps the meteor was Sauron, or a Balrog, who the Stranger was fighting as they fell. Or Sauron threw the Stranger to the ground in a ball of flame. In either case, the bad guy walked away from the fight and the Stranger, who lost, didn't.

According to the last book of The Silmarillion, Sauron initially sought - perhaps even sincerely - forgiveness from Eonwe, herald of Manwe, but he couldn't bring himself to accept judgment from Manwe himself. It also says he hid his intentions for a while.

This seems more plausible, lore-wise, than Gandalf or some other maia *choosing* to arrive by crashing into the ground as a meteor. And he wants the Harfoots to take him to somebody he can warn about whatever kicked his butt.

But it still doesn't explain the dead fire-flies.

[Halphast]

I'm not sure it's "all signs". The meteor doesn't make sense. ... it still doesn't explain the dead fire-flies.

Oh believe me, I'm with you on those points. Those are all very good reasons why I don't want it to be Gandalf. The meteor is stupid, not being able to talk is stupid, killing the fireflies is stupid... I just feel like the imagery is all clumsily mysteriously (not mysteriously) pointing to a Gandalf back-story.

I know he's supposed to arrive much later on a ship. I just think they're doing what they please with the characters, so maybe in their version Gandalf got thrown into the world by Eru, or he was the spirit of a star and fell to earth to become a wizard... who knows what they'll come up with. Killing fireflies isn't his style, but they're presenting him as this sort of newborn-powerful-creature who can't control his emotions/powers/movements/language yet.

Putting aside that this is a total misrepresentation of the character's origins, putting together all of the elements: hobbit friends, animal talk, harmless fire, reality-bending anger, robe-wearing, looks human but is supernatural... to me it's strongly pointing at a clumsy non-canon origin story for Gandalf. ...and again, I don't like it one bit, so I'll be thrilled if it's someone else!

[Aranaan]

Its highly likely bad writing, like most of the show.

Its like reading a fanfiction about Harry potter and Malfroy being lovers...