Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power episode 2 spoilers follow.
Who is the "Meteor Man"? Why is black stuff leaking out of the cows? And most importantly of all, why did Prime Video come up with such a dumb name for our return to Middle-earth?
Lord of the Rings is already riddled with mysteries, just two episodes in, but there's one big cliffhanger in particular that's knocked us for six. Yes, we are of course talking about the end of episode two where Galadriel's fate is left in the hands of yet another mysterious stranger. How are we supposed to wait a whole week for answers?
What to Read Next
If you're as impatient as us, then you're in luck! Because if it's answers you seek, then it's answers you'll find right here in this very feature. You're welcome.
Rings of Power episode 2 ending explained
We've followed Galadriel from her childhood to adult life, pre-Cate Blanchett, and we've also covered considerable ground in Middle-earth already too. But beyond the streams and icy cliff-sides, everyone's favourite Elf finally stumbles while navigating the Sundering Seas.
When a storm hits, Galadriel and her companion, Halbrand, are knocked overboard into the water. They're both okay though, because hey, this is a prequel, and spoiler alert, Galadriel is in the movies, but how do they escape this predicament?
At the very end of episode two, a boat comes across them both in the water where a shadowy figure appears on the helm. Roll credits. But who is this person? Is he friend or foe?
It's not clear just yet, but from what we've seen in the trailers, it looks extremely likely that this is Elendil, played by Lloyd Owen. The ship he's spotted on is quite similar to the one featured here, plus his overall look is just an uncanny match for the blurry guy in general.
During a recent chat with Collider, actor Lloyd Owen described his character in a way that seems to corroborate these suspicions:
"In terms of where we see him start the series, he's a very capable ship's captain," said Owen. "And he's trying to bring up these three adult children, but he's recently been widowed. So the turbulence within the family is something that he's just trying to calm. He's trying to find calm waters."
Who is Elendil?
Moving forward, we can expect to see more Elendil and his family who are currently fleeing Númenor island due to prophecies surrounding its impending destruction. But the person we should be concerned with most isn't Elendil, but his son, Isildur, who will go on to play a key role in the fight against Sauron.
As revealed via voiceover in the prologue to Peter Jackson’s The Fellowship of the Ring, Isildur eventually cuts the One Ring from Sauron's hand, which seems great, but this refusal to destroy the Ring ends up helping Saury survive into the Third Age. Because of Elendil's son, the Ring eventually winds up in the hands of Gollum, setting up the big events we all know and love.
While Isildur barely appears in the movie trilogy, he's going to end up playing a much bigger role here in The Rings of Power, brought to life by Hollyoaks star Maxim Baldry.
But that's not all that's heading our way. On top of Galadriel's rescue, Theo also has problems of his own when a drop of his blood forms a creepy dark blade towards the end here. Plus, King During III is about to reveal something secret and glowy and mysterious in his chest which will be used to aid Elrond in his quest.
How will this all tie together? Is the "Meteor Man" somehow responsible for everything going on in Middle-earth right now? And will Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power ever get the name change it sorely needs? For now, some mysteries are just too big, even for us to answer.
Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power airs weekly on Amazon Prime Video from September 2, 2022.
Warner Home Video Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit – 6-film Blu-ray
The Noble Collection Lord of the Rings Collector's Chess Set
Warner Bros Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Warner Bros Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Warner Bros The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Warner Bros The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey
Warner Bros The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Warner Bros The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Funko Frodo Baggins Funko Pop! Vinyl
Funko King Aragorn Funko Pop! Vinyl
Winning Moves Lord of the Rings Monopoly Board Game
Waddingtons Lord of the Rings Trivial Pursuit
Rhino/Warner Records Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring - The Complete Recordings
After teaching in England and South Korea, David turned to writing in Germany, where he covered everything from superhero movies to the Berlin Film Festival.
In 2019, David moved to London to join Digital Spy, where he could indulge his love of comics, horror and LGBTQ+ storytelling as Deputy TV Editor, and later, as Acting TV Editor.
David has spoken on numerous LGBTQ+ panels to discuss queer representation and in 2020, he created the Rainbow Crew interview series, which celebrates LGBTQ+ talent on both sides of the camera via video content and longform reads.
Beyond that, David has interviewed all your faves, including Henry Cavill, Pedro Pascal, Olivia Colman, Patrick Stewart, Ncuti Gatwa, Jamie Dornan, Regina King, and more — not to mention countless Drag Race legends.
As a freelance entertainment journalist, David has bylines across a range of publications including Empire Online, Radio Times, INTO, Highsnobiety, Den of Geek, The Digital Fix and Sight & Sound.
