RINGS OF POWER Season 2 will feature Tom Bombadil; First look at photos and details shared

Some new photos have been released for Prime Video’s fantasy epic The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and features a first look at the character Tom Bombadil.

This is a character of JRR Tolkienthe novels of which did not appear in Peter JacksonMiddle-earth films. He is a unique and enigmatic character who appears particularly in Fellowship of the Ring.

Described as a cheerful, ageless figure with a deep connection to nature, he lives in the Old Forest with his wife, Goldberry, the “river’s daughter”. Unlike other beings in Middle-earth, Tom is unaffected by the power of the One Ring; she has no influence on him and shows no interest in his dominance potential.

There is a mystery behind his origins and true nature, and some speculate that he may be a Maia or an even older spirit. Bombadil is a charming character with a light-hearted and joyful demeanor and has a deep understanding of the natural world.

Tolkien wrote of the character saying: “Tom Bombadil is not an important person for the narrative. I suppose he has some importance as a ‘commentary’. I mean, I don’t really write like that… he represents something I think is important, even if I wouldn’t be willing to analyze the feeling precisely.

The character is played by Rory Kinnear (Men) in the series and the photo sees the character posing in front of “The Stranger”, played by Daniel Weyman. The Stranger is an Istar, one of the five wizards, and many fans suspect he is Olórin, who will eventually become Gandalf.

When talking about how this character would be introduced into the series, the showrunner JD Payne said: “There’s a reason why he hasn’t been in previous adaptations, because in a way he’s kind of an anti-dramatic character.

He added: “He’s not a character who has a particularly strong agenda. He observes the drama, but largely does not participate in it. In The Fellowship of the Ring, the characters just go there and hang out for a while, and Tom passes on some knowledge to them.”

Showrunner Patrick McKay said, “Knowledge that is not particularly relevant to something they are doing or about to do.”

It is explained that “Bombadil first appears when the hobbits clash with the Old Willow, an angry tree in the Old Forest that swallows Merry and Pippin in the folds of its bark.

“Bombadil sings a song that calms the wild sprout, causing it to release the halflings. After a short stay with him and his wife Baccadoro, the children leave.

“Later, they are saved again by Bombadil when they are captured by evil spirits known as Barrow-wights, who capture them in an ancient graveyard.”

Payne continued about the character, saying, “He can be a force for good, but it’s difficult to integrate him in a dramatic way since he doesn’t have an agenda. It does not move forward and does not push people to arrive at a particular end.

McKay explained: “It has no clear dramatic function that would justify its inclusion in a truly great film adaptation. It’s whimsical and magical, and almost borders on silly.

“But it also possesses the wisdom of the ages and the music of the spheres and the deep emotional sources of ancient history and myth, and its conception and function are linked to Norse myths and have deep roots in European fairy tale.

“Oddly enough, he’s kind of a Lord of the Rings character in The Lord of the Rings, and also the first thing you’d cut if you were adapting it as a film. But we have the advantage of a TV show and so we will find a way to use it.”

In the series, Bombadil has a second home, on the outskirts of a region called Rhûn. Payne reveals: “In our story, he went to the lands of Rhûn, which we learn was kind of Edenic and green and beautiful, but now it’s kind of a dead wasteland. Tom went out there to see what happened as he continues his various wanderings.

It’s the same place where the second season of The Rings of Power find the Nori halflings (Markella Kavenagh) and Poppy (Megan Richards) as they escort the amnesiac wizard known as the Stranger (Daniele Weymann) towards the discovery of its purpose.

Payne discusses meeting Bombadil with the Stranger by saying, “When he finally meets the Stranger, you might say he has a desire to try to prevent the destruction that occurred there from spreading to his beloved lands in the West.

“It pushes the Stranger along his journey, who knows he will ultimately protect the larger natural world he cares about. So I would say our Tom Bombadil is slightly more interventionist than you see in the books, but only by 5% or 10%.”

It will be interesting to see Tom Bombadil come to life in this series.

Source: Vanity Fair