Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 finale.
Prime Video’sThe Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powershows a new story in Middle-earth, as it jumps back in history, exploring the events that take place thousands of years before the more familiar tale. ThoughJ. R. R. Tolkienestablished a lot about his fictional world through his detailed world-building, there are more than a few mysteries that he never quite explained.The Rings of Powerhas already expanded on a few of them by taking characters tothe lands of Rhûnand introducingTom Bombadil (Rory Kinnear). And Season 2’s finale sets up more explanations for the show to create, like themuch-speculated identities of the Nazgûland, more subtly, the fate ofthe Entwives, which is a mystery so great that not even the characters in Middle-earth know the truth.
The disappearance of the Entwives is discussed in the events ofThe Lord of the Rings, when Treebeard mentions it, but even thousands of years later, he is still unsure what happened to them, and Tolkien never definitively established that piece of history. This makes it a natural question forThe Rings of Powerto build on, and that’s exactly what fans expected after Season 2 introduced an Entwife in episode 4, “Eldest.” Though the rest of the season lacks Ents and Entwives, the series has set itself up to explore the mystery. In only one line,The Rings of Powerteases the Entwives' disappearance. The Season 2 finale gives a hint ofhow the series might handle this story through the character of Kemen (Leon Wadham).
What Do We Know About ‘The Rings of Power’s Entwives?
The Rings of Powerprovides the first glimpse of an Entwife when Isildur (Maxim Baldry) andArondir (Ismael Cruz Córdova)venture into the forest to investigate the mysterious threat that took Theo (Tyroe Muhafidin). They discover that the situation was caused bythe Ent, Snaggleroot (Jim Broadben), and the Entwife, Winterbloom (Olivia Williams), reacting to the Orcs clearing the forest nearPelargir. Winterbloom is mourning the trees she tended, and in her grief, she takes action, proving herself more deceived than the notoriously meandering Ents. Raging at the destruction of the forest, Winterbloom takes out her vengeance on anyone, includingthe wildmenand the people of Pelargir, until Arondir promises to keep the peace while the forest heals. Winterbloom’s conclusion is hopeful, as she and her husband leave, believing they have time to forgive and heal from the past, but unfortunately, that will not last.
Storylines From ‘Rings of Power’ Season 1 That Season 2 Forgot
We’re still waiting on these answers.
As the Entwives have faded into legend byThe Lord of the Rings, something will happen to drive away Winterbloom and the rest of the Entwives not long after the events ofThe Rings of Power. And Winterbloom’s motivations suggest what it could be. As the only Entwife or Entmaiden we are familiar with, Winterbloom’s feelings stand for the group. She is fiercely protective and devoted to the trees she tended, which is why the destruction of the forest caused such a reaction.This passion must be what causes the changeas Arondir’s promise to keep the peace, while noble, is impossible considering the war withSauron (Charlie Vickers)that is coming, but problems are closer to the forest than they realize.
‘The Rings of Power’s Season 2 Finale Hints at the Entwives’ Future
Though no more Entwives appear,The Rings of Power’s Season 2 finaleshows how the peace Winterbloom was promised will soon unravel. When the Númenorians, led by Kemen, come to Pelargir, taking control of the settlement, he makes one demand: if any of those present want to stay there, they must deliver lumber to the Númenorian construction projects he initiates. Though Kemen callously says he is asking for “only trees,” Theo and the rest know the danger cutting down the forest will bring them. However, their home is destroyed, and they don’t have anywhere else to go, leaving them with a terrible decision:keep their agreement with the Ents or obey Kemen.
Kemen is not a character likely to listen to reason, so even if they explain the Ents’ attacks, he will not let up. Whatever the Southlanders decide, Kemen will have someone cutting down trees, further angering the Ents and leaving the Entwives to grieve more trees. Based on Winterbloom’s emotional reaction, the continued destruction of the forest could motivate the Entwives to seek a home far away from civilization or to stand up to their enemies and be whipped out in the process. Though nothing has happened yet,The Rings of Powerclearly intends for Kemen’s demands to have an impact onthe Entwives' story, whether it is the deciding factor or not.
How Would This Explanation Work for ‘The Rings of Power?’
The story is only beginning inThe Rings of Power,and there are sure to be many twists ahead, but as it takes shape, it seems to be a fitting story for the series, even though it is notperfectly accurate to the source material. While there is little information about the Entwives,Tolkien did set up a different storyfor them. Tolkien wrote the Entwives to focus on gardening and agriculture, while the Ents tended to the trees and forests, so the Ents traveled while Entwives preferred to stay in their gardens. The last known location of the Entwives is east of the Anduin, where they taught Men agriculture. Tolkien wrote that Sauron torched the area in the Second Age, which assumedly either killed the Entwives or forced them to move yet again.
Since Tolkien never made definitive statements about the Entwives' fate,The Rings of Powercan alter the story without contradicting the source material. However, already, the series has created questions that it must answer. For example, if the Ents and Entwives are together, how do the Ents not know what happened? Though the series takes a new approach to the Entwives, it creates an interesting story. If Kemen is the missing piece of the puzzle, the series can use the fate of the Entwives to further vilify him, though it is hardly necessary ashe already holds the title ofThe Rings of Power’s most unlikeable character.This change could make Kemen more powerful than he has been so far,showing how his cruelty impacted Middle-earth for thousands of years, and give fans more time with the Ents.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of PowerSeason 1 and 2 is available to stream on Prime Video.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Epic drama set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien’s ‘The Hobbit’ and ‘The Lord of the Rings’ follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared re-emergence of evil to Middle-earth.
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