The realm of Middle-earth can be a vast, sprawling place, particularly for a Hobbit. But the halflings of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power still manage to find their way, even as their world gets even bigger with the introduction of another race of Hobbits, the Stoors.
The lands of Rhûn host untold surprises, upping the stakes within The Rings of Power’s second season. Not only is this desert home to the cheeky Tom Bombadil (Rory Kinnear) and so-called Dark Wizard (Ciaran Hinds), but it’s also (possibly) the homeland for Hobbits themselves. That certainly comes as a surprise to Nori Brandyfoot (Markella Kavenagh) and Poppy Proudfellow (Megan Richards), nomadic Harfoots who have been wandering through Middle-earth for generations in search of a place to call home.
“A lot of stuff that they know from their immediate ancestors are told in tales or song or stories.”
“They are having a sort of cultural education of their history,” Richards tells Inverse of Nori and Poppy’s journey. “A lot of stuff that they know from their immediate ancestors are told in tales or song or stories. It’s never been an actual factual thing.”
The “Walking Song” that once seemed more like a nursery rhyme is actually a map to the Stoor community in Rhûn, and that’s not the only revelation that the pair discover this season. Ahead of The Rings of Power’s final episodes, Inverse sat down with Kavenagh, Richards, and Tanya Moodie — who plays the leader of the Stoors, Gundabale Earthauler — to break down past, present, and future for the halflings of Middle-earth.
Spoilers ahead for The Rings of Power Season 2, Episode 7.
Growing Pains
In The Rings of Power’s first season, Nori and Poppy were virtually inseparable, even as Nori’s growing responsibility to the Stranger (Daniel Weyman) put a strain on their relationship. Season 2 doubles down on that tension by dropping them into a new halfling settlement. Poppy finds romance with a Stoor named Merimac (Gavi Singh Chera), while Nori strikes up an unorthodox connection with Gundabale — also known as “the Gund.”
“Something I’ve loved about Poppy and Nori’s friendship is that it feels very, very true to life,” Kavenagh says. “You really see that this season in a new way, because there are new beings coming into their lives and new dynamics. It’s a new stage of life, a new stage of friendship.”
Per Richards, Nori and Poppy are “sort of moving from co-dependence to independence” in Season 2. It’s hard not to draw parallels to Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee, the hobbits of The Lord of the Rings. Not unlike Sam, who found love at the end of Tolkien’s trilogy, Poppy is “finding a sense of belonging in this new being.” Richards sees Poppy’s bond with Merimac as a glimmer of joy in a world that’s surrounded by darkness. “It’s very interesting,” she says of the change. “It’s healthy.”
Nori, meanwhile, finds herself swept up in the beginnings of a new adventure. After proving her worth to the Gund, Nori learns of the Sûzat, “a place with endless streams of cold water, and rolling hills so soft, a family could dig a hole and live in it in less than a month.”
“It just opens up a new opportunity for adventure.”
Of course, this promised land is actually the Shire, where Hobbits will eventually settle permanently. At this point in Middle-earth history, the Harfoots have yet to actually locate it, but since Nori has traveled farther than any halfling known to the Gund, she could potentially aid in the search for the Shire.
“I think for the first time in Nori’s life thus far, she has someone who is an elder — who’s the leader of the community — who’s taking her seriously,” says Kavenagh. The Gund may be the first to see the potential in Nori’s curious nature; she “invites her into this world of knowledge regarding their history in a way that Nori has never experienced before. It’s a very special time for her, and it just opens up a new opportunity for adventure.”
Introducing the Gund
The Gund starts off as a prickly authority figure when she’s first introduced. But as the season goes on, her armor is stripped back little by little — particularly in a confrontation with the human mercenaries that roam the lands of Rhûn. The Gund is made surprisingly vulnerable after the nomads storm into the Stoor community and threaten her in front of the entire village. It’s a difficult scene to watch, but Moodie tells Inverse that it actually reveals a lot about the Gund’s inner strength.
“At the end of the day, she’s about soft power, isn’t she?” Moodie explains. “Ultimately she wants to protect her people, so she’s perfectly willing to take those licks on behalf of her people. I think she’d rather have it on her body than people around her. She’s a tough old bird.”
“The character doesn’t really know where the character’s going.”
The Gund is entirely focused on her role as a leader and protector — and that makes her an interesting foil for Nori, who’s also had to learn about responsibility and sacrifice the hard way. Asked whether the Gund sees something of herself in the newcomer, though, Moodie doesn’t have a clear answer.
“When you think inside the head of the Gund, I don’t necessarily think those things are conscious thoughts,” the actor admits. “Whether or not I see myself in [Nori], I don’t know. I think I’d have to sit the Gund down and ask her.”
The Search for the Shire
Moodie was not much of a Tolkien fan before being cast in The Rings of Power — “It’s just not my jam,” she says wryly — so the lore that connects the show to future events isn’t high on her list of priorities. It helps that the Gund is a new character in the grand scheme, which gives her the freedom to focus on her internal world, and less on where she could end up in the future.
“I love the Gund, because she’s completely made up,” Moodie adds with a smile. “She’s not someone that was in The Silmarillion specifically, [so] I always think about action. ‘What do I want? Where have I just come from?’”
It’s the same for Kavenagh and Richards, who steer clear of social media and all the theories and speculation that come with it.
“I definitely try and focus on being present, because that’s also helpful for the character,” Richards adds. There’s a high chance that Poppy, Nori, and even the Gund could be among the halflings who discover the Shire, but that’s a topic for another day. “The character doesn’t really know where the character’s going... so it’s nice to be present and hope that we have some fun adventures coming up. We’ll see, who knows?”
