In almost every way, The Rings of Power Season 2 is an unabashed love letter to Tolkien fans everywhere. At the very least, the deep cuts and beautiful references to The Lord of the Rings will silence a majority of the haters of some of the riskier moves of Season 1. To wit, in its three-episode Season 2 premiere, Rings of Power gives us the canon-accurate deceiver form of Sauron, the fully realized Elf rings, as well as some lore-expanding moments in Númenor and Forodwaith.
But, by the second episode, we also meet a new Dark Wizard played by Ciarán Hinds. In style and mannerism, this aggressive magician, dwelling in the lands of Western Rhûn, seems to evoke everything we remember about the late Christopher Lee’s portrayal of Saruman in The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy.
But is this new wizard really Saruman? In terms of Tolkien lore, there’s some reason to believe the answer is yes. And yet as much as the show wants us to think this wizard is Saruman, there’s an equal chance he’s not.
Ciarán Hinds’ New “Dark Wizard”
The credits of Rings of Power only refer to this new character as “Dark Wizard,” meaning, like The Stranger (Daniel Weyman), we’re back in the realm of trying to guess if a famous Tolkien wizard is running under a vague pseudonym. In the second and third episodes of The Rings of Power, this new Dark Wizard certainly behaves the way we might imagine a younger, evil Saruman might have acted. The Dark Wizard’s hair isn’t yet silver and his beard is darker, too. Surely, this is how Saruman might have looked and acted in the days before he betrayed Gandalf and aligned himself with Sauron?
Visually, these clues are compelling, but these clues are largely aesthetic rather than textual. Although The Rings of Power plays fast and loose with some of the timelines of the Second Age, it can’t change cause and effect. Because if this Dark Wizard is secretly called “Saruman,” some basic Lord of the Rings plot dominos are getting pushed early.
When did Saruman turn evil?
Even casual fans will remember that in The Lord of the Rings, Gandalf believed that Saruman was still good, since he was, in the late Third Age, in charge of the White Council. Before coming to Middle-earth in the Third Age, Saruman lived in Valinor where he was called “Manwë” and also “Curumo.” And, in the books, he wasn’t sent to Middle-earth until the Third Age.
In theory, this fact alone means the Dark Wizard can’t be Saruman because Rings of Power takes place in the Second Age, not the Third Age. That said, if The Stranger is really Gandalf, he’s in Middle-earth before he should be, too. Like Gandalf, Saruman arrived in Middle-earth in TA (Third Age) 1,000, whereas everything we’re seeing in The Rings of Power happens before that.
So, the timeline problem alone can’t be the sole reason why the new Dark Wizard is or isn’t Saruman. In essence, of these two characters are Gandalf and Saruman, The Rings of Power presents an alternate version of each, with both in Middle-earth before they are in the books.
However, if the Dark Wizard is Saruman — regardless of the timeline — his downfall into evil seems to be being skipped entirely, or, at the very least, condescended. We know that Saruman ends up ruling from Isengard and basically working for Sauron. But, the books tell us (more than the Peter Jackson films) that Saruman has a strong desire to usurp Sauron and use the One Ring for himself. Obviously, The Rings of Power predates the existence of the One Ring, but only for now.
Ultimately, what seems irreconcilable in Rings of Power is that the Dark Wizard is very openly a Dark Wizard. Saruman hid his true intentions for quite a while and worked with the Elves and other wizards. So far, this Dark Wizard doesn’t seem to be savvy or playing innocent. Because if this guy really is Saruman, the ultimate twist might not be that he gets more evil by the end of the season, but instead, starts to pretend to be nicer.
