The Rings Of Power Saves Its Most Cringe Scene For Gandalf

Published Nov 15, 2026, 3:15 PM EST Angel Shaw is a Lead Writer and Critic on ScreenRant's TV team, covering new-release and classic TV shows across all major streaming platforms. She has been a writer with ScreenRant since 2022 and specializes in Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, and fantasy. Angel holds a bachelor's degree in language interpreting and is passionate about all things culture and communication—especially in how it relates to popular media throughout history (from Shakespeare to Friends to Game of Thrones). Warning! Spoilers for The Rings of Power season 3, episodes 1-4 ahead!Prime Video's The Rings of Power season 3 handed its most bizarre moment to Gandalf the Grey. This Lord of the Rings prequel has inspired a great deal of debate, most prominently regarding the representation of author J.R.R. Tolkien's original works. In truth, it would be impossible to create a faithful adaptation of the Second Age of Middle-earth—the appendices of The Lord of the Rings just aren't written that way. Still, there are some rather overt adjustments that seem avoidable and have been less than popular. The exhausting exaggeration of hate toward Rings of Power has declined significantly with season 3, which currently holds an 81% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes and a much-improved 68% audience score. It's not that there are any fewer changes to canon this time around. Rather, the pacing of this installment makes these changes far easier to excuse and even enjoy. There's a lot to celebrate here, but there is still some weirdness going on. Among the most controversial changes Rings of Power has made to Tolkien canon was the introduction of Gandalf the Grey, who isn't meant to arrive in Middle-earth for several more centuries. Still, we can appreciate the fun of bringing this iconic Lord of the Rings character in early. The trouble is that Gandalf's backstory has undergone more changes than simple timeline adjustments. In season 3, this goes as far as a verbal conversation between the wizard and the Secret Fire. We got a lot of information from the moment, but boy, was it weird. Rings Of Power Completely Reimagines The Secret Fire Image via Prime Video There was a great deal of mystery surrounding Gandalf in earlier seasons of The Rings of Power, but season 3 cleared up much of it in one broad sweep. Tom Bombadil had previously mentioned that the Secret Fire would talk to Gandalf, but we hadn't quite imagined such a literal conversation. Gandalf had a sort of vision in which the Secret Fire burned before him and explained all about the arrival of the Blue Wizards, their names, what happened between them, and what role Gandalf would have to play in bringing Pallando back to the light. This sort of exposition dump is strange enough all on its own, especially since Rings of Power seasons 1 and 2 really dragged out the mystery surrounding the Dark Wizard and his identity. Still, the strangest thing here by far is that it was the Secret Fire that explained all of this to Gandalf. Sometimes called the Flame Imperishable, the Secret Fire is the power of creation in Tolkien's fantasy world. It's not a conscious entity, but the essence of life itself. The Secret Fire is possessed only by the supreme god of The Lord of the Rings, Erū Ilúvatar. The idea here in Rings of Power is almost certainly that good old Erū is talking to Gandalf through the Fire, but this only makes the situation that much more bizarre. This is a being that only ever provides very subtle guidance. Giving history lessons and doling out missions to wizards is way below his pay grade. Gandalf's Chat In Rings Of Power Minimizes A Major Lord Of The Rings Moment Rings of Power is leaning heavily on a line Gandalf delivers in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring—"I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor." When he says this to the Balrog, who is a corrupted version of his own race, Gandalf is reminding the beast that he is a defender of life, serving the will of their creator. It's a reminder that Gandalf is placing himself in a situation that will most likely kill him, but, should he die, it would be the will of Erū Ilúvatar. This devotion is ultimately rewarded. The only known time Erū Ilúvatar directly intervened on Gandalf's behalf was the wizard's resurrection. It's a major moment in The Lord of the Rings, and though Erū Ilúvatar's name isn't stated specifically, it's made perfectly clear that Gandalf received a special honor directly from the creator. Including this moment, there are only a small (very, very small) handful of times that Erū Ilúvatar directly rewarded or punished anyone. It's a fact that makes those few instances all the more powerful and important. Taking this sort of figure and transforming him into a fire that gives out instructions like Charlie to his Angels is an odd twist for Rings of Power. Release Date September 1, 2022 Network Amazon Prime Video Showrunner John D. Payne, Patrick McKay Cast Ismael Cruz Cordova Arondir Directors J.A. Bayona, Sanaa Hamri Writers Patrick McKay, John D. Payne, J.R.R. Tolkien, Justin Doble, Jason Cahill, Gennifer Hutchison, Stephany Folsom, Nicholas Adams Franchise(s) The Lord of the Rings Creator(s) Patrick McKay, John D. Payne