I don't know that we have successfully made this our rep, but we really are not trying to be clever for clever's sake. We're not trying to make little mystery games and puzzle boxes. We're really trying to play with our cards open.

McKay: No, no, I'll say something on the record. Given the history of Middle-earth, it would be highly, highly, highly improbable that this could be Saruman.

Payne: If not impossible.

"Given the history of Middle-earth, it would be highly, highly, highly improbable that this could be Saruman."

I could say exactly the same thing about the Stranger being Gandalf, and look how that turned out. I was hoping beyond hope that the Stranger would be one of the Blue Wizards. His being Gandalf reeks of the worst sort of pandering. It's fan-service with no story logic, and it disrespects Tolkien's authorial intent.

Anyone who never thought The Stranger was Gandalf probably also thought it wasn't obvious Halibrand was Sauron until it was spelled out for them, including, apparently, the actor himself.

...and it disrespects Tolkien's authorial intent.

...The story intent was to have the Istari arrive to counter the threat of Sauron...as per show timeline, Sauron is out and about and in need of countering....

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Me: You know this...how?

Otaku-sempai: I have seen it (reveals Palantir)

The story intent was to have the Istari arrive to counter the threat of Sauron...as per show timeline, Sauron is out and about and in need of countering. Don't get me wrong...I was still hoping (against hope & on-screen reasons) that the stranger wouldn't be Gandalf.

The Dark Wizard is supposed to be the Rhunic Wizard that was one of the Blues in the books.

And I can see that this Gandalf is a different form of Gandalf because I think in some of the History of Middle-earth books, it said that Olorin possibly had appeared in Middle-earth before the 3rd Age. So this may be a different version of Gandalf than the 3rd age of Gandalf the Grey.

The Dark Wizard is supposed to be the Rhunic Wizard that was one of the Blues in the books.

And I can see that this Gandalf is a different form of Gandalf because I think in some of the History of Middle-earth books, it said that Olorin possibly had appeared in Middle-earth before the 3rd Age. So this may be a different version of Gandalf than the 3rd age of Gandalf the Grey.

I was reading Unfinished Tales the past week and it came to my mind that this quote/passage : "Olórin (who was known in Middle-earth as Mithrandir) brought it with him out of the West. And on a time Olórin came to Galadriel, who dwelt now under the trees of Greenwood the Great..... And when Olórin had told her many tidings she sighed, and said: ‘I grieve in Middle-earth, for leaves fall and flowers fade; and my heart yearns, remembering trees and grass that do not die. I would have these in my home.’ Then Olórin said: ‘Would you then have the Elessar?’ ....And he held before her the Elessar, and she looked on it and wondered. And Olórin said: ‘This I bring to you from Yavanna. Use it as you may, and for a while you shall make the land of your dwelling the fairest place in Middle-earth....' "

Maybe i am totally confused as usual with my lore knowledge, but is that a slight indication about Olorin coming at the Second Age? I need your help to reconciliate much better with the idea of Gandalf in the series.

It was not until far on in the Third Age, when Amroth was lost and Lórinand was in peril, that Galadriel returned there, in the year 1981. - Unfinished Tales

I know this from reading the appendices and other sources

McKay: Tolkien also made note of only five wizards, Gandalf the Grey, Saruman the White…
Payne: There's Radagast the Brown and then there's two blue wizards—and that's all we'll say."

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As written, yes...however, in terms of intent, I'd argue that the intent was that the Istari counter Sauron....hence, is there a particular intention as to why Olorin had to turn up only in TA?

EDIT: and reading the above deep lore quotes, does suggest it could have occurred, even if he wasn't at that time "Gandalf" per se.

I do hope that if Amazon acquires more rights (or all) for the films, I hope they can change the designs of the Rings. Vilya and Narya look fine(and similar enough to the films), but I think the show's version of Nenya isn't very pretty. It's way too bulky for an elven ring haha.

Making him Saruman, would be a terrible choice and that would be a significant contradiction to what we see of their relationship later in the Third Age.

We (I) just didn’t want to believe either that fact or that there was really not much of a mystery about it.

The Dark Wizard can still be a Blue, but I really hope he isn’t Saruman because that just makes a mess.

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You might have missed the show runners' clear statement that it's "impossible" that he's Saruman. That interview has also been quoted right here on these forums. So you can be comforted that I also believe it can't be Saruman. That would so egregiously undermine his timeline and story in all incarnations (movies, books, etc.) that the writers could never get away with it. Whether they came to such decision or realization post hoc, however, is anyone's guess.

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Yeah, I don't trust any such statements from Payne & McKay or from the Marketing Department. Or don't you remember being deliberately trolled in regards to Season 2? If Gandalf can be placed in the Second Age then there's nothing stopping the same thing being done with Saruman, whether it makes any sense or not. I wasn't surprised when it was confirmed that the Stranger was Gandalf, just disappointed.

If there's some sort of tricksy loophole that gives double meaning to "it's impossible," I'd believe you, which would mean they're being clever again with a Mystery Box, both of which they've denied doing. Heh. In that case, they're be liars any way you look at it, just like Benedict Cumberbatch lied to the press prior to release of "Star Trek Into Darkness," stating unequivocally that John Harrison wasn't Kahn. Payne & McKay were disciples of JJ Abrams, infamous for his Mystery Box (and lens glare). All that said, I'm leaning toward the guy being a "blue" wizard - not Saruman.

Amazon has newly expanded rights to plot points from The Silmarillion.
S2E1 opening scene is Eru using the secret flame to create Melkor.
Melkor (then) watches as Eru creates all the Valar and the Maiar.
Eru is a disembodied voice vaguely human shaped but no characteristics can be made out.
The secret flame is golden, as are all the Valar and the Maiar.
The Valar are larger than the Maiar, but are bathed in a golden light and completely naked (the scenes were filmed with nude figures in strategic lighting.)
Sauron will be played primarily by three actors in Season 2.
Sauron — in Mairon form, and called such — is NOT Halbrand (Charlie Vickers) or Annatar (Gavi Singh Chera).
After the fourth interruption of the Song, several Maia meet and discuss Melkor’s discordance.
Mithrandir (Gandalf) is in this scene.
Mithrandir (Gandalf) is “almost” convinced to support Mairon’s (Sauron) agenda.
Mairon gives an epic speech, “The One has blessed me more so than all of you to see the potential of His creations, and what better way to forge their mettle than by allowing them to face Melkor’s discord and grow beyond what they think capable!”
Sauron tells the dwarves he apprenticed under Aulë, so they welcome him with open arms.
Sauron had a son who Adar killed.
Horse lovers rejoice! A dedicated “bottle” episode with little dialog will tell the story of the first Mearas (Editor: these are the great horses of the Rohirrim), Felaróf, and introduce Shadowfax.
Gandalf (Meteor Man) meets Shadowfax.
Tom Bombadil and Goldberry are in an episode.
They are played by the same actor and actress as Melkor/Morgoth and Ungoliant from Episode 1.
The pair, as Bombadil and Goldberry, are serving out a punishment from Mandos per “a long-held fan theory” (Editor: this “long-held fan theory” is news to us.).
The season will end with Sauron forging the One Ring.

I was always under the impression that this list of false rumors you referred to was from an anonymous 4Chan post and not something put out as a smokescreen by Amazon (the original appeared to come from Russia and had weird, crude language such as "You will see tiddies (sic) and dongs". The rumor taken from sources close to the production, if I remember correctly, involved Celeborn:

“Sauron will try to deceive Galadriel again by taking the persona of Celeborn. Sauron sneaks back into Eregion as Celeborn.”

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Oh way back in January, when a bunch of false rumors were dropped by the show staff. Some of them were pretty absurd! A couple have an ounce of truth to them. Here's a summary:

regarding the storyline of Gandalf.

They will make a story with Gandalf failing in Secong Age against the Blue Wizards (will we have any similar casting in season 3?), Khamul and Sauron,and taking responsibility for the loss of the East, he returns to Valinor, not wanting to return to Middle-earth again, let alone the East. After Isildur's death, since he is shown in the last episode of the series, we see him on a ship arriving at the Grey Havens with Saruman and Radagast.

I wish they have such a turn in mind. The Dark Wizard told Gandalf that 'you convinced me to come to Middle-earth to face Sauron' while as I recall Gandalf was the most hesitant of all. Showing in the series that he had eaten his face off against Sauron and the Blues in the East, which is why he was reluctant to come back, would have been perfect.

How does that sound?

Finally, did you notice the Dark Wizard's last action was to look up at the star formation where two strands meet one? As if speculating that the earthbound formation is not complete.

Everything I hear about these guys makes me more optimistic

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I agree. Even if the viewers don't agree with every choice they make, at least these guys seem to be making these choices for specific reasons relating to the story they want to tell.

LOL: they exemplify two of the main ways it seems to me that people become Tolkien fans: seeing/reading The Hobbit as children or seeing Jackson's movies at a still impressionable age.

I recognize the changes to the lore but am trying to judge them on how they contribute to the story being told by the writers.