Season 2 of Amazon Prime’s The Rings of Power is set to restore a key scene controversially absent from Peter Jackson’s beloved Lord of the Rings movie trilogy. The divisive series has already teased the appearance of a Tom Bombadil that’s faithful to the original in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. Now it’s been revealed in a recent exclusive with Empire that another element that was missing from Peter Jackson’s film adaptations will finally be appearing on-screen.

The Rings of Power has been met with mixed reviews and a great deal of confusion regarding certain plot and design choices, from the quality of the costumes to the very human look of Elves like Elrond or Círdan the Shipwright. However, while some aspects of the show have been criticized, the series also presents an opportunity to explore hitherto unseen aspects of Tolkienian lore. Season 1, for instance, brought Númenor to life for the first time. Similarly, The Rings of Power season 2 is pledging to feature some iconic franchise creatures that even the popular movies ignored.

The Rings Of Power Season 2 Will Include Fellowship’s Cut Barrow-Wights

They Prove To Be An Interesting Addition, But How Will They Fit?

In The Rings of Power season 2, the Barrow-wights will emerge as a potential foe to threaten the main characters. First images have shown Galadriel facing off against one of these frightening undead, bringing a horror element to the series that could provide an interesting contrast to the typical fantasy fare that’s been seen so far. With the addition of Tom Bombadil, Sauron’s Elf form, and other elements of the books that we’ve never seen, the series promises a lot of potential fan service in episodes to come.

The question remains as to how the Barrow-wights will fit into the overall narrative of The Rings of Power. In this time period before the events of The Lord of the Rings, the undead menace of the Ringwraiths haven’t been created yet. Though similar to the Ringwraiths, the Barrow-wights are described as creatures of darkness, capable of shapeshifting. Still, despite them filling a similar niche to the Nazgûl from the main Lord of the Rings story, their presence presents a very different problem in the show’s over-arching narrative.

Lord Of The Rings’ Barrow-Wights Explained

And Why Their Presence Doesn’t Make Any Sense

In the Lord of the Rings, the Barrow-wights appear when Frodo and the other hobbits make their way through the Barrow-downs, an ancient burial ground belonging to Men of the First Age. The wights capture the hobbits and intended to kill them in some kind of strange ritual before being chased off by Tom Bombadil. These dark spirits weren’t the ghosts of the Men interred there, but were sent there by the Witch-King of Angmar long before that, in the hopes of keeping the Dúnedain away.

While the true origins of the Barrow-wights remains unknown, their appearance in the Barrow-downs first begins in the Third Age well after Sauron’s defeat.

As beings at the beck and call of the Witch-King, however, their presence doesn’t make sense. While the true origins of the Barrow-wights remains unknown, their appearance in the Barrow-downs first begins in the Third Age, well after Sauron’s defeat. With the series taking place in the Second Age during Sauron’s rise, the series would need to delve into the previously unexplored topic of the Barrow-wights’ origins. Without that, The Rings of Power risks adding another continuity issue to an already very long list.

Why Peter Jackson’s Fellowship Of The Ring Cut The Barrow Wights

It All Comes Back To Tom

In The Lord of the Rings, multiple elements of the Tolkien’s novels had to be cut for time or consistency. Ultimately, the characters’ foray into the Barrow-downs is a fairly minor part of the book that has little impact on the story as a whole. Still, there’s a larger reason for them to have been left out in the translation from book to screen. Tom Bombadil had been left out of Fellowship of the Ring‘s film, and the character plays a key role in saving the hobbits from the wights and chasing them away from their lairs. Without him, Jackson would have had to alter the scene to make it work when it was easier to just cut it entirely.

While we still don’t know much about the Barrow-wights’ appearance in The Rings of Power season 2, it’s clear that the showrunners have their work cut out for them. Though many fans have been vocal about their dislike of the show’s choices, The Rings of Power won’t be addressing fan’s concerns. Ultimately, though, this may be the best course of action. Many shows have been sunk by bending over backwards to address the feedback of their most vocal detractors, and sometimes the best approach with any work is to forge ahead and hold to the show’s creative vision. Time will tell if that works this time.