“It taps into these very Tolkien themes about love,” Maxim Baldry tells EW.

All Isildur (Maxim Baldry) ever wanted in season 1 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power was to see the world. But now that he’s seeing Middle-earth up close in season 2, Isildur would do anything to get back to his island home of Númenor.

As Baldry previously told Entertainment Weekly for our digital cover story on the next chapter in Amazon Prime Video’s epic fantasy series, Isildur’s main priority in season 2 is just to survive — which is easier said than done in the newly-made land of Mordor.

Assumed dead at the end of season 1’s epic battle, Isildur has been left behind while the rest of the Númenoreans (including his father, Elendil) sailed back where they came from. His fate was left uncertain at the end of last season, but it will come as no surprise to J.R.R. Tolkien fans that Isildur survived. After all, he is fated to one day cut the One Ring from Sauron’s hand, as well as produce a line of heirs that will eventually include Aragorn.

Before then, Isildur will have to protect himself from the spider Shelob and other monsters lurking in the shadows and swamps of Mordor. But on the plus side, he does get a new romance, after meeting new character Estrid (Nia Towle) on the road.

“He falls in love for the first time, but she may not be exactly who he thinks she is,” Baldry teases. “It taps into these very Tolkien themes about love. It’s not just about attraction. I think it’s also about finding a deep-rooted connection between two people who have lost so much.”

Isildur (Maxim Baldry) and Estrid (Nia Towle) in ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ season 2.Ross Ferguson/Prime Video

For Rings of Power showrunners Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne, Isildur’s season 2 storyline is about allowing Baldry to show his full range as a romantic hero and skilled adventurer. “Maxim’s awesome and can do anything. When you have an actor like that, you want to throw him a fastball,” Payne tells EW.

Shelob definitely qualifies as an unexpected surprise for the lost Númenorean, but so does young love! Ask any teenager about how challenging romance can be.

“He’s got a romance happening here and as we see how that plays out, we’ll watch him go from a restless, immature youth to someone with a little bit more maturity and a broader understanding,” Payne adds.

Isildur’s coming adventures, including his entanglement with Estrid, are also about helping the character grow so that he can eventually achieve his destiny and become a heroic prince capable of facing down Sauron.

“We talked a lot about season 1 Isildur being this sort of restless youth who wants to get away from his home,” McKay says. “Season 2 is his Dorothy story. He’s in Oz now, and there’s no place like home.”

Season 2 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power premieres Aug. 29 on Prime Video.