The two big twists in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' Season 1 finale, explained

Spoiler alert! The following contains details from the Season 1 finale of "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power."

If we followed our noses, we might have smelled something sour about a certain man weeks ago in "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power." 

The finale of Amazon Prime Video's prequel series to the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy revealed two familiar characters from the story that have been hidden in plain sight all season long, but perhaps not where viewers expected to find them. The episode (now streaming) revealed that the Dark Lord Sauron has been disguised as an ally of the forces of good, Lord Halbrand (Charlie Vickers). It also strongly implied that the tall, grizzled Stranger (Daniel Weyman) that has been hanging with the small Harfoot people all season long is none other than the wizard Gandalf the Grey, immortalized by Ian McKellen in the early 2000s Peter Jackson films.

How did the fantasy epic get here? Let us explain.

There were hints that Halbrand was Sauron

Ever since we met the tousle-haired Southlander early in the season, he's been a little suspicious as a companion for the elf Galadriel (Morfydd Clarke). Halbrand was always a little too gruff, a little too cruel. He was quick to abandon his fellows when he was stranded on a raft in the sea where he and Galadriel met. He deceived and killed men in Númenor. The trinket that convinced Galadriel he was the true king of the Southlands was too convenient and made him seem too much like Aragorn, Viggo Mortensen's heroic long-lost king from the trilogy. He also tried to kill Adar (Joseph Mawle), a humanoid-orc who led a company of orcs against Sauron looking for independence.

Halbrand's game became significantly less subtle in the finale, as he pushed hard for Elven master smith Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) to use the magical ore mithril to create a powerful object. A ring, perhaps?

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It was this pressure to use the mithril to create "power over flesh" that clued Galadriel into the nefarious intentions of her companion. When she found out, Halbrand (although we can just call him Sauron now), attempts to manipulate her into joining him as his queen to rule over Middle-earth. Galadriel rebuffs him but is convinced that the elves should forge three rings out of the mithril in response to Sauron's threat. She keeps this from Elrond (Robert Aramayo) until the rings are forged and it's too late. Anyone who remembers the verse from the "Rings" books knows now that the first line has been fulfilled: "Three rings for the Elven kings."

Is the Stranger really Gandalf?

In another part of Middle-earth, a group of three white-clad, evil-looking women have successfully tracked down the amnesiac Stranger, informing him that he is Lord Sauron. They try to take him to the land of Rh?n. It's only when the Harfoots, including Nori (Markella Kavenagh), show up to help their bearded friend that the Stranger realizes he is actually a force of good, not evil. The women, known as the Nomad (Edith Poor), the Ascetic (Kali Kopae) and the Dweller (Bridie Sisson) declare he is not actually Sauron, but "the other one, Istar."

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The Stranger tells Nori that Istar means "wizard," which is a pretty big indicator that he is the most famous wizard from "Rings" lore. That suspicion is further supported when Nori and the Stranger decide to venture together to find his purpose and he tells her, “When in doubt, always follow your nose.” That is a very famous quote from Gandalf Greyhame.

It's safe to say that Weyman is playing Gandalf. Is his friendship with Nori the start of his long affection for Hobbits? (The Harfoots are Hobbit ancestors.) And what awaits the pair as they journey to Rh?n?

Those questions – along with what happened to Isildur (Maxim Baldry), what befell Númenor and what dwarf Prince Durin (Owain Arthur) plans for the mithril in his mountain – all must be answered in a second season.  (The expensive epic has already been renewed.)

Three rings have been forged and 17 are left to come, including the One Ring. We may know the ending to the "Rings of Power" story, but we still don't know exactly how the people of Middle-earth get there.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power' Season 1 finale Sauron and Gandalf