Ever since Sûzat was name-dropped in Rings of Power, one theory has gained traction: what if Nori and Poppy found the Shire in the Third Age? Well, one of the stars is very keen on the idea.
Cast your mind back to Nori and Poppy first arriving at the Stoors’ village in Rhûn, where they met Gundabel.
They mention Sadoc Burrows, their clan’s leader who died in Season 1, and it’s a name she recognizes. It turns out he was a descendant of the Stoors, and an earlier leader tried to find a place “he called the Sûzat.”
This is just another name for the Shire, and while it may just be a nod to an iconic Lord of the Rings location and the future of Hobbits… what if it’s setting up something in Rings of Power?
In an interview with Dexerto before the Season 2 finale, we asked Markella Kavenagh (Nori) what she thought about the theory. With a smile, she said: “I would say… I would love to be a part of that but we shall see how and if and what happens.”
“I mean, that is a very exciting theory. I don’t look at a lot of theories at all. But yeah, it’s very exciting. It’s set so many years before that and there’s so many different directions it can go in… but that would be amazing.”
It’s not a theory pulled out of thin air. Rings of Power’s timeline is compressed, so don’t get too caught up in the chronology (the series is expected to end with the Last Alliance of Elves and Men, a conflict that ends the Second Age).
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In Tolkien’s writings, the Shire is settled by Marcho and Blanco, two Bree-hobbit brothers who led a group of Harfoots westward and eventually made their way to Arthedain.
However, Rings of Power doesn’t need to stick to the source material, and Nori is a great candidate to establish the Shire. We know she and Poppy are wanderers, and after the Dark Wizard’s assault on the Stoors, it seems likely that they’ll help them migrate westward.
Notably, the Stoors’ homes – known as Smials – are just like the Hobbit-holes we see in Bag End, and Nori is now equipped with that knowledge.
Also, now that we know the Stranger is Gandalf, it would further explain his fondness of Hobbits if he knew the ones who founded the Shire.
They may be parting ways for now, but wherever they reunite down the line, let’s hope it’s somewhere “with endless streams of cold water and rolling hills so soft a family could dig a hole and live in it in less than a month.”
After the finale, find out if Rings of Power Season 3 has a release date, read our interview with Elrond’s actor about that Galadriel kiss, and learn how Sauron’s actor improvised the most emotional scene in the Season 2 finale. We’ve also got guides on Tom Bombadil, the Dark Wizard, and Undying Lands.