Whew. Great episode.
I’m a bit fearful about the stranger. Since episode 2 I’d felt he was Gandalf (or a wizard). This episode swings me back towards Sauron (how it seemed when he first landed).
My only hope comes from the song Poppy sings and that’s repeated in the end credits. It’s a variation on a poem Tolkien wrote, that Gandalf sends to Frodo. Gives me some hope.