SPOILER ALERT: This article contains major spoilers for the four-episode premiere of “The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power,” now streaming on Prime Video.
After a two-year hiatus, it’s time to return to Middle-earth and say goodbye to one of the major characters in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
Season 3 released its first four episodes on Prime Video, and it’s immediately clear that the series has kicked into high gear. The series jumps forward five years as Sauron (Charlie Vickers) rises to power, commands a massive army of orcs, and begins to round up the ringwraiths, aka his fearsome Nazgûl enforcers. He recruits several men to fight for the honor of being a ringwraith, including a surprise fighter: Theo (Tyroe Muhafidin), who wins.
Sauron is in complete control and the elven, dwarven and human cities are struggling to hold on and remain free. But the season begins on a tender note, recalling the love story between Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) and her long-lost husband Celeborn (Jamie Campbell Bower). They fell in love with each other in their youth but have since been separated – for now. In the present, Galadriel and Arondir (Ismael Cruz Córdova) encounter an orc named Marnûkh (Adam Young), who leaves Sauron’s army and promises to lead them to an imprisoned elf blacksmith who could forge them a ring.
In Episode 4, the trio heads to Gundabad, a mountainous orc prison, where they accidentally learn that the elf blacksmith died weeks ago. However, they rescue Celeborn, who had been locked away for who knows how long. Galadriel, Arondir, Celeborn and Marnûkh make their way out of Gundabad, but they are greeted by a ringwraith who confronts Arondir. The Shadow Knight removes his mask and it is revealed that Theo has joined Sauron’s inner circle. Arondir tries to reason with the young man, but Sauron appears and orders Theo to kill the elf. Theo plunges his sword into Arondir, killing him in a shocking twist.
Elsewhere in Middle-earth, things aren’t much better. The humans are divided, with King Pharazon of Numenor (Trystan Gravelle) surviving an assassination attempt by a loyal follower of the blind, the deposed Queen Regent Mirel (Cynthia Addai-Robinson). Earien (Ema Horvath), the daughter of Elendil (Lloyd Owen), also works as a spy for the Faithful, but she is discovered by Pharazon and killed.
In the Dwarf Mountains, King Durin IV (Owain Arthur) faces a problem of succession. He is challenged for his father’s crown by his brother Thrain (Eddie Marsan), who wants to work with the ringwraiths to protect the dwarves. They settle the disagreement with a fight, but Durin is destabilized after learning that his wife Disa (Sophia Nomvete) previously had an affair with Thrain. Durin loses the confrontation and his right to rule the kingdom.
Middle-earth’s saving grace may come from the wizard Gandalf, who finally dons his famous pointy hat after speaking with the mysterious and all-powerful Secret Fire. After wandering the wastelands with Tom Bombadil (Rory Kinnear), Gandalf sets out to save the world from Sauron.
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