This article from the Prime Video series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022) Season 2 Episode 3 contains significant spoilers.
The third episode of The Rings of Power’s second season returns to its roots of the first season. Here, Captain Elendil, Queen Regent Míriel, Isildur, and Arondir all triumphantly return to the Prime Video series’ second season. However, the characters are in no mood for celebration. That’s because they have lost even more with a victory of cost.
However, one character who will not return this season is Bronwyn, played by Nazanin Boniadi. She has decided to step away from the series and reportedly quit acting to pursue her passion for activism for women’s rights in Iran. For more on what happens to the character of Bronwyn, keep reading below.
Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 Episode 3: Who is Captain Elendil Mourning?
Captain Elendil (Lloyd Owen) is mourning the loss of his eldest son, Isildur, whom he believes died in the battle. We see him thinking about his son during King Tar-Palantir’s funeral. However, the four-legged equine takes off while he tries to calm his son’s horse, Arod. After evading some nasty Orcs, Arod finds his master trapped in some cobwebs spun by the spiders of Mirkwood.
Isildur (Maxim Baldry) escapes when Arod accidentally tears the web holding his master and rips a portion to free Isildur’s arm. He then grabs a sword from a corpse stuck in the spider’s web and cuts himself free. A handful of spiders descend upon him, but Isildur barely manages to fight them off. Isildur leaps on Arod and scampers away from the cave while looking back.
Who is Pharazôn?
Ar-Pharazôn (Trystan Gravelle) is a statesman, chancellor, and popular politician from the island kingdom of Númenor. After Eärien tells Elendil what King Tar-Palantir told her on his deathbed (“another island will fall”), he meets Queen Regent Míriel at the foot of the stairs. She notices Pharazôn enter and looks worried about a power struggle over Númenor.
There is also anger toward the royal family, as we see a woman slap Queen Miriel (The Accountant’s Cynthia Addai-Robinson) because she lost her son. Will Pharazôn use this to his advantage? That’s the concern. Her rightful place on the throne could be questioned because of the political ramifications, which may destroy her legacy and her kingdom.
Who is Estrid?
Estrid (Nia Towle) is a new character developed specifically for the second season of Prime Video‘s The Rings of Power. We meet her after she stabs poor Isildur in the thigh. Why did she do that? Isildur came across a caravan that had been destroyed, with several dead bodies. Estrid was hiding under one of the broken wagons. When he walks by, she stabs him, thinking he may be an Orc.
However, while traveling together in search of what is left of the community that battled the Orcs in the Southlands, they come across an injured man. Over Estrid’s objections, Isildur offers him some food, but it is a trap. Six men converge on the pair and are about to kill Isildur when Arondir (Ismael Cruz Cordova) appears, leaping from a tree and putting half a dozen arrows into the aggressors.
What Happens to Bronwyn?
After Arondir saves Isildur and Estrid, he seems sullen. He tells the pair to be more careful and sadly walks away. In the following scenes, we see him kneeling in front of a body wrapped in a shroud. The audience is then shown a flashback of Bronwyn’s smiling face. (This is a common trope where a man remembers a woman in a flashback after she has died.)
It appears that Bronwyn died from her wounds at the end of the first season. Arondir comments that she thought she was getting better. Bronwyn’s body is placed on top of a funeral pyre. Arondir is about to light it when Bronwyn’s son stops him. He takes the torch from the elf, who then turns away to look over the water. The son then lights the wood and hay on fire as the body begins to cremate.
Did We See the Introduction of Ungoliant?
We don’t know if the Ungoliant is being introduced into The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power, but they may have been. Bronwyn’s son, Theo, tells Arondir he wants nothing to do with him. However, that may be a mistake. Later, he is about to be attacked by robbers. However, something or someone is throwing hatchets, killing them. As Theo runs away, we see some men dragged into the trees. Theo stops, looks up, his jaw drops, and lets go of his weapon.
We then see his feet leave the ground as if he is being picked up. This is a wild guess, but there is a primordial creature known as Ungoliant, who takes the shape of a gigantic spider. And remember, we see one run after Isildur on his horse, Arod. Also, if you run a quick Google search on the character, you will see a handful of drawings of an ominous figure holding an ax or large hatchet as a weapon.
What is Estrid’s Secret?
After having a heart-to-heart with Isildur (could this be a potential romance?), near the end of The Rings of Power episode, Estrid has the same brand on the back of her neck as the robbers did on their wrists. Is this the marking from a brand when many were forced to pledge their allegiance to Adar?
It appears so, but only time will tell.
Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 Episode 3 Ending Explained: What is a Palantír?
A palantír, sometimes called a “Seeing Stone,” is a magical sphere similar to a crystal ball. Queen Regent Míriel has given her coronation. She comes out dressed in white, which seems to be a smack to the face of Pharazôn. As she is about to be made the ruler of Númenor, Eärien tells the crowd that the Queen has been using dark magic and is holding the palantír.
Who Does the Great Eagle Choose?
The Great Eagle arrives at the coronation. After Pharazôn tells the crowd that Eärien must be lying and that the Queen would never use “Elvish” tools, Míriel admits to it. The crowd turns on her and is about to assault her when the Great Eagle arrives. Pharazôn walks toward it, and some crowd members claim that the majestic Middle-earth creature has chosen him.
What Does King Durin III Give Sauron?
The Rings of Power episode ends with Sauron manipulating Durin IV (Owain Arthur), who convinces his father to give Sauron one of their precious stones. In return, it will help save the Dwarves from starvation. Celebrimbor takes the stone from King Durin III and hands it to Sauron, who drops it into the hot molten metal. Could this be the Arkenstone?
You can stream the new season of The Lord of Rings: The Rings of Power only on Prime Video.
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