Diksha Sundriyal
The third season of Prime Video’s ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ picks up the battle for Middle-earth as Sauron continues to expand his forces while trying to create the One Ring to rule them all. While the elves are the main party battling the Dark Lord, the dwarves and men are also slowly roped in. The men fall easily, allowing Sauron’s army to grow by legions, but there is one kingdom that still eludes him. Númenor remains out of his reach, but this doesn’t mean that there is no conflict and bloodshed there. Following the coup of Season 2, things are looking pretty grim for the supporters of Queen Miriel, and Elendil’s daughter becomes the first major casualty of the war. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Eärien Sacrifices Herself for the Greater Good
When we first meet Eärien in Season 1, she is somewhat of a wildcard in Elendil’s family. He is a staunch supporter of Miriel, and his sons follow his lead. His daughter, however, is freer-minded and prefers to seek things out and form her own opinions. And one of the things she does is find major flaws in Miriel’s leadership early on. She doesn’t agree with the way some things are handled by the Numenórean leader, which is why her father’s blind support also irks her. Eventually, she discovers the existence of the Palantir, which she later uses to expose Miriel to the public, effectively securing Pharazôn’s position as the new king of Numenór. She remains his supporter as he seizes power, and even her own father falls under scrutiny and is almost killed.
Things turn out well for Elendil eventually, but it seems that by the end of Season 2, Eärien also starts to question her allegiance to Pharazôn. At the beginning of Season 3, five years have passed since the last season. In this time, while Sauron’s forces have drastically advanced over Middle-earth, things have also considerably shifted for Eärien. Now, she isn’t just questioning Pharazôn but is actively working against him. She is the spy among the ranks, providing important information to Isildur, who sends well-timed messages to Miriel and Elendil. But while she may have worked well so far, doubts are starting to surface about the existence of a spy. When one of the rebels is caught, Eärien uses the opportunity to shift suspicion towards the woman who serves her and whom she already suspects.
However, it turns out that the woman had already reported her suspicions months ago. Pharazôn just wasn’t ready to accept it. So, when the woman is killed, it serves as a confirmation that Eärien is trying to shake the suspicion off herself. Instead of immediately arresting her, the king and his advisor lay a trap, through which they can kill two birds with one stone. They share a crucial plan with her. If it leaks, her role as a spy will be confirmed. At the same time, the trap for Elendil would work, and they would effectively curb the rebellion by killing him. Things work as expected, and both are confirmed simultaneously. Now, it is time to confront her.
Eärien is called to Pharazôn’s quarters after she secretly steals the key that allows Isildur to use the Palantir to talk to his father. At first, she thinks another spy has been caught, but soon it becomes clear that her cover is blown and there is no way she can wriggle out of this situation. It is also clear to her that they will soon use brutal techniques to interrogate her, and the brutality of their methods might finally break her. So, instead of betraying her father and the cause, she decides to kill herself. She jumps off Pharazôn’s balcony, which shocks even the king and his men. With this, she ensures that she cannot be used to curb the rebellion, without which all would truly be lost for Numenór.
Read More: How Is The Rings of Power’s Isildur Related to LOTR’s Aragorn? Explained
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