Full spoilers follow for The Rings of Power season 2 episode 8.
The Rings of Power's Cynthia Addai-Robinson has suggested that the Númenórean civil war between Míriel and Pharazôn isn't over yet.
Before 'Shadow and Flame', aka The Rings of Power season 2's final episode, aired on Prime Video today (October 3), Addai-Robinson and I spoke, in late September, about where this season's concluding chapter leaves Míriel and how it sets up the rest of her story that's yet to play out in the hit series.
So far, Amazon's prequel show has done a stellar job of fleshing out the character of Míriel. Indeed, in J.R.R. Tolkien's supplementary Lord of the Rings literature, little is actually written about Númenor's next true heir, with the texts simply stating that she was forced to marry Pharazôn after he usurped her and seized the island kingdom's throne. Okay, there's a bit more to Míriel's story than that, but I'd be getting into full-blown spoiler territory for Númenórean events to come, so I won't divulge how her story ends.
Regardless, Míriel has had a more prominent and active role in The Rings of Power's Númenor-based narrative. I'll spare myself the trouble of recounting her journey so far, but 'Shadow and Flame' certainly sets up some fascinating story threads heading into one of the best Prime Video shows' next installment. Okay, The Rings of Power season 3 hasn't been officially announced, but its showrunners are "working on it" as I speak, so it's inevitable that another season is on the cards.
What lies in store for Míriel after season 2's final episode, then? After all, she's last seen – in chains, may I add – standing before Pharazôn as one of his lackey's in Lord Belzagar rattles off a bunch of apparent charges on her rap sheet. Remember, after gazing into Númenor's palantir in episode 7, Pharazôn alleged Míriel was in league with Sauron, which is just the latest in a long line of accusations that have been brought against her.
So, is she going to be imprisoned permanently? Does Pharazôn plan on marrying her as he does in The Lord of the Rings' wider source material? Or, like it's done numerous times already, is The Rings of Power going to deviate from its literary works and do something different with Míriel? Understandably, Addai-Robinson wasn't at liberty to say too much, but she did drop some big hints about what's to come in season 3 and beyond.
"If you know Númenórean lore, here's an order of events to come," she told me. "And I try not to have, or hold tight to, any expectations, but I think it's fair to say that modern audiences have certain expectations so, if certain things aren't executed with a modern lens, they could feel a bit retrograde, dare I say.
"What I love about our show is we've not only got these amazing actresses, but also female characters who have agency. So, I think the idea of her being locked away and having that simply be [is wrong]. She's made this active choice [to fight] and she's clear on that choice. I love that she's intelligent and understands people, and Pharazôn in particular, so she can let him believe that he's ahead of the game [when he's not].
"She's absolutely plotting and planning her course, so I'm excited to see where all of that goes. I also think she deserves a bit of a break! But, ultimately, the story of Númenor is a tragic tale, so she's not going to get one."
Clearly, we're going to see much more of Númenor's civil war in this TV adaptation than I expected – especially now that Míriel has sent Elendil, with the legendary sword Narsil in hand, to rally The Faithful and try to take back the island realm from Pharazôn and The King's Men. You can read more about Míriel's gifting of Narsil to Elendil in my Rings of Power season 2 ending explainer, among other important details about events in 'Shadow and Flame' and what it sets up for season 3. Alternatively, check out some of my other season 2 finale exclusives below.
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