All Númenor leaks, all the time – Rings of Power Season 3

We are back with more juicy hints about Season 3, and this time they range from something we have probably seen in a recent set leak, to a major spoiler that fans have theorised for a while as a really cool option for the show to take. Moreover, we see that things will get hot in a plotline that fans of the books have long felt has been shown short shrift. As always, book spoiler warning for the rest of the article. [Editor’s Note: apologies for the delay in release since the FoF video dropping these leaks, life catches up!]

Gil-galad and Elrond — in Númenor

Photo credit: Aham Photos https://ahamphotos.co.uk/

Exclusive: Elrond & Gil-galad will travel to Númenor to request the support of Pharazôn and the Númenóreans in defeating Sauron in ‘The Rings of Power’ Season 3

The first leak will come as no surprise to anyone who has been paying attention, or has seen our previous article on the set leaks that saw Ar-Pharazôn, Gil-galad and Elrond standing together gazing out to sea. The report from the photographer (linked in the article) noted that it seemed to be largely helicopter shots, with no obvious action. It was suggested since our article was published that the characters may have been looking a yet-to-be-digitally-added Númenórean fleet. This event is a creation of the show, an artifact of the realignment of the timelines of the two major plots of the Second Age

How to make the Second Age into a single TV show (Image credit: Wrtlprnft, Wikimedia)

Since Ar-Pharazôn is in the show’s timeline the ruler of Númenor, he is very likely taking the narrative place of Tar-Minastir, the 11th king and ally of the Eldar, who sent a navy to Middle-earth to help defeat Sauron in his war against the Elves. However, there is all kinds of additional baggage now that the decidedly anti-elf king is instead the one being asked for help. Ar-Pharazôn will have different motives in aiding (or not aiding) Gil-galad, and it is a reasonable extrapolation that the show may merge book Ar-Pharazôn’s visit to Middle-earth with his response to the request from the Elves.

Círdan pays a home visit to Míriel — in Númenor

Excl: There will be a scene between Círdan and Miríel (believed to be in Numenor) revolving around Míriel’s blindness.

Another change here, as there is no written source for Círdan visiting Númenor in the late Second Age, nor would have it been possible given the political climate. But it’s not inconsistent that he perhaps visited Númenor at the start of the Second Age, in the version of the founding of the island kingdom as excerpted in ‘The History of the Akallabêth‘ in The Peoples of Middle-earth (and later published with full context in The Nature of Middle-earth). In that fuller account, Círdan and his sea-faring people helped transport the Edain to the new island granted to them over the course of 50 years near the start of the Second Age, until time was called, and Círdan would provide no more ships. Tolkien wrote of the small boats in which the Eldar ferried the Edain, each one was “steered by one of the Eldar deputed by Círdan”. One might imagine Círdan himself taking Elros across in the first wave of the settlers leaving Middle-earth, leaving others to continue the many trips over the next half-century—in an alternate telling of the story that was actually a dramatic narrative.

But that brings us to the reason for Círdan’s trip. It is conceivable that Círdan will captain the ship that brings Gil-galad and Elrond to Númenor (it is hard to imagine two such visits), though as was discussed in the FoF video on these leaks, having three major leaders of the Elves sail to Númenor on one boat feels risky. It seems indicative of a level of desperation. Having the High King of the Noldor come personally to ask Ar-Pharazôn for help, king-to-king, really puts the Elves in a supplicant position. However, bringing Elrond feels like a bit of a tactical move to act as a reminder of the relationship between the royal house and the Elves, and it also gives a chance for some excellent tensions/emotional moments. But this is all separate speculation: given the information that the Círdan/Míriel scene will be connected with Míriel’s blindness, one thing comes to mind: the healing power of the Three. We saw both Vilya and Nenya involved in healing people in Season 2, but nothing from Círdan’s ring Narya, just some fishy manipulation. Could Círdan use Narya to heal Míriel’s eyes? This would put an interesting ingredient into the tensions between the Faithful and the King’ s Men, probably a sign of hope for the former, and be a red flag to the latter (interfering Elves!).

Civil war — in Númenor

Excl: The main battles this season will happen in Númenor between the King’s Men and Faithful compared to Middle-earth.

Now this is the kind of material the Númenor fans have been waiting for. Tolkien only included a snippet in Appendix A:

And indeed Ar-Adûnakhôr began to persecute the Faithful and punished those who used the Elven-tongues openly…
—Appendix A, The Lord of the Rings

where here Ar-Adûnakhôr is mentioned by Míriel in Season 1 Episode 3, though not by name:

And yet, though Elves have been unwelcome on our shore since the reign of my grandfather’s great grandfather,….
—’Adar’, The Rings of Power

But in the Silmarillion we get a bit more nuance, and here this is referring to the events around the reign of Ar-Pharazôn

…yet never openly on the charge that they [the Faithful] would not worship Melkor, the Giver of Freedom, rather was cause sought against them that they hated the King and were his rebels, or that they plotted against their kin, devising lies and poisons. These charges were for the most part false; yet those were bitter days, and hate brings forth hate.
—’Akallabêth’, The Silmarillion

….though this specifically is material from the time of the events likely to happen in Season 4. Note here that the charges of plotting, hating the king etc are only “for the most part false”. That “hate brings forth hate” says to me that the Faithful are not all just “accepting the cost” (as in the discussion of Míriel and Elendil in Season 1 Episode 8). I can imagine the show having  open battles in Season 3, before the leaders of the Faithful are forced to go more underground, when it’s more of a survival mode, rather than actual open civil war. This is the sense you get from the so-called “Númenórean chapters” from Tolkien’s abandoned novel The Lost Road.

“But there is also a shadow of darker evil. We no longer see our king. His displeasure falleth on men, and they go out; they are in the evening, and in the morning they are not. The open is insecure; walls are dangerous. Even by the heart of the house spies may sit. And there are prisons, and chambers underground. There are torments; and there are evil rites.”
—”Chapter IV”, The Lost Road and Other Writings

However, to bring it back to the present, at the end of Season 2 Episode 8 we saw Elendil riding off to what was almost surely western Númenor. We know in The Silmarillion that Andúnië is the chief city there, and Elendil is even the heir of the Lords of Andúnië. The show has Míriel explicitly point out Elendil’s name is from “our western shores” (S1Ep3), and Pharazôn says Elendil is “Originally of a noble line” (S1Ep3). I am pleased to find that the “Lords of Andúnië” are mentioned in the Appendices, just twice, in Appendix A: it says that Silmariën was the foremother of said Lords—and also elsewhere the ancestor of Elendil—and that the Sceptre of Annúminas came from Andúnië. So while the chief city of the Faithful has hitherto been unnamed in the show, it seems that they probably have the rights to use it. Maybe we are thus going to get some Armenelos v Andúnië battles? The hints we got about Anárion in the show so far make it seem like is a very dedicated member of the Faithful, so I could imagine him being zealous and eager for a fight.

Fellow FoF member Strider pointed out to me that the show might be going to a movie-inspired parallel between Elendil and Aragorn, that of the reluctant leader who comes into his own. It’s certainly true that Tolkien drew constant comparisons between Elendil and Aragorn (“heir of Elendil” is a phrase), though I personally would like to see less direct movie call-backs. But I know art isn’t made in a vacuum, and this type of cultural momentum from borrowed inspiration has happened for millennia. But for now, we have the tiniest of sneak peeks of Elendil with Narsil, probably actually on those western shores of Númenor.

Elros was the first king — in Númenor

Excl: Robert Aramayo plays Elros in ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ Season 3 and will be in flashback scenes.

And this is to my mind the juiciest bit of info this time around. Fans were really hoping that we would get some kind of payoff of the mention of Elros by Galadriel in Season 1, in front of the tapestry that showed both of the twins: Elrond and Elros. A literal recreation of that scene with Robert Aramayo playing both roles would be the cherry on the cake. It is ripe for emotional heaviness. The tension between the serial longevity of the Eldar, and the mortality of humans is a key theme of the second age, one the showrunners have said they recognise. Bringing it down to the personal level of the differing choices that Elros and Elrond made helps drive this home.

This additionally helps set up a tension between Elrond and Ar-Pharazôn, at the meeting discussed above. Imagine seeing the living twin of your ancestor from 24 generations back, looking young and fresh-faced. It will really tick the king off, being reminded of how he is mortal. Ar-Pharazôn will recognise Elrond no doubt from artworks in Númenor of Elros. As well, I can imagine Elrond being reminded all too painfully of his absent father, if he sees the giant statue of Eärendil in the Armenelos harbour that we’ve been shown.

We have no details, but one might imagine the show using the hint that was given in Season 1, when Elrond answers, in response to Galadriel’s challenge asking when they first met: “Seaside. When I was first orphaned. I was alone. A young, half-elven boy, without friend or kin. You gave me water.” (S1Ep8) We might not get precisely this scene, but something from around this time involving Galadriel, Elrond and Elros would also link back to the tapestry scene.

Alternatively, the show could have something with Elros leaving Middle-earth for Númenor (with Círdan, perhaps), and saying goodbye to Elrond, Galadriel and Gil-galad. Or perhaps even showing him landing in untouched Númenor with the Edain, ready to found the island kingdom. I don’t imagine a lot of time will be spent. Perhaps as much as the Season 2 prologue, to get people more up to speed with the deep history of Númenor. It’s been a while since some of these things were mentioned, and the show definitely has to remind people why the story of Númenor’s downfall is epic and amazing.