Of all the relationships in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, the bond between Tar-Míriel (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) and Elendil (Lloyd Owen) of Númenor might be the most tragic. As the rightful queen of Númenor, Míriel has her hands full with political unrest, and that allows Elendil, a captain of the Sea Guard, to step up in a major way at the end of Season 1. They haven’t had many quiet moments to figure out their relationship in Season 2, as both are enmeshed in a battle between Númenor’s two political factions: the King’s Men (who resent the Elves) and the Faithful (still loyal to the Eldar). But the romantic subtext is there for those with eyes to see, and The Rings of Power doesn’t miss any opportunities to provide it.
“It certainly feels like it starts to go beyond just queen and loyal servant,” Addai-Robinson told Inverse shortly before The Rings of Power’s return. “Lloyd and I definitely picked up on the fact that there is something interesting to explore here.”
Unfortunately, it seems, The Rings of Power can’t take that bond too far. Míriel and Elendil don’t end up together in J.R.R. Tolkien’s written works, and though Amazon’s prequel series has fudged Tolkien canon to great effect, this relationship seems doomed at the end of Season 2. As disappointing as that might be for the Míriel-Elendil “shippers” out there, The Rings of Power does offer a consolation prize in the form of some epic foreshadowing, setting up an epic origin story for Elendil and his descendants.
Spoilers for the Rings of Power Season 2 finale below.
Elendil and Narsil
In The Rings of Power Season 2 Episode 8, tensions between the King’s Men and the Faithful of Númenor reach a point of no return. Though Míriel survived the trial of the Valar in Episode 6, she still hasn’t reclaimed any authority as Queen — and her power-hungry cousin Pharazôn (Trystan Gravelle) is taking every opportunity to seize her crown. He names Míriel an ally of Sauron without any concrete proof and rounds up any Faithful still loyal to her. Elendil manages to escape with the help of his daughter Eärian (Ema Horvath), while Míriel elects to stay in Númenor.
“My place is here,” she tells Elendil. In response, he asks: “And where is mine, if not with you?” (Swoon.)
Míriel never really answers his question, but she does offer a token that will eventually lead him to his destiny. Before sending him off, the queen gives Elendil a legendary sword. “It is called Narsil,” she explains, confirming a surprising theory from Season 1. The sword is well-known to fans of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, as it will go on to play a major role in Sauron’s defeat, literally cutting off the finger that wears the One Ring and stripping the Dark Lord of his power. As Míriel suggests in Episode 8, Elendil will wield Narsil when he escapes to Middle-earth, reclaims his lost lordship, and founds the kingdom of Gondor. It’s a weapon that carries a massive legacy, but the fact that Míriel is the one to bestow it makes the sword even more special.
The Founding of Gondor
According to Addai-Robinson, Narsil’s official introduction is another fitting parallel for Míriel and Elendil’s unspoken bond.
“Obviously, it’s this iconic sword, and it’s significant when you are thoroughly versed in the lore,” she tells Inverse. “People gasped when they saw the sword — which is awesome. And [people] cried. We love it when people cry because people understand the larger significance of it.”
It’s a clever way to introduce pivotal Lord of the Rings lore to the series, but Rings of Power is also slightly fudging canon here. According to Tolkien’s writing, Elendil only leaves Numénor after the city is destroyed, at which point he and the survivors set out to found the cities of Arnor and Gondor. Elendil eventually becomes king of Gondor, and wields Narsil in the Last Alliance of Elves and Men against Sauron and his evil forces.
In Rings of Power, we still expect all of that to happen, but the show is jumpstarting the process a bit by sending Elendil and Narsil off on their next adventure before Numénor can sink beneath the sea. Either way, this hero is about to embark on a great new adventure, and we’re excited to see where it takes him next.
