'Rings of Power' Season 3 Kills Off Arondir as Sauron Builds the Nazgûl

By Daniel Okafor

Warning: major spoilers for the four-episode Season 3 premiere of "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power," now streaming on Prime Video.

After a two-year break, Middle-earth is back — and it has already buried a fan favourite. Prime Video dropped the first four episodes of Season 3, and the show jumps five years ahead as Sauron (Charlie Vickers) rises to power, commands a massive orc army and begins assembling the ringwraiths (the shadowy Nazgûl enforcers bound to him). One surprise recruit wins the honour: Theo (Tyroe Muhafidin).

That's the cold fact of the premiere. Here's how it lands.

What happens to Arondir?

The season opens tenderly, flashing back to the young love between Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) and her long-lost husband Celeborn (Jamie Campbell Bower), separated since but not, it turns out, permanently. In the present, Galadriel and Arondir (Ismael Cruz Córdova) meet Marnûkh (Adam Young), an orc who defects from Sauron's army and promises to lead them to an imprisoned elven blacksmith who could forge them a ring.

In Episode 4 the trio reaches Gundabad, a mountainous orc prison. The blacksmith died weeks ago — a twist, though not the fatal one. They do rescue Celeborn, locked up for an unrecorded stretch of years. Galadriel, Arondir, Celeborn and Marnûkh fight their way out, but a ringwraith confronts Arondir. The knight removes his mask. It's Theo, now inside Sauron's circle.

Arondir tries to reason with him. Sauron appears and orders the kill. Theo plunges his sword into the elf. Murder, plain and simple.

How bad is it elsewhere in Middle-earth?

Worse. The humans are divided. Numenor's King Pharazon (Trystan Gravelle) survives an assassination attempt by a Faithful follower of the blind, deposed Queen Regent Míriel (Cynthia Addai-Robinson). Eärien (Ema Horvath), daughter of Elendil (Lloyd Owen), has been spying for the Faithfuls. Pharazon finds her out. She's killed.

The dwarves fare no better. King Durin IV (Owain Arthur) faces a succession challenge from his brother Thráin (Eddie Marsan), who wants to work with the ringwraiths to protect their people. They settle it the dwarven way: a fight. Durin, thrown off by learning his wife Disa (Sophia Nomvete) once had a fling with Thráin, loses the showdown and his right to rule.

Does anyone offer hope?

One wizard does. Gandalf finally dons his famous pointed hat after speaking with the mysterious, all-powerful Secret Fire, then sets out — following travels through the wastelands with Tom Bombadil (Rory Kinnear) — to save the world from Sauron.

With two of Season 3's storylines now short a lead and a king dethroned, the remaining episodes have real carnage to answer for.