Death is nothing new in Middle-earth, especially with Sauron spreading misery wherever he goes. But The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has never been afraid to put its characters in harm's way, and Season 3 has already delivered one of its most unexpected blows. Unlike the massive battles and supernatural threats that have defined previous seasons, this tragedy unfolds in a far more intimate setting—and the creative team spent a lot of time figuring out how to make it hit just right.
In an exclusive interview with Collider's Maggie Lovitt for the Behind the Scenes series, showrunner Patrick McKay and director Charlotte Brändström opened up about the shocking death of Eärien, played by Ema Horvath, in Season 3's second episode. The character meets her end amid the increasingly dangerous political climate in Númenor, where Pharazôn's rise to power has pushed the island kingdom toward an uncertain future.
McKay shared that the Númenórean storyline was one of his favorite parts of the season, with the writers intentionally approaching the political drama differently from previous installments. "I think the second episode and that story over in Númenor, and resetting Númenor to make it this sort of spy story, and the destiny or fate of Ema Horvath's character Eärien, I think all that stuff turned out really, really good in a way that I think we hoped for," he said. "But the way that she took that performance and really ran with it and committed to it, and everything with Pharazôn and Will Keen, watching that world kind of come alive and feel, to me as a viewer, dramatic and real in a way that I don't know that we ever were on the show before."
Brändström agreed, noting that the episode allowed the series to embrace a more grounded kind of storytelling, making them feel like they were "in a drama." McKay added, "I think we're really proud of that episode and that story, and we feel like it takes chances we haven't taken before. But I give some of that to you also. I mean, Christian Milsted, those sets in the palace, and Alex and the lighting. It really felt real."
However, Brändström admitted that the episode's ending was especially important to her, particularly when it came to making sure audiences didn't see it coming. "And then I feel like the ending is, I hope, unexpected at the end of Episode 2," she said. "I tried to make it very [...] And also, I wanted her death, when she walked out— I mean, we hadn't decided. I decided just a few weeks before we shot it, exactly how to do it, and I just wanted her to walk right up to the window, climb up, and jump, just to make it something obvious. And she had made that decision, obviously, early on in the scene, but I wanted the audience to be very surprised by it."
Interestingly, McKay had originally envisioned a more elaborate visual approach to the moment, but Brändström convinced him that simpler would be more effective. "Here's why I'm not that good of a pitcher, because I pitched that we should have a shot of her falling through frame in slow motion, and you said no, and you were right," McKay confessed.
The series stars Morfydd Clark as Galadriel, Charlie Vickers as Sauron, Robert Aramayo as Elrond, Lloyd Owen as Elendil, Maxim Baldry as Isildur, Cynthia Addai-Robinson as Queen Míriel, Trystan Gravelle as Pharazôn, and Ema Horvath as Eärien. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 3 is streaming on Prime Video, with new episodes released weekly.
For more on the show, check out our coverage of the season's Rotten Tomatoes score and Gandalf's secret fire. Stay tuned to ShowtimeSpot for all the latest news and updates on the biggest and best movies and shows heading to your favorite streaming platforms soon.
