Nori and The Stranger’s adventure comes to an emotional end, while Míriel is left in a precarious state in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 finale. Played by Markella Kavenagh, the young Harfoot set out with her friend, Poppy, to help the tall wizard known only as The Stranger to regain his memories and get a handle on his abilities. After being separated by a sandstorm, Nori and Poppy discover a community of halflings known as the Stoors, while The Stranger meets the mysterious Tom Bombadil, who offers some ambiguous advice to help.

Portrayed by Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Míriel was introduced as the queen regent of the island of Men, Númenor, though saw her power challenged near the end of season 1 after her expedition to the Southlands with an army left her blinded amid the rise of Mordor. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 saw this challenge become a political tug-of-war between her and her cousin, Pharazôn, who has served as her advisor for years, with the latter ultimately becoming Númenor’s new ruler by undermining her faith-based approach to lording.

Alongside Kavenagh and Addai-Robinson, the ensemble Rings of Power season 2 cast features the returns of Charlie Vickers as Sauron/Annatar/Halbrand, Galadriel’s Morfydd Clark, Elrond’s Robert Aramayo, Durin IV’s Owain Arthur, Isildur’s Maxim Baldry, Celebrimbor’s Charles Edwards, Arondir’s Ismael Cruz Córdova, Disa’s Sophia Nomvete and Gil-galad’s Benjamin Walker, among many others. Bringing closure to some character arcs while also opening the door for future stories, the season 2 finale is a thrilling ending to another excellent season.

In anticipation of the ending, Screen Rant interviewed Markella Kavenagh and Cynthia Addai-Robinson to discuss The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 finale, Nori and The Stranger’s goodbye and what it means for their future, as well as Míriel’s arrest and why she won’t rest on her laurels to try and regain the ruling power of Númenor from Pharazôn.

Nori & The Stranger’s Goodbye Was “Bittersweet” (But There Is “Hope Behind It“)

“…she knows that she now has this other task that she has to face…“

Screen Rant: What an epic finale this season goes out on. Markella, I’d like to start with you. The Stranger and Nori part ways, and what a heartbreaking scene that was to watch. Can you talk to me about Nori’s decision to leave behind her friend and help the Stoors on their journey?

Markella Kavenagh: Yeah, I think that scene truly was such a joy to film. We didn’t know what was going to come up, and it was towards the end of filming, as well. I think it might have been one of the last scenes that we filmed, so it was truly quite moving for us as actors, as well, because Daniel and I knew that, for now, at least, we’re not going to see each other and act with each other, for who knows. I think that, for Nori, it’s very bittersweet, and it’s the right thing for her at this point, because she knows that she now has this other task that she has to face, and that she has to really fulfill.

So, she’s not too sure what it entails exactly, but she does know that it’s going to take a lot of work, and she’s going to have to really commit to the course. And that’s something she’s accepting and feels, I think, quite honored, actually, to be a part of it. Because so much of her life so far, she’s been so curious about the unknown and so curious about how she can help the Harfoots and the world be a better place in general, in Middle-earth. So, that’s where she’s at, I think, in an emotional sense, and then with The Stranger, it’s just about wishing him well for now. It is heartbreaking, but there’s hope behind it, because I think she’s saying goodbye just for now.

Míriel “Feels Strong” In Staying In Númenor To Be Arrested

“I don’t think she’s just going to sort of wilt away in a jail cell.“

So many of the finale’s storylines end on a hopeful note, except for Míriel here, who is in a very major predicament as she faces Pharazôn, even after the sea trial nearly put her back on the throne. What is going through Míriel’s mind as she’s arrested for treason and faces him in that final scene?

Cynthia Addai-Robinson: Yeah, I think she feels strong in her decision to stay, I think she has no other choice, really. I think she also feels strong in her sense that by tasking Elendil with setting him on his way with a very special sword, that she can sort of really trust that the things that she’s imparted to him in her wisdom, that he’s gained that same wisdom, and they’re going to gather the troops for revolution. I think that her being imprisoned is not going to stop her from still thinking about what she can do next.

What is her next move? And, you know, this is her next move in the context of Pharazôn is her cousin. This is somebody that she has known all her life, and knows very well, so I believe that she would be someone who would be anticipating his moves, would understand him in a very specific way, and so I would love to see how that manifests. I don’t think she’s just going to sort of wilt away in a jail cell. I think she’s going to be making her plans, and maybe even luring him into a false sense of complacency that he thinks that he has the power.

But she’s not going to just sort of go away. And she also has people who believe in her. There are people that witnessed that miracle by the sea, and they believe in that triumph as meaning that she is the true leader. So, she has some Númenorians, we’re not seeing all her fans, necessarily, not hearing from them. But there would be people out there, presumably, that would be behind her, so I think it would be cool to see something that she can do from within.

About The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2

In Season Two of The Rings of Power, Sauron has returned. Cast out by Galadriel, without army or ally, the rising Dark Lord must now rely on his own cunning to rebuild his strength and oversee the creation of the Rings of Power, which will allow him to bind all the peoples of Middle-earth to his sinister will. Building on Season One’s epic scope and ambition, the new season plunges even its most beloved and vulnerable characters into a rising tide of darkness, challenging each to find their place in a world that is increasingly on the brink of calamity. Elves and dwarves, orcs and men, wizards and Harfoots… as friendships are strained and kingdoms begin to fracture, the forces of good will struggle ever more valiantly to hold on to what matters to them most of all… each other.

Check out our previous and upcoming Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 interviews with:

Morfydd Clark & Sam Hazeldine
Daniel Weyman, Markella Kavenagh & Megan Richards
Charlie Vickers & Charles Edwards
Benjamin Walker & Ismael Cruz Córdova
Co-Showrunner Patrick McKay & Executive Producer Lindsey Weber
Ema Horvath
Trystan Gravelle
Vic Armstrong
Barrie Gower
Charlie Vickers (post-mortem)
Charlotte Brändström & Alex Disenhof
Benjamin Walker & Robert Aramayo (post-mortem)