‘Rings of Power’ Season 3 Premiere: [SPOILER] Dies in Shocking Murder, Sauron Assembles Ringwraiths and Jamie Campbell Bower Is Galadriel’s Lover Celeborn

SPOILER ALERT:This article contains major spoilers for the four-episode premiere of “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” now streaming on Prime Video.

After a two-year break, it’s time to return to Middle-earth — and to say goodbye to one major character from “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.”

Season 3 has dropped its first four episodes on Prime Video, and it’s immediately clear that the show has kicked into high gear. The show jumps ahead five years as Sauron (Charlie Vickers) rises to power, commands a massive orc army and begins assembling the ringwraiths, aka his creepy Nazgûl enforcers. He recruits several men to fight for the honor of being a ringwraith, including one surprise combatant: Theo (Tyroe Muhafidin), who wins.

Sauron is in complete control, and the elven,

Sauron is in complete control, and the elven, dwarven and human cities are scrambling to hold on and remain free. But the season starts out on a tender note, flashing back to the love story between Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) and her long-lost husband Celeborn (Jamie Campbell Bower). They fell for each other in their youth but have since been separated — for now. In the present, Galadriel and Arondir (Ismael Cruz Córdova) are met by an orc named Marnûkh (Adam Young), 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 makes their way to Gundabad, a mountainous orc prison, where they learn in a twist that the elven blacksmith had died weeks ago. However, they do rescue Celeborn, who’d been locked up for who knows how long. Galadriel, Arondir, Celeborn and Marnûkh fight their way out of Gundabad, but they’re met by a ringwraith who faces off against Arondir. The shadowy knight removes his mask, and it’s revealed that Theo has joined Sauron’s inner circle. Arondir tries to reason with the young man, but Sauron appears and orders Theo to kill the elf. Theo plunges his sword into Arondir, murdering him in a shocking twist.

Elsewhere in Middle-earth, things aren’t going much better. The humans are divided, with Numenor’s King Pharazon (Trystan Gravelle) surviving an assassination attempt from a Faithful follower of the blind, deposed Queen Regent Mirel (Cynthia Addai-Robinson). Earien (Ema Horvath), the daughter of Elendil (Lloyd Owen), has also been working as a spy for the Faithfuls, but she’s found out by Pharazon and killed.

Over in the dwarven mountains, King Durin IV

Over in the dwarven mountains, King Durin IV (Owain Arthur) is dealing with a succession problem. He’s challenged for his father’s crown by his brother Thrain (Eddie Marsan), who wants to work with the ringwraiths to protect the dwarves. They settle the disagreement with a fight, but Durin is thrown off after he learns that his wife Disa (Sophia Nomvete) previously had a fling with Thrain. Durin loses the showdown, and his right to rule the kingdom.

Middle-earth’s saving grace may come on the wizard coattails of Gandalf, who finally dons his famous pointed hat after speaking with the mysterious, all-powerful Secret Fire. After traveling the wastelands with Tom Bombadil (Rory Kinnear), Gandalf sets out to save the world from Sauron.