The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power ended its sixth episode of the show's second season with Miriel's biggest scene to date, and actress Cynthia Addai-Robinson is here to break the big moment down.
Episode 6 sees Lloyd Owen's Elendil finally speak out against King Pharazon's rule in Numenor, which sees the sea captain imprisoned and sentenced to trial. His task would have seen him thrown into the ocean to see if he survived facing off against a sea monster.
However, at the very last moment, Robinson's Miriel, the former Queen, steps in to take his place instead.
[ Check Out All Cast Members Who Are in The Rings of Power Season 2 ]
Cynthia Addai-Robinson Breaks Down Miriel's Big Decision
In an exclusive interview with The Direct's Russ Milheim, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power actor Cynthia Addai-Robinson broke down Miriel's big decision in Episode 6 of Season 2 to face the sea monster instead of Elendil.
On whether Miriel thought she was going to die, Robinson explained that her character "was at peace with her decision:"
"I think that she was at peace with her decision. So if it meant that she wasn't going to make it, then that meant that that was ultimately going to be for the greater good. And her concern, again, is not selfishly for herself. It's really about [being] for Numenor. It's for her people. And so she's thinking about Numenor, Elendil, and less about herself. It's less about a selfish sort of reasoning. Now, having said that, I'm sure she wants to be triumphant and that she wants [to make it out]."
"There has to be fear," she admitted, but "there's also conviction and serenity around the decision:"
"I don't think she wants to sort of have her last moment down the throat of a sea monster. So I think in order for it to be dramatically interesting, there has to be a little kernel of doubt as she descends the stairs and wades into the water. There has to be doubt, there has to be fear, but there's also conviction and serenity around the decision. I don't think it would be about backing out, changing her mind, and going, 'oh, sorry, guys!'"
Robinson pointed out how it "is really lovely" how "a test of their faiths" played out in those moments:
"What is really lovely is it goes from sort of his sense of conviction to the point where he's willing to sacrifice himself to the reverse, where she steps in his place to say, I believe that through my faith, through my belief, what's meant to be is meant to be, and I'm going to be the one, not just for you, but really for the greater good that I'm going to face this test and have faith that it's going to work out as it's meant to. So, it is about a test of their faiths."
"There were a lot of conversations" between herself, co-Star Lloyd Owens, and the showrunners about how the two characters might feel about the sacrifice of one another:
"Having said that, can you be okay with someone saying, 'Well, I'm going to sacrifice myself for the greater good when it's like, but I don't want to lose you. I can't lose you. I can't wrap my head around the idea that it will be worth it for you to sacrifice yourself for this concept, for this belief.' So, Lloyd and I had a lot of conversations with the showrunners because this was the path that they crafted for us."
They wanted Miriel's big moment stepping off into the sea and facing the sea monster to not just be a personal triumph for herself but also fit into a bigger conversation about her morals and beliefs:
"What is this about thematically, so that the payoff of her stepping in and facing the sea monster was not just about a personal triumph? Still, it was really about that whole idea, that whole conversation about your morals and beliefs, and all those things that resonated with me personally. Still, I think, are things that connect to the real world so that on the large canvas of this fantasy epic, we are still tying it into sort of the most human of feelings and themes and things that people think about in their own lives."
"I know that's all very heavy ideas for, ultimately, Miriel facing a sea monster," the actress conceded:
"So, I know that's all very heavy ideas for, ultimately, Miriel facing a sea monster. But like I said, I think for there to be a payoff, you've got to kind of look at what precedes it. What is motivating her to do this in the first place?"
On why Miriel is the better leader for Numenor, Robinson firmly described her as "a force for good:"
"I think Miriel is a force for good. And at the end of the day, here we are in Season 2, evil is being unleashed, and this is, in a lot of ways, a battle of good versus evil. But I ultimately think that Miriel's moral compass and what she is attempting to sort of do, which is try to save Numenor from calamity. When she looks into the Palantir in Season 1, it becomes the question: is this inevitable, or is there something I can do to change this outcome?"
Obviously, this entire situation was set off thanks to Pharazon's takeover (and all the trouble he's caused) of Numenor, costing Miriel her position as leader after her communication with the Panatir was revealed to the people.
In expanding on why Miriel wasn't initially speaking up against Pharazon's leadership, Robinson explained that Miriel is not seeing Numenor's fate come to pass, so she thinks that "perhaps this is what's meant to be:"
"Initially, Miriel understands that potentially, Pharazon's leadership has changed the course of Numenor's fate. We're not seeing the wave in the Palantir, and Elendil doesn't see that, so perhaps this is what's meant to be. She's trying to make that justification. And for him, it's like, no, you can't tell me that. I can't believe that."
Both Miriel and Pharazon share "a deep sense of conviction and a deep love of Numenor," but the new King's actions are "ugly" and "vicious:"
"What they share is a deep sense of conviction and a deep love of Numenor. They both believe that their way is the way forward, but as we see when Pharazon and his son, Kemen and his baddies start going throughout Numenor. It's ugly and vicious, and it doesn't feel like the changes they want to make are coming from some good place. It feels as ugly as it looks. So I think you know team Miriel for the future of Numenor, even though... If we know what the end of Numenor's story is, then we know that it is, unfortunately, a tragic outcome no matter, no matter who the leader is."
The full interview can be seen below:
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is now streaming on Amazon Studios' Prime Video.
Learn more about the lore of The Rings of Power here:
Here's Why Adar Hates Sauron In Rings of Power
Is Elrond Related to Galadriel? Relationship In Rings of Power Explained
What Is an Istar in Rings of Power Season 2? Character Explanation
