'Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' Episode 3 recap: Meet the orcs' mysterious leader

Spoiler alert! The following contains important details about "Adar," the third episode of Amazon's "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" (now streaming on Prime Video). 

Another Big Bad has entered the chat.

In the third episode of "The Rings of Power," Amazon's pricey prequel to J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings," Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) reluctantly travels to Númenor, the island kingdom of men. There, the elven commander gains an unlikely ally in sailor Elendil (Lloyd Owen) and discovers a scroll marked by the Dark Lord Sauron, whom she has doggedly pursued in her quest to save Middle-earth from impending evil.

But the bigger reveal is that of Adar (Joseph Mawle), a corrupted elf who was presumed dead after the War of Wrath in the First Age, but has now become the leader of the orcs. Although we only see his blurred figure in the final seconds of the episode, the mysterious villain is referenced frequently throughout.

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The episode picks up in the Southlands, where elven warrior Arondir (Ismael Cruz Córdova) has been captured by orcs and sent to a work camp with other humans and elves. The pale, vampiric orcs – who have avoided detection by living in shabbily covered tunnels – delight in torturing and killing their captors. In one of the episode's most tense moments, an orc doles out water rations to Arondir and his elven comrades, only to slice one of their throats as he takes a drink.

In the last scene of the episode, Arondir unsuccessfully attempts to lead a rebellion and escape the labor camp. He manages to get in some gnarly kills, stabbing orcs and flying through the air like elf Legolas (Orlando Bloom) in Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" movie trilogy. But he's ultimately captured and taken to meet Adar himself.

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Elsewhere in Middle-earth, Nori (Markella Kavenagh) and Poppy (Megan Richards) attempt to keep The Stranger (Daniel Weyman) hidden from the other harfoots, as the hobbit-like creatures continue their migration. But when the tall, mostly speechless man – whom they found in a meteor crater – stumbles into plain view one night, Nori's family is effectively exiled to the back of their community's caravan.

Because of Nori's father's injured ankle, they eventually get separated from the rest of the harfoots. They start to panic as they hear a rustling in the brushes, only to learn that it's the Stranger, who wants to travel with them. "Friend," he calls Nori, who assures her family that they can all help each other.

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Not only does Nori wish to reunite with her community, but also help The Stranger find his. She spends much of the episode digging through drawings of constellations, after her mystical new companion hints that his home is among the stars.

"It felt really important to me to ensure that it wasn't just coming across as a selfish curiosity (about) the unknown," Kavenagh says in an interview. "I really connected to the protectiveness she has over her family and the community, but I also think it's quite relatable, this inner conflict she has of wanting to pursue adventure."

Poppy sticks by Nori's side even when she's separated from the other harfoots. It's a loyalty that's reminiscent of hobbits Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin) in Jackson's trilogy.

"I love the Sam and Frodo friendship," Kavenagh says. "But I think because of the difference in circumstances, the foundation of Poppy and Nori is rooted in something else entirely. They have a different history, and (co-creators J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay) really fleshed out the relationship so vividly and beautifully.

"In (Nori and Poppy's) friendship, it's not one serving the other. They've very much equally caring for each other."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Rings of Power' Episode 3 recap: Númenor, Meteor Man and so many orcs