Contains spoilers for this episode and earlier episodes.
Adar shows Galadriel Morgoth's crown and describes his hope of combining it with an Elven ring to destroy Sauron. She offers a way to free Celebrimbor without sacrificing the city, then realises how much information her captor has drawn from her. His army is larger than she understood. Galadriel warns that Sauron has lured the Orcs to Eregion because he needs an army, but Adar ignores her and begins the assault. Their common enemy has not made their aims compatible.
Inside Eregion, Celebrimbor works obsessively on the Nine while Annatar offers to manage the city around him. Sauron has failed to obtain more mithril from Durin III, whose own ring-fed ambitions now obstruct the request. Durin and Disa meanwhile move to block the dangerous mining their king will not abandon. When Celebrimbor hears the siege alarm and insists on seeing outside, Sauron supplies an illusion of an undisturbed city. He then presents a container as refined mithril, persuading the smith to return to work while the real streets face bombardment.
Elendil refuses to secure his freedom by recognising Pharazôn. Sent to face judgment through the Sea Worm, he is spared the trial when Míriel claims the right to undergo it in his place. The creature releases her, and the Faithful hail her as Queen of the Sea. In Rhûn, Tom asks the Stranger to find his staff among dead trees. A vision of his endangered friends creates another choice between the purpose he is being taught to pursue and the people he wants to save.