Hi, i've seen your pretty and angsty edit about Eärien (saving it for a reblog later in the day), the one where you used the quotes "My trouble has been too hard-won" , and i wonder if you have discussed somewhere the meaning of his quote? I've tried to make sense of it using the cast's interviews but so far it's still a mystery for me. She doesn't seem to be the kind of girl that provokes troubles for her family, the rebel kind (she has a career plan and isn't after boys). So what is it?
Oooh yes I love this question! (Also thank you, I'm so glad you enjoyed the edit!).
I interpreted that quote as Eärien letting Kemen know she's not going to be easily distracted or charmed by him (basically "keep your sacred wine, I have no interest in forgetting my troubles"). She's not remotely impressed by him at first lol, and I love that for both of them tbh. I do also think there is some foreshadowing at play.
In terms of the more direct meaning, Eärien has been through a lot for a young Númenórean, and she is wrestling with some major uncertainties in a way Kemen (clearly, to her) isn't. She doesn't have the security/status/wealth he does, she's trying to carve her own way AND hold her family together as best she can after the tragic loss of her mother (and being abandoned, as she or Elendil may perceive it, by Anárion).
In the show, Elendil and his family have recently moved to Armenelos, and Ema Horvath has stated in interviews that Eärien is excited to finally be in the city and at the center of things, but she's also very cautious to be entering this new world. She's ambitious, but it's a very calculated ambition. She's not the sort of person to do things on impulse (unlike Isildur), and I think she's really aware of the risks associated with each step she or her father or brother take. She's less connected to the world of Armenelos, the Queen Regent's court, the guilds, and has the additional burden of being part of a Faithful-aligned family (a burden that lies heavier since she herself is not convinced of the truth or efficacy of those beliefs).
I do think it's important to note Eärien says "my troubles have been too hard won" directly after watching Pharazôn make his speech to the guildsmen, which touched on the tension between the King's Men and the Faithful. It also reminded me of Míriel's response Galadriel in the previous ep, when she said that the men of Númenor were not gifted the island, they earned it. G: "It was because of the elves you were given this island." M: "Our ancestors were not given anything, they paid for this isle with the blood of their kin." I find that parallel interesting because it's clear from ep 3 that Eärien is not a fan of Míriel (she refers to her by her name only, no title, and seems very skeptical of Elendil's involvement with her). There's definitely something to be said about how Míriel's statement can be interpreted as mostly political posturing, and she's playing her cards close to the chest for most of the season, but it's a very clear indication of the general anti-elf sentiment in Númenor at this time, and I think Eärien is very aware of this sentiment as well, whatever her personal beliefs are.
In the context of the whole season, I also think about Elendil's below-deck conversation with Míriel in the finale. M: "My father once told me that the way of the Faithful is committing to pay the price...even if the cost cannot be known. And trusting that, in the end, it will be worth it." E: "Sometimes the cost is clear...we have little choice then but to keep serving, and I for one will see to it that we make the end worth the price." There's definitely a lot to be said about mortality, suffering, loss, who is meant to bear those burdens, and what it means. The "cost" of faith, the presumption that such losses are to be taken in stride, that death is to be considered a gift, vs the position that mortality and the associated expectations are unreasonable or arbitrary at best, cruel and vindictive at worst. I'm really looking forward to the show digging into this tension in future seasons, I'm hopeful we'll see the points to be made on either side, as well as acknowledgement that there are positions which fall between the two extremes (which this post addresses really well imo). Thinking about how Elendil is committed to making Isildur's death "worth the cost," compared with how Eärien is keenly aware of the hardships she's experienced and how they've shaped her outlook and skepticism and work ethic...they both trying to hold it together the only way they know how! And they're kind of on opposite trajectories and can't really see each other clearly! It's a lot!
Based on Ema's interviews, it seems like several of Eärien's scenes which got cut could have provided more context about how her mindset shifts over the season (I am thinking in particular of a dinner scene Ema mentioned where Kemen and Pharazôn were both present, if I can track down the interview she mentioned it in, I will link it below). I get why some of her scenes were cut, but I would love it if there was any way to see them in an extended cut or something…probably wishful thinking though. Anyway, Eärien is a really fascinating character to me and I'm excited to see more of her in s2. They could go a few interesting ways with her, so however it plays out I'm looking forward to writing more Eärien-focused fic and meta.
