julkad

[julkad]

[julkad]

These are going to remain one of the biggest mysteries in the show.

Some people say that an elf is totally capable of surviving such fall even without a ring of power.

I am not an expert but there is something more to this.

I hope the show will explore further ...

Call me delusional all you want but twice now Galadriel has inexplicably survived certain [physical] death situations while Sauron is around, in RoP.

The sorcerer who has control over the eruptions of Mount Doom and performs magic with his hands? That’s a hell of a coincidence, and a very strong plot armor.

[julkad]

I agree to this.

The only thing I am not 100% convinced about is Sauron not intending to use the crown. I mean, if he did not plan to use it, then why carrying it around all the time? Only for second weapon? I don`t think so. He did not dare drop it even after Galadriel was unconscious on the ground. He dropped only the sword.

Since we are revisiting Sauron and Galadriel’s scene in 2x08, do I think he stabbing her with Morgoth’s crown was intentional? Yes. Did he planned it? No. He decided it seconds before it happened. Did he knew what he was doing? Absolutely.

She rejected twice to bind him to the light, so he bind her to darkness, to himself (blood) and to Morgoth: “in the darkness bind them”. Sauron has been wanting to bind himself to Galadriel since Season 1. This stabbing having any other explanation (when the showrunners already said he didn’t want to kill her during that scene, and Charlie said Sauron knew she would survive the fall), honestly, doesn’t make any sense with the story so far. Why would he stab her, then? To calm her down?

RoP Galadriel is not her book counterpart, the show changed her entire backstory. She has been nothing more than a warrior and a military commander, until now. We know this since Season 1, why are folks taking an issue with it now is beyond my comprehension. They decided for her to swordfight Sauron because it was the only way she could get the upper hand in that fight.

They somewhat changed Sauron’s backstory, too, but he’s introduced as a “cruel and cunning sorcerer” who has been awake since the breaking of the first silence. They are doing his necromancer and dark magic plot, too. Because that’s what Sauron is in the legendarium. He’s a Maia who was created by Eru and has corrupted his purpose by siding with Morgoth. And the show explanation on him being the most powerful Maiar in existence is because he’s blood bound to Morgoth (a Vala). Someone was talking about hierarchy among beings in Tolkien legendarium a while back, and that’s correct.

Is this Angband or Forodwaith? Does Amazon even has the rights to Angband? Either way, they clearly followed the plot of him being in charge of this place during the First Age.

Either way, I have a hard time believing Sauron didn’t know what he was doing with Morgoth crown. Especially when he was smiling in victory, afterwards. We are talking about an ancient being who exists before the creation of the world, expert in all sort of dark magic. Thinking he would give his power to another by accident is ridiculous.

And, by the love of Eru, stop bringing PJ adaptations into this discussion. I keep seeing RoP fans mixing the two. Sure, he followed a lot of “book canon”, but completely butchered many of Tolkien’s themes.

And since we are at it, I wished Tolkien adaptations would stop with the “enslavement” crap because there is no “enslavement of wills” in the legendarium, Tolkien is very clear about this in his letters. Although Galadriel saying the Free people of Middle-earth will always resist Sauron can make up for that, and them showing the complexities of Celebrimbor and Ar-Pharazôn and their desires to “side with evil” are also very fitting. Unfortunately, the audience doesn’t seem to grasp that.

So, yes, if Galadriel turns out to be blood bound to Sauron and he gave her some of his power is because she wanted it, and she accepted it. He can’t force her into anything, because “free will” is one of the major themes in the legendarium, and why Sauron (no matter how powerful he is) would always fail. She says so herself to Celebrimbor, she also wants what Sauron offers = she wants his power to become hers. That’s the whole point of Galadriel wanting the One ring in the legendarium. His offer wasn’t merely to “make her queen”, it was binding her to power, to his power.

[julkad]

To me the biggest question of all is why on earth did the showrunners decide that the elves` existence on ME depended on one tree in Lindon? They literally put them in Sauron`s hands since the tree was only revived after the 3 rings were made.

Unresolved plots in RoP concerning Sauron and Galadriel:

More like questions I, too, have. I won’t call them “plot holes” because of what JD Payne said to “Empire” magazine: “This [is] a big story with a clear beginning, middle and end. There are things in the first season that don’t pay off until Season 5.”

Many think Galadriel and Sauron’s interactions are over in RoP, and she’ll lock herself in Lothlórien next season, but there are many unanswered questions from previous seasons:

From Season 1:

Why did Sauron and Galadriel meet in the Sundering Seas? Sure, Eru Ilúvatar orchestrated their meeting (because everything happens according to his design, and there’s no “chance meetings” in the legendarium, like the showrunners talked about), but why? What was the goal?

This tells us the “Worm” was “working” for Eru and the Valar. Was this a regular sea monster or one of the Maiar of the sea?

Honestly, don’t know if this is revelant: but why did Sauron carved Finrod’s body? In Season 2 we have “body carving” and branding associated with Adar and the Orcs, (not with Sauron);

Did Sauron need to sleep while in human form? From the books, we know Gandalf (also a Maiar) did sleep while in human form (and I might be mistaken here, but I think it’s the same in the show), is Sauron the same or not? In S2, Diarmid talks about him having nightmares;

Why did Adar mention a “woman” and a “child” in connection to Sauron? Was this random (him trying to figure out who this man was) or holds any significance?

How and why did Sauron got injured in the creation of Mount Doom?

Since we are at it: how did Galadriel survived getting hit with a full on volcano blast in the face in 1x06, when everyone around her was burn to a crisp in 1x07?

What did Sauron meant by “touch the darkness once more”!? When did she “touch the darkness” when he was asking her in 1x05 “what do you know of darkness”? And in 2x08, he was saying “to find the light, we must first touch the darkness”?

From Season 2:

Was Diarmid just a “regular human” with whom Sauron happened to cross paths or was he someone else? Eonwe, maybe?

What’s the deal with Galadriel’s visions? The vision from 2x02 was very different from the others. And why was Nenya showing her Halbrand, in 2x04?

Are the Three Elven rings truly free from Sauron’s influence?

What did “the body” in 2x06 actually said for Sauron to react in just a way? Clearly it was not “where is he?” because he knows Adar knows Sauron is at Eregion (he told him, himself in 2x01, and that’s the whole point why Adar let him go. Halbrand was supposed to go find Sauron, but Adar already suspected Halbrand was Sauron);

What’s the deal with Sauron and children? This association has been going on since Season 1;

What magic was Sauron performing with the blood? Was this only because of the Nine? Why was he standing on the balcony of the front gate of Eregion for? Why was he raising his arms? (This was a different scene from the “mind prison” he put on Celebrimbor);

Sauron has been obsessing over Galadriel the entire season but doesn’t care she’s Adar prisoner? He just trusts Elrond will manage to convince Adar not to kill her? He also allows this meeting to happen when they could team up against him, enter Eregion together and stop Celebrimbor from forging the Nine, ruining his entire rings of power masterplan!?

Why was Sauron looking out of the window, looking worried, in 2x07? What got him so emotional? And what magic was he performing before, since Celebrimbor was right there working in the Nine?

How was Sauron expecting Galadriel to actually join him after he just ordered the Orcs to destroy Eregion!? Is he that delusional or what?

What are Sauron’s intention about Galadriel, in general? Sure, he wants her “light” but her light, right now, is the same that shines on every Elf that was born during the Years of the Trees in Valinor;

Galadriel spent the entire season thinking Sauron deceived her, and his answer is “not all of it”. What does this mean, exactly? And why did it got her so triggered?

Why did the cut Galadriel made on Sauron’s face transferred to her own face? And why did the camera put such focus on it when she wakes up from her healing?

What was Sauron’s intention in stabbing Galadriel with Morgoth’s crown?

What’s with the facial expressions after the stabbing? Why are they both surprised?

How did Galadriel survived that fall in one piece?

If I forgot some plot, feel free to add.

[julkad]

I'm sorry but there's something about Celembrimbor's love for Galadriel that always hits me.

He really said: You chose someone else, but that doesn't change the fact that I love you. And if by that love and my skills I can ease your pain, I will do it.

And I think that's really cool.

And I would have loved for the show to hint this a little bit.

[julkad]

The thing about the Sauron-Galadriel dynamic is that it’s so fascinating even from a completely curiosity point of view that it makes me want to experience it, despite knowing fully that I will regret wishing for that.Like,how WOULD it feel like to hate someone so much and yet to be fully seen and understood only by them?How does it feel like to be fully seen and understood at all?Maybe the only way to be fully seen and understood is by someone bold enough to stand up to you and be your enemy.Maybe only someone who is as fixed in their tempest as you are within yours.Maybe that’s why you’re enemies. Maybe that’s why you’re bound by fate. Maybe it is a curse to be known inside and out. Maybe darkness loves you better than light.Maybe you yourself don’t know what you are but they do and you hate it but you don’t want to let go of the feeling of being known.Maybe you see them and see their heart,and the blood pumping into it,and maybe you see it is encased in light and maybe the darkness in you desires it.Maybe you are not Light and maybe they are not Darkness.Maybe you are not Darkness and they are not Light.Maybe you respect that about each other.Maybe you will never be on firm ground with them;maybe everything will always be shifting and heaving and bending around you.You have a storm in your soul,and will that storm enjoy that unsteadiness,that thrill of being kept on your feet at all times?You cannot stop going,and will that part of you chase the passion that could be anger could be something other without a name that they kindle in you and will that be the thing that will keep you alive?If that is the only way you can live,can you truly destroy the only person keeping you alive?Whenever you face each other it is in the doorway between life and death. You are alive like you never can be without them and you are alive because you want them dead. They are the only person that can touch you without you recoiling and you are the only one that can touch them,you are the only one they will let near even if they know it will only be so you can draw blood because they too crave being known and being seen. They crave you but they crave in a way that is destroying both of you.They call to you but they won’t listen.They want you but you know they won’t know what to do with you once they have you.You won’t be yourself if you accept them and you don’t know if you want to become that alternate other self or not-you think you will hate that yourself and others will hate you.Your heart is made different from theirs,and that is where your paths diverge.You don’t know if you want to catch up with the other,you think you will always let them get away. Because your bond is chase. You circle around each other and come close and push away and leave and return. Your relationship requires movement,it requires desire and hatred and blood and possession. You can never be at each others’ sides because that would require you to stop moving and the movement is what keeps the fire that binds you roaring.You won’t change and they won’t change and that is the exact intersection of your souls.You do not know how to live with this.You do not know how to live without this.

[julkad]

We've been curious about what happened to Halbrand during the eruption of Mount Doom in Season 1. It's also been confirmed that certain storylines introduced in Season 1 won’t come into play until Season 5. This leads me to believe that the eruption of Mount Doom is the event that restores Sauron’s power. Before this, in Numenor and even the Southlands, he was still weak and unable to tap into his sorcery. At that point, he seemed lost, uncertain of which path to take to prove his worth. However, shortly after the eruption, we begin to see a shift in his personality, now framed with darker, more sinister undertones. It's possible that in the upcoming season or in Season 5, we’ll get a flashback showing how he regained his strength.

Notably, several key facts suggest that Sauron’s power is somehow tied to the volcano.

Sauron forged the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom by using its volcanic power to create an object of immense strength. Its destruction, too, lies in the depths of the volcano, where it was originally forged.

After Sauron’s defeat in the War of the Last Alliance, Mount Doom returned to sleep, much like Sauron’s waning power. However, when he regained his strength, the volcano reawoke that is a symbol of the resurgence of his dark influence.

Eruptions of volcanoes are often linked to dark, mysterious forces, and this is fitting for Sauron, who embodies the destructive and fiery nature of such events. The fire and fury of Mount Doom are not only physical but symbolic of Sauron’s true nature.

As Sam Smith's noted once his song 😁

Fire on fire Would normally kill us But this much desire Together we’re winners

This is exactly what happened to Sauron. Fire met fire and it enhanced Sauron's powers 💡

Gifs

How does it affect Saurondriel connection?

As @rey-jake-therapist has rightfully spotted in this meta , it’s fascinating to see how Sauron and Galadriel symbolize not just the classic Good vs. Evil and Light vs. Darkness, but also Water vs. Fire.

Let's not forget what caused the eruption essentially: too much water poured into the volcanic fires triggered the explosion.

The eruption which nearly allowed Sauron to regain his powers is a key metaphor of the explosive, destructive, powerful potential of their relationship.

[julkad]

Could it also mean that the Maiar as well originate from this word meaning 'bright ones'? Like angels perhaps?

So you're telling me they met at sea

She told him "bind yourself to me" at sea

They survived together at sea

(Why does this raft look like a crown??)

They lead an army together across the sea

He asks her to rule with him at sea

He shows an image of them ruling together in the reflection of the sea

And then you're telling me the whole damn season that the sea is always right??

[julkad]

Yes, the twisted version is more realistic.

I write this on the premise that my canon interpretation of relationships, characters, themes, etc., change based on what happens in the show.

So my canon interpretation ≠ fanon interpretation.

My interpretation of haladriel/saurondriel became a story of survival.

Galadriel is a survivor. Sauron didn't just represent her deeper desires; he represented her deepest fears. Fears that she had to face.

And I will never get over how terrified she looks here.

Is she scared because she felt something akin to love for him? Probably.

But she is mostly terrified of him. She knows what he is capable of, what his powers are. How he can manipulate the world around you to force you to do his bid. How he can twist your desires into something dark.

She is witnessing once again what loving Sauron does to others. First Celebrimbor, now Adar. He took their love (in the wide sense) and twisted it. Given the occasion, he would do the same to her. He wants to worship her as long as he can control her, like a puppet.

She is terrified.

[julkad]

The question that has been haunting me for quite some time is whether Sauron can feel anything *beside anger, hatred, irritation* and understand feelings of others. Durin's description of him as "Sauron the Stone Heart" suggests that he is devoid of emotion, he is cold and calculating. This image aligns with his mastery of manipulation and gaslighting allowing him to control others without the distractions of empathy or remorse.

'I see you'

The iconic phrase "I see you" emphasizes the idea that Sauron's eye can perceive people's true selves and desires. But the question is whether he truly sees his victims and understands the depth of their desires and emotions?

I personally think that Sauron, as a master of the mind, perceives human/dwarven/elven desires through the lens of his mind, rather than emotions. He reads thoughts to predict what people want, but lacks true understanding of their feelings. As a result, everything he offers feels perverse: children to Adar, rings to Celebrimbor, and the crown to Galadriel. Sauron fails to comprehend why he is rejected, betrayed, and despised, because in his mind, he believes he's doing everything right. His logical, mathematical mindset simply can't process why these elves are so unhappy.

*yeah I destroyed your city, killed your people, and tortured you, but you need to understand that I did it for you!*

'That feeling'

He also struggles to grasp the emotions connected to the seen world, as these feelings run so deep they stir something within him, something he can't even describe, referring to it only as "that" feeling. He doesn’t know how to process it with his heart alone.

Gif from Tenor

'I know your mind'

Sauron sees Galadriel’s longing for power, recognizing that she wants to rule Middle Earth. This is the desire that mirrors his own. That’s why he believes he understands her so well and offers her a chance to rule alongside him. That is in her mind, lies on the surface and it doesn't take any effort for him to read her thoughts.

Gif

Right after he stabs her *near the heart*, we see him visibly bewildered and surprised. Why? We already know that he reads her thoughts and he knows what she wants.

In that moment, as some haladriels mentioned he starts to see and feel what Galadriel truly feels for him and that she desires not only power but him as well despite him being Sauron. This feeling is deeply hidden in her heart.

Gif

That's why he says with a bit of sadness in his voice that he would have placed the crown upon her head if she chose to be with him, emphasizing that he would make everyone worship the Queen, just as he worships her.

Gif

Now, he understands not only her mind but also her feelings for Sauron. The reason he reaches out to her for 1000 years isn't driven by the thirst for power, but rather by 'that' feeling they once shared.

'It keeps him going in a way. Her existence'

This may be the only genuine and enduring feeling of light he has experienced in thousands of years. Its intensity overwhelms him, a sensation unlike anything he's ever known, leaving him addicted and desperate to bind it to his very being.

[julkad]

Eowyn & Faramir

mixed media, 53*35 cm

[julkad]

I have never seen him look at somebody else this way.

The door is still open. 🥺

The Rings of Power (2022-)

[julkad]

I see a lot of TROP fans expressing their thoughts about Galadriel's arc in season 2, so I figured the timing was good to also give my opinion, even though no one asked for it. I don't mean this post to be 'controversial'. I'm not looking for a fight, and I hope it won't upset people. It's just... well, my personal feelings about this arc.

Recently, I received an ask from an anon who told me they didn't understand how some fans didn't believe that Galadriel was sidelined. Well, I may be one of those fans. I think she had an important role in season 2 even though it was more a journey of introspection; she had some kick ass scenes (her fight with the Orcs even if it didn't last for long! her fight with Sauron!), and I went out of season 2 loving Galadriel more than ever. So, "sidelined" isn't the word that *I* would personally use regarding Galadriel.

But I didn't like the way she was treated by men: belittled and shamed for being deceived by an immortal entity whose game was so good that he deceived literally everybody he met in season 1 and again in season 2, imprisoned and chained by Adar, brutalized by Sauron... The only male character who treated her right was Arondir! Oh and Celebrimbor but they interacted for two minutes. Eru bless Arondir's heart, especially when he was the only one at the end to call her "Commander", giving her back the title she never deserved to lose.

Sauron is a DECEIVER. It's literally what he's known for! And he didn't just deceive Galadriel: in season 1 everybody believed Galadriel when she said he was the lost king of the Southlands, even though she didn't bring any proof; Celebrimbor didn't see anything weird in the fact that this "low man" knew so much about his craft that he came up with an idea he wouldn't have had alone, and fell even harder for his lies in season 2 when he claimed to be an "emissary of the Valar" sent on Middle-Earth to "help", I mean...

They ALL fell for his deception, and yet Galadriel was the only one who was belittled and humiliated for it; losing the title of Commander was humiliating, and I still don't see how it was justified: how was falling for Sauron's deception and lying about his identity related to her capacity to lead a company of Elves? Neither Gil-Galad nor Elrond acknowledged the fact that Galadriel was RIGHT since the beginning: Sauron was still out there, and if it hadn't been 'thanks to her' he would have surely found another way to go back to power: I think they quickly forgot that they had sent her away because they believed she was delusional and blinded by her desire for revenge to accept that he was gone...

So here's the main thing that didn't sit right with me. The second thing is that the writers made her a damsel in distress multiple times, while she proved in season 1 that she was largely capable of handling herself. Elrond had to rescue her from Adar, and she was kissed against her will (sorry but Elrond being a good guy doesn't make a forced kiss any "good" and "beautiful" to me, rather the opposite because it's usually a bad guy thing, and if TROP Elves are "bohemians" who casually kiss on the lips it should have been showed earlier); then after she was free and escaped Adar's tent, she was again rescued by Arondir even though she was attacked by only two Orcs... The Galadriel I know would have easily managed without his help, c'mon.

Regarding Haladriel: I must be one of the few Haladriel shippers who was perfectly fine with what we got. Sorry about that... Maybe because I didn't start season 2 actively shipping them (I found the concept hot in season 1 but that's about it), I didn't need to see more scenes of them arguing and fighting, which we would have probably gotten if they had shared more scenes. Nothing foreshadowed the possibility of "mind palace scenes" where Sauron and Galadriel would communicate from a distance in season 1, so I didn't expect any.

Now, about Galadriel not being in Eregion: it's true that in the book, Galadriel lived in Eregion when Annatar worked with Celebrimbor, so asking why she wasn't in season 2 is a legitimate concern. But to me, it made perfect sense and I still don't see how it would have worked without leading to an absurd situation, where Galadriel would have told everyone that Annatar was Sauron, but for some reason, no Elf would have believed her. When I say that to me, it would have been absurd, it's because she's THE Lady Galadriel. She's not some random, foolish she-Elf who's known for throwing baseless accusations about people just because she doesn't like them. Annatar, on the other hand, nobody knew him. It would have made no sense for the Elves to trust him, and not her...

Every Elf respects Galadriel an awful lot, so if she had said that Annatar was Sauron, it would have been absurd for the other Elves to discard her warning; especially Celebrimbor! Before making the Rings of Power, Galadriel told him not to work with Halbrand. She should have explained why, sure (that's the only mistake that Galadriel should be blamed for, IMHO). But she DID tell him not to deal with him ever again. Celebrimbor didn't take her warning seriously, that's on him! But I have a hard time believing that if Galadriel had stormed into the forge while he was working with "Annatar", who was also the guy she warned him against, and told him to stop right here because this Annatar was not an emissary from the Valar but Sauron, he would have dismissed her without blinking. It would have felt forced, to me.

So there's that, and there's also the fact that if Galadriel had been in Eregion sooner, it would have taken the audience's attention away from Sauron and Celebrimbor. I loved every minute of their dynamics even if it was emotionally hard to watch, and I'm glad they kept these storylines separated in a clean way, tbh.

There it is, I wrote my piece... Again, I hope that I don't upset/offense anyone! My post is by no means to tell anyone that they are "wrong" to feel the way they feel. I just happen to have a slightly different experience...

[julkad]

I know this is a weird thing to single out but this shot right here is one of my MOST favorite in season 1. The minute I saw it. I don't know. It really touched my cold dead heart. Even though he slams the knife down, seemingly in anger -- he unsheathed the knife and it's pointing away from Galadriel's belly. And she doesn't look down once even though she flinches away. That's trust. Perhaps something more. And it's not just considerate of him. It's symbolic: it is not his wish to hurt her.

Despite Halbrand feeling frustrated and used, he exposes the knife and places it hilt-side in front of Galadriel. It's facing towards him. He's offering himself to her. He's displaying his loyalty and at the same time offering his life. Whether that means in battle, in partnership or as penance for the justice she seeks. It’s there for hers to take. And Galadriel doesn't even sneak a glimpse at the knife: because she already knows. As aggressive as the motion was, it is actually a sign of tenderness, humility and vulnerability. It just ALWAYS gets to me.

[julkad]

I know we had theorized about this several times and many months ago that the shot of Galadriel after she had fallen may have been from the gaze of Sauron. But I just noticed this; the corona that has the (blue arrow) halo effect around Galadriel looks alot like the edges of an eye's iris. Which got me to thinking. That whole shot with her in the center reminds me of the closing shot of Sauron from the final episode of season 1. And in that scene, the rings are centered in his eye and he smiles as if he is watching their creation. So yeah, the parallel here is more obvious to me now with the subtext here that Galadriel being impaled by Morgoth's crown was the next victory and next chess move he had planned in his grand scheme and that he indeed can "see" her.

[julkad]

I've always found the complicity and trust between Saurbrand and Galadriel curious, despite having practically just met.

This look caught my attention because of the earlier context; it was like: "You know, bestie, we've already discussed this, now help me escape." 🏃🏻‍♀️

*😼*

Their interactions are very smooth, and I personally find them completely free of awkwardness. They’re those typical interactions you have with your trusted bestie whom you’ve known for years—if they get mad and want to argue, then they argue.

"What the hell are you talking about? This is not what we discussed!!" 😞😡😡

If they want to conspire and discuss how to manipulate someone, they trust each other enough to do it. They rely on one another, and it even seems like each can perfectly identify the other’s thoughts. They speak openly, and there are times when they are shamelessly manipulative without any hesitation.

"You already know, I have a plan to manipulate that stupid queen and get that army. Are you with me?" Ahh 😭😭

Saurbrand flirts and jokes with her as you would with your best friend (of course, omitting the fact that all that sarcasm and joking had a romantic objective).

"Oh, you idiot, stop flirting with me. I have a surprise for you!!" 😡😡😊

nahh ��

[julkad]

It’s fascinating that TROP has shown Galadriel's instincts and intuition to consistently be sound and accurate. Time and time again, her insights bear out in reality.

She knew Sauron was alive

She knew his mark had greater significance

She knew where his shadow was rising

She sensed that Halbrand was not who he said he was (from the very beginning in fact)

She knew Elrond had gone to Cirdan

She knew the Three Rings would save the elves

She knew that Sauron wanted Adar to attack Eregion.

So why would that intuition fail her when it comes to Sauron? Not just that she knows his mind, his schemes and his malice but also when he was earnest, when he was broken and when they felt “it” fighting side by side. Something within him rang true and clear to Galadriel. Something she couldn’t deny. As this post by @cloudinthesky444 describes, their connection, as effortless and spontaneous as it was, possessed a rightness to it. She felt its authenticity. At one point, she trusted him, respected him and may have even loved him. I don't think that was a blind spot. I don't think she could have even allowed herself to feel love for him if that rightness had not been there. That sense of completion and of being seen and understood. It enticed not just her vanity and her pride, but her fea. His music and hers, not in cacophony but in harmony. Remember, she held the palantir. It showed her visions of Numenor's end. But it never revealed or hinted at the potential dark Maia that was standing right there as her ally. I think it was because Halbrand's regression to Sauron was not yet fated to happen. That path was still undefined. Even though Halbrand was a disguise, it was not an illusion. There was such a small window but I believe that Gal's intuition was always on point. Halbrand was devoted to her. Sauron believed in her as she did him. Galadriel once had aspirations of reclaiming Middle Earth from the darkness with Halbrand at her side. She wasn't foolish to believe so. If her instincts had allowed her to aspire to such dreams, then I think there was a real possibility of that future, however fleeting. Now that door is shut, but there were seeds of a hopeful future and they were planted with love and in good faith. I believe that as the story moves forward, their bond will bear fruit. Something beautiful and good will be borne of it, specifically from that small moment of time -- when Galadriel loved him and aspired to redeem them both. I think Galadriel's instincts and good faith will be repaid and she will be vindicated again.