#if you like hala/driel go for it

[wild-flowerhoney]

The cognitive dissonance is insane. Look, I really liked haladriel in season 1, but let's not pretend that their "relationship" now is the same; it's not, it's a festering dynamic.

Gil-galad and Elrond both love Galadriel, they worried so much for her and regretted putting her on that ship to Valinor, and she was not punished for defying the High King, nor was she put aside when they found out she had brought their enemy to their doorsteps, but somehow Sauron is better than them because he's in love with her and sees her potential? Like, did they all skip that part when Sauron manipulated and tortured Celebrimbor to death?

Sauron connected with 2 people in season 1: Galadriel and Celebrimbor. He failed to get Galadriel by his side, and Elrond had to help Galadriel calm down after his attack. Sauron tried to get Celebrimbor in season 2 by lovebombing him, but Celebrimbor rejected him, and that hurt Sauron so very much that he lost his mind and killed him.

In the end, Sauron did NOT try to get Galadriel to join him; he wants her submission, her subjugation, and he stabbed her because he grew tired of toying with her. It's thanks to Gil-galad and Elrond that she survived Sauron's attack. Gil-galad and Elrond watched over her, and Gil-galad seeked her approval publicly as their king before lifting the sword; everyone saw it.

Also, did they all collectively forget that Sauron threatened to use necromancy to keep Celebrimbor? He didn't stab Galadriel for her "good", it's all about himself, his own interests, his own gain.

oh, they're swiftly losing all sense of what they're watching, frankly.

(long answer below, i apologise for the rant)

I'm not even against haladriel at all, it was meant to be compelling in s1 because that's what they planned with the show: give the audience the kind of figure they will imagine at her side, one that'll mirror exactly the kind of character that is very popular and beloved aka the long lost king that is hesitant in leading and seemingly sees the female MC's potential when everyone else doesn't.

by the end of s1, however, it becomes very clear that any understanding between them was sauron's façade – and his using her brother's face to try and manipulate her into following his plans only makes you truly realise that by opening herself up with him galadriel has only given him ammunition. he does not respect nor care for who she is and what she went through, he only wants the version of her that he can keep at his side. the one that would be useful to him. he may or may not have been genuine at the start but that simply doesn't hold up against what he did.

this is also when they fully introduce elrond as his direct opposite. he is the one to find her, to pull her out of the water towards the light (here, let's all remember that the whole 'touch the darkness' thing is meant to be in water and the significance of elrond helping her out of it) and the one to offer her comfort. he leads galadriel back to herself and the sheer relief in her voice when she calls his name is so so obvious.

s2 does not even bother masking sauron to the audience: he presents himself as halbrand, yes, but he manipulates the situation and quickly sheds that persona to become annatar: playing into what celebrimbor wants and needs and ultimately seizing control of eregion. again, whether he cared or not for celebrimbor is secondary to the fact that he destroyed his livelihood and tortured him (personally, i'll never be able to forget the sobs and crying when the illusion falls, it was masterfully done and absolutely haunting to hear/see).

at the end of s2, he visibly tries to force galadriel's hand and turn her to his side by actually taking control of her mind. he does not want an equal, a queen as he claims, but a puppet that he can move and place wherever it's more useful.

all throughout this, gil galad and elrond have struggled on what to do and even clashed with her but through it all she has been treated as an ally and a friend. if they were short or angry it is because of the situation they are in and is frankly warranted as they are standing on uneven ground, readying for attacks from every side. and, still, elrond apologises (in 2x07) and admits she was right (when he runs back to lindon), still, he ignores all his beliefs to save her. because helping galadriel comes first, as we've already seen when he stops the attack. he can't help but try and try to come to her aid, to place her above even himself (by using the rings). and gil galad is the first there when she falls, the first to send her with the company, the first to try and heal her and the one that's there when she wakes.

they have not been perfect to one another because they are fighting against so much and they have different visions of the world – that does not mean that they don't care or value galadriel, just that they can and should challenge her.

a series where the only voice is the MC's and the MC's alone would, after all, be pretty boring.