#it made more noticeable the absence of any scene where he explicitly mourned elves

[group-dynamic]

Rings of Power Spoilers for Season 2 Episode 8. (Also, predictions based on book knowledge. Beware!)

So very much to talk about in this finale which I loved, but three takeaways for now:

What a testament to Charlie Vickers' performance all season that Sauron's tears after Celebrimbor's death feel so utterly layered and genuine and entirely grotesque. The immediate image that was conjured for me was a cat that's just killed the mouse they were playing with. That look you see in a cat when they touch the dead mouse with their paw a few times despondently because they're now genuinely upset and sore and sorry for themself because the mouse won't "play" with them anymore. The self deception of those tears, unwitnessed, and thus genuine, but also entirely unearned due to him being the sole arbiter of that death. Horrifying! (And Charlie revealed in his recent interview with Nerd of the Rings that he's fully aware that early draft Sauron was essentially a cat so we keep winning on this metaphor, haha)

2. The absolutely beautiful little moment we got with Theo and Isildur made me even more certain that Theo will grow up to be the king who betrays his oath and doesn't show up to fight against Sauron in the last alliance, leading to him being cursed by Isildur. And it's absolutely going to shatter my heart. Theo, the son of a healer and thus, as Aragorn will one day express, perfectly aligned with the role of a king. Theo whose father is unknown in a country looking for the king they were promised. Theo who is theoretically (no pun intended lol) not blessed with long life like the Numenoreans--which means Isildur would see him grow up and pass him in visual age and grow into his role. The deeply personal nature of a curse between old friends. I will not survive it if that is Theo's destiny. These are my sons.

3. I truly loved how well everything wove beautifully into the thematic threads of this story. I was deeply moved all episode. Except. . . okay, was anyone else really baffled by the imagery in the last moments? It was so clear that Galadriel's arc and the story as a whole was coming to a close on this idea of choosing to act as a shield (protect, defend, don't use your children as warriors to seek revenge, choose togetherness and healing, not singular acts, don't make war heedlessly, gather strength together). I mean, Galadriel has been fighting over giving up her sword (dagger) and all it represents for ages, and in that last moment in future Rivendell of all places, a place of healing and rest, with a battered collection of wounded veterans and refugees and non-combatants and children, Gil Galad raises his sword??? and the gathered elves also raise any weapons they have??? And they're making battle cries??? I . . . was . . . confused, lol. Was I interpreting this incorrectly? I mean, of course the free peoples of Middle Earth should fight back against a powerful enemy, no matter how small they are or how impossible the odds seem (i.e. Durin v. Balrog), but. . . . I felt like that was a little out of sync with every other piece of imagery and message that the elves were working through this season. . . This was their moment to realize the rings were not a weapon in their hands but a shield and instead it bordered on disturbing for me. . . that's how jarring that last shot felt. . It didn't ruin the episode for me or anything, but I was . . . ????

(I think Galadriel being a visual light for the elves works. I think Gil Galad and the gang drawing swords together to make a promise to defend the vulnerable would have worked, but this felt like a real mix of metaphors here. Maybe there was some debate on set about which way to go and they compromised on a mix of imagery. )