#we don't need to talk about celebrimbor

[queerofthedagger]

That Show really made a lot of questionable casting choices and I'm mad about a lot of them but absolutely nothing is more hateful than their finrod casting. like that is not finrod felagund that's a big bang theory cast member and i do mean this entirely derogatory. like. what the fucking fuck

[stacytea]

[marshmellin]

Galadriel is a kick-ass, legendary warrior in Arondír's eyes. I suspect other rank-and-file elven soldiers view her similarly.

Every time (every. time.) Arondír is on screen with Galadriel, we get to see how much true awe he looks at her with. Arondír gives us the unique perspective of how Galadriel is perceived as a warrior among other elven soldiers. Gil-galad and Elrond (as well as Círdan and Celebrimbor) are all very familiar with Galadriel and her bullshit. They know her great deeds on the battlefield. In some cases, their in-show vibe has been like: Yeah, the darkness, the shadows, the evil. Valar, we know, you are older than the sun itself. YES, we will text you if the darkness returns, grandma, just staaaaaaahp fighting so much.

Arondír looks at her in a completely different way. He looks at her with the eyes of one who knows of her great deeds, and can not believe he is now in the same room as her. The look on his face, IMO, says she's damn near a mythical warrior at this point for him. (To get poetic and therefore less accurate with it; Galadriel's status to this rank-and-file elven soldier is: Athena. The Morrígan. Freyja. Ishtar. Durga.)

Arondír's face when Galadriel:

"So, Theo, m'boy, that is Lady Galadriel, commander of the Northern Armies, and she's here to save every Valar-damned one of us. I can not believe she's here, are you kidding me? She is a LEGEND. Put some respect on her name and heal her already, Elrond, why are you standing there like an idiot if you have a magic ring? Are all High Elves this insane?"

Arondír's face when not Galadriel:

I think there’s a deep beauty in seeing just how much Galadriel has inspired other elven soldiers, and how long she has been fighting. For Arondír to say her name like that, with such relief and awe in his voice, truly says something to how he — a normal elven dude who used to be a grower before he was hauled into mandatory watchguard duty or whatever the hell — views her.

I don't get the sense that he and Galadriel are work besties, so to speak. So that makes me think Arondír knows of Galadriel and her skill from what he has heard of her — her renown, her reputation. Potentially her magical hair color.

And this warrior respect she has won is highlighted again. Arondír knows her enough to trust her and listen about when to attack Adar outside Eregion. The man wants blood even if it's his own, and she talks him down. Galadriel is the reason he is alive rn, candidly. Her on-the-field advice to both him and Theo — to pause, to show restraint, to plan for tomorrow — is indicative of the type of leader she is.

This, to me, also makes the nearly-kinda-sorta mutiny when we first see Galadriel hit so much harder. If she is this near-mythic warrior and general known by all, and soldiers like Arondír know of her greatness from stories of what she has done — if she's THAT GIRL from a warrior and leader perspective and yes JRR did in fact make her that girl — then yes, that mini-mutiny at Gil-galad's order stings so much more. Not only that Gil took command of these five troops and said "follow her until you reach X and pull back regardless of her command." That sucks a lot. But I see additional pain there, IMO, because she could interpret that move as Gil-galad saying "her judgment as a warrior and leader can't be trusted. She no longer is the mythical warrior we need." A hit to her reputation in front of other soldiers, not just a censure of the actions she took. Yikes bikes on your timing there, Ereinion.

Bonus Trek Thought:

Truly, the first time Arondír said “Galadriel” with wonder to Theo, he instantly made me think of BOIMLER in the SNW/LWD crossover ep! He is bashful and giddy about meeting Number One on the original Enterprise. GIDDY. Every time he sees her, he is in awe. And it's because she was a legend to him. Her story inspired him to join Starfleet; set him on his life's path, literally. She was the coolest officer and fighter and scientist he had ever heard of.

his hero. and now he's meeting her.

An additional note: We can read the look on Arondír's face as romantic, too, don’t get me wrong -- ship and let ship. Would it be the Arondriel girlies (gn)?. But jokes aside, I don’t want to relegate Arondir’s closeness and warrior bond with her to romantic only. Miv has unstoppable chemistry and so does Ismael. Hot people are hot, more breaking news at 11.

[butterflydm]

rings of power, s2 eps 1-2

So there are things I know about how this season will end (specifically, I know a couple of pretty significant deaths), and that will definitely impact my thoughts during my watch of the season, so I'll set those out now.

spoilers below through s2 of rop and probably some lotr spoilers

Things I know will happen by the end of the season: Celebrimbor will die; Adar will die; and Sauron is going to stab Galadriel with a black crown (Morgoth's crown, I think). I also know we're gonna get blonde elf Sauron who goes by the name Annatar.

I have also been thinking about what Galadriel said a couple of times in s1 -- thirst cannot be quenched with seawater (paraphrased). It feels significant in a way that I'm not quite certain of, in the same way that Adar saying 'only blood can bind' feels significant. So I'm just going to place it here for me to think about. It was used by Galadriel to essentially mean that an inferior substitute cannot replace what you really need, mostly in the context of revenge, iirc, but yeah. It's sticking in my head for some reason.

episode 1: I enjoyed Gandalf with Nori (and I am glad that Poppy joined them!!) and it's intriguing and I'm interested in seeing more.

I like the Harfoot stuff but never seem to have much to say about it.

Now, Sauron, I can apparently talk about forever.

I love how ep1 of season 1 was us learning Galadriel's fateful road to meeting Sauron and now we see the other side of the story! We watch Sauron's road to meeting Galadriel!

Starting with his encounter with Adar and the orcs. Now, I am spoiled about how Adar dies, so I know that the season is going to bookend between Adar killing Sauron at the start, and then Sauron killing Adar in a very similar way at the end. Knowing that... I mean, you can see the murder in Sauron's eyes when he's forced to kneel and place his feet by Adar's feet. Even if Sauron didn't already plan on killing him (he did), that moment would have sealed Adar's fate (just as the old Sauron loyalist sealed his own fate by being an asshole to the imprisoned Halbrand).

I do find it very interesting that Sauron, while being Halbrand here, is also still doing good by his people -- he arranged for the enslaved Southlanders to be freed as part of his deal with Adar.

I really liked seeing that whole backstory, because we really got to the heart of why Sauron failed to redeem himself -- being good is not a single act (he is fully capable of doing singular acts of goodness -- he does one here by getting Adar to free the enslaved Southlanders as part of his bargain) but a choice that must be made over and over "until it becomes your nature". Arondir talks about this too, when the Southlanders were considering surrendering to Adar (and some of them did) -- that going to Adar and submitting to him turns back all of the progress that their people have made over the centuries to rid themselves of Morgoth's influence. Falling prey to the temptations of power makes it more difficult to unwind that temptation from yourself later on.

The Sauron and Adar scenes were so good. First, we had original recipe Sauron's failure to convince Adar to go along with his plan (because it was obviously selfish and putting Sauron and his desires over everyone else's) vs Halbrand's success at getting Adar to go along with his plan (because he was able to frame it in a way that meant he was going to be meeting Adar's desires and helping Adar destroy his old source of fear -- by using "Sauron" as bait, which was hilarious)!

Sauron really paid attention to the cost of his original failure with Adar & the orcs. And learned how to manipulate him better this time around.

We also saw his first meeting with Galadriel from his PoV and, yeah. He definitely saw something in her from the very start. I don't think he knew what -- I stand by what I said about Sauron in my s1 wrapup -- he's an opportunist. He took the pouch of the King of the Southlands because it might be useful someday. And I think he could see something intriguing in Galadriel and was curious about it. I don't think he had any particularly concrete plans at that time. Given his conversations with the old man (Diamand?), he was interested in the concept of redemption for himself, but I think the actual day-to-day hard work of it was something that he found daunting.

We also finally really got to see more hints of him using his powers. First, there was that huge blast of power when his body 'died' -- creating a frozen wasteland at that fortress location that is still there all these years later (that's the frozen fortress that Galadriel visited in s1e01!). Holy shit, he was holding a lot of power inside his form. Brings back all the shit that the wizard ladies were telling "Sauron" (Gandalf) that he was capable of at the end of last season. Plus the actual rebuilding of a different mortal form for himself, by consuming life along the way (that poor random girl). He really is something akin to a demigod and we got to see it in this episode.

We also appeared to see him commune with beasts twice -- it seemed like he was talking to that giant sea monster (also, it seems like there's no reason to worry about Sauron ever drowning, because bro did not seem to have any worries about being sunk down in the water for a while) and he communicated with and befriended the wolf that he then used to kill the old Sauron loyalist (no, I never bothered to learn the man's name. And now I don't need to know!).

In the Elven rings storyline: Elrond was absolutely right. The rings were whispering to people from the second they were completed. The rings actively resisted being thrown into the waters and seduced Cirdan into putting one of them on instead. The rings are dangerous. Maybe a portion of Gil-galad's point is correct, now that they have come to this turning point -- if Sauron had not come back to Middle-Earth, if the mountain hadn't blown, then Gil-galad might be arguing here that they should let the matter of the rings go and leave Middle-Earth. But now that he does believe that Sauron is here, he believes they are obligated to stay to fight him (aka exactly Galadriel's reasoning for refusing to leave in 1x01!).

That one of the Rings leapt out to choose its owner (Galadriel) and called to her to put it on... that is One Ring bullshit if I've ever seen it. The Rings want to be worn. They want to be used. They promise everything that your heart desires... through them. And that's the same damn promise that Sauron gives everyone. "I can give you the power to solve your problems. Just... listen to me. I have the answers and I am willing to give them to you. Let me rule you fix it for you." And he tailors that pitch so well to the person listening, if he's had a chance to get to know them (and isn't distracted by thoughts of his upcoming glory, lol).

I noticed that Galadriel didn't confess to who Halbrand truly was until she was cornered and essentially had no choice. I understand why she hesitated -- she knew that Sauron wasn't wrong when he said that she would be blamed for bringing him back. "How will they react when they learn that Sauron lives because of you?" She knows how they'll react. And that's why she didn't tell.

He was counting on that. That if she wouldn't come to his side, she at least wouldn't want to reveal how badly she'd miscalculated in trusting him. And in doing so, she enabled him to continue his plans.

And now that the rings exist, they resist being lost. They whisper a thousand promises of power to their bearer. The elven rings may not be touched by Sauron's hand, but his promise lives in them.

In the end, not even Frodo could bear to actually destroy the One Ring. When it came to the final moment, he decided to keep it. It was only his earlier actions that created the situation that led to its destruction.

Great opener! Looking forward to the rest of the season.

My mom's big takeaway was being awed/horrified over how Sauron was able to reconstitute himself from just the blood/goo that had been left behind, and she kinda despaired/marveled at how difficult someone like that is to truly defeat. We've decided we're probably going to rewatch the LotR movies after we've caught up with s2 of RoP.

episode 2: Okay, I'll tackle Gandalf's storyline first. Once again, it's good but pretty straight-forward, so not a lot to say. I do think it's important to have on-screen, because Gandalf is the rising foil to Sauron, the Maia that we can contrast against each other. Sauron is of many names and Gandalf the Stranger is currently of none.

I think part of what we have here is the continuing paralleling of the growth between their powers as well -- Gandalf calls a duststorm but cannot control it; Sauron calls a rainstorm and controls it to perfection.

The other parts of the story are all about the continuing rise of Sauron and how he is putting pieces together to create what he views as his masterwork.

Trouble in the dwarven mountains, trouble that was caused by the volcano erupting in what used to be the Southlands. A problem has been created for the dwarves. A fear has been created.

Now... now Sauron needs to make himself the solution to that new fear that the dwarves have. He needs to make his rings the solution to their deepest fears, just like he did for the elves when he learned that they were fading.

The family plotline that we had going on with the two stubborn Durins was good, and I continue to love Durin (III) and Disa's relationship. <3

With the elves, it becomes even more clear to me how connected the elven rings are to Sauron, even if he wasn't the one who crafted them (check out Halbrand's look of joy when he's telling Celebrimbor that the elven rings have "worked wonders" -- he is thrilled that the elven rings are being used). Galadriel touches the her ring and is distracted by visions about Sauron. Gil-galad hides his own ring from sight at the implication that the rings could be dangerous. And Cirdan attempts to make the argument that limitless power is fine in the hands of the trusted and the wise... an argument that the elves are sadly aware is incorrect by the time of the LotR. The rings are dangerous because the rings are Sauron's realized promise to save the elves from fading from Middle-Earth. They are his.

Elrond is the only one we've seen so far who resisted the call of the rings. He continues to have so much moral integrity - stands up to his friends, stands up to his king, keeps his oaths, and is wary of incredible power even if it rests in trusted hands.

I note that Gil-galad is careful to redirect any... failings of falling for Sauron's deceptions to Galadriel's feet. He hides his ring when the subject comes up. It's Galadriel who is a risk, not the rings. Never the rings. This section here was also set-up for how Halbrand manipulates Celebrimbor later on -- we learn in this conversation that it's said that once Sauron deceives you fully, then he can make you see and feel what he wants. That is what he does to Celebrimbor in this episode.

Gil-galad and Galadriel are both being granted visions by the rings. Where are the visions coming from? We didn't see Gil-galad's vision but we saw Galadriel's.

In her vision, she was granted access into Sauron's plans. Seven rings for the dwarf lords. Nine rings for the mortal men. And Celebrimbor... the Celebrimbor in her vision... he blamed her for Sauron's rise. Or gave her the credit. Depending on how you look at it. In her other, shorter vision, she was shown Halbrand in Eregion. Who is showing her this? Is it truly something that her ring has unlocked inside her, as Gil-galad suggests?

We also got to see how the memory of what she shared with Halbrand still preys on her heart. "He never left," Elrond says. So, yeah, heartbroken and ashamed and certain that it must be her destiny to kill Sauron (because only that way can she prove to herself that he isn't still in her heart?).

So, you know. Galadriel is going through it right now.

Over with our boy the Deceiver... continues to be doing the most at all times. He tried to make it work as Halbrand for quite a long time, honestly. He tried to elicit sympathy and understanding and he got it... to a certain extent. But then he hit the wall of Celebrimbor's arrogance about elven superiority vs men or dwarves (but especially "corruptible" mortal men).

And so Halbrand becomes Annatar in the most over the top way anyone could imagine, holy shit. That's what Celebrimbor wants. Not a collaboration with a lowly mortal smith or king of Men. He wants to believe that the Valar, that the gods themselves think that he's the best fucking artist in the world. So good that they sent a personal envoy to give him instructions.

The way that Sauron crafts himself to fit into what his audience most desires of him is... impressive and, you know, I should say terrifying, but honestly, it's kinda hot. Fictional con artists are very attractive to me. And Sauron defaults to being a con artist before he picks violence. He prefers manipulation. He's very good at it.

My mom's feelings: she feels like he looks "more evil" as Annatar and is relieved about it, lol.

[sweetteaanddragons]

If Maedhros had died in Morgoth's ambush, do you think Maglor would have given up the kingship?

I think Maglor would - a big gesture is definitely needed to reunite everyone, and I think of Maglor as someone who appreciates the value of a good "big gesture." Additionally, I don't really see him as someone who actually wants to be the big picture guy for the war effort; he's much more comfortable being the second in command.

(Also, if we're going with my personal headcanons here, he's also just lost his wife, so. Definitely not in a great headspace to fight for the kingship.)

But let's explore deeper!

What if . . .

Celegorm is the oldest left standing?

Yeah, absolutely not. I also don't think Fingolfin would bow to High King Celegorm, so I guess we're having another division of the Noldor here.

Caranthir is the oldest left standing?

I - hm. It's not so much that I think he wants the high kingship, exactly, it's that I think he couldn't bear to just give it up. Maybe if there's some sort of deal he can feel like he got the better end of?

Or maybe with Feanor and three of his sons dead Fingolfin feels like it would be in bad taste to angle for it. I'm not sure.

Curufin is the oldest left standing?

He is definitely not giving it up. None of the Nolofinweans ever thought for a second he would.

Everyone is deeply concerned about the death toll the Feanorians have taken.

The Ambarussa, either or collectively, are the oldest left standing?

We have basically no canon characterization for them. My personal view is that it wouldn't occur to them to offer, but that if someone suggested it, they could be talked around.

Nolofinwe arrives and discovers the Feanorians have crowned little Tyelpe king for lack of other options:

He is taking their word for it that Celebrimbor is still alive. The very protective Feanorian army is not currently letting anyone in to see their king, thank you, especially not anyone that might potentially be holding grudges.

His main concern at the moment has very little to do with who gets what title and a whole lot to do with convincing them that he has never in his life considered holding Tyelpe responsible for any of this and that's definitely not going to change now.

But let's not take my word for it! Let's vote:

[hikarielizabethbloom]

Thoughts on the finale

I liked this season much more than the first one (which I love, btw).

Some things felt a bit rushed but I know that's because a show like The rings of power needs more than 8 eps to tell its stories but that's how what the entrainment system does now. They did very good with the time they had.

I cried, I laughed, I screamed...

Duran and Disa need to rest. It has not been an easy season for them! But I'm excited to see what will happen next season. And Durin and Elrond need to meet again and talk.

Celebrimbor and Sauron's scenes were the highlights of the season and I'm so sad Charles is leaving. Also give this man a couple of awards. He deserves it

We didn't see much of Numenors's and Elendil/Isildur's in the finale but what we saw was good. Elendil like Aragorn. We're going to Meet Anarion next season. Isildur is coming home. And poor Eärien she was just trying to easy her pain and save her father.

Elrond is me, I'm Elrond. This broke me.

Watching the destruction of Eregion was painful but expected.

Adar, my beloved. You will be missed... I can't express how much.

I love them. This is everything I wanted for them... And they delivered. I will be talking about this for years...

Gandalf!!! Brief note. Gandalf and Nori's relationship is so sweet and tender.

Galadriel got engaged, again.

Arondir joined the big girls club now and I'm so here for this! You don't understand how much I love him, and how much I crave for a friendship between him and Galadriel. Also loved the moment where Gil-galad was there trying to formulate a plan and he was like 'Cool, cool, but Commander, what do YOU think we should do?'

[redeclipsee]

This is just going to be a little rant about Galadriel, Haladriel, Celeborn and other thingies I've seen discourse about lately. And this is by no means discrediting people's opinions. I just wanted to talk about it lol

I've always been pro-ship. Ship whatever the hell you want. "Problematic" ships, morally wrong ships, just whatever. As long as you're not being an asshole to other people.

Which led me to Haladriel. Haladriel is easily the most popular ship of the show, and with the end of S2, I've seen people attacking the ship, but I've seen more people demanding for Haladriel to become "canon" and absolutely shitting on other characters, plots and fans who enjoy other parts of the show that don't revolve around the ship. And it's quite embarrassing.

In the show, Sauron and Galadriel are foil characters to each other. I don't think hoping for them to face each other each season is unrealistic or even bad. In fact, it's expected. Whenever Sauron chooses darkness, Galadriel will choose light. It's a dance with those characters. 

BUT demanding the romantic ship to become canon and being mean to everyone who says otherwise is bad. You don't need canon to ship them or read them as romantic (because let's be real, the show left it to interpretation, and it's fantastic). Sauron and Galadriel being canon makes absolutely no sense with the lore, the world and the characters. We already know what the characters end up like, so being childish because they won't kiss is embarrassing.

Which leads me to some people hating the character Celeborn. We haven't even seen him in the show and yet, top 5 hated characters. I've seen more people attacking people who want Celeborn and Celeborn and Galadriel giving the most absolute insane takes; "he's boring", "you want Galadriel to be a tradwife", "you just hate Haladriel shippers“, among others. Which all of them are insane. How can you say he’s boring when we haven’t even seen him on the show? Galadriel can be happy, have a loving husband and be badass, be for real. And well, people can ship whatever. If people like Celedriel more than Haladriel is their right? Just as people can dislike Celedriel and like Haladriel, just be kind to each other idk.

SAURON & GALADRIEL

For me, there was a little romance between Galadriel and Sauron on S1. I think Sauron fell in love with her light and her power. I think Galadriel fell in love with the understanding that Halbrand gave her that she couldn’t find in anyone else, her “darkside” was understood. But Sauron’s idea of love can’t be anything but twisted and Galadriel could never really love Sauron. So yes, for me, there was love, but it was twisted.

Sauron is obsessed with her light. He wanted her power just as he wanted Celebrimbor’s art. And he won’t ever renounce it, so he’ll chace it and tempt her at every occasion he can, because he wants her light. Sauron, who thinks he needs to control everyone on Middle Earth to “heal” it, naturally has an obsession with the Lady of Light.

But that’s all there is. Because Galadriel could never truly love Sauron even when he’s the only one that could understand her darkest desires the most. 

GALADRIEL'S JOURNEY

I’ve seen people saying that her speech of “all peoples of Middle Earth will always resist you” is bad because it makes Galadriel abandon her personal goal of hunting Sauron for the greater good, not allowing a woman to have her own agency and advocating for everyone else. And well, I would agree if we weren’t talking about a Tolkien adaptation.

S1 Galadriel is galloping alone. No one believes her, no one understands her, and she can’t stop her quest. She’s prideful and selfish to an extent, and it’s her choices alone, her own internal desire to bring Sauron down that, unaware, brings him back to Middle Earth. She fucks up monumentally. 

S2 Galadriel is about the consequences of her actions, but also, realizing she’s not alone. Her letting go of Finrod's dagger at the end of S1 was a beautiful way of letting go of her quest. Gil-Galad and Galadriel’s relationship in S2 shines because Gil-Galad is harsh on her as much as he believes in her, and he tells her that. S2 Galadriel has no company and has to deal with the tables turned around by being part of Elrond’s company. Elrond, who was also acting stubborn like a mule and refused to listen to anyone (just like her S1 self). S2 Galadriel is about her finding that she’s not alone and that Finrod’s quest is over, and it’s time to fight for Middle Earth, all of it.

Going forward is about her becoming the Lady of Light that we know in Lord of the Rings. And yes, she’ll always have a darkside, she’ll always be prideful and ambitious, and I’m so excited to see hints of that in the upcoming seasons, but I don't think saying her putting aside her personal and prideful quest is bad is fair to the story the show is trying to tell. This is Tolkien, and it makes complete sense for it to be like that.

So yeah, in resume… I love Haladriel, but I don’t want them to ever be canon. I can’t wait for Celeborn to show up, and I can’t wait to see how the show develops Galadriel’s journey in the upcoming seasons! Just remember to be kind to other people, even if they don’t like your ships.

[greenleaf4stuff]

Of Convenience 8.2

(all previous parts of "Of Convenience")

Adar x Celebrimbor (silverscars) political marriage AU, 8th snippet, part 2. Celebrimbor returns to Adar's tent with a surprise and has a reunion with another friend. The new alliance finally seems to have a fighting chance - in more ways than one.

This chapter is finally going to feature poor beleaguered Gil-Galad – Adar, hide your wine stash (or don't, if you want to make a good impression)! Once again I want to thank all the lovely people who like, reblog, tag or comment this fic or who have sent me messages - your support means everything! <3 I hope you enjoy!

Celebrimbor walked back towards Adar's tent with a spring in his step and a smile on his face that was, perhaps, unbefitting the seriousness of the situation. But after how successful his work had been, he felt he was allowed a little levity.

Gurlak herself had been decidedly more skeptical than Adar at first - and pressed herself to the wall of the shed with a loud hiss when Celebrimbor had uncovered Morgoth's crown.

"I am not touching that thing! Not even with tongs and while wearing gloves!"

"I understand, and I am not going to make you! The only thing I ask is that you let me use your forge and your equipment," he reassured the uruk. "This is going to be Adar's weapon to hopefully kill Sauron - for good, this time. But the way this was made...it is no weapon suited for battle. Please, Gurlak, he will need every advantage we can give him. I only wish to try to even the odds for him, at least a little."

She'd taken a shuddering breath and watched the elf dubiously for a while, but eventually, she'd permitted him to use her smithy. "Just make sure he survives it, whatever it is Adar will be facing." Had been her only condition.

Celebrimbor had nodded in answer. "I intend to."

It might be too early to pat himself on the back just yet, but Celebrimbor thought that he'd done his best to fulfill her condition. He allowed himself to feel a little lighter as a result, as well as giddy; he was quite curious about what Adar's reaction to his work might be.

When he arrived at their shared tent, the elf blinked in surprise - aside from the usual uruk guards, there were perhaps a dozen elves in full armor, hands on their weapons and surrounding the tent as they eyed their counterparts with suspicion.

Beside him, Glûg cursed under his breath. "You think this is what I think it is?"

Celebrimbor's heart had leapt into his throat at the sight - but not in fear, this time. "I think it might indeed be," his voice carried the elation he felt.

The High King of Lindon, Ereinion Gil-Galad himself, had arrived in Adar's camp. Heavily guarded, just as Elrond had said he would be.

If the smith's heart could have burst with anticipation, Celebrimbor might have feared for it to happen in that moment. Instead, he took a steadying breath and turned to Glûg. "I am sure you want to come too. I think Adar isn't gonna object to you keeping a close eye on his husband, especially at such a crucial point in time," he said with a quirk to his lips even as he affected pure innocence.

Glûg threw him a sideways glance, visibly caught - the uruk was suprisingly nosy, Celebrimbor had realized. A good quality for a lieutenant, in his opinion, which might have been why he did his best to foster it instead of denying the uruk his inquisitiveness.

Every leader needed someone in their lives who was unafraid to know more, to ask questions...and speak his mind. "Yeah. You are probably right," Glûg said, slowly. Even if his mouth was uniquely shaped due to his long teeth, Celebrimbor could tell the other was smiling back at him.

Steeling himself, Celebrimbor clutched the coarse fabric in his arms, and continued to walk towards the tent.

The elven guards were quick to notice him. Some looked relieved to see him, others were more cautious. The smith could spot Rían among them, who had accompanied Elrond once or twice on previous talks, and he tilted his head at her in greeting before he entered the tent. She gave him a small, encouraging grin in response.

Inside their tent, it was a bit crowded; Celebrimbor almost ran into another elven guard, this one tall as a tree, and needed a moment to catch sight of what went on in the middle of the interior.

Celebrimbor could see Galadriel and Elrond - accompanied by Vorohil - standing close to the table. Adar stood at the opposite side, looking tense but not antagonistic. The table itself held what seemed to be a hastily prepared selection of vegetables, greenery, and fruits, as well as several chalices of drink.

Positioned among his elven friends, shining golden like the sun itself, stood the high king of the elves. Gil-Galad had exchanged his robes for heavy, golden armor and braided his hair as if in preparation for a battle. He, too, looked tense. Celebrimbor had never been so glad to see him. 

Eagerly, Celebrimbor pushed through the throng of guards and exclaimed, "Gil-Galad - I didn't know you were going to be coming so soon!" And then, with a hint of embarrassment, "I'd have made myself look more presentable if I did."

A hush fell over the tent, with even the guards stopping their whisperings, as all eyes moved to the elven smith. It uncomfortably reminded him of the time when he'd cursed his bad luck multiple days ago, and he winced lightly before he soldiered on and stepped close to the table.

Ereinion looked surprised to see him, eyes widened slightly. After a moment, he strode around the table and came to stand in front of Celebrimbor.

"Tyelpe. It is good to see you alive - and whole," the High King stated. His eyes were moving over the smith, searching, before they settled back on his face.

And then, before Celebrimbor knew what was happening, Ereinion had reached forward and drawn the smith into a tight hug.

The smith needed a few blinks before he managed to regain himself. Gil-Galad was many things, but being prone to touching others wasn't usually among them. The elf supposed it was a sign that the king had indeed feared the worst. Tentatively, he freed one of his arms from the bundle he still held, and wrapped it around the high king in turn. "It is good to see you, too, Ereinion."

Suddenly, there was a sound from the other side of the table that almost sounded like a growl. When Celebrimbor startled and turned around, he found Adar staring at him- no, not at him, but at Gil-Galad, nostrils flaring and hands clenched. With a frown, the smith looked at Gil-Galad, and felt confusion as he noticed the high king wear a similar expression of drawn eyebrows and pinched lips.

His eyes flew between the two of them as he tried to understand what was going on, until they settled on Galadriel, who...wore a smirk, of all things. And looked mischievously from Celebrimbor to Adar and back when she caught his eye.

The smith frowned, unsure what she was getting at, and freed himself from Gil-Galad's embrace.

"I am glad we are finally able to sit at the negotiation table together, all of us," the smith tried to dissipate the strange tension that had fallen over the group. He knew his king was protective of those he considered friends and family, but surely there was no reason to sour the current talks with a show of distrust?

And he couldn't even hope to parse what Adar's reaction might have been caused by. He's ask him about it later.

"Please, sit, everyone. I am sure we have much to talk about."

Gil-Galad seemed reluctant to follow Celebrimbor's request at first, but eventually acquiesced. As did the others, who walked to the chairs that had been prepared for them.

Adar, however, was looking at Celebrimbor.

"How has your project gone?" Again, it took the smith a moment to pick up on what Adar was talking about, but then smiled brightly at his husband. It was obvious the other had searched the Celebrimbor with his eyes for the shape of the crown, and hadn't found it.

Well, Celebrimbor would change that.

"Thank you for reminding me - it has gone better than expected! Here-" and he moved the shape in his arms, wrapped in coarse linen, and gently placed it on the table before Adar. It was long and slim, not at all like a crown anymore.

Adar stared at the smith skeptically, then stretched out his bare hand as he gingerly folded aside the fabric. The open surprise on his face caused Celebrimbor to rock back and forth on his feet with both mirth and delight.

The uruk had been right, Morgoth's crown had been tough to reforge, doubly so because the circumstances were not ideal. But the smith had refused to be bested by it - and, in turn, the maiar who had previously worked on the metal. It had taken much coaxing and every bit of his knowledge and skill as a smith, but eventually, the darkened iron had bent to his will.

What had been wrought from it now lay on the table before all of them. It hadn't been enough for a greatsword like Adar's, but with some additional material, a shortsword had been achieved. It was utilitarian, for the metal had refused to let itself be remade into a more pleasing shape, and so it lay, simple and dark and still menacing, but it was a sword now. Certainly easier to use in a fight than a crown, and hopefully, more lethal as well.

At the elves' questioning glances, Celebrimbor pointed at it and explained. "I reworked Morgoth's crown. If this is to be our best chance at killing Sauron, I am not letting you lot walk into this fight and wield something that is meant to be worn as adornment in court, not brandished as weapon in battle."

The incredulous expressions on his friends' faces caused the smith to preen. Yes, pride had been a weakness of his back in Eregion, but he felt entitled to a little bit of it at least.

Working on this sword had felt like reclaiming a part of himself, in a strange way - while Sauron had taken his creations and tainted them, he had taken one of his and reforged it to serve the elf's own purposes.

How fitting it would be, if it caused the Deceiver's own destruction.

"Where did you do this?" Gil-Galad asked, pointing his hand at the sword as he looked at Celebrimbor. The high king did tend to look slightly exasperated even at the best of times, but currently, he held an expression of sheer disbelief.

The smith raised his eyebrows and pointed over his shoulder with his index finger, in the direction of the tentflap. He briefly turned towards it, then back to Gil-Galad, and simply said. "Well. Here, in the camp. One of Adar's smiths graciously lent me her forge."

Gil-Galad's eyes fell to the sword again. Galadriel and Elrond were studying it just as intently, the look on their faces similar to the one they'd worn when he'd first presented the elven rings to them.

It was Adar who spoke next. "I have heard many stories about the house of Feanor - about your grandfather, specifically," Celebrimbr looked up and found Adar staring at him. The uruk was less expressive than most elves, so the sheer, open look of awe on his face felt sent a thrill through Celebrimbor's whole body, made him feel giddy and warm. "The greastest elven smith who ever lived."

"I would claim that you needn't question your own greatness in comparison to him. If anything, I think you might surpass him. No other being I have met, save for a valar and a maiar, have been able to alter this crown."

"And you did it in an uruk camp, with a cobbled-together forge and scavenged tools."

It was a close thing, but Celebrimbor felt as if he could have almost wept with the praise. Many people had paid compliments to him and his work. Compared him to his grandfather and his deeds.

And yet, none had ever felt as sincere, and none had ever touched him as deeply, as that of the uruk he had bound himself to in a desperate bid to save both their people, and who would carry his creation into battle.

Celebrimbor's face broke out into a wide, slightly shaky smile. "Thank you, Adar, I-" a pause and, as fondness overcame him, the smith added. "Consider it a belated wedding present, if you'd like."

And there it was, the faintest hint of a smile on Adar's face, once again.

"...I think I should like that."

Celebrimbor didn't know it, but the smile he gave in response was as radiant and warm as the sun itself.

[apoloadonisandnarcissus]

“Rings of Power” 2x08 is tomorrow, and here are some questions (or rather plot holes the size of black holes) I hope to see explained at the finale:

Joe Doe: What did the corpse that arrived at Eregion, in 2x06, truly said? Because a simple “Where is He?” doesn’t explain Sauron’s distressed reaction to it, especially since he’s the one who told Adar that “Sauron was in Eregion” chilling with the Elves.

Houdini Gil-galad: When Elrond arrives at Eregion, Gil-galad is by his side as they start the battle. Yet, when Elrond is charging into Adar, Gil-galad just magically disappears and is nowhere to be seen? What happened there? Where did he go? Because this scene appears to be in a sequence. Is there a explanation for this or...?

Agressive Negotiation Tactics: Why wasn’t Gil-galad with Elrond during their meeting with Adar? Sure, Elrond is the commander of the army, but Gil-galad is the High King of the Noldor. Shouldn’t he be the one making negotiations and striking deals, here? Does Gil-galad truly has this much trust in Elrond he’s willingly to surrender his power as king to him during a discussion of battle terms? Sure, Adar only brought up Nenya in exchange for Galadriel’s life. But how could they know that? Adar could literally have talked about anything else; terms, surrender, whatever. And Gil-galad didn’t seem too concerned with the possibility of being killed by Orcs at the battlefield... Then, why is Elrond the one making decisions here?

"Adar kind of forgot": Why didn’t Adar take or even checked if Elrond had Nenya in the tent scene, and waited until the very end to do it? Was it for dramatic effect or something else?  Because Adar’s goal is to destroy Sauron, and his theory is that he needs Nenya and Morgoth’s crown in order to do that. He doesn’t care about Eregion; if he had both, he could go and chase after Sauron, immediately, instead of losing any more time and getting more Orcs killed. We’ve already seen how consumed Adar is by finding and killing Sauron. He could have taken Nenya right there, with only Vorohil to stop him. Instead, he just allowed Elrond to walk away and risk him getting killed during the battle, or even losing the freaking ring? What assurance did Adar had that he would find Elrond alive in the middle of that hell? He’s just a corrupted Elf, he doesn’t have special powers or anything like that.  

He's Just Not That Into You: Sauron has been obsessing over Galadriel for the entire season (even in the middle of his "rings of power" masterplan), and yet we, the audience, were shown no reaction from him at her being trapped inside of a freaking cage and bled by an Orc spear. We are told he wants her to be his queen, that she’s a part of his plan and “even really loves her”, and yet he doesn’t care? He’s a control freak and a perfectionist on steroids, but just assumes Elrond will be able to handle negotiations with Adar? What assurance does he have these dealings won’t go south and Adar ends up killing Galadriel afterwards, leaving him with no queen at all? This makes it seem as if Sauron asking Galadriel to join him and be his queen, is an afterthought on his part: “Hey, good thing you didn’t die! Do you want to be my queen, by the way? I'm in need of one!” 

Dumb and Dumber: Why is Sauron screaming at the top of the forge tower, searching for the Nine and alerting everyone to his presence there? He’s always two steps ahead of everyone, and yet he just assumes that Celebrimbor hide them there? And it doesn’t cross his mind that Celebrimbor might have smuggled them out? And how long has he been searching? Because Celebrimbor and Galadriel have a long-ass conversation in the meantime. 

Yeah, I don't really care about the other plots.

[mai-komagata]

re: sexy stabbings

im writing this very long meta on how galadriel x sauron and silvergifting dynamics help an audience recognize different forms of seduction in a relatable way (including queer forms of seduction, which audiences are normally blind to), and how recognizing these ships isn't about "crack shipping" but about the text using the language of sexuality/eroticism/seduction to convey concepts that would otherwise be vague and not-understandable like temptation to a metal object or wounds that cannot heal or possession by an alien being as well as concept of "men in a fantasy/magical/superhero setting are not just power levels" -- ie. the strongest man should always win. Galadriel is *integral* to this because most characters in tolkien are male and audiences are pre-disposed to ignoring emotional dynamics in men other than anger and violence -- the contrast with a female romance lets an audience be like "these people, adar, galadriel, celebrimbor are more alike than distinct". (wow maybe i don't need to write it, anymore!). But since that is taking me very long to write and i keep running into queer-erasure every day i'll just say this: the reason we don't see Sauron torture Galadriel in the same way she tortures Celebrimbor is not because his relationship with them is cosmically different (obviously its different bc they are different people). Galadriel is not more "pure" or "loved" than Celebrimbor. Neither is blameless (i.e. both were ambitious) and neither is deserving of torture (nobody deserves that, even Sauron). It's because there is different symbolism to the way they are being hurt. Arrows being used as martyrdom is a millennia old way of showing homosexuality. Stabbing is metaphorical of penetration. He intended to kill both of them for denying them the Nine. Because Sauron is bad at impulse control, he takes and believes he is wiser than he is. If he wants something he will take it and then regret that he broke his favorite thing. (note he doesn't regret killing other people he doesn't twistedly love, like mirdania, or the orcs).

Galadriel had Nenya (i.e. Celebrimbor's magic, untouched by sauron) and Elrond was able to save her (love and light win the day). Celebrimbor died as symbolic for what happened to Eregion (he was alone and eregion fell).

This doesn't mean BOTH scenes aren't meant to be erotic. The stabbing is hot and the caressing of the arrows are hot. But they are hot in a BDSM/noncon way. "Do you understand what it's like to be tortured by a god?" sorta way.

Pragmatically, though, the reason we don't see more graphic galadriel is because it would make audiences uncomfortable. You can be way more graphic with gay shit and people won't be squicked than if you are graphic with m/f abuse. As i said, a good 50-70% of the audience won't even NOTICE the gay shit and think its just standard fantasy violence. The closer you make it to outright rape, the less compelling it is, because Sauron needs to both be APPEALING and EVIL in order to understand why people are drawn to the rings of power and why it is essential to oppose it.

[disclaimer: this is not anti galadriel x sauron, it is just in favor of seeing the ship in a dark way as part of the larger narrative. When I talk about shipping them in a dark way i don't mean simply its my kink, i mean this is a dark seduction story at heart. The actors are very hot, their acting is very sexy, but the function in the larger story is to display the different ways sauron tempts and corrupts people, including galadriel, celebrimbor, adar, and how sauron himself was corrupted by melkor].

[thequeensjester]

Sometimes to find the Light, we must first touch the Darkness ➤ S1 • EP7: Galadriel and Theo

Pairing Galadriel, one of the older characters, with Theo, the youngest character, is one of the most underrated but crucial moments in Galadriel's story.

The moment where Theo tries to take her knife to get revenge on the orcs is the moment that awakens Galadriel. The justified anger that he feels is similar to her own but she starts to realize that acting destructively isn't helpful in the long run.

She couldn't see it in herself until she saw it in Theo—a child who has mostly known darkness and despair in his short life so far. A child who has now lost his home and many of his people.

Unlike Theo, Galadriel had experienced peace and happiness. I think it's interesting she first talks about Celeborn with Theo. It's not a throwaway moment like too many viewers have made it out to be.

Theo sees Galadriel as an incredible warrior but her reputation also came with a price. Revealing the 'loss' of Celeborn is more than Galadriel relating to Theo. She pushed on for centuries because that's what you have to do to be freed of the darkness—at least that is what Galadriel thought she was doing.

Ep7 challenges the quote of "Sometimes to find the light we must first touch the darkness." Galadriel spends this episode drawing Theo away from it because he is young. There is so much more life waiting for him but the darkness has already influenced him. Theo doesn't fear violence and welcomes it as justification.

Galadriel sees that if he continued down that path, it would only get worse. Guiding Theo is part of Galadriel's journey to heal her trauma.

Even though he recklessly tried to take her knife, Galadriel still gave her sword to Theo to encourage him and telling him that he too can be a warrior.

He's surprised that someone like her would even see any potential in him—telling us that he didn't see much hope for himself, especially with the guilt he carried. Receiving Galadriel's sword is fitting when he spent most of the s1 keeping the stolen doom hilt.

This humble moment of Theo offering the sword back rounds out his s1 narrative. Out of respect for Galadriel, he tries to give it back. We don't know if its because he questions his worthiness or Galadriel's intent. However, this act is a mark of his own growth.

Galadriel wanted him to keep the sword because she consistently inspires those that are younger or weaker than her; e.g. Arondir and the Numenoreans.

In the end, Theo's admiration for Galadriel changes from how he first admired her skill. It's no longer her strength but also her wisdom and kindness that Theo respects.

In s2, we have Celebrimbor reminding Galadriel that she only needs to seek light. He mentioned in s1ep2 that he admired the dwarves to see beauty and potential in things. These are the values of the elves.

Meanwhile, Sauron makes a grand statement about subjugating Middle-earth into worshiping Galadriel but s1ep7 shows us the opposite—she is capable of garnering admiration and respect based on her own merits.

Bonus—the editing choice to include Sauron's reaction to Theo lines up with who he is; contempt for people or things that he deem small and unimportant.

— credit: cap-that.com

[starsofarda]

Following from here and here :3 It appears that I have enough time and energy for another ficlet <3

Hope you all enjoy!

Legendarium:

ᴛʏᴘᴇᴅ: ʟᴇɢᴏʟᴀꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ʜɪꜱ ꜱʏʟᴠᴀɴ ᴅɪᴀʟᴇᴄᴛ

Italic: Sindarin

Bold: Khuzdul

Bold red: Ancient Khuzdul

𝒞𝓊𝓇𝓈𝒾𝓋𝑒: 𝒬𝓊𝑒𝓃𝓎𝒶

And so Maedhros was given some new clothes to replace the ones falling apart that he had when he first entered Lothlorien and was being chaperoned by a couple of guards when not with either the Fellowship or Galadriel herself.

Speaking of, the lady of the Galadhrim dropped on him several scrolls and books. "You will be staying here for a bit. In the meantime you might want to catch up on what happened."

"That's kind of you."

And that made Maedhros realize how bad were things - definitely none of these books skimmed on details, especially when it came to Sauron - and having learned what happened to his nephew Celebrimbor certainly did not do anything except igniting back the flame that first had held him when he put foot on Middle Earth, after the Oath.

Now he understood.

He rushed to the Fellowship.

"Aragorn, which of you is carrying it."

Aragorn looked at the Elf very confused. "What."

"I know. I specifically know what effects have cursed artifacts, it's what brought my brothers and me to a quite early grave. Now. Which one of the children is the one?"

Aragorn quickly relayed the request.

Frodo now was looking at Maedhros with an uneasy expression. "What would he know, if I may ask?"

And once again Aragorn translated back the question. Maedhros sat down, quite resigned on having another akward conversation.

"I understand because my father, my brothers and I once swore a terrible Oath for artifacts both blessed and cursed. That's how we all ended up dying. I see that one of the halflings is carrying its burden, I would recognise that look everywhere, as it was my look too. And I can see that one of you men has been taken by it too, as that was the look two of my brothers had, that got them exiled and then killed."

Of course Boromir looked away, he knew what this ancient Elf was talking about. The latter kept speaking. "Please allow me to help. I need to know if you have sworn an oath."

Frodo spoke again, once everything had been translated. "I understand. I am the one carrying it and you are generally correct, Sir Maedhros. And no, no one is under oath, Lord Elrond was very insistent on not having anyone swear any oath."

Elrond. So he was alive, and hopefully well, and apparently lord of his own realm. Maedhros felt some tears fall down, that he wiped very quickly - apparently not quickly enough for the halflings, who immediately latched onto his arms.

Pippin scowled. "Aw, now you've made him cry again!"

"Don't worry Pip. Plenty of time to remedy that!" Merry replied encouraging.

With that Maedhros excused himself.

---

Galadriel and Celeborn did not actually expect Maedhros, his red hair and the same expression as someone about to kill Morgoth to storm into the throne room.

"Galadriel, why is a halfling with no battle training and with a very soft heart carrying the filth produced by Sauron?"

Galadriel was about to reply, but Maedhros was not finished. "What are we Elves hiding? Why are we not doing anything to fight? Are we really abandoning everyone here? Just like we had all been abandoned to fend for ourselves?"

Galadriel stood up. "Shut up! As if you, of all, have any voice in the matter! Abandoned! Have you heard yourself?"

"I have paid for my sins, I am not here to argue about this. We sent Morgoth and his filth away after the War of Wrath. I died shortly after, why have you all allowed this to fester?"

There was a long awkward silence. Clearly nothing could be said to placate Maedhros, and honestly by that time the only ones holding up with his gaze were Celeborn and Galadriel.

And yet, things could not truly be changed. Maedhros spoke again. "Galadriel, give me weapons. I am going with them."

"Over my dead body. I will not let you bring on another bloodshed." She replied.

"I do not have to uphold an Oath anymore. What I can do is getting rid of Morgoth's filth once and for all. Not for myself, but for everyone, for all the blood that I shed. This is all my bloody hands can do. Maybe this is my role here. Maybe this is wwhy I got re-embodied here."

"Oh, are you not acting very righteous, kinslayer? Now you want to fix what should have never happened in the first place?"

The discussion was getting heated, only Maedhros and Galadriel were now in the room, facing off.

"If we are going by semantics, Galadriel, everyone committed atrocities. Unfortunately the past is in the past."

"But maybe we can do something for the future. Ugh, now I understand where Elrond learned how to argue."

Maedhros assumed a curious expression. "Oh?"

"He married my daughter. He is myson-in-law. Fine. I recall the word kinslayer. Go prove yourself. I will give you weapons. Should I know that you turned against your companions, I will personally hunt you down and kill you."

That seemed to settle all arguments for the moment. Maedhros, feeling satisfied, turned around and went back to watch over the rest of his newly acquired companions.

Well, he did not expect being nearly tackled to the ground by Merry and Pippin, shouting something he really did not understand - luckily his long years as oldest brother made him understand fairly quickly that they were just jesting.

Sam, the third of the halflings offered him a cup of hot drink of somesort, something fairly new to him. "SirMaedhros, have a cup of tea, it's going to lift up your spirits. Mr. Frodo is having a cuppa too."

"Oh Sam, can we have tea too?"

"Of course, granted that you behave. Now leave him alone, he's been unearthed like a potato only a few days ago!" Sam replied to Merry and Pippin, who immediately sat down quietly.

Well, now Maedhros was fully reminiscing his entire family, as he sipped the drink, "tea" as he had understood.

It took him a moment for him to realize that Legolas was near him along with Gimli - the pair had sort of been bonding over similarities whilst in Lothlorien. He sighed. "I am sorry for your father and grandfather too, Legolas."

The latter shrugged. "I am a child compared to them. I have never seen or experienced a kinslayer. I am a lot more forgiving in that sense."

Gimli grumbled. "Well, am I not feeling the atmosphere here?"

Maedhros gave him a half smile. "Don't worry, Master Dwarf, I was simply saying sorry."

"That is thoughtful of you. Although you might not need it."

"I'd rather have a good second life without regrets."

"Ha, that's why you are an upright lad!"

Yeah, he was starting to feel again some sort of warmth, but at the same time the nostalgia stung. It would still be some time before the scars would heal, but the "tea" did taste like a good start.

[theivorybilledwoodpecker]

Sauron: Honey, where are the elven rings?

Celebrimbor: What?

Sauron: Where are the elven rings?

Celebrimbor: I put them away!

Sauron: Where?

Celebrimbor: Why do you need to know?

Sauron: I need them!

Celebrimbor: Don't you be thinking about running off to conquer Middle Earth! We've been planning this dinner for two months!

Sauron: My plan is in danger!

Celebrimbor: My evening's in danger!

Sauron: Tell me where those rings are! We are talking about the greater good!

Celebrimbor: Greater good? I am your husband! I am the greatest good you are ever going to get!

(Sorry. I had to do this )

[celebrimborium]

some musings about character dynamics going forward (and s2 introspective)

This is a long post because I have a lot of thoughts about this.

For the record: I did like S2 a lot. But I want to specifically talk about character relationships and dynamics which is one department where it was lacking in comparison to S1 imo (with the notable exception of Sauron/Celebrimbor). I find it interesting that S2 has been praised by some demographics and corners of the internet that hated on S1 and I do worry about what that might mean for the direction of the show but I'd rather focus on the storytelling. So let's go into that a little bit.

Season 1 vs. Season 2

The writers were clearly cooking something in S1 with all the different interactions: Elrond/Durin, Elrond/Galadriel, Galadriel/Sauron, Nori/Gandalf, Nori/Poppy, Míriel/Galadriel, Arondir/Bronwyn (RIP), Elendil/Isildur etc. It's what I loved most about the show. So many colours of friendship, mentorship, adversity, bonding. S2 gave us that with Sauron/Celebrimbor in a very twisted version and, to a lesser extent, Míriel/Elendil with chaste romantic implications. The rest was more surface level or under-written (including Valandil's exit and his quasi-parental relationship with Elendil or Kemen and his relationship with Pharazôn and so many other dynamics that needed time to breathe, although what we got there was good, don't get me wrong; and Durin III/Durin IV were the parental exception here, continuing their strong fraught father-son dynamic, the best scene of which is still the one in S1 where he strips him off his rank imo but the S2 finale coming in a close second). But back to the main point, I found this most egregious with Elrond and Galadriel where I liked the resolution and the basic tenets of the conflict but don't think they nailed the tone of their exchanges except perhaps in the boat workshop and then in Robert's brilliant silent acting in the finale.

Elrond and Durin? Leaned heavily on the groundwork from S1 because they got one measly little scene and that despite canon (= the totality of Tolkien's written works) actually providing the writers with a very clear narrative template in this case, with the Dwarves securing Elrond's retreat from battle, something that I expected to be one of the defining emotional and epic moments of the show after S1. Instead it barely received any attention. I don't mind the twist of not arriving in time but having Durin not come at all very much felt like sacrificing character for the sake of subverting expectations.

Sometimes you do have to cash in on the groundwork you have laid and they did the opposite with essentially all of the non-familial relationships that had a lot of strong foundation-building in S1, only to find them borderline abandoned in S2. Payne & McKay had a line in their House of R podcast interview which gives me pause, where they said that they prefer switching up character pairings and it sounded more like a creative writing exercise than something strictly speaking dictated by the organic flow of things, although I like them so I will assume they meant the latter. By all means, do switch up character pairings – I for one can't wait for Galadriel and Gandalf to meet up! – but don't do it just for the sake of it. Don't fix what ain't broken and in the process, break the things that do work.

The Sauron/Celebrimbor scenes were excellently written and acted and even they felt truncated and in fact would surely have been even more impactful if we had seen more of Halbrand/Celebrimbor becoming buddies in S1. As it was, it felt more like an office romance with a psycho co-worker gone wrong than a betrayal of a genuine friend and it speaks to the strength of the actors that it still worked; but due to the distribution of storylines and narrative attention, it did feel (in this case and in other cases) like the writers did not tap into some of the deeper wells that they easily could have (if just given slightly more time or making different choices about the breadth of the storytelling). There are no shortcuts with character interactions, you have to keep building them and you have to focus on these connections and how they shape the actions of the characters.

Characters like Gil-galad who's been very much on the backburner for two (!) seasons now can't just be elevated to protagonist status out of nowhere in S3. I mean, I very much hope it happens, and different characters should get the spotlight at different times, but S1 managed its ensemble well and you had multiple meaningful, deep relationships (from scratch) and I don't understand how S2 failed to capitalize on that. It were mainly the new connections that popped. Sauron/Celebrimbor, Elrond/Círdan... but why not tap into the S1 relationships? We got good continuation with Durin/Durin, Durin/Disa and Míriel/Elendil, so close (quasi-)familial relationships basically where characters stayed close together geographically. That obviously makes sense. But travel isn't a real impediment on the show, to the point where some people complain about the logistics of it (which I personally don't care much about but distances shouldn't be arbitrary, of course, and ideally inform character interactions; so I enjoyed the Dwarves figuring into the Eregion storyline more strongly due to the proximity). And in any case, Elrond and Durin IV did meet, albeit just once, briefly.

If Elrond and Durin had gotten an actual heart-to-heart, like an actual conversation, perhaps even with a cameo from his children or Disa, instead of just a quick "hi and bye", that would have gone such a long way to reframing their experiences during S2 and would have worked as a mirror of their initial S1 setup – meeting again after having missed important events in each others' lives, bringing each other other up to speed, leaning on a friend to gather strength. (I would like to imagine they had that conversation and that it did play a role in Elrond accepting having to use Nenya in the finale – the moment felt earned but I have seen people question Elrond's trajectory and I can't blame them, when so much of it was only explicit at the start of the season. I understand that there was a certain urgency to the situation but you can also have an urgent conversation between them, e.g. as Elrond is already preparing to leave again, having made his request. So many things you could do. Although, to be fair, I don't want to overemphasize this point as it is fairly negligible in the grand scheme of how these arcs were set up for these characters this season.)

Galadriel and Adar meeting again was... okay but somehow also failed to capture what it would actually mean for them to go from animosity to reluctant allies. Galadriel had such a strong aversion to him in their barn scene but then when they meet again, all the tension... is muted? (I did like the very brief kinship over their experiences with Sauron, as well as the scene she had with Celebrimbor where they were allowed to feel a kinship over being victims of his manipulations – excellent scene, but just one scene and with not much to build on in terms of an established Celebrimbor/Galadriel friendship.)

Sauron and Adar not even having a single personal conversation/confrontation before Adar's demise was such a waste as well...? It's all perfectly set up but then... they go for the mirror image instead of an actual confrontation like the one that was teased/promised in episode 6 of S1? (And the promise renewed with the flashback at the start of S2.) The irony of Adar being killed by his own 'children' is not lost on me but surely there was more to it than that. The dynamic between Adar and Sauron, so brilliantly explored in the S2 premiere in the scene where Halbrand is held captive, deserved more realization on the part of Adar (in the moment of his death). This also, in fact, applies to Adar's realization that Halbrand is Sauron. Surely should have been an actual thing on-screen and not off-screen? How do you not seize on such a moment? Even if he suspected earlier, he must have had some moment of final realization and confirmation? If it really was only during his conversation with Galadriel, then what was it that tipped him off? It rather seemed like he already knew. Maybe he knew since ep 6 of S1. But it was crazy that they left his perspective on that unexplored.

The same goes for Mirdania being killed unceremoniously which served its narrative purpose but again prioritized a shock or twist moment (literally, twist of the hand) over centering the perspectives of the characters. It was all set up perfectly for a reveal, horror dawning on her as she realizes what she has done and whom she has served and... we just never got it. Not even from the guards who switch their allegiance back to Celebrimbor without us even getting so much as a reaction shot as they witness the scene between him and Galadriel that may have been enough to sway them. The issue isn't that this happens – the question is whether the show wants us to live with these characters in those moments and inhabit their mental landscapes or not; the more the show allows this, the more immersive it becomes, which, for a fantasy show, is the primary objective (think of the S1 scene where Galadriel enters the ship in Númenor and Isildur and the others stand in awe – there are ways to sketch these surrounding characters of a central interaction without taking too much time... and seeing more of a close-up look at the realization of these guards and their renewed loyalty would surely have heightened the impact of their subsequent murder, as well as, perhaps, clarified the spell they are under and why it allows Sauron to manipulate them more so than those who have not (yet) given themselves to his power.)

Gandalf and Tom Bombadil could have been the beginning of a beautiful friendship but instead the writers very much got it in their head that this had to be Luke on Dagobar training with Yoda (Payne & McKay explicitly state this in several interviews) and then when they realized in the edit that that wasn't working, they cut back on it. Which is fine, but it makes me question where they start developing these dynamics from, having certain situations or moments in their head and wanting to get to those instead of letting the characters themselves drive the story.

S1 was more of a slow burn but they did such a good job setting all these character dynamics up and right when it feels like things should start coalescing in S2, I felt like they were chipping away at their own building blocks instead.

Having said all of that (and I'm sure there's more to say but I'm not one to typically write meta), here's my thoughts on some dynamics that I would like to see explored or established further or that I just have thoughts on in any case:

Galadriel/Sauron

Let's start with the obvious one. I know some people are sick of it, while for others Haladriel is essentially the whole appeal of the show. For me it's neither – I mostly like how it's handled in the show and mostly dislike the discourse surrounding it (especially from the haters but also from the AI-crazed shippers; I know there are sane people on either side of the fence). Their fans got crumbs in S2 to the point that it felt cruel so I have no idea who the show wants to cater to post-S1 (marketing being its own, often misleading thing). It'd be crazy to me if they drop this dynamic altogether though.

Their conflict was personal from the start with the way it was tied to Finrod's death and Galadriel's quest to avenge her brother, but it's now personal for entirely different reasons. Namely her shame and his obsession, the flipside to her initial pride and his indifference (to the fate of any particular person, illustrated by letting the nice old man drown).

Both are rooted in the strange companionship they experienced: He was in her heart and she is on his mind. She would like to forget (how close he got) and he cannot (forget how close he got to a power heightened in the presence of her).

Surely there's still something there to mine. Whether it's them crossing paths as she goes further East to recuperate in what will become Lothlórien and him going on a roadshow to recruit Men for his Nine rings or whatever. Frankly, I want her to go to Lindórinand and start her journey of becoming more powerful in her magic. Sorcerer versus 'witch'? Yes please. Let it be all-out psychological war between them but let it be something.

Galadriel/Gandalf

I know that it seems like they've set up Gandalf for a conflict with the Dark Wizard (whoever he is; they are certainly still trying to be coy for some reason, saying stuff like "I don't see how he could be Saruman" – well, you're the writer, you tell me! lol). I would personally be very much in favor of him crossing paths with Galadriel. I think this is needed at some point and I'd rather they get to it earlier than later. Reason being: His purpose is to defeat Sauron. Her quest has been to defeat Sauron. He has the destiny, she has the drive. They can take baby magic steps together.

I did like the Stranger storyline in S1 but one thing that S2 failed to do, in my opinion, is actually giving Gandalf a strong feeling of who he is and what he is supposed to do, which is ironic given that this was supposedly his season of self-discovery (or at least him choosing his name at the end would imply as much). But really, what has he discovered? The mystics mentioned the name Sauron to him and then Tom Bombadil just laid it all out but do we have any sense of Gandalf actually knowing anything about Sauron beyond him being a vague evil force and feeling some type of way about it beyond his own general good nature?

If not through meeting Galadriel, Gandalf will have to face the consequences of Sauron's actions in some other way and the conflict will have to become more personal. Whether and how Tom Bombadil or the Dark Wizard figure into that is another question but I rather think Gandalf needs to become a person in his own right and not just a chess figure to be moved across a board.

Círdan/Gil-galad

Give them one meaningful interaction. Please, I beg of you. That's all.

Elrond/Míriel

Now, call me crazy but hear me out. I know S3 is probably about establishing Rivendell for Elrond and perhaps being drawn into the Dwarven succession drama. But I'm all for breaking up the isolation of storylines and I really rather want Elrond to make it to Númenor at some point. It's difficult to see how that would work once Sauron is captured and taken there (presumably at the end of S3), so part of me wants him to journey there as the herald of Gil-galad to try and open diplomatic channels and negotiate about the presence of Númenor in Middle-earth (see colonizing efforts by Kemen) as well as an alliance to defeat Sauron. This could then lead into Númenorean forces setting off to Middle-earth instead of a letter calling for help. I know this is rather out there but I want S3 to contain a flashback to Elrond and Elros and I want Elrond to meet Míriel and for her to be encouraged in her faith in the old ways because nothing good is coming for my girl and I want her to have that small comfort. (An Elrond/Elros flashback could also be a S4 opener, if that's the fall of Númenor season, but I rather think such an opener should focus on the people of Númenor while anything with Elros should be more about Elrond imo. There's nothing saying such a flashback couldn't open a S3 episode of Elrond going to Númenor. Doesn't have to be the season opener. For a S3 opener, maybe do a flashback with Gil-galad to the First Age. Or with Morgoth. Either or, for S3 or S5, however it relates best to the themes of those seasons.)

Elendil/Gil-galad

I think this might be something for S4, rather, since Elendil will presumably spend some time in S3 reconnecting with Anárion and perhaps, eventually, Isildur, though if the fall of Númenor is only at the end of S4, then that will only leave S5 to have any relationship between them, since obviously Elendil has to stay until the fall (not ready for the Míriel/Elendil tragedy... especially with his first wife having drowned...). Actually, maybe in the first half of S3 he can reconnect with Anárion and then in the second half through Elrond's arrival (that I'm willing into existence) and secret communications with Míriel learn about what's going down in Middle-earth and become a pen pal of Gil-galad or something. Or maybe they can zoom via palantíri. I have no idea but this is one of those relationships that the show really has to try and build up properly and not just toss in for the last season.

Sauron/Kemen

Time to start recruiting underlings and unlike many, I don't think you have to be cool to qualify for becoming a Ring-wraith. The more pathetic, the better. I wonder if Sauron will pose as the King of the Southlands again and how he will worm his way into the colonies if not through brute force, which he could, having access to Adar's orc armies now. It'll be interesting if he turns his persuasion on the son first and then in S4 on the father. He could also go East to duke it out with the Dark Wizard for a while but maybe that would be for the first half of the season. Whichever way I think about it, I feel like next season really needs to have more episodes and be one of two halves since there's so much for everyone to do, places to go, characters to meet.

Míriel/Eärien

Kinda burying the lede but my biggest disappointment with S2 was the relative lack of female characters and meaningful relationships for those we still retained. That was in part due to Bronwyn's departure but Nori and Poppy also had much less screentime and focus and characters like Míriel were much more tied to male characters unlike in S1. I do like Míriel/Elendil, just saying. They are now parted anyway and I hope we can see Eärien take on an interesting dynamic with Míriel, since she is not without empathy but torn between her allegiances. I foresee a bad end for her but I want her to go out fighting, maybe becoming a spy for the Faithful or in any case redeemed before the end. Unlike Kemen, who will surely not be redeemed and possibly even abandoned by his father to his fate, whatever that might be.

Celeborn

If he shows up, I want him to be a sweetheart. The ultimate wife guy. I have nothing against him or his inclusion, I just struggle to see how we'd have enough time to dedicate to his introduction to make it meaningful enough. And I don't think Galadriel needs a husband to be complete. That would be a bad look. On the other hand, if they handle it well, I wouldn't mind it, because I liked the way she talked about him in S1. But it's all a question of how it's framed narratively. Certainly, if anything, him showing up in her life should not "domesticate" her as some misogynists are hoping but rather empower her to become an even more assured independent figure.

Last Thoughts

I love Durin and Disa and the Dwarven storyline was one of the strongest in S1 and again in S2 (although I felt some redundancy there, but episode 5 handled it excellently, as did episode 8 with the beautiful payoff in the Balrog scene). However, the more I think about it, the more I feel like the Dwarves as well as the Harfoots need to take a backseat in S3. Unfortunately, the Dwarven storyline was the only one explicitly set up with mention of Durin's brother – okay, fine, introduce him if you have to but please do not do that to the detriment of the characters we already have and kind of desperately need to see interacting and growing if this show is to have emotional depth (and it showed in S1 and S2 that it can have that depth). Like, we have to go deeper, not broader. Stop expanding the cast, aside from minor characters who help populate the world and colour in some social white space. I like that we got Círdan this season and his interactions with Elrond were meaningful but since he's not part of the core constellation of the conflicts set up in S1, these types of additions run the risk of being novelty creations, meant to hype or appease lorebros in particular, without necessarily helping to advance the overall emotional arc. Now, it did work with Círdan, not least of all because Ben Daniels did excellent work, and Círdan has a role to play in the War of the Last Alliance, but I am a little apprehensive about the calls to add Celeborn, as mentioned, and Glorfindel. I do want to see the latter but leave it to S4 or S5. Concentrate on (1) Númenor, (2) Sauron's rise in Middle-earth and the opposition to his rise (by Galadriel, Gil-galad, Elrond), (3) Gandalf's mission intersecting with point 2.

That's it. That should be S3. The War of the Elves and Sauron. That's what should be reflected in the character dynamics. I hope we don't get ghost!Celebrimbor haunting Sauron, as I've seen suggested, much as I loved Charles Edwards' performance. An allusion is fine but let's keep it focussed on the living characters and how the events may yet shape their world. If anything, the overwhelmingly positive reaction to Sauron/Celebrimbor should show the showrunners that people are clamoring for juicy character drama and interactions, not necessarily action and battles. Put two compelling characters in a room and let them do their work, you don't need an expensive vfx extravaganza like the barrow-wights scene, you need to serve character and then, like in the Balrog scene, awesome effects can enhance that, but the emotional interest needs to be there and that's the first and arguably most important part. (Although, please, by all means, do continue with the awesome visuals!)

The plot should be exciting, of course, and I think this helped sharpen S2 towards the end with a sense of urgency and momentum that many enjoyed (myself included), but this only works so long as it is grounded in an emotional reality we can recognize amid heightened fantastical settings. I love this world and I love so many of the creative decisions Payne & McKay and the team have taken and I'm sure some restrictions (like the episode number) are somewhat out of their hands but I hope they can refine and remember the vision they had when they started S1 without it fraying at the ends or buckling under the pressure of former haters who don't even make up the majority of the audience nor were ever mature enough to articulate their hate for the storytelling choices in S1 beyond basic sexism/racism and a fundamental misunderstanding of themes that were dear to Tolkien. Adaptations always invite comparison and discussion but at the end of the day, The Rings of Power is a television series and while it does not have to – and in fact should not – bow to every trend and trope constituting what is seen as respectable "gritty" prestige TV, it should, in my opinion, strive to be dark, twisted, wholesome, whatever it wants to be.

Give me unexpected interactions, give me friendship, give me knights and queens and powers and magic, give me loyalty and deceit, light and dark, monsters and men, slow burn and pay off, arcs spanning seasons.

In short: Give me fantasy and give it to me raw. But give it to me like a novel that unfolds page by page, not something chopped up to make room for xyz demand from a focus group. I'm in it for the characters and what is true to them. I hope that center holds. The door for S3 is wide open in many directions for many of the characters, so I think it'll really be the season that makes (or breaks) the show. Even at its worst, I would probably still enjoy whatever they cook up, but part of me really wants to see them reach those higher dramatic heights (of character drama) that are right there for the taking.

Anyone agree or disagree? I ask, as if anyone has made it this far lol Well, thanks if you did, I guess I needed to get some things off my chest. Here's to hoping.

[butterflydm]

rings of power, s2 eps 5-6

episode 5: Oooh, lots of rising tension in this episode.

We had some really good back-and-forth between Celebrimbor and Annatar, something of a soft power struggle that Annatar very much wins by the end. I can feel everything winding up tighter and tighter. Celebrimbor keeps placing his thumb right on the problem and then letting it slip away again, letting Annatar talk him around.

Something that Celebrimbor said... about how creating the Rings was as much about spirit as it was about metal. Maybe... maybe how corrupted each set of Rings ended up being depends on how corrupted the creator was when it was being made? We have seen some adjustment in behavior in the elven ringbears but it mostly seems to be about protecting the rings. But with King Durin, he was starting to behave in ways that reminded me of Thorin's goldsickness in The Hobbit. Greed and paranoia.

So... Annatar and Mirdania. She saw him in the Unseen World. She saw Sauron (yes, sadly, I heard her talking about his eyes being 'eternal and pitiless' and went 'oh wow that sounds hot'). And Annatar was able to convince her that what she saw was something that Celebrimbor had turned himself into. Using it as a way to sow distrust between Mirdania and Celebrimbor.

And then that moment at the end, when Annatar gets distracted by the play of the light in her hair and brings up Galadriel... I mean, I definitely noticed that Mirdania had something of the look of Galadriel about her, but the show wanted us to know that Sauron noticed it too. Thinking about the one who got away, huh? (that being said, Annatar didn't pay her any particular attention until she experienced his true form while wearing the ring and he needed to distract and turn her mind away so that she wouldn't realize the truth)

Durin III and Durin IV have now reversed their positions on safety measures, with the prince the one worrying over the dangers of where his dad is choosing to mine. And the king is falling into greed and paranoia - taking his ring off and then blaming other people for it being missing. Extremely concerning. And the Balrog is getting closer to where the dwarves are living inside the mountain.

Matters in Numenor continue to deteriorate. And this is not something I think we can blame on Sauron's influence. This is Numenor's own wounds eating itself alive, I think. Ambition and power-seeking, but not sparked by Sauron, except incidentally. It was Galadriel and Miriel who started this ball rolling, and it was Pharazon who forced matters to the point where they stand.

Oh, but the destruction of the shrine and the death there... that was heartbreaking. Poor kid.

And Kemen being all ~how does it feel to have a daughter ashamed of you?~ Ugh, what a slimy douchebag. Pretty sure that kid is destined for an ill end. Just like his mom predicted, apparently.

...I don't think Earien is destined for a long and happy life either. Path made of seawater... Ominous.

We got a hint of our upcoming potential alliance between Adar and Galadriel, but only a hint. In another example of reversals from s1 -- in s1, Adar was the common enemy that Galadriel and Halbrand shared; now Sauron is the common enemy for Galadriel and Adar. I will say... this is now the second potential alliance that Adar has sought with someone who kills Orcs (after the hill-troll).

My mom is really worrying over whether or not Isildur and his dad are going to get reunited! She really was heartbroken over Valandil (good kid) getting murdered by Kemen. So was I! She says that Celebrimbor definitely knows something's very wrong at this point, but doesn't know how to stop. She loved Galadriel coming out of the cage, just ready to fight ("such a warrior!") but doesn't think that Adar's proposed alliance is going to work out, because Galadriel won't have the patience for it.

episode 6: I feel like so much happened. Okay, okay, okay.

Gandalf's plotline is going well, no complaints. The romance between Poppy and Merimac/Nobody is... a bit rushed... but you know. So it goes sometimes.

The Numenor plotline was really good. Fascinating to witness the trial by Abyss, especially since it harkened back to the first episode of the season, when Halbrand also faced the serpent and it declined to eat him. Was that the Valar, giving Sauron a chance to show that he'd repented and was willing to change?

The conversation between Elendil and Earien felt very relevant. Pride vs integrity. Elendil will humble himself if he must, but will not disavow his genuine truths. Pride vs integrity feels like a very important distinction in this show, as pride is one of the things that Sauron encourages with his influence.

I feel like we brushed against the current limits of Annatar's power (and maybe why Sauron decides he needs to make the One Ring) -- he can't actually make King Durin do what he wants. The dwarven ring has turned the King into a greedy and paranoid shell of himself, but now that greed that Sauron created in him is stronger than the influence that Annatar can use over him.

Influencing but not forcing to his will.

So. The three elven rings -- the main influence we have seen them wielding is preservation (maybe including preserving themselves?) and a gifting of a certain level of foresight, perhaps (Galadriel and Gil-galad have both experienced this, but I don't know if Cirdan directly said that he has).

The dwarven rings... like I mentioned in the previous episode, I was getting Thorin Oakenshield goldsickness flashbacks when I was watching the way King Durin started to behave once he put the ring on. Greed, possessiveness, the need for more-more-more.

Now we have the rings for men (not yet complete). One of the prototypes for this ring allowed Mirdania a glimpse into the Unseen World (which, unfortunately for her, drew Sauron's notice to her).

Annatar also used the world 'precious' twice in this episode, which is always going to draw my attention in context of anything Tolkien-related. Once to King Durin and once to Celebrimbor.

Annatar's grasp over Celebrimbor's mind is so strong! All of their scenes together are dynamite, but creating that vision of the beautiful Eregion in order to soothe Celebrimbor and get him back to work... wow. Also, yeah, it puts Gil-galad and Elrond's fears about what might happen if Galadriel confronted Sauron into perspective. They are worried that Sauron could do this to her. Make her see a world that is entirely unlike the actual world around her. And he kinda is able to do that in the s1 finale - he yanks her into the meadow with her brother and then onto the raft to try to make his pitch to her.

If in ep5, we were given a reminder that (despite all his other work that he has going on), Sauron is still thinking about Galadriel, then we got a reminder here that Galadriel was... deeply affected by him in return.

I know that Adar is going to die at the end of the season, so that means that these moments between Galadriel and Adar are mostly about Galadriel's continuing story. It's about the connection between what Adar says about Sauron and how his words resonate with Galadriel, because she felt it too. The world without... Halbrand... is a dull grey in comparison to when she was with him. It is... diminished.

Galadriel tells Adar that she believes that Sauron has drawn him to Eregion on purpose; that when he's attacking the city, he's doing what Sauron wants. And she might be right. Annatar did not seem unhappy about the city being attacked (and, because they are very much mirroring each other, Adar also accuses her of playing into Sauron's plans by trying to 'prove her virtue').

The orcs are unhappy, though. The very first line in this episode was "Anything's better than dying to help Adar chase a ghost." They do not want to be doing this invasion. They wanted to stay in Mordor, where they could come out during the day and live their lives. They would have been satisfied with Mordor.

But Halbrand planted a whisper in Adar's ear. It probably worked even better once Adar put the pieces together and realized that Halbrand and Sauron were the same (though he did want to have it confirmed by Galadriel before he was certain), because he realized that he'd been tricked by Sauron.

His alliance offer was never a true offer, but a covert interrogation and Galadriel fell for it, which probably doesn't make her feel any better about her powers of discernment.

Did Annatar put on his hot new black outfit in anticipation of the arrival of the orc army? It's a good look on him.

Also, alas, @markantonys - I understand the Adariel vibe, but did not feel it myself. Maybe because I already know his fate? I do like his character a lot, but I found myself very much looking at him in context of what he implies about how Sauron relates to people (especially Galadriel), more than anything else.

My mom's thoughts: glad the queen survived! She is actually wondering if Adar might pretend to submit to Sauron in order to trick him and then backstab him again, which was an interesting thought, though I know the show doesn't go that way.

[la-cinephile]

Review and thoughts about TROP 02x08

After watching episode 8 twice (and after crying a lot), here is my review of the last episode of the season 2 of The Rings of Power with a lot of spoilers.

A visual masterpiece

It's not the first episode to be really good on that point but there are definitely some epic scenes that make this season finale almost perfect visually. It begins with the first sequence at Khazad-Dûm with the Balrog. Huge shoutout to the VFX crew who creates this creature and for their work throughout the show because visual effects look great 99% of the time (the 1% left is for the warg in season 1).

King Durin facing the Balrog - Shadow and Flame (02x08)

Through the episode we also have a lot of stunning shots as the ones below :

Pelargir - Shadow and Flame (02x08)

Númenor - Shadow and Flame (02x08)

Rivendell - Shadow and Flame (02x08)

An emotional episode

Even though the series was good in season 1 and also in the beginning of season 2, I didn't feel so emotional than in the last two episodes and especially in episode 8.

Father and son (of father / daughter) relationships are always moving to me so the scene between Prince Durin IV and his father at the beginning and THAT scene with Adar and his children had a big impact on me.

The betrayal scene is the saddest and one of the most brutal thing that happened in the show. It's well done and echoes perfectly what happened in the 02x01 in the flashback but it was hard to watch. I mean, Adar trusted his children and them, they didn't understand that he was making sacrifices not really by choice but because it was necessary to assure peace for their kind. It was a heavy price for him, it was painful but he knew it was the only way to win but no, Glûg thought it was better to make an alliance with Evil.

As I said in a previous post, there is something very similar to the Assassination of Julius Caesar in this scene with the Lord-Father being betrayed by several of his children, especially Glûg who was one of his closest "child", not to mention that Adar calls him "son" (yeah I'm sobbing again writing this).

Adar being betrayed by Glûg - Shadow and Flame (02x08)

I hate Glûg for what he did but he clearly didn't deserve to die like that (poor Mrs Glûg and Glûg Jr) but it's the only way for the other orcs to realize that they made a mistake and be like : "oh no, daddy was right, we were so wrong not to trust him"

Of course as an Adar fan it's hard to watch this scene but his narrative arc makes sense and we all knew he would die sooner or later. He was there during two seasons and that's already a long for an OC and even if he had survived, what next? If his children had been taken by Sauron anyway, would he have lived with that ? With the fact that he lost his children? I don't think so.

Anyway, Adar is undoubtedly one of the best character in the whole series and I will really missed him in the next seasons.

Let me be delulu for a moment : in the beginning of season 3 we will see that the betrayal scene was just a vision of Adar when he put on the ring and by doing so he sees what will happen and so he will prevent it and everything will be fine

I also must talk about the scene between Celebrimbor and Sauron and once again, what a scene! Charles Edwards and Charlie Vickers' performances are so great. This duo is one of the higlights of this second season, and both characters have a very good evolution. I feel so bad for Celebrimbor and I hate Sauron so much for what he has done to him.

But the episode also have less serious moments and sometimes even got some "fun" like when Gil-galad reacts to the sound of the dwarves coming to help the elves by just saying "Dwarves" with a knowing glance to Elrond. This quote doesn't have to be so funny but it made me smile (and I needed it).

Talking about Gil-galad, seeing him on the battlefield make me like him more. I mean I didn't really like him before because he had this elvish attitude I really don't like and I clearly prefer him as a warrior king.

I will just add a few words on Galadriel : Morfydd Clark was once again so badass. Her quote "the door is shut" and the kick just after, I mean it's so good to have a strong woman in a fiction like this, no matter what haters think, there is girl power in TROP and I love that!

An amazing soundtrack

Bear McCreary has created so many masterpieces throughout the whole series and there are definitely great musical themes added in season 2 like the music for Rhûn or this awesome metal song (The Last Ballad of Damrod) in episode 7.

Soundtrack is an important part of a tv series or a movie and so in TROP, the scenes are not just great, they become epic and truly as powerful as some scenes in the LOTR trilogy. It really gave me chills through all episode 8, mostly at the end at the future Rivendell which is a so beautiful scene.

Near perfection

The episode wasn't perfect and not as good as episode 7 in my opinion and I think the main reason is the pacing.

There is something wrong with it, it happens also in other episodes but here it's obvious, I mean some time has passed since the end of episode 7 and even if it's only a matter of a couple hours, I think it would have been better if episode 8 have been longer and could explain how Arondir was healed for example.

Let me be clear : I'm glad he is alive because he is a good character but how the hell did he survives adar's attack?! He was stabbed with an arrow and with a sword and he appears in episode 8 as if nothing bad happened to him, just a scratch or something like that. He looks just fine and it would have been better to have an explanation. Yes, you will say it's Gil-galad who must have healed him but when? And why aren't they together when they are taking hostages by the orcs before the dwarfs are coming to rescue?

With more time, we could also have known why Adar took the crown in the middle of the forest or how Glûg convinced other orcs to betray Adar because the last time we saw him in episode 7, he seems to be the only one to stay at the camp and not following Adar to the city and I would have be more kind on his "conspiracy" if we had a shot where some Uruks gathered around Glûg (you'll say we saw that earlier in episode 7 during the dialogue between Glûg and Adar but I keep thinking that a shot with several orcs staying with Glûg while Adar is marching to the city would have be more significant.)

Okay, it's my way to say I want an extended cut, no matter how long it is but please Amazon give us the extended cut!

Also, I know there is no need to explain everything (even though it's one of my flaw either as a spectator and as a writer because I always want to know every details or make sure that everything is clear) but how did Galadriel survived a fall like that?

About the Gandalf's reveal well it's not a bad thing if you considered only the movies and if you haven't read the books but I hope it's not only for fan service. I'm not mad at it but with all the hints, it's not such a big reveal in the end.

Conclusion

It was a good episode and I prefer this second season to the first one. The end is perfect as it concludes some narrative arcs and opens on others like the creation of The One Ring, Númenóreans going on war or the establishment of Rivendell. Yes some characters will be missed in the next seasons but if the show really goes on for 5 seasons, it's already good for some characters to have been able to stay alive that long, moreover for Adar who was supposed to be killed off earlier according to the showrunners. I can't wait for the next season because great things are coming and it will probably be at least as good as this second season.

Thanks for reading this long review 😊