happy endings always start with hope

Season 3 manifesting that these two babes’ breath(s?)-holding skills are put to use again when saurondriel have to kiss and make out for 4.5 minutes straight.

At the end of season 2, I had a heavy pit in my stomach that Galadriel’s decreased screentime had less to do with the narrative and more to do with how reactive those piece of shit lorebros were immediately prior to and in real time during season 1. I mean there were vloggers, X users and hack television critics dedicated to having Morfydd fired. I just remember seeing several interviews and speeches Morfydd gave, talking about how much specifically Charlie supported her and championed her and I was thinking at the time, “From what?” “Why would he need to do that?” And after seeing Galadriel in season 2, now I get a feeling I know why. So BLESS Charlie for that. It sucks that it takes the male lead to lend his clout in order for her to have her voice heard. But fuck yeah. Now Amazon. Do RIGHT by Miv and Galadriel. DO RIGHT. She is the heart of TROP and the ratings for this past season reflect that. STAND BY HER and you will get that bag 💵.

#472/2831 in which

Morfydd: *says the thing*

Charlie:🤣

You mean to tell me that for 2 seasons Sauron compared a certain she-elf to a horse whose bestie later claimed had been ridden by the Dark Lord meanwhile this Dark Lord was specifically trolled about how “close” he was to Galadriel and talked about his breeding and somehow I’m being put in horny delulu timeout?? Yo they f’d on Numenor and season 3 theyre going back for their babymoon and i’ll sit on this hill for 2 years so help me.

Is Sauron my fantasy, psychopath demi-god version of an Austen himbo, socially awkward and touch-starved lunatic on a quest for perfection and THE sparklee engagement ring?? Yes and what does that have to do with anything? Nothing. Nothing at all. “If I loved you less I might be able to talk about it more so until then I’ll just poke you in the heart with this EViL crown and mainline myself right in”—coded.

AU When Mairon and Artanis met under the light of the Trees.

inspired by Pick a Star, and follow it Home

I find the recent comments from showrunners Payne and McKay interesting particularly when they state that Sauron did not want to kill Galadriel in the finale duel but for her to acknowledge him and "give him credit." Now why would that matter so much to him if not for the possibility that what he had done was done so with her in mind? Meaning, Sauron was thinking of Galadriel this whole time. His return to Mordor, the rings, his conquest. They are the broad strokes to the greater masterpiece he is shaping for her. She is his inspiration. She is his audience. Which brings me back to the theme of eyes. His eyes and hers. Eyes that see and look. The Eye is the mark of Sauron. But more than anything he wants Galadriel to see him. I made this last gifset to illustrate how this is the focus of Sauron's obsession and motivation.

Throughout his existence so far, he has been gifted and plagued by his ability to shapeshift and change form at will. He "has had many names." You see how this weighs upon his soul. He has had too many names. He has worn so many faces to too many people. He’s weary and the burden of not being seen for so many years, thousands - he almost comes apart.

This is why he desperately longs for Galadriel to see him. Not as the “abhorred” but as himself. Because to be seen is to be whole. To have one, true name even if it isn't uttered aloud. This is what Adar asked of Galadriel and I think it's meant to reflect Sauron as well. The difference is that Adar embraced the name he had earned while Sauron rejects his. Sauron hates his earned name because it is a constant reminder of how alone and misunderstood he feels in his purpose. That is until he meets Galadriel. She doesn’t abhor “Halbrand.” She loves him. She sees him. To her he is “friend" and "king."

"Galadriel. Look at me.” I believe that she did fall in love with the real him and he knows it. It's why he will always keep “Halbrand.” He will linger in the memories of when Galadriel knew him this way. That's why he continues to look like some variation of Halbrand. Because that's how Galadriel saw him. This the illusion he created for himself and one he is reluctant to leave. As long as she can see him. Just the possibility and the hope.

And while Galadriel can claim fondness for the part of him that was soft, vulnerable and human, that is not all she fell for. And Sauron won't let her get away with excusing herself or denying that she loved the parts that were truly him. This gesture, when he has her impaled with the crown and she averts her eyes away from his gaze.

He jerks her eyes upward as if to say, "Look." She fell in love with this person too. Sauron is Halbrand. The rage-filled, domineering and ambitious, violent spirit. He won't let her deny it. He won't let her look away. This is what they shared. She did not shrink before him when he pushed her away, when he told her of his darkness, when he told her, and showed her of how cruel and manipulative he could be. Remember, he saw her rage and vengeful side too. "Galadriel. Look at me." He says it aloud and presses these words upon her mind like a phantom prayer. His words probably haunt her soul. She feels it. It's what she hints at when she admits to Elrond that Gil Galad doesn't trust her alone with Sauron: You know why. The constant question that gropes her thoughts. It's the open invitation that still keeps the door open to his mind. She says she perceives "all of his mind as it concerns elves." I don't think that's because that is all that Sauron allows her to see. I think it's because that is what most occupies his thoughts. Her.

That's why, as I have previously wrote, I think the events of season 2 were setting the groundwork for manifesting the plan Sauron has for shaping the world as he saw it with Galadriel. He is going to enact their shared vision and, he believes, Galadriel will see its beauty and worth and return to him. Which leads me to her parting words to Sauron in episode 8. She tells him to heal himself. I think by now Sauron has enough insight to see that he is indeed a broken spirit. It comes up in his confessions with Celebrimbor and the showrunners have already hinted that Sauron is becoming increasingly aware that there is something about his very essence that poisons every meaningful relationship he has and dooms him to failure and despair. He also says to Galadriel at the start of their swordfight that he want to "heal..." and before he finishes with "Middle Earth", he pauses. He was going to say that he wants to heal himself. So by the time the viewer sees Galadriel tell him to basically fuck off and heal himself, those seeds are actually already planted. He has to cure himself of this blight. He has to purge himself of it. And now he has explicit instructions from Galadriel. He sees and remembers everything, right? He's going to do it. He's going to try to repair what he may see as his defect. It will be interesting to see how he interprets his marching orders from his queen. I think that is where the One Ring comes in.

The showrunners have already hinted that the forging of the One Ring will be an upcoming storyline soon. They also hinted that he's going to fuck something up. Furthermore, the audience has already been shown that the more of himself Sauron puts into a ring of power, the more corrupted and less potent of a creative, benevolent force it imparts. They've also shown that when Sauron tries to make rings on his own, he fails in the final product. He even went through a whole batch of mithril on his own without success. So if the writers have hinted that Sauron errs in the making of the ring, what could they possibly mean? Where did he go wrong? Is it that Sauron had different intentions for the Ring's purpose than what it ended up becoming? Or that he fulfilled its malicious purpose but with unintended side effects? If the former, I wonder if his true intention with the One Ring is to create another healing ring of power, his own ring as a mate of Galadriel's. Maybe he forges it, believing that this would meet Galadriel's demand to heal himself. The shownrunners have already shown that they like to put unexpected layers to the most well-known parts of Tolkien: “One ring to rule them all. One ring to find them. One ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.” Maybe those words have additional meaning.

#6/2831 in which

Morfydd: *says the thing*

Charlie: 🤣

#1/2831 in which

Morfydd: *says the thing*

Charlie: 🤣

I will forever headcanon that Galadriel's sweet voice at the series introduction of TROP is her narrating to little Celebrian the story of her life. Maybe she came home one day crying from being teased about a rumor the other elf children had heard. Her mother sat her in her lap and explained that she was also teased for being different. Perhaps Celebrian confesses that sometimes she feels a great darkness pulling at her soul. Then, Galadriel starts the long tale with "Nothing is evil in the beginning..."

Look at me.

Bonus+