bluetiefling

[bluetiefling]

Misogyny disguised as an appeal to canonicity

I've seen many excuses in my life for excluding women from narratives. The latest? "Canonicity". This is how some fans — in their eagerness to appear cultured, demanding, or simply "protectors of the work" — hide a latent and ancient misogyny, painted in the colours of textual purism. The Rings of Power series, which dared to make Galadriel a warrior, complex, fierce and, above all, a protagonist, has become the target of the revisionist movement that calls for fidelity to the books only when it comes to men.

It's symptomatic. When we talk about bringing Celeborn into the series, we're talking about "fixing" Galadriel, it's not about deepening a relationship or enriching the world. It's about control. This cursed verb appears in whispers and between the lines of posts and videos: "Galadriel needs to be controlled", "she needs balance", "Celeborn will bring sobriety". And when they talk about balance, what they mean is: she needs to be pruned. Because an angry woman, wounded by pain, brave enough to defy Sauron himself, seems to bother more than the Dark Lord himself.

These criticisms are not innocent. They are symptomatic of a culture that only tolerates women when they are silent, when they are supporting actors, when they love and die for men — never for themselves. And that, for me, is at the heart of this disguised misogyny.

You want "canonicity" so much, but you forget the women who are part of the canon and are solemnly ignored.

Let's talk about Inzilbêth. She is the mother of Pharazôn, the man who defines the last and most tragic days of Númenor. But she's not just any mother. She is a descendant of the Faithful — of those who resist corruption. In a world where Pharazôn represents the pride and arrogance of the Númenorians, Inzilbêth could be a character of dramatic depth: a mother torn between love for her son and horror at the path he is following. She could be the voice of the past, of the ancient faith, of the warning against worshipping the Valar and Sauron himself. But she isn't even mentioned in the debates.

Erendis, Tar-Aldarion's wife, is another powerful figure who lies forgotten in the corners of the Unfinished Tales. She is an abandoned woman, scorned by a man whose nautical ambition speaks louder than any affection. Her story is a cruel mirror of what happens to many women in the stories of men: they are loved while they serve their plot, discarded when they claim their own space. And even though Erendis' timeline predates the events of The Rings of Power, she could be mentioned — as a symbol of the price Númenor has already exacted from its women. A legend told in the courts. A warning whispered on the island's street corners.

And if they really want to keep their feet in the "canon", why don't they talk about Lúthien? The woman who faced Morgoth himself. Who, together with Huan, the dog of Valinor, defeated Sauron. It's not fanfic: it's in the Silmarillion. But female figures are only remembered in fanart or in niche discussions, never clamoured for with the same force as Gil-Galad, Elendil, Isildur, Glorfindel, Anárion, Celebrimbor or even Celeborn. The logic is simple: when the past is male, it's glory. When it's female, it's forgotten myth.

And I'm not saying that the series is immune to criticism. It's far from it. It has problems with pace, the construction of certain arcs, and dialogue that sometimes sounds forced. But it's curious — or rather, revealing — that the most virulent criticism is directed at Galadriel. Not at Sauron, with his still nebulous motivations. Not the aesthetic choice of Númenor or the lack of exploration of certain cultures. Galadriel has become the scapegoat for a wounded masculinity.

The misogyny that hangs over these reviews is not just about what they say, but about what they choose not to say. I never see posts calling for more women in the series. Tolkien's world has incredible and fascinating women. They exist, they have always existed. The problem is that many of you never look at them with the same fervour as you do the warriors.

So, enough. No more pretending that this is about being faithful to the books. If it were, many of you would be asking for Inzilbêth, Erendis, Lúthien, Aredhel, Nienor, Berúthiel, Nimloth, Idril Celebrindal, Andreth, Thuringwethil. But no. You're asking Celeborn to silence Galadriel. You're asking for silence disguised as tradition. And that, my dear, is not Tolkien. That's misogyny.

It's not wrong to want to be faithful to the original material. But it's cowardly to use this as an excuse to erase female voices that were already there — in tales, appendices, half-forgotten stories. The series has a chance to do what many books, series and films have failed to do: give space to women as agents of their own history, and not just as a silent chorus for the tragedies of men.

I want female characters. May they come, with armour or without. With wisdom, pain, fury, tenderness or glory. But let them come.

I want to see Lúthien. I want to see Inzilbêth. I want to see Berúthiel. I want to see the women that Tolkien wrote about and that fandom insists on forgetting and erasing. Because, honestly, there's nothing more "canonical" than the pain, strength and light of these women.

It's time to put aside this lazy and selective reading of Tolkien. Middle-earth is too vast a world to fit only the mould of heroes in armour and beards. It has also been shaped by women — wise, brave, charming and tragic. They have names. They have a voice. They have history. And they deserve to be told and seen.

If The Rings of Power really wants to honour Middle-earth, it shouldn't bend the knee to misogynistic clamour disguised as purism. It should dig deeper, listen to the echoes of those women who are repeatedly forgotten — and let them shine through at last. Because fidelity to Tolkien's work doesn't lie in preserving the fragile masculinity of the fans. It's in recognising the complexity of what Tolkien built — including, above all, the female characters that many insist on ignoring.

And if that bothers you, perhaps the problem was never with the series.

@spatortlove @ffaleruv

[bluetiefling]

Beautiful Haladriel fanart by the amazing Sunny!! aka @pinksunnys on X!!!

Pls like and support the original post on X

[bluetiefling]

haladriel moments: 60/∞

[bluetiefling]

First of all, I want to make it clear: I don't intend to distort Tolkien's canon, much less force this theory on anyone. What I'm sharing here is just a free interpretation, born out of a desire to explore the silences, between the lines and poetic possibilities that Middle-earth offers us. The theory that Celebrían could be the daughter of Galadriel and Sauron may seem daring, and it is, but it doesn't seek to deny the original work. On the contrary, it is an exercise in affectionate imagination, which tries to shed light on characters that are often forgotten or underdeveloped. I am deeply grateful to anyone who takes the time to read it. May this text be an invitation, not to a truth, but to a journey.

Celebrían: between light and shadow

Ever since I began to explore the Tolkienian Legendarium and the vibrant culture of its fandom in greater depth, I have been struck by a theory that, although controversial, has provoked me intellectually in an intense way: the idea that Celebrían, traditionally the daughter of Galadriel and Celeborn, could, in an alternative universe, be the daughter of Galadriel and Sauron. This hypothesis, although not canonical, led me to revisit the character and her relationship with the world around her with a more critical, more symbolic and — why not? — more human.

Before any argument, it's important to emphasise that, yes, the canon is clear: Celebrían is the daughter of Galadriel and Celeborn. However, speculative fiction exists to allow for new perspectives, and Tolkien's universe — rich in mythology, symbolism and universal themes — offers a fertile basis for interpretations and reimaginings. The idea of a half-breed, half-maia, half-elf is not new in Arda. Lúthien, daughter of Thingol (elf) and Melian (maia), is one of the greatest examples of how miscegenation can generate powerful figures, not only in mystical power, but in emotional and spiritual complexity.

Why, then, would it be impossible or "perverse" to imagine Celebrían with this dual heritage?

In the canon, Celebrían is a marginalised figure. We know that she was married to Elrond, had three children and was captured by orcs and deeply wounded, which led her to leave Middle-earth. However, little is explored of her psychology, her inner conflicts and her journey as an elven woman born of the oldest lineage.

By proposing that she be the daughter of Galadriel and Sauron, I'm not advocating a replacement of the canon, but rather a possible expansion within a creative headcanon. Celebrían, in this scenario, would gain a layer of depth that would make her more interesting — not a corrupted character, but someone who carries the burden of a dual origin. A being whose essence is both light and shadow — and who, by choice and will, follows the path of light.

Wouldn't that be deeply Tolkienian? Tolkien didn't create flat characters; his works are, above all, about moral struggle, free will and redemption. Boromir fell. Frodo almost fell. Gollum was redeemed, albeit by accident. Gandalf and Galadriel were tempted. And even Sauron, one day, was just a maia serving Aulë.

The argument that Elrond would never accept Celebrían if he learnt of her half-maia heritage, from Sauron, seems to underestimate the character's nature. Elrond, who is himself the fruit of a mixed-race union (son of Eärendil and Elwing, therefore with elven, maia and human blood), is one of the wisest and most tolerant characters in Tolkien's work. His life was marked by difficult decisions and unconditional love — including, later, allowing his daughter to choose a mortal destiny alongside Aragorn.

If Celebrían were Sauron's daughter, that wouldn't define her as an evil being, and such thinking is reductionist and ignores one of the central pillars of Tolkien's Legendarium: free will. In Arda, evil is not inherited as an inevitable genetic curse, but arises from the choices made along an individual's journey. To reduce Celebrían to her ancestry would be to dehumanise her, denying her agency and complexity. After all, Sauron himself was not born corrupted — he was initially Mairon, a maia dedicated to order and creation, who fell of his own free will. If he had the freedom to choose darkness, why couldn't his supposed daughter choose light? Such an essentialist perspective reinforces a deterministic logic that Tolkien fought against with vigour in his work. Celebrían, even with a dark lineage, could be — and perhaps precisely because of this — one of the greatest proofs that light can be born from the midst of darkness, and that good is not hereditary property, but a personal achievement. The real narrative strength of this headcanon lies in the fact that she chose, despite her origin, to live a life of compassion, wisdom and motherhood. Wasn't it precisely this kind of moral strength that would attract Elrond? A spirit that has transcended its dark heritage — and is therefore more worthy of love?

Furthermore, the union of Celebrían and Elrond in this context would become even more significant: two beings who carry the weight of an ambiguous lineage, but who together choose to perpetuate hope.

The pessimistic view that "if you have a child of a corrupted being, you will have a corrupted being" contradicts everything Tolkien says about legacy and choice. Elladan, Elrohir and Arwen would not be "cursed" by their heritage, but enhanced by it. Arwen, in choosing the fate of men, honours the path of Lúthien, her ancestor — she is not corrupted by her heritage, but made noble by it.

What this headcanon offers is the opportunity to see these children as reflections of complexity. Arwen, for example, in choosing mortality, may not only be repeating Lúthien's story, but also freeing herself from the weight of a dark past that she carries. Elladan and Elrohir, known for their impetuosity, could have this read as an expression of an inner fire — perhaps inherited, but channelled for good.

It's important to remember that Tolkien's work recognises that even beings with great power — like the maiar — are susceptible to free will. Gandalf chose to protect. Saruman chose to dominate. And Sauron chose to corrupt. Power alone does not spell doom; it is how it is used that defines destiny.

The comment I read about this theory — "do you realise the metaphysical aspects to which you are literally condemning Celebrían?" — carries with it not only a legitimate fear, but also an interpretative limitation. The criticism is not without foundation: indeed, carrying Sauron's blood would have implications. But why do we assume that this, necessarily, means corruption?

Celebrían was not a "dark Lúthien", as has been suggested, but a new entity — moulded by her mother's choices, her father's rejection, and her own decision to follow the light. Lúthien was also a creature of immense power. If Celebrían inherited something similar — an enchanting power, a voice capable of healing or disintegrating — it would only make her richer narratively. There is no contradiction in imagining a powerful, but restrained, gentle Celebrían, marked by the ancestral shadow but determined to live in the light.

The fear that this will erase the "canonical" Celebrían — who is already quite forgettable — is understandable. But fandom doesn't have to be a binary battleground between the "real" and the "invented". We can — and should — coexist with multiple readings. Celebrían's half-maia headcanon doesn't deny its traditional version; it simply proposes a symbolic, tragic and redemptive alternative.

To defend the idea of Celebrían as Sauron's daughter is not to deny Tolkien, but to recognise that his work is so rich that it can generate multiform interpretations. This version isn't for everyone — and nor should it be. But for me, it represents something profound: the strength of a character forgotten by the canon, who gains, through the shadow, a new place in the light. And this is perhaps the most Tolkienian of narratives.

[bluetiefling]

Half Life | haladriel fic | two shot | 21.2k | explicit | post season 2 | mild dubcon

Ao3 link

Summary: A captive Galadriel endeavors to sabotage the Dark Lord’s nine ringbearer recruitment tour. (Now updated with a 14.2k Part 2 featuring Sauron's pov from earlier in the evening.)

"Forgive me if I mistrust the timing," he said, fighting to keep the impatient hunger from his voice. "Why now?" "Why not now?" When he didn't immediately answer, she huffed out a breath and gathered her skirt. "If you're not up to the task—" He stopped her with a light touch at her waist. Her mouth opened, but he knelt down on the step just below her, silencing her next words. Slowly, deliberately, he cupped the back of her thigh through her dress. She stilled, locked in place as effectively as if he'd manacled her to the floor. "What changed?" His hand glided down to the back of her knee, gently massaging muscles that twitched beneath his grasp. "What are you doing?" she whispered. "Checking you for weapons, my sweet." His free hand went to her unexplored thigh while the right found the slit in her gown, fingertips slipping through to grasp her bare calf. She sucked in a breath. "Answer the question." "I'm in the mood," she bit out. "Is that enough for you?" "Hmm. Not quite." Up went his probing hand beneath her skirt, slithering around the back of her knee to reach her soft inner thigh. She grasped his shoulders—in protest, he thought at first. But she didn't speak any objection, she only shivered. "You've been in the mood before. Many times, I'd wager. Why indulge yourself only now?" A part of him clamored to just take what she was offering. The chance could slip away if he pushed his luck. But he wanted— needed —her full surrender. This close, he was near dizzy with the scent of her. Her skin, her arousal… Oh, he could smell it. Could feel the heat of her core radiating just inches from where his fingers dug in to her thigh. She'd pressed her legs together, barring him from traveling any deeper. Above him, she squeezed her eyes shut, her expression twisted as if in pain. Her back arched like she meant to escape, but her hips only sank deeper into his embrace. "Galadriel," he murmured, and he pressed his mouth to her navel. Inhaled.

[bluetiefling]

haladriel moments: 57/∞

[bluetiefling]

I haven’t read the books except for excerpts here and there but in ROP at least it really seems like Sauron legitimately felt seen with Galadriel and was experiencing love for the first time (he’s a demon after all so it’s unconventional to say the least lol). He was literally like i got us matching rings let’s conquer the world together my queen 🥹 and i think her rejection particularly hurt because it was as close as he’s gotten to ardently offering his self that he saw as personally redeemed by binding himself to her light. He wanted to bask in their glory together and now he’s doomed to his inherently lonely and dark existence while still clinging to newfound purpose she inspired in him and grasping for her by whatever means because his very nature corrupts even his most sincerely held desires. He’s really that meme ‘not evil anymore i want to be loved now’ to ‘evil again’. Plus i like the irony of Galadriel being hurt that what they were feeling was a lie when his feelings towards her were probably the most honest part about him. What do think we’ll see from their dynamic in season 3?

I agree with all of that. I’m also of the thought that part of that newfound peace he felt with Galadriel was not just the balance he found in her as his soul’s counterpart but also the idea that if Eru had sought it fit and harmonious to place them in each other’s path, then maybe he is not truly forgotten. Maybe he was not abandoned after all. He has a place in the light as well. But that is not what happened.

As far as their Season 3 dynamic, I’m really glad you asked that. Because I have no idea. But there are a couple of book canon things that the writers have yet to merge with the events of the show and I think season 2 was building up to that for season 3.

First, the infamous line that Payne and McKay invoked over and over again since the show's inception:

I perceive the Dark Lord and know his mind, or all of his mind that concerns elves, and he gropes ever to see me and my thought.

I was going to edit or write a meta about this later-- that the show has already been building upon Sauron's obsession with Galadriel in subtle and not so subtle ways. But we haven't actually seen that "groping" she refers to yet. Even though the premiere of season 2 gave us a glimpse of Sauron's perspective. After episode 1, the audience was left in limbo. Naturally, I would assume that in order to actually develop what the showrunners have said was THE main inspiration and cornerstone of the central relationship of this show, i.e. Saurondriel's mutual obsession, we'd have to see what is actually behind the curtain, to see that obsession at play. I think that Morgoth's crown is a part of that. And since Galadriel and Sauron will be nowhere near each other physically or geographically except if by some miraculous contrivance, the only way I can see that tension play out is if they interact in another plane: the Unseen one? the dream world? As it stands, Galadriel hates and is repulsed by Sauron. So the only way I can see Galadriel stomaching his presence is if she is trying to manipulate him for her own purposes. She is very, very aware of the power she has over him. That she is able to deceive the Great Deceiver. And the show reminds us of her unique ability in the S2 finale when Galadriel entrances him with her Light long enough for him to bring down his defenses. I can see her attempting to utilize that as a weapon in the future to gain the upper hand. Galadriel is ruthless. She believes only she can defeat Sauron. She won't be able to resist dueling with him. It's intertwined in her whole being. It's like a metaphorical chessboard sitting right in front of her, every minute of every day and Sauron is tempting her to make the next move. They will never back down and never turn away from it.

[bluetiefling]

That's a valid way of reading it too, and it's even how I have to interpret his personality makeover to make it work for me. But I still critique the execution because it's weak storytelling to have your (supposed) villain protagonist so disengaged from the world around him to the point he largely appears to just exists to fulfill his plot function (getting the rings made) for such an extended period of a short season. And then an explosion of feelings at the end that we can only assume were repressed all season because we didn't see the set up. He went from real character to effectively a mannequin for 3-4 episodes to back to a real character again, and furthermore suddenly seems to have cared about Celebrimbor after a season of showing nothing but indifference and occasional annoyance towards him.

That's something that could've perhaps been fixed with more pov scenes rather than having him drift around in the background mostly while the camera directed the audience to feel Celebrimbor's anxieties and conflict instead. And what pov scenes they did attempt to give him were so vague they were just ineffective at conveying anything helpful. (Lol oh how it would've helped if they had introduced that canonical "groping at Galadriel's mind" element and let him express any feelings, even hints of them, he was repressing around the Eregion elves when he's given the opportunity to communicate with her.)

Even if a character is meant to be deliberately repressing their emotions I think you still need the necessary set up in the beginning and mid-points of the story to show how it's creating conflict in them rather than scene after scene of aloofness with the occasional smirking that nearly breaks the fourth wall. Even the setbacks that Annatar ran into didn't feel like real challenges that strained the cool exterior he'd crafted around himself. Everything was largely coming up Sauron before the finale where he lost his cool. Compare that to a show like The Pitt where Dr. Robby has bottled up his feelings but you see the strain of keeping that up throughout the season, how it's harming him to keep his composure and keep his walls up, until he does finally have a breakdown near the end.

I cannot tell you how profound it was to me that Charlie confirmed this week in interviews that his understanding of Sauron is that he is NOT this great, omniscent mastermind. I had written metas before that this was how Sauron was being depicted in ROP but to have it supported by the actor was still a little surprising because that has been debated for awhile. Furthermore, Charlie has said now several times that when he plays Sauron playing another persona, whether Halbrand or Annatar, he believes that Sauron is fully invested and reinvented as these people. He 100% believes. And I think that is such a provocative idea. I am totally dumbfounded by it. Because how do you go from this:

To this.

How hauntingly tragic his "Halbrand" era was. It was the closest thing to peace he had found in thousands of years and he got to that place by doing something so uncharacteristic. He took a chance. This Maia, who is obsessed with control and order...he gambled. And won. Until he lost. Why and how the hell did he think pretending to be a mortal king, offering to bind himself to his sworn rival, allying himself with Light would possibly succeed? He had to know it was a near impossible feat. The path he had taken before was probably charted with logical, measured decisions and weighed with statistical probabilities. But not this one. It wasn't hubris or arrogant ambition. It was hope. He believed and that belief was sparked and buoyed by Galadriel.

This is why this shot right here is so symbolic and poetic of this period in his life. Look at Halbrand here. As so many times before where it concerns Galadriel, he looks unsure. Vulnerable. Look at how he holds the pouch and how he stares at it. It's as if his fate rests inside. This is a crossroads. Then he throws it on the table like dice or a coin toss. He seems to have made up his mind. Probably because he had estimated and concluded that following Galadriel was probably not going to work. But then, at the last moment he changes course.

The fact that the camera stays on the pouch for several beats emphasizes that 1) this is a pivotal moment 2) it was impulsive. Sauron had already left and then came back. (12 seconds-- I counted). Just like the raft on the Sundering Seas, he came back for Galadriel. He makes a bold choice. Again! One not even the gods would have expected. He takes a chance. A monumental one.

It's exhilarating, especially now that we have a bigger picture of the actual choice he's making. It's so hopeful. So audacious. So human. So NOT Sauron. And in letting himself fully embody and inhabit the life of a low man, he's never been more connected to Middle Earth, never been more real in this world. The stakes mean something different. He's tactile, emotional, reactive. His actions and relationships have more gravity. His footsteps and words have weight. He's not a puppetmaster. He's alive in the world, an ocean of color.

Contrast that with his Annatar phase. As Charlie portrays him, he is completely detached. Floundering. There's a vacancy to his presence.

As I said before, I think Sauron left apart of himself in Halbrand. It's almost as if the piece of him that was human, that grounded him, was severed. And in doing so, Annatar glides through the world as if in a dream and he were made of ice and shadow. Look at his manner and how he moves. He's imposing but almost inert. His expression is dazed and distracted. His heart is somewhere else. With someone else. Or maybe it's because he actually isn't there. It gives an added layer of meaning to Adar's supposed "message" to Annatar -- "Where is he?" Because why is he so clearly disengaged? Where does his mind wander off to constantly?

Again, I'm left pondering how do you get to that, from this?

I'm left shaken at Charlie's performance. He is truly an amazing, gifted actor. There is a reason he plays such a stark contrast between season 1 and season 2. To go from that simmering volcanic intensity to such an emotional void. It's like watching the collapse of a star. I get the sense that there is a rich backstory there that the audience is not privy to. Not yet.

[bluetiefling]

Great post!

I have such conflicting feelings about Annatar's characterization in particular (don't mind me while I ramble here, I just like venting about this). Like through some lens it makes sense he'd become colder and detached as he pursues his next set of goals, especially if Galadriel's absence makes his grounded, human side vanish, that's a Watsonian explanation I can work with (also the notion that his descent into this obsession with dominating Middle Earth actually just makes him miserable as much as he wants it). But on a selfish level I missed Halbrand's personality so much (something I thought was actually super refreshing as a creative choice, making their Sauron act like a Dark!Aragorn rather than the cliched ice prince), and on a more analytic level I thought it even worked against the story they were trying to tell in s2 that he did change so much because it even undercut whatever perceived warmth there was between him and Celebrimbor that was present with Halbrand. The angle where Halbrand won him over by acting the part of an earnest, charming pupil looking up to Celebrimbor's vain professor was convincing as the foundation for a friendship and partnership.

Imo the ending where he finally snaps and kills him would've hit much harder if he'd still had the kind of relationship with Celebrimbor that Halbrand established. But because the Annatar persona was so stiff and formal they stopped seeming like friends at all, more like barely polite colleagues. Honestly Annatar is a WEIRD guy lmao and I struggled to buy that Celebrimbor or Mirdania or anyone would've felt real affection for him. The kind of rogueish charm and warmth (sincere or not) that he displayed as Halbrand is generally a more valuable manipulative skillset in most social scenarios anyway compared to being aloof, impersonal and with lifeless "alien" eyes (lol thank you Morfydd) to boot. To be uncharitable a moment, I feel like the latter is what nerdy fanboys who don't venture outside their basements much think is the epitome of skillful manipulation/seduction/what have you. On a Doylist level too, I fear that much of the reasoning for Annatar's personality transplant was to cater to these fanboy voices because they were SO so loud with their #notmysauron complaints over Halbrand in season 1 ugh. There were a lot of elements in s2 that I felt were a "soft reboot" to appeal to those types. Fanboys regularly call for a simplistic, flattened Sauron with black and white framing and start getting twitchy whenever there's any talk of grounded, human feelings in the character (and they especially hated that his s1 framing was basically... female gaze coded lol. but that's a whole other post)

Annatar's detachment imo also served to distance him from the viewer and block us off from his pov in a really unfortunate way. I always say for all that Halbrand was "secretly" Sauron the whole time in season 1, we still had very good insight into what he was feeling and thinking (as OP's post demonstrated). Annatar spent so much time drifting around lifelessly that it was anyone's guess what was going on in his head. With a few exceptions (2x01 and some scenes in 2x07, 2x08) It's like sometimes he might as well have been a sinister lamp looming in scenes lol. To an extent the problem was also that they prioritized Celebrimbor's more pov over his, which I thought was another framing mistake, but that's again a whole other post. 😅

I cannot tell you how profound it was to me that Charlie confirmed this week in interviews that his understanding of Sauron is that he is NOT this great, omniscent mastermind. I had written metas before that this was how Sauron was being depicted in ROP but to have it supported by the actor was still a little surprising because that has been debated for awhile. Furthermore, Charlie has said now several times that when he plays Sauron playing another persona, whether Halbrand or Annatar, he believes that Sauron is fully invested and reinvented as these people. He 100% believes. And I think that is such a provocative idea. I am totally dumbfounded by it. Because how do you go from this:

To this.

How hauntingly tragic his "Halbrand" era was. It was the closest thing to peace he had found in thousands of years and he got to that place by doing something so uncharacteristic. He took a chance. This Maia, who is obsessed with control and order...he gambled. And won. Until he lost. Why and how the hell did he think pretending to be a mortal king, offering to bind himself to his sworn rival, allying himself with Light would possibly succeed? He had to know it was a near impossible feat. The path he had taken before was probably charted with logical, measured decisions and weighed with statistical probabilities. But not this one. It wasn't hubris or arrogant ambition. It was hope. He believed and that belief was sparked and buoyed by Galadriel.

This is why this shot right here is so symbolic and poetic of this period in his life. Look at Halbrand here. As so many times before where it concerns Galadriel, he looks unsure. Vulnerable. Look at how he holds the pouch and how he stares at it. It's as if his fate rests inside. This is a crossroads. Then he throws it on the table like dice or a coin toss. He seems to have made up his mind. Probably because he had estimated and concluded that following Galadriel was probably not going to work. But then, at the last moment he changes course.

The fact that the camera stays on the pouch for several beats emphasizes that 1) this is a pivotal moment 2) it was impulsive. Sauron had already left and then came back. (12 seconds-- I counted). Just like the raft on the Sundering Seas, he came back for Galadriel. He makes a bold choice. Again! One not even the gods would have expected. He takes a chance. A monumental one.

It's exhilarating, especially now that we have a bigger picture of the actual choice he's making. It's so hopeful. So audacious. So human. So NOT Sauron. And in letting himself fully embody and inhabit the life of a low man, he's never been more connected to Middle Earth, never been more real in this world. The stakes mean something different. He's tactile, emotional, reactive. His actions and relationships have more gravity. His footsteps and words have weight. He's not a puppetmaster. He's alive in the world, an ocean of color.

Contrast that with his Annatar phase. As Charlie portrays him, he is completely detached. Floundering. There's a vacancy to his presence.

As I said before, I think Sauron left apart of himself in Halbrand. It's almost as if the piece of him that was human, that grounded him, was severed. And in doing so, Annatar glides through the world as if in a dream and he were made of ice and shadow. Look at his manner and how he moves. He's imposing but almost inert. His expression is dazed and distracted. His heart is somewhere else. With someone else. Or maybe it's because he actually isn't there. It gives an added layer of meaning to Adar's supposed "message" to Annatar -- "Where is he?" Because why is he so clearly disengaged? Where does his mind wander off to constantly?

Again, I'm left pondering how do you get to that, from this?

I'm left shaken at Charlie's performance. He is truly an amazing, gifted actor. There is a reason he plays such a stark contrast between season 1 and season 2. To go from that simmering volcanic intensity to such an emotional void. It's like watching the collapse of a star. I get the sense that there is a rich backstory there that the audience is not privy to. Not yet.

[bluetiefling]

THE NURSES OF THE PITT (2025– )

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The star crossed lovers who chose different paths, but may one day, at the end of all things, be reunited....

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haladriel + purple for @hallbrand - happy birthday ceci! 💜

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important breaking news: half-maia celebrian is fun and good and fic writers can use the concept as much as they want because there's nothing wrong with it

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Another Simple Favor (2025) — dir. Paul Feig

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what are your top 5 favorite movies of 2025 so far?

SINNERS and ANOTHER SIMPLE FAVOR and MICKEY 17 top the list currently!

and Drop, Freaky Tales and Fight or Flight are up there, too!

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As I warned in my previous gifsets, I have a meta incoming. Lol. It's about how Galadriel regards Sauron and the symbolism of her dagger.

If we look at Galadriel, and as I have referred in previous analyses, she frequently and almost exclusively refers to Halbrand AND Sauron in possessive terms: “my” and “mine.” Which is interesting because that phrasing is used alot by those enraptured with the Rings. But here Galadriel uses it when talking about their maker. From the first scene when she says to Finrod that his vow "became mine” and in the following episodes, it comes up repeatedly. This sense of ownership. My task. My vow. Even when Elrond assures her that he will honor her vow if she departs for Aman, she refuses to give it up. She won't give him up. He is hers.

Later in season 2, Galadriel proclaims to Gil Galad that she "alone" can face him. She even displays that possessiveness in 2x4 when she splits off on her own, unheeded to face Adar in Eregion where she knows Sauron lies in wait. Instead of remaining united with her kin, she gallops toward the darkest path, knowing it is the straightest road back to him. With no one to get in her way.

Why does she insist on working "alone?" Is it because she is an outsider-- Or is it because she thinks only she can defeat him? There is a cool, clinical calculation there -- she desires efficiency and expediency. She believes that her way, alone, and with the power of the ring in hand is the surest way to attain her goal. Who else does that sound like? And when Elrond, one of the few Elves who dare not bend to her plans and will not be swayed by her assurances asks her pointedly "Is there no point at which the cost of victory becomes too great?" Galadriel responds unabashedly, "I have yet to reach that point." Is this not what Sauron saw in her? This ruthlessness of one person's vision? She claims it is for the greater, noble cause for which she would shoulder the burden. But as Elrond, Gil-Galad and Adar had suggested, Galadriel is not the only one to bear it. Why does she insist? And I think it's even more complicated than just her honor and conscience driving her. I think it’s because deep down she believes she has ownership of him. She wants to possess him. Alone. She has a greed for him.

I think that sentiment is powerfully symbolized by her dagger. It is upon that dagger she swore an oath and upon which she builds her identity and purpose. The dagger begins to personify her devotion. But to what? Or whom? Oaths taken by elves are not done lightly. As the physical dagger undergoes an evolution, we see her vow evolve as well. And it's no accident that the image of her beloved brother, his words and his memory start to bleed into this shared connection she has with Sauron. And the shadow Finrod casts over their bond grows and intensifies, culminating with Sauron literally becoming him in her illusion.

Over the centuries Galadriel honored this pact and for a long time it probably was about justice. But then it morphed into something else. And the audience is shown that. When first she refused to give it up on her way to exile in Aman and presumably would have been reunited with her family and loved ones. It's obvious that it's no longer just about Finrod.

She even says as much to Halbrand when he asks her if her cause is motivated by vengeance. She denies it saying, "One cannot satisfy thirst by drinking seawater." It's bigger than revenge. It is her reason for living. She is betrothed to it. Fighting him. Defeating him. Destroying him. Him.

And Sauron reciprocates this vow when he returns the dagger. Twice. Look at this framing. It looks ceremonial, almost matrimonial. Galadriel standing in a long white dress and Sauron placing in her hand the dagger, the symbol of her vow, before a gathered assembly for all to witness.

The second time he offers her a knife is in his forge in Numenor. Right after she says, "Not you, yourself." He slams the knife down and actually presents himself. But she doesn't look down, not seeing that he is pointing the blade at himself, as if to contradict her, hinting, "Yes. Me." She stares only at him. A metaphor for how trained her eye is on hunting Sauron, that she overlooks the truths before her. How her trust in Halbrand was so great that she missed that this gesture was an admission and an offer. An admission she would not let herself see and an offer she won't accept. She can’t accept. She doesn't take up that blade because she is already bound to another one -- her dagger, the proxy for her vow and her bond with Sauron.

And "Halbrand", knowing this, offers her an alternative to the Dark Lord with this other blade — a path away from retribution and despair. He’s offering “Halbrand,” his loyalty, his sword, his peace and “paradise” in Numenor. But she will not forsake her vow, the fate she believes she is bound to, for any other. In her hunger, she tries to have both. Halbrand AND Sauron.

The last time he offers Galadriel the dagger is after his proposal on the raft. And while she rejects what he has to offer again, she does reclaim her dagger. Still, she will not renounce him. "She cannot stop." Then that same blade undergoes a metamorphosis.

It becomes a perfect amalgamation of their cosmic bond. This ring of healing — healing, Sauron’s aspired purpose. The ring of water — water where first they were coaxed to join. And the ring itself. Of the rings of power, it’s the only one formed this way. It isn’t forged or molded. It's a woven thread of finer filaments wound into a circle. Intertwined like their souls and fates in this moment. And these moments seem to echo the image of the Valar engineering the destinies of these two beings, now bound in an inextricable circle.

The ring becomes her vow reborn. It goes into the fire a relic of her past and emerges as something else. It calls to her not just because of Sauron's shadow, but because more than anything it carries a part of her. Mithril, borne of evil and good, is now intertwined with the precious substance of Galadriel's devotion. Was this the original sentiment behind his design? Knowing that for better or worse, good or evil, she has remained most steadfast as his enemy or his friend? Certainly this kind of devotion calls to mind another type of vow. When even though he did not forge her ring, it was always meant to be hers. And in his vision, there were two.

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He knows my mind. And I know his.

This is what he wants. (x)