#MORFYDD KNOWS WHAT'S UP

[demonscantgothere]

Do you remember how excited Halbrand was when he told Galadriel that they had made TWO rings? This guy had so much hope

You know, I was reading this interview Charlie gave, and . . .

He offers to make her his queen. Is that a marriage proposal? Charlie: That’s something I thought about a lot, but I don’t think so. W.H. Auden wrote an essay on Tolkien, and he said something along the lines of, “Evil loves only itself.” [“Evil, defiantly chosen, can no longer imagine anything but itself.”] So I think in his pitch to Galadriel, it cannot mean that he loves her or that there’s any kind of romantic relationship. There should be no ambiguity around the fact that Sauron is evil — he’s terrible, and he’s using Galadriel to enhance his power. Throughout the season, she shows him a different way of ruling and maybe illuminates some things for him. So in making that pitch, I think he’s saying, “Join me and we can rule, and I can coordinate everything and rehabilitate Middle-earth.” But having said that, I also think he would have gotten there anyway without her. He would have descended back into evil. It was inevitable. Haladriel shippers will despair. Charlie: [Laughs.] Shipping, by the way, is actually a word that Morfydd taught me! Hopefully people will see that any kind of romantic feeling, which couldn’t exist, vanishes into thin air.

SO, DOES THAT MEAN HE JUST WANTS HER BODY, CHARLIE?

'CAUSE I'LL TAKE IT. I'LL TAKE THAT INTERPRETATION, TOO. YOU CAN'T STOP ME. I'LL NEVER STOP. HE'S EVIL AND HE'S TRYING TO USE HER, OKAY, BUT HE STILL WANTS HER BODY!

[buffyfan145]

Wow, Fellowship of Fans posted today their final scoops article now that the season 2 "Rings of Power" promotion is finally starting and they'll be switching to posting what comes from the cast/crew and the entertainment media, but it's majorly changes things as they were given false information again. They apologized too as it turns out who they said Calam Lynch was playing is false. I feel bad for those fans as they also confirmed that character never was cast for season 2 but will appear in a later season. I'm going to post a recap of their spoilers, as they got more about Charlie Vickers' Halbrand/Sauron and even Haladriel spoilers, and who Calam really is but the article above as so much more to read.

Again confirmed what the other scoopers were saying that Celeborn has not been cast for the show yet. Calam is playing an elf but FOF is saying it's not Annatar and Annatar is another actor. Calam's role is small too and he actually shares more screentime with Selina Lo, Charles Edwards' Celebrimbor, and the other elves. The chemistry test with him and Morfydd never happened either but was also false spoiler spread by Amazon to catch the leaker among the crew.

I know a lot of the Celeborn fans are going to be upset about this as they have to wait even longer for him to show up and I feel for them.

The actor playing Annatar wasn't revealed to them but he has dark hair unlike the white/blonde hair most fans think. They shared a concept photo of what Annatar looks like too. This actor only filmed a few scenes with Adar and in Eregion, and both him and Charlie filmed flashbacks telling Sauron's backstory. Apparently doesn't affect Charlie's screentime as much as we thought which is a good thing imo.

Charlies Vickers does turn back into his form of Sauron during the Battle of Eregion and will be shown in his full black and gold armor (I was hoping for this LOL).

Charlie and Morfydd's Galadriel share important scenes together in the finale after he transforms back to the Halbrand form.

[beyonddarkness]

Thoughts on Haladriel/Saurondriel

(I might be converted)

Okay, can I be COMPLETELY honest?

I always understood the shipping of Halbrand/Sauron and Galadriel, but for the sake of analyzing, I never let myself believe that there was any element of attraction from either side. Because they have a "cosmic connection," you know?

But something changed today (even though that "cosmic connection" is still very much a thing). I came to the conclusion that, while my pain for Galadriel has now increased manifold, I am so relieved from everything Morfydd said in her recent interview, particularly that the ambiguity behind their relationship was Charlie's idea (how dare he) because now I know that Charlie is Sauron, irl. Let me explain. (Prepare for a long read—bonus content at the end):

Charlie never told a lie in press.

"Were we in a relationship of seduction or power? It's up to the viewer to decide" (Morfydd).

What Morfydd said didn't give anything away. It truly leaves everything up to interpretation even more than before, and yet any way you slice it, everything makes sense. It fits with everything that everyone has said in press (the 'cosmic connection', 'it's not romantic', etc.).

Think of it this way:

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If everything was purely platonic, and Galadriel was not attracted to Halbrand in the least, then Sauron was tempting Galadriel with power. This makes sense, since we know that Galadriel left Valinor in large part because she desired to rule over a realm of her own. Power is very enticing to her.

That also means that Galadriel would never, ever, EVER think of anyone but Celeborn, which is nice. I mean, once Elves marry, that's it. No backsies. In this case, Sauron would be playing it safe, not fooling himself into thinking that Galadriel would fall for a MAN (of all things), after she has already been married.

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On the other hand, BOY is Sauron able to seduce.

Now, when we think of seduction, some of us automatically think:

But Galadriel most likely would not be enticed by an extremely forward approach. She would slap that guy so silly.

So here's why Sauron is terrifying: Halbrand is so nice.

His approach would be: Become friends first, to make it difficult to resist joining him in the end. He made himself attractive in a way that, if successful, would make her attached to him for much longer than if he was strictly flirtatious (a few thousand years should do it). He never said anything forward until their friendship developed to a certain point (1x06).

And as long as I've been denying that either side was attracted to the other, the one thing I have never been able to get out of my head is the fact that in episode 7, Galadriel called to Halbrand before anyone else. Later, she mentioned Celeborn to Theo (for the first time in presumably centuries, after she assumed Halbrand had died). Then, when she saw Halbrand again, she called him her friend, and he for some reason had to say:

"Nor will you."

Then he made that STUPID SMIRK, and poor Galadriel looked SO TORN. We just barely learned that her husband was in the picture, so he was fresh on her mind. And then we had this thrown on us, to indicate that something about this friendship was not right.

(Oh, the discomfort and second-hand embarrassment I felt for Halbrand, before I knew that he was Sauron.)

Since Galadriel hasn't seen her husband in centuries (even though she loves him a lot—I mean A LOT), she was very vulnerable to seduction, because... she was alone. Halbrand saved her life, rivaled her intelligence, didn't beg for her attention on account of her beauty, connected with her on a level that probably hasn't happened in a while, became her really good friend, made her feel free fighting at his side, etc. If that doesn't spark someone's interest, I don't know what does. (His looks are a major bonus.)

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Now, here is what's really unfortunate, and causes me pain beyond measure: Sauron wouldn't have fallen in love. But Galadriel would have, and he knew that.

No one (JD, Patrick, Charlie, and Morfydd) ever lied in any interview. Have you ever noticed that whenever they spoke of the lack of romance, they were always talking specifically about Sauron's perspective? :')

Here are some examples:

Charlie: "I mean, look. I don't see it as a... strictly—I don't know. I haven't run this past you guys [Patrick: 'Run it by!']—as a King and Queen thing. I love the reflection bit. But it's not like... I think ultimately, if she had said yes, he's very much the King, and she's like his sidekick, in terms of ruling." Patrick: "And it's not like a marriage—[Morfydd: 'How...]—proposal...—[...dare you.'] [...] Charlie: "You guys sent me something really early on. It's WH Auden, talking about good and evil in Tolkien, and the difference when it gets to evil. It's affection—I'm paraphrasing here—but affection goes out the window. And you see this relationship, and you see affection, but in the end, it's only for personal gain. [...] The whole season, you see them working together, and they have this sort of—we like to call it a 'cosmic connection'. Not romantic. [laughs] Although, I got in a lot of trouble for saying it wasn't romantic yesterday, because of the 'shipping'; the people shipping. [Interviewer: 'How dare you.'] [laughs] Yeah, exactly. And I think it's very clear on the raft that he's just using her for his own personal gain, rather than any sort of love and affection to her." (Empire Spoiler Special)

Charlie: "I think they have a 'cosmic connection', but I don't think it's necessarily, in his mind, a King and a Queen... like husband and wife kind of situation. I think it's more, 'I can use you to get what I want, and effect my designs faster.' Because ultimately, I think he would have ended up ruling by himself, whether she joined him or not. And when she says no on the raft, it angers him, but it's not the end of the world for him." (Deadline Inside the Ring)

So, if Sauron was trying to effectively seduce Galadriel into falling in love with him, it was always going to be one-sided. He would have never felt any real love towards her, but his goal would be to get Galadriel to feel something like that towards him. For personal gain.

And if Galadriel did feel something, how much more ashamed and violated would she feel in the end, knowing that he did it on purpose?

:'))))

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Here is the ultimate question:

Did Sauron tempt Galadriel with power, or seduction (or both)?

Here's the thing -> Charlie

Morfydd said in her interview that "Halbrand's hold on Galadriel was less connoted in the storylines," meaning it was more straight forward, and not much was implied. But she did not say which direction the scripts leaned, meaning Charlie said one of two things:

"Let's make it seem less romantic."

"Let's make it seem more romantic."

Either way, he's actually so mean, I can't put it into words.

Here's why both possibilities work perfectly: Every time Charlie or anyone else has talked about the lack of romance in interviews, they're always speaking from Sauron's perspective; Galadriel's feelings are wide open for interpretation. Whether Sauron tempted her with power or seduction, he never loved her. He knows how to seduce, and he does it well, but it doesn't mean he feels it. That's why I'm terrified of him, and I'm also afraid of Charlie.

Ever since that interview with Morfydd, I've realized that Charlie has a lot more to do with the character than he's letting on. He knows enough about Sauron to propose an idea that fits into the lore. The fact that the scripts were "less connoted," and he managed to convince everyone to make the relationship more ambiguous is just... GAH. How dare he!

Is it power or seduction?? Both work so well, it could very well be both at the same time! (Charlie and his ambiguities. *sigh*)

But again, it's a matter of what Sauron is tempting Galadriel with; not what he feels, himself.

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So, why am I relieved? Because Chapter 6. :)

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Bonus: Translation of the Haunting Music

It is time.

With all of this in mind, I would like to take a shot in the dark. Remember that ultra creepy/seductive part of the music in The Broken Line? A couple of months ago, I was driven crazy by the fact that right in the middle of a musical phrase, the vocals transitioned from Black Speech to Quenya, when Sauron's doing this:

I wanted to know the translation, so I used Paul Strack's lexicon. I managed to pick out most of the words in the music, but since I'm not fluent in Elvish grammar, I don't dare try to translate it. I will just give you the translation for each word, and let you decide what it means for yourself. It'll be fun. :)

Here's the music:

Here are the words (red is confirmed, purple is what I made out, and the [?] is the last word that I cannot figure out, for the life of me. So if someone could enlighten me, I would greatly appreciate it):

ash gul ishi ghash [ash] gul insangarë antani márië i cilmë [?]

Here are the translations:

Black Speech:

ash: "one" gul: "phantom" ishi: "in" ghash: "fire"

Quenya:

insangarë: "temptation" anta-: "to give, present; to add to" ni: "me, I" márië: "well, happily; goodness, good estate, being well, happiness" i: "the" cilmë: "choice, choosing"

In episode 6, Adar said in Quenya, "What I seek. Give it to me." His sentence ended with "antani". So... if "antani" comes after the subject of a sentence... "insangarë antani"? O_O

Someone please help Galadriel. I can hardly stand it. Where's Celeborn?

[pigeonwhumps]

Check-up

Immortal Cannon Fodder masterlist

Taglist: @extrabitterbrain @wolfeyedwitch @fuckcapitalismasshole @ghost-whump @whump-tr0pes @rainbowsandwhumperflies @whumpinggrounds @painful-pooch @i-eat-worlds @a-funeral-romance @rainydaywhump @whumperofworlds

WoW's birthday event: day 9: aftermath of rescue | sickness | "you're burning up"

(does a hostage exchange count as a rescue? I say yes, for the purpose of this)

A day or two after Phoenix waking up in the medbay and the revelations that followed, they ask Joseph to check on Aaron (and by extension, the rest of their team).

Joseph belongs to @i-eat-worlds

1k

CWs: low self-esteem, mentioned past abuse, exhaustion, caffeine, self-neglect

Joseph knocks on the door to Phoenix's flat.

He almost hopes no-one answers and he'll have to use Santhiya's key. Then there's a chance they'll be asleep already.

No such luck.

Kai answers the door. Joseph can tell immediately why Phoenix was worried, even if it was only Aaron they mentioned – he's a mess. Clothes and hair rumpled, swaying slightly, brow furrowed in confusion.

"Joseph? This isn't INSUPA."

"I was visiting Phoenix, and they–"

"Are they okay?" asks Kai immediately, looking ready to run at the slightest hint of a 'no'. "What's wrong, what happened?"

"Nothing's wrong, calm down." Kai's shoulders drop and Joseph bites back a surge of anger. What did Abbie do to make Phoenix think this man could hate them?

"Then what–"

"As I said, I was visiting Phoenix, and they asked me to check up on you. Apparently the bags under Aaron's eyes look tattooed on?"

Actually, what Phoenix had done was apologise for being an inconvenience but could he please check up on Aaron? Joseph had felt sick hearing the fear there, like Joseph would do something to them for asking.

Kai sighs, judging the door further open. "Come in."

Joseph slips inside and follows Kai into the living room.

Morfydd and Lian are slumped on the floor, propped up by the couch, and Aaron is perched on the coffee table, looking two seconds from drifting off and falling, under-eye bags true to Phoenix's word. Morfydd winces at their footsteps. A selection of empty caffeine and sugar drinks and snacks surround them all, spread out around a sugar paper epicentre. Lian appears to have been snacking from a bag of whole coffee beans.

Santhiya's presumably still asleep with Phoenix in the medical bay, Phoenix themself talking to Vic about advocacy roles after she took one up for them during their interview with management (which has caused at least one panic attack so far, and which Joseph is still annoyed about). So at least no-one's unaccounted for.

"You all need to sleep."

Aaron shakes his head, taking a large gulp of coffee (which he doesn't even like. Joseph recognises this version of him from their course together). "There's more important things to do."

"What are you doing?" he asks curiously.

"Trying to work out why Phoenix thinks we'd hate them," mutters Lian morosely. "We don't know what we did, or how to fix it."

"How do they not know we value them for more than their powers and fighting?" adds Morfydd through clenched teeth.

"Because they can count on one hand the amount of people who have before." The room is dead silent. "If you slept, you'd work this out for yourselves. And I'm not taking you to medbay if you have a heart attack from all that caffeine, Lian."

Lian looks at him in surprise. That's fair. The others don't know him as well as Aaron does, don't know that he'd drop everything if that did happen.

"Joseph's lying," announces Aaron.

Joseph shrugs. "Maybe. But it's been over 24 hours since Phoenix woke, I suspect none of you have slept since before then, and I'm not going anywhere until you're asleep. Phoenix asked me to make sure you're okay, and I intend to do so."

"Okay, okay, you've made your point," mutters Lian. "Morfydd, shall we–"

They nod then wince. They seem to have got the idea, as Joseph helps them into their chair. They wheel down the corridor, slowly, Lian holding on, and leave the chair outside whichever one of them's bedroom it is.

Once they're safely inside, Joseph turns to Aaron. "Come on."

He shakes his head. "I need to go on my shift soon. I'll be fine."

Joseph snatches the bag of dissolvable HAL-issued stimulants out of his pocket and transfers them to his own.

"Don't you dare. Phoenix will be better off for you getting some rest, and so will everyone else. I'll take your shift."

"But–"

"No. I'm taking your shift."

"At least let me have a bleep?"

"Not until you've had at least a few hours of uninterrupted sleep."

Joseph stares them down until they sigh. "You're not going to let this go, are you?"

"Nope."

Aaron nods, and holds out an arm to let Joseph help them down off the table. He pulls it around his shoulders as soon as they've slid off, stopping them from falling completely.

They're warm to hold. His own heart skips a beat. He has no idea which is the spare room, if any, so he just leads them into a random empty one. Aaron doesn't protest.

Once Aaron is sitting on the bed, they seem to come back to themself and say urgently, "They didn't think to come to me when they thought Kai would kick them out. They don't think any better of me. What if they think I've abandoned them because I let you take my shift?"

"It was specifically you Phoenix asked me to check up on. They won't think you abandoned them."

"Me?"

"You're the only one they've been able to see how bad you're getting."

"Oh."

Joseph pulls him into a hug. "Come on. Sleep. Phoenix will still be there when you wake up."

Aaron nods sleepily, and Joseph helps him under the duvet. He extracts his arm regretfully, and closes the door behind him with a little snick.

It turns out he could've stayed longer, because once he returns to the living room he finds Kai already passed out on the sofa.

Joseph smiles and shakes his head as he drapes a blanket over him. He could wake him, tell him about management probably coming round for their side of the story soon, but he doesn't. Kai won't go back to sleep, especially after finding out they visited Phoenix. He scoops up the mess instead, at least wanting to make the place presentable. The sugar paper – plans to make make Phoenix realise they're valued, apparently – he stacks and covers up, not wanting anyone outside of the team to see, and the caffeine remains he dumps in the kitchen, grinning at Phoenix's moulded Grogu mug on the counter.

And now it's time to return to HAL's medbay. No-one's waking anytime soon. He hopes Phoenix realises their team loves them soon, because it's so painfully obvious to everyone else that they do.

[simplytolkien]

Wow, I’m getting a lot of aggressive messages about my opinion of Rings of Power. I knew there would be some push-back from our lovely modern internet society, but this is stupid. I never said the show was perfect, but I enjoy it, and I hate this snobby nit-picking. Why our society has come to believe that this sort of tiny-minded critical attitude shows how intelligent and sophisticated you are, I don’t know, but it’s frankly stupid. It just shows you up for being ignorant and lacking in grace. Especially since right at the beginning of the show it says ‘based on The Lord of the Rings and Appendices by J.R.R. Tolkien’ right on the screen in the intro. Based on means not 100% faithful. In any project. And the complaints I’m getting about changes to the story show that people haven’t actually paid attention to the original lore anyway, and all but two of the complaints are about things that actually are accurate. They just seem to be riding the seemingly ‘cool’ wave of hate for the show that started long before there ever even was a preview released. Some people made up their minds when it was announced that it was going to be bad, and they seem to be controlling the narrative about it, which is a shame, and people who have such a need to be ‘cool’ follow along without their own opinions as usual. But I think the show so far is strong enough to overcome such narrow bigots and stand firm in its own merits and be loved by people for time to come, and if some people want to watch it and be angry and miserable, that’s their loss. I do know some people are actually not going to like it, and hey, that’s okay too. Just give it a fair shake before you actually decide you don’t like it.

Yes, there are a few issues with Galadriel so far. They are changing her story and timeline, but that isn’t a deal breaker for me. I don't mind her taking a more active role in the wars, just like I've said before that Arwen riding Frodo to the Fords, while not at all accurate, is still one of my favourite scenes in the movies, and they had more scenes filmed with her along those lines that didn’t make it to the films. As a woman who loves Tolkien, I understand that he definitely wasn’t the misogynist he’s often accused of being. He wrote many beautifully strong women and wrote several who expressed dissatisfaction with the ‘traditional’ notion of womanhood, Éowyn being the most famous. And of course, Lúthien, based so lovingly on his wife, was anything but traditional. Another favourite of mine is this quote and conversation between Erendis and her daughter in Númenor. I like that these projects are portraying strong women, even if it isn’t in the exact same places where Tolkien did. Galadriel fighting isn’t far-fetched to how her character was written. Tolkien even had her mother-name (one of three names elves are given) mean man-maiden because she was such a tomboyish elf, always riding and hunting and doing it all better than most of the men (and also because she was taller than most women and had a deeper voice). So far she is somewhat tactless, grumpy, and hasty, but I think it’s simply a case of early-episode overcompensation. I’ve seen it over and over in shows where they come out of the gate really hard with a character’s attitude for the first few episodes to firmly establish a character in viewers’ minds, and then they begin to mellow or soften their approach. It isn’t my favourite approach, but it is commonly used in the industry. I am hoping they give her more grace soon. And it isn’t Morfydd Clark’s fault. I think she’s doing an amazing job with what they’re writing for her and how they’re directing her. The only things about her that aren’t exact for the role is that she isn’t tall or deep-voiced, but she can’t change those... Otherwise, perfect.

But you have to understand that Galadriel was a rebel. She was a rebel and a leader in the rebellion of the Ñoldor when they left Valinor because she strongly desired to rule her own kingdom. She was full of pride and ambition, and that was her driving force for many many years, which was why she was still tempted by the Ring in the Third Age and had to resist to be allowed to sail back into the West. No, she never would have sailed for Valinor (which I think was included to portray her rebellion against the Valar), and yes, she should have met Celeborn by this time, but again, this show has five seasons planned. It’s only been three episodes. Give it time. Yeesh. And I myself am not sorry that we potentially get to watch her love story happen. But she wasn’t a ruling elf from the beginning. Eventually for a time she and Celeborn ruled a small group of elves sort of like a fiefdom under Gil-Galad before moving into what becomes Lothlórien, so her being a commander under Gil-Galad isn’t ridiculously far-fetched.

When it comes to Elrond, the theme in the messages I’m getting is that he isn’t being treated right because he’s a lord and not a politician, like he’s being treated like a nobody. Again, people need to read more of Tolkien than Lord of the Rings to talk about these very aged characters. Lord of the Rings was the very end of Elrond’s life in Middle-Earth. Rings of Power has his earlier role spot on so far. He wasn't Ñoldorin, who were the ruling elves at this point, or even a High Elf since he was never in Valinor. And he wasn’t full elf. He had some human and Maia. (I’ll post a cool breakdown of Elrond’s genealogy that 5ummit created after this.) He wouldn't have naturally had a high position with the Ñoldorin at this point, but it goes a long way to showing how he was valued that he was Gil-Galad's herald and a captain, which is lore accurate. He wasn't the heir of all major houses as such. He wasn't even a prince while Galadriel was a princess in both the Ñoldor and the Teleri. Elrond’s line was respected and loved since he was Lúthien’s great-grandson, but it wasn’t a ruling line (ringofsecrets is right; he was royal through Lúthien, but they no longer had a kingdom). It was just that after the first war with Sauron, he was one of only two elf commanders who survived, Cirdan being the other, and so Elrond became a ruling elf because he was loved and wise. He was offered the title High-King, having been connected with Gil-Galad, but he turned it down since he wasn't of the bloodline of the High-Kings through a male ancestor (even though he was through a female ancestor) and because so few of the Ñoldorin were left that it didn’t matter. And actually, Galadriel had a far closer claim to that title herself, being niece or great-niece or something close like that of the first High-King. (I get all the F names in her family confused when I haven’t read The Silmarillion in a while.) But I don't think anyone wanted the title. The four Ñoldorin kings all came to bloody ends... I do like that they made Elrond and Galadriel friends since eventually Elrond marries Galadriel’s daughter.

And then there was the comment on the post about the hobbits and their age, but it was worded oddly, so I’m not sure exactly what you’re saying? I think you mean the culture is portrayed as too old, like hobbits didn’t exist for another 2300 years? But again, there’s nothing objectionable here. In Tolkien’s lore the hobbits came from more primitive ancestors, the same ones Gollum came from, and if you remember, Gollum had found the ring over 500 years before ‘The Hobbit’ happened, and he was in an established group in the east where Isildur would have dropped the ring when he died. It was in the same region that Beorn lived, east of the Misty Mountains near what became Mirkwood. There were three breeds: Harfoots, Stoors, and Fallohides. The Harfoots and Fallohides were the first who over time travelled north and west to finally settle in the Shire because of various unrest and dangers, especially those caused by Sauron moving into and settling in what became Mirkwood. The Stoors, the breed Gollum was, moved around in the east a lot longer and interacted with the Dunlendings some before finally moving west into the Shire. These hobbits aren’t early. They’re simply living primitively in the east, just like Tolkien said the three different breeds who were the hobbits’ ancestors did before they came to the Shire and intermingled until they were one people. And unlike every other race in Middle-Earth, Tolkien didn’t once write an origin story for hobbits. He never described their creation. The first record of interaction with the ‘Big Folk’ was with the Éothéod, the ancestors of the Rohirrim, in far-away times and in the east, so no one knows when and where they originated.

I never said I thought Rings of Power is 100% accurate to the books. That never happens in any project, especially one that says ‘based on’. But I love that it seems so far like they're staying true to more than people think. Really, so far they’ve just changed some of the timelines or minor events. The actors have interviews explaining some of the thinking behind decisions made, and the creators themselves said that some of it would be different to the commonly held versions of Tolkien's works because Tolkien was ALWAYS changing things. I mean, he worked on this world for decades, so he was always fiddling with timelines and lineages and so on. Even some of the main characters and events in the Silmarillion changed quite a few times after the Silmarillion was written, including Galadriel and her whole family of Finarfin and Fëanor and such, who were changed enough times that it's still not clear who Gildor Inglorien is. That's why the creators of Rings of Power consulted Tolkien's grandson Simon. They wanted his knowledge of some of the more obscure information since Tolkien was changing things until he died. I think that's cool. It feels like they're honoring Tolkien's whole approach to his world instead of just saying 'this is what it was period end of.'

No matter what they do, there will always be people who want to gripe and complain, and then there will be people who legitimately don’t like it, and that’s totally okay. I mean, I hate Game of Thrones, but I don’t go around the internet taking it out on people who like it. Let them enjoy what they enjoy. I’ve learned to just let people be themselves and enjoy the cool things that can come out of that, even if it’s not necessarily what I would do. That doesn’t mean it’s wrong, and if this is how the creators want to honor Tolkien, they’re the ones who had the courage to approach studios and say, ‘Hey, we know we’ve never made a tv show before, but we love Tolkien and have this great idea.’ And then they put in the hours and hours and hours of work. Don’t tear down the people that do things if you’re too scared, lazy, unmotivated, or unable to try yourself. I know I wouldn’t be interested in doing it. I think they’re doing a beautiful job with cosmetics and graphics and just creating a beautiful world for these characters to live in, and I’m going to enjoy my journey through it, along with the other people who choose to live with gratitude and enjoyment and sent lovely messages and comments. :)

[morannon]

Rings of Power: Episodes 1 & 2

I honestly couldn’t find it in me to simply sit through it as if I wasn’t compiling a mental checklist of all of the offences. And the offences are many. It’s just my first watch so I’m sure I missed a lot of finer details. It’s hard comparing certain things to anything because it’s all just made up by the showrunners and the timeline is at this point irrelevant because this whole thing is some weird AU.

I also mostly don’t comment on the acting because although it’s of exceptionally inconsistent quality from actor to actor, and it’s obvious that some of them have not managed to get into character, I find more fault with the writing. Had the writing been better I’m sure that the actors’ deliveries would have felt more natural. With that said...

Episode 1:

Even the opening scenes of baby Galadriel playing with other children like a bunch of little gremlins who appear of accurate age to their physical development doesn’t sit right with me. Elves mature much slower than Humans physically, but develop much faster mentally. According to The Nature of Middle-earth they reach puberty only at over 200 years old. Which means that an Elven child that looks 7 might instead be over 100 years old and has lived for what would be for a Human a whole lifetime or more. To portray Elven children as comparable to Humans in their speech and manners is absurd.

In the first few minutes of the episode Galadriel is portrayed consecutively by two actresses whose accents are cardinally different and it stands out.

The timeline is such a disaster, that much is obvious before the first 10 minutes.

Galadriel’s history lesson in the beginning could have had a much better effect if they took any notes from the prologue to The Fellowship of the Ring. Controlling the pace and emphasis, even modifying Cate Blanchett’s voice achieved an effect that has been carved into our minds permanently. Morfydd Clark’s delivery falls face first into mud. It’s just dull, monotone and unfeeling.

Obvious makeup. Very meh.

I honestly think the use of this weird font to mark location on screen looks really cheap and like as if their graphics department couldn’t find the original font so they just used the papyrus one instead. Like what is that? (I know I’m a design snob but seriously.)

The dialogue is just stiff, awkward and unelegant.

The fight scene with the troll is just terrible. Galadriel singlehandedly takes down a massive troll with almost no help and without a hair out of place. Complete with entirely unnecessary sword flourishes. It’s embarrassing to watch honestly. Seems also like Galadriel’s entire company is purely decorative as she does all the fighting, is always right and does everything on her own while others try to keep up with her. Mary Sue down to a T.

The Harfoots are a travesty. Irish cosplay, but make it primitive. The moment you take a closer look at their setup it’s hard to believe they’re nomadic. So much seems decorative, rather than functional to them. And that’s before we get to the characters. They’re just made to look pointedly primitive. 

They’ve also deisgned the Lindon set without being able to decide whether it’s fall or summer. Because it’s both at the same time. It’s seemingly fall where they walk among yellow trees (canonically there are NO mellyrn outside of Lorien; Gil-Galad had the seeds, but none grew in Lindon) and on layers of fallen, yellowed leaves. At the same time the surrounding hills are in full greenery as are all the other plants surrounding them. Like there’s no biological consistency to the living environment and the result is that Elves almost look removed from nature, rather than in utter harmony with their environment as they’re meant to be.

And what the hell is it with those Roman civic crowns everywhere.

The dialogue is... it’s to Tolkien what Aliexpress is to haute couture.

And speaking of the costumes. Aliexpress sale bin.

They’re importing present-day social issues into Middle-earth as if it didn’t have enough of to go around already. On top of that it feels forced and shoehorned, which it didn’t have to be if they had chosen to make the xenophobia contextually authentic to Middle-earth. Like fear of the unknown peoples and lands, which wouldn’t be much of a stretch. Rather than synthesising anti-Elf racism to show how one black Elf in particular is the victim of this, as if this then wouldn’t apply to all the other Elves somehow. So is it about the ears or is it about his skin color because there are no other black Elves on record and none appear in the series besides him? Make it make sense.

The short hair on Elven men is so weird. WTF is this? The Witcher?

Also the way Galadriel’s memory of her conversation with her brother is overlayed the scene feels terrible because the audio is too similar to those speaking on screen and there’s not enough of an echo or some other sound effct to distinguish it. So it sounds like director’s commentary.

They are all way too unphased by a giant fireball falling from the skies. Plus the way everything is on fire, but somehow his loincloth is unharmed. Right. There would have been so many other ways of dealing with that for the sake of modesty which would have been a lot less laughable.

Episode 2:

The Harfoots are supposed to be way more archaic than their Hobbit descendants. And they are made to look the part visually, but their dialogue has been bothering me since the beginning because it’s way more contemporary than that of Hobbits in LOTR, and it stood out since episode 1. It’s only stylized to the extent of using ‘unrefined’ language so to speak. The manner of speaking doesn’t feel authentic to bygone times. And neither does their acting, manners etc. Which again makes it feel even more like Irish cosplay.

Looking at the set decorations in Eregion reveals that apparently they just went thrift-shopping in Camden market or something. It’s more of an eclectic mix of 19th century European furniture and neo-styles with some accent decorations from Italy and Morocco than anything I’d associate with Elves of any Age. It’s not even Art Nouveau and Arts & Crafts dominant. And I swear one of those lanterns is painted plastic and not even made of metal. WTF is this Disneyland giftshop shit? I’m not seeing the millions in anything but VFX.

All of the Dwarven costumes are a massive downgrade. I feel like all of the effort was put into prosthetic noses and that’s the extent of it. Meanwhile the culture is shown to be brutish above everything else, to the point that it makes me question how they could possibly create such fine things. There’s a major disconnect there. 

Plus this one sure feels like Scottish cosplay. Remember groundskeeper Willie from The Simposons. Yeah.

Also I feel like everything to do with Durin is essentially everything criticized about the Hobbit trilogy and more. Plus this domestic scenery (which is pulled out of their asses) completely breaks the decorum characteristic to Tolkien. It’s just awkward to watch.

The breaking of decorum gets its own bulltepoint. Because it’s just that big of an offence. Would Elrond really call a Dwarven princess by her first name even though they just met? Really?

With all the gold, mithril and jewels under the mountains. And they still made Disa’s jewelry out of old hubcaps. 

Galadriel still remains a foot too short. She’s towered over by literally everyone and she’s supposed to be the TALLEST WOMAN IN ALL OF ARDA.

[rings-of-power-realm]

Hi guys! Some of you may be aware I requested a cameo from Morfydd Clark. Her assistant got back to me and unfortunately she wants to keep personal and professional things separate so sadly she can't answer or respond to my Rings of Power questions.

However her assistant was lovely and said that Morfydd really appreciated what I said (basically that the show is beautiful and the cast is amazing) So Morfydd now knows that 🥰and even if she can't directly respond about the show and it is a little disappointing I respect her decision and she's giving proceeds to families in need so hopefully I'll get her video soon!

So this is also a heads up for anyone thinking about getting a cameo from her on cameo.com to just be aware she won't talk about the show.

I think she's gonna talk about the Silmarilion as I mentioned that in my message too and depending on the video I may post a snippet here though I'd kindly ask not to share it on any other social media.

[spiderliliez]

Morfydd Clark, definitely an “ISFJ” ✨

My favorite MBTI source that types people on Youtube has finally got Morfydd Clark added on their channel. I just want to share the video as it is quite interesting. ISFJs are dubbed as Protectors and Nurturers. That's definitely, Morfydd Clark! She's actually a bit trickier to type compared to other ISFJs. Some people have even considered her to be an INFP or an ENTJ, and I totally see where they're coming from. What stands out to me the most about Morfydd is her 'FE' (Extraverted Feeling). It's evident in how she consistently acknowledges and includes others in whatever she's doing or saying. She sees people, and I love that. If you're a fan, you probably already picked up on that. Her 'Introverted Sensing' (SI) is at the top of the stack of her MBTI functions. She genuinely enjoys soaking up on her sensory experiences, and then meticulously processing them with her 'Introverted Thinking.' She'd be the type to experience something in real time, then will quickly compare it to her stored memories. Morfydd likes drawing from her past experiences as she observes her surroundings and the people in them, and then try to make sense of everything. That's how I see her. I am just hyped about this because of the fact, that the channel confirmed my observations. 😊

Comment on Youtube Oh my god, you really finally typed her. I am just over the moon! This is amazing. She really is an ISFJ! It feels good to know that, because I was actually trying to understand if she's either ISFJ or ESFJ. I was juggling if her 'FE' (Extraverted Feeling) was higher or not. Rose mentioned (1:53) how Morfydd does the 'SFJ' thing (FE), where she just compliments people. You are absolutely right! She does this a lot, just naturally including people whom she's worked with in the conversations, not just those on camera but others on set. She's always looking at others, complimenting and appreciating them. You also noticed of her 'NE' (Extraverted Intuition) and how she like, intensely associates and understands her role and the subject matter (4:23). That's because she is a massive fan of the books and the films since she was a kid. She said she found those stories kind of, like her respite from the world that doesn't completely understand her. She has ADHD and I guess that also explains why she really fixates on things she truly loves and could immerse herself so deep into them (hyperfocusing). I bet you could talk to her for hours and hours about anything she truly enjoys. "She doesn't take herself seriously." I love that you noticed that (4:54), she is a funny one, and she's definitely quirky, although it's not that obvious. But ask those people she's worked with. Her director in 'Saint Maud' (Rose Glass) did say how funny she actually is. She finds comedy in seriousness. I can't explain it, but I know what she meant. You also said, "What you see isn't always what you get" (7:43). I fell into that trap when typing her at first, and thought they might be right with 'INFP', but I knew her 'FE' was strong, so she can't really be an INFP (Introverted Feeler). I got stuck on that for quite a while. Thanks for mentioning that too. I just want to say, that I started following your advise. That typing people with the MBTI isn't really just about studying each function and stacking them up as you see it, it's also about comparing individuals. I see that it really worked for me. You guys already have a good set of ISFJ females that I was able to look at and compare her with. She really does seem like most of those women you typed on the ISFJ list, and that helped me decide. So yes! Your project works, and I love that. I just want to thank you again for finally typing Morfydd Clark. And I'm sorry this comment is so long! That's how much I loved it. THANK YOU CHRIS & ROSE!!! 🥰🥰🥰

You guys can check out Typebook, especially if you're interested in studying the 16 psychological types, or you're just simply curious of what personality type your favorite people might have. I just find MBTI typing really fun and interesting! 😎

What is your type? Take the test.

[emarasmoak]

Charlie Vickers teases what to expect from Sauron in ‘The Rings Of Power’ season two. The breakout actor playing Tolkien's Dark Lord speaks out

Some pretty awesome hints on what is to come in season 2 and Charlie's hopes for his character.

Just two months ago, Charlie Vickers was a complete unknown – cast as a brand-new character in TV’s most expensive show ever, The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power. Since then, and thanks to playing Middle-earth’s most mysterious character yet, he’s shot to stardom, jumped onto magazine covers and grabbed the attention of all the right people. You might call him 2022’s breakout star to rule them all.

In The Rings Of Power, he plays Halbrand – a dashing young man with a murky past. It felt like he was one of the show’s main heroes. But as the series progressed, a shadow lengthened about him and he started acting suspiciously. The finale revealed that Halbrand is actually the dark lord Sauron in disguise.

With fans already looking towards season two (filming of which recently got underway), we met up with Vickers to find out about what’s still to come.

Hey Charlie, it’s been a pretty big week for you!

“Yeah it has been! I did some interviews this morning and then I went to the gym, went to a cafe, and did a bit of work on scenes I’m filming next week for the second season.”

Now everyone knows you’re Sauron, do you get strangers coming up to you?

“Yeah, they shout kill him! [laughs] No, that hasn’t happened yet but anyone that has said something has always been very nice.”

When did you find out you were Sauron?

“It was half-way through shooting. They took me onto the set in the Northern Waste which Galadriel discovers in the first episode. There are orcs stuck in walls. It’s nasty. They took me in there and they didn’t hail me or anything, they just said: ‘This is your kingdom, this is where you’ve been hanging out – you’re Sauron’. And I was like ‘holy shit!’”

Had you had an inkling?

“Morfydd [Clark, who plays Galadriel] and I were both theorising from the start. We chemistry tested together a couple of times and we were like ‘there’s something going on here’. I auditioned playing Satan from Paradise Lost and Richard III!”

Looking back on season one it’s clear Adar, played by Joseph Mawle, nearly recognises Halbrand as Sauron…

“Yeah, Joseph and I worked really hard in creating that story and it’s something we see more of in the second season. We see Adar and Sauron’s time and how they first connected. Adar’s going to have to do some saying sorry at some point though [for what he did in season one].”

And what about the connection between Sauron and the Stranger, played by Daniel Weyman?

“I’m not sure that Sauron knows that an Istar [the Stranger] has been sent from Valinor. We know [from Tolkien’s writings] that they were sent in the Second Age [when The Rings Of Power is set]. The Blue Wizards were sent and for the record I’m not sure if the Stranger is Gandalf. I know everyone thinks it is, but I genuinely don’t know. Of course he has some lines which mirror what Gandalf says [in Peter Jackson’s film trilogy] but I genuinely don’t know. I don’t think Sauron’s aware of that yet. He may have felt some disturbance when [the Stranger] crash-landed [in episode one]. He may have felt something because of course The Stranger is a Maia too. I think he will be a very troublesome foe in the future because he’s the closest thing to Sauron in Middle-earth in terms of power. I hope there’s some kind of dynamic to come there.”

What else can you tell us about season two – what can we expect from Sauron?

“All I can say is we’re getting into the meat of it now. The world has been established in season one and now we can get into the lore. I’m talking about the stuff at the heart of The Rings Of Power: the Akalabeth [the downfall of the kingdom of Numenor]. Sauron is out there now and there’s no longer any questions or theories about who he is – which is a shame for some I guess. We’re gonna be with him while he’s doing shit, while he’s out there manipulating people and taking on the elves.”

Eventually, he’s going to have to transform into the Sauron we know – would you be willing to get in the suit yourself?

“I have thought about that. When we get to the fifth season, am I going to have to look for another job? It’s one of those things. What did they do in The Mandalorian [when Pedro Pascal took off the helmet]?”

I guess it’s more like Obi Wan Kenobi, when Hayden Christensen suited up for Darth Vader after playing Anakin Skywalker…

“I would love to do that. I would love to do some acting through a suit, even if it’s just with prosthetics and not actually Sauron’s famous big suit [from the films]. There’s so many cool things that our Sauron could be at that stage. I’ve seen interpretations of him when he’s been deformed and artist drawings when he could no longer take his fair form [as Halbrand]. I loved it. So fingers crossed I can eke more time out on the show!”

Tell us about the promised two-episode battle we’re getting next season…

“I haven’t read that yet. I think it comes towards the end of the season. We’ve only got the first three scripts, three episodes. But [showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay] told me about it and it’s super exciting. The best thing is it’s in the lore. If you go to the appendices, you’ll see what’s about to happen. I think it’s going to be pretty epic.”

[sotwk]

Whag do you think about Lord of The Rings: The rings of power?

Did you watched it? If not, why? If yes, why?

Oooh! A bit of a controversial question, but one that I am happy to finally be asked, so I can give my thoughts and opinions about it. Thank you for the Ask, @estethell!!

My Thoughts on "The Rings of Power"

When I heard a new Tolkien/Middle-earth series was coming out, I was super excited about it. I watched the first two episodes the very evening it came out on Amazon. My excitement was so contagious, I even got my husband (who wouldn't know an elf from a dwarf) to sit down and watch it with me for like 5 whole minutes.

Now, the truth: my initial excitement about the series quickly dropped about four episodes in. The storyline and characterizations just weren't really what I expected (actually, I'm not even sure what my expectations were, except that they were high), and so my interest dwindled in my disappointment.

However, a few weeks later, after all the episodes had been released, I sat back down to finish the series, and my impressions of it improved overall.

I wouldn't say I love Rings of Power, but there are enough things about it that I liked and enjoyed to be able to engage with others who do love it. It's kind of like the folks who didn't like The Hobbit movies, but are able to gush over Lee Pace's Thranduil anyway.

Stuff in Rings of Power that I liked:

Liked BEST: Young Elrond, and the way he was portrayed as such a wise and kind lord by Robert Aramayo (so handsomely elf-y!).

A Close Second: Durin IV and Disa. What a wonderful couple that brought just the right amount of comic relief.

The chance to see Khazad-dum in its glory.

Poppy Proudfellow. We all need a friend like her.

The music/soundtrack, ESPECIALLY the song "This Wandering Day" Poppy sang--I literally cried when she sang it.

Arondir. He was a such sweetheart and I hope he comes back next season.

Adar. The take on orcs being corrupted elves is one I embrace.

Elendil and Isildur. Excellent acting on Lloyd Owen's part, and I liked Maxim Baldry's earnestness.

Halbrand. I'll admit, I wasn't too impressed or happy with the revelation of him as Sauron, but the character alone as it stands was actually very good, and very well portrayed by Charlie Vickers.

Stuff I didn't like so much (so probably don't ask me about them 'cause I prefer not to dwell on critiques):

Short-haired elves. Just not a fan, purely a preference thing.

Galadriel being short. This is petty and minor, but for some reason, even though Morfydd Clark did a fine job, it bugged me to see Galadriel looking UP at mortal men.

Celebrimbor cast as an older man. So sorry, Charles Edwards is a lovely actor, but this was far from what I had in mind for the character.

Eärien. Normally I will give OCs a chance, but I did not like this one. Felt really unnecessary, and the screen time should have been given to Anárion, wherever he might be.

The poor armor design and nerfing of the Numenorean army.

Portrayal of the Gwaith-i-Mírdain. Again, I expected much more.

The origin story of mithril. Such a strange choice.

WAY, WAAAAAAY too much CGI. Why is everything so shiny??

Overall low/poor production value. But honestly, there is never gonna be another production like Peter Jackson's trilogy. It's sad, but filmmakers just don't do that anymore. I hope someone proves me wrong.

I remain conflicted about the following:

The Haladriel ship. I'm a Celeborn fan (I have some lovely HCs about him and his ties to Thranduil), and I ship Galadriel with him. However, the way Halbrand looks at Galadriel just does something to me, so even though I'm not sold, my mind is open to it as an AU. I blame Charlie Vickers being such a charming rogue.

The Elf-Human love story. Arondir and Bronwynn were sweet and convincing, and I did swoon for them, but... this is just so overdone already. Couldn't we have just featured other kinds of relationships?

The revised origin of Gandalf. I kind of get it, and I appreciate the relationship between him and the Hobbit progenitors... but it's kind of also weird.

Halbrand as Sauron. I plan on withholding judgement until I see where they are going with this in Season 2.

Overall Rating and Conclusion:

62% fresh SotWK Tomato Rating

I choose to just be HAPPY and GRATEFUL that we have another cinematic adaptation to the Tolkien fandom, however flawed it might be.

Definitely looking forward to Season 2 and I will definitely watch it.

Positive vibes ONLY, please! I am happy to publicly post and gush with others about the good points of RoP. But I will not have public bashing of things other fans might love and enjoy. I am very against crapping on the things others love, even if I might hate them myself.

If anyone wants to discuss the things I dislike about RoP, we can do it via DM or private Asks.

Everyone has a right to enjoy whatever they want in this show; let's just all respect each others' differences in tastes and opinions! <3

[thegreatzombieartisan]

(Updated) Theory: Sauron Will Reveal He and Galadriel's Dark Twisted Secret

Morfydd Clark recently tells us Galadriel will "be humbled" in S2, is her exposure the catalyst?

“How will [the Elves] feel when they learn Sauron lives because of you!”

Here’s the catch: only Galadriel and Sauron know about their “little adventure” and her role in his return. It tells us he doesn’t believe she will voluntarily disclose this info to Gil-Galad.

Sauron spent about 3 months, after all, watching her lie and trying to manipulate people, including himself. And S1 ends doing his bidding and lying through omission about his return and involvement with the rings. He knows Galadriel is completely in over her head. Will Sauron exposure her and why?

Pre-reveal in Eregion

Sauron thanks Galadriel for inspiring him to “new heights” and ensured her he'd let everyone know it - and not forget it. He is genuine but to what other reasons might he have?

1. To hint at his impending proposal which, if accepted, would inevitably broadcast to the Elves that Galadriel had defected to Sauron’s side and cause.

2. To provide subtle coercive incentive to make his impending proposal more likely to be accepted. If not for desire, then for practical fear of disgrace, ostracism, and notoriety.

Post-reveal on the dream!raft.

Sauron intimidates Galadriel, forewarning she'll need him when the Elves cast her out for her involvement with him. What reasons might he have?

1. To coerce her to his side and cause, by provoking her ostracism. Although a last resort effort, as he’d strongly prefer Galadriel at his side willingly.

2. To stir discord among the Elves, as such a revelation about Galadriel would have political gravitas. She's a Noldor princess and (arguably former) Commander of the Northern Armies. The biggest security risk is lack of trust in leadership. This would be to Sauron's advantage.

3. To be spiteful, but only when he’s given up on her. Canon!Sauron is not above cruelty / chaos for its own sake. In this scene, TRoP gives us the first taste of how unpleasant Sauron can be when thwarted.

4. To shit-talk because she bruised his ego. The weakest argument, although even Dark Lords hate rejection. His arrogance won't let him admit the proposal was more than likely to not be well-received.

Meme credit: Bunnynoldo

How might Sauron expose Galadriel?

Directly himself, the manner and to whom I can’t begin to guess. More likely, he will do this indirectly via pressure such as hints for others to form a conclusion / setting events in motion, coercing her to confess.

What we do know is that Galadriel’s secret will remain within a small group. She must, after all, found Lothlorien and become the well-respected “lady of light”.

So, I theorize the truth will be kept between only Gil-Galad, Celeborn, Elrond, Celebrimbor, Gandalf, and possible Celebrian.

Or will Galadriel’s confess without pressure, finally placing her back on the righteous path?

Thank you for reading! Your likes and tagged reblogs are appreciated. Got feedback?

What did you learn? Got theories or insights?

Disagree? I love good faith debate and sparring!

Spot an inaccuracy? Hey, Tolkien's work is complex. Drop it in comments or DM.

[arideya]

I think I made a Galadriel :3

(I know I know its the same head and hair as my tiefling)

But somehow she looks so much like Morfydd Clark in the Rings of Power. Vengeance paladin too suits her angry nature to boot.

Anyways I was trying to come up with a character to romance Gale and here we go. Also somehow this fits 200% considering whats happening in RoP. I even made her guardian look like you-know-who.

I just need a shinier armor for her now.

[buffyfan145]

So another update about the whole "who is Calam Lynch playing on "Rings of Power"" thing as we're still getting 3 different things now from the fan sources. Hopefully with the promotion from Amazon starting within the next couple days we'll start to get more info but it is getting confusing as we're getting so many different things now from sources that were mostly right about season 1.

So the latest is that "Rings of Power Updates" Twitter/X account got word from their source again that Calam is only playing the Annatar version of Sauron and that he is not Celeborn. They're also saying too that Celeborn never was cast for season 2 but likely will show up in a later season. Then the chemistry test between Morfydd and Calam was only so it matches the chemistry between Galadriel and Charlie's Halbrand/Sauron since it's still Haladriel.

Fellowship of Fans and the other accounts haven't posted anything about this yet to refute it. FOF was the one that said he's Celeborn only, while the other accounts said that he'll be both Celeborn and Sauron pretending to be Celeborn so he can get back into Eregion.

I know a lot of fans are going to be upset if these happen. Personally I'm starting to think maybe it is true that Calam is only Annatar and likely won't be on the show past s2 as every source has said Charlie takes back over the role for the rest of the show. I can see them doing Sauron pretending to be Celeborn too but that could also be a made up "leak" to anger the so called "fans" who hate the show anyway and give a bad rap to us Haladriel shippers. This is the only spoiler I've seen so far where it's so widely different between the fan accounts, as everything else so far matches for most of them.

So again while one of these are likely true we can't really know until we start getting trailers and official spoilers from the cast/crew and the US media. Thankfully that is starting over the next couple days so we'll get a much clearer picture of what's coming but fans need to prepare so they aren't as let down if what they want to happen doesn't.

[pigeonwhumps]

🩹 for Kai :)

(Kai faints at the sight of his own blood. Vic's a nurse at HAL.)

"Kai! Move!" yells Lian.

Kai looks around, too slow to avoid the piercing, punching pain to his abdomen. The blade shoots out and across the room, no longer blade-shaped, but it's too late. Even from here he can see that it's covered in his blood.

_

Someone has him in their arms. They're nice and comfy, but he tries to push himself upright. His side might hurt like a bitch but he can still walk.

"No, Kai. You've been stabbed. Stop trying to walk."

That's Lian. Why shouldn't he be walking? His wound isn't that bad. Is it?

He looks down. Oh. That's a lot of blood.

_

"Aaand you're awake again. No, look straight ahead, keep your eyes on the exit, watch Santhiya on the wall, come on. No, don't look down, don't–"

_

There's someone really close to him this time. They have lots of fluffy hair. And what's he doing lying down in some sort of basket?

"Good, you're awake. I need you to stay awake, stay with me. Aside from the medical risk, you're hard to carry if your weight distribution keeps changing so much. Close your eyes until we get to the ambulance."

Kai really doesn't want to do that. He squints at the person's hands. Why are they so red?

Oh. Right. He's bleeding. It's his blood.

_

He can't see anything. He tries to weakly paw at his face, but he can't move his hand very well and it's gently set back down. Someone's holding his other one. Sirens wail.

"Sorry, Kai. Emergency measure. We need you awake. Morfydd's got your hand, and we'll talk you through the journey. We're in the ambulance now, you can probably hear the sirens, nearly back at HQ. I've managed to patch you up a little internally but I don't have the remaining energy to do much more."

Kai swallows, trying to rid himself of the swell of panic. It's okay, it's okay, it's okay, he's in safe hands.

But what if he's not? What if it's a lie? Voices can be faked.

"We're coming into the ambulance park at HQ," says a quieter, higher voice from right beside him. "You're being wheeled out of the ambulance, and it's going to be bumpy, because of the ground, and disconcerting when we run. Try not to panic."

He does try. He tries very, very hard but he can't stop it.

He hears doors swing open.

"You're in medbay. We're going straight through to a theatre, and I'll stay with you. Heading in there now."

Kai flinches as something touches him, and gloved hands, and an unknown voice says, "I'm prepping the patient for surgery. Everything else ready to go."

It feels like a line's in. He doesn't like it. But before he knows it someone's asking him to count down from ten and he, terrified, obeys.

"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five–"

_

"Oh, hey. You back with us properly?"

Kai can see again, and he nods at the sight of Vic above him. He feels shaky and wobbly, like he wouldn't be able to move.

"What did you do?"

"Cleaned you up, fixed a bit of the internal wounds that Aaron didn't manage to do, blood transfusion, stitched you up. You weren't quite as bad as we worried but you did lose a lot of blood."

"I have some left, right?"

"Course you do," she smiles. "But right now, you gotta rest. Morfydd's impatient to tell you what you said when you were still under the influence of anaesthesia."

Kai blushes. He feels vulnerable, and he's useless (what's the point of a hero who can't look at their own blood?), and now this.

"I'm okay now, I can recover at home and be useful." He tries to stand.

There's a ripping sound.

Vic makes an exasperated noise. "They only just put those in! Lie back down, Kai."

Kai glances down at the most painful part of his body.

Oh.

That's red.

_

Nobody's here now. He's alone. No-one to stop him.

Why are they trying to stop him anyway? He's useless as a hero if he's stuck in the medbay.

_

"You back?" Aaron arches an eyebrow, and Kai nods. "Stop trying to stand. You've torn your stitches again. I swear to god, Kai..."

Phoenix slams through the doors to the treatment room, panting.

"Hi. Phoenix Costello, um, medical advocate. Whatever you do, don't, um, let Kai see his own blood."

Blood? What blood? Kai looks down at himself.

Oh.

That blood.

_

"You're an idiot, Kai," murmurs Phoenix. Kai turns to look at him.

Unfortunately, he happens to be on the same side as the nurse stitching him up. And there's still beads of blood around the newly-stitched wound.

_

"It wasn't even my fault that time."

"No, I know," murmurs Shawn, drawing blood into a little vial as Kai looks away. "There. Done."

Kai turns around to look at him, forgetting his blood samples are in a trolley near the bed, in his line of sight.

_

"So," declares Aaron, "You have an infection."

"I do?"

"Yes. Probably the dirt and grime of that warehouse. So I want to keep you in for longer, to monitor you."

"Oh. How long?"

"A few weeks? Depends how long it takes to heal, to be perfectly honest. Will you stay?"

Kai swallows. He doesn't want to, and honestly, he probably won't.

"I guess. Can I get out of bed now, though?"

"Yep. But since you keep tearing your stitches and fainting, I want someone to accompany you whenever you do, just in case something happens. You can still have your privacy in the bathroom, but you'll have to agree on a time to check in so we can be sure you're okay. I'm sorry."

"'s okay. Can I have Phoenix?" They're the best person for the job, he thinks, being a medical advocate already, and one of his best friends.

Aaron smiles. "Of course. I'm sure they'll be happy to help."

"Thank you."

"Not a problem. Now, your wound's swelled, and there's blood coming from around the stitches. I need to change the bandage, so look away."

Kai nods and does so. But he can't help glancing at it, it's like he's drawn to it and there's nothing he can do to stop it.

_

After that incident, the next couple of weeks pass relatively smoothly. Sure there was a problem or two with the blood test trolley before they learned to cover it up, but everyone visits, and Phoenix is good about not making him feel too bad about having to be accompanied everywhere. He still doesn't like it but it's not as bad as it could be.

Then, one day when he's flicking through some papers in bed, bored out of his mind, he catches his finger on one. It's only a papercut, but there's blood there and somehow it's enough.

_

"Hey. How are you feeling?"

Kai growls in frustration. "It was a papercut. I'm fine."

"I meant after the faint," says Aaron patiently.

"Fine." There's a pause, and then he continues, voice clipped and angry, "I haven't fainted from a wound so small in years. What is wrong with me? Why the hell did I even sign up if I can't even handle the sight of my own blood? I'm completely useless. I'm such a coward."

"You're not," says Phoenix quietly, curled up in a chair, "Don't talk about yourself like that. You've saved me plenty of times. And others. Stop being so hard on yourself."

"They're right. I think the reason you fainted from a papercut was because you're already a turmoil of emotions, and–"

"So I am a coward."

"No. Absolutely not. You think there aren't other heroes in this organisation that need accommodations to work? Even Morfydd has a wheelchair, and sometimes they guess wrong about needing it and we have to go and pick them up. You know that. You wouldn't call them useless. You wouldn't call any of the other heroes who need help useless. Remember the times we've had to pick Phoenix up from a mission because their PTSD was triggered and just couldn't get themself out? Stop insulting yourself. Not to mention the implications of that statement."

And Kai feels incredibly guilty then. "Phoenix, I would never..."

"I know."

"Aaron, can I– can I go home? Please?"

"Your infection's still raging, it would be against medical advice."

"Please? I promise I'll try and look after myself. It's just, you're all trying your best and I like you but I can't stand being in here any longer. I feel so useless and vulnerable and maybe my flat won't help but it might. At least I have my own bed and more of my own things and I can help with research."

"You're supposed to be resting. But, as long as you let me come over to check on me regularly, yes, I will discharge you. Against medical advice."

"I'll make sure he rests."

Kai nods. He picks up his patchwork (very patchwork, there's patches on top of the patchwork) Elmer and holds it close, avoiding both of their eyes. He hates being so vulnerable in front of them but at least he's going home now.

[mrspettyferr]

Halbrand thoughts

Now that I've been processing, I just have to say this. Spoilers for the finale of The Rings of Power below.

I'm honestly not thrilled by Halbrand being Sauron mostly because I really liked Halbrand as he was. I liked his set up: this man troubled by his past and doing everything he can to run from it, only to be pulled back in and finally accept it. To go from a "nobody" stranded at sea to fighting alongside Galadriel.

It was a satisfying journey to watch, and one I wanted to continue. I wanted to know what was next for Halbrand. Maybe he would have gone on to become the Witch King. Maybe the King of the Dead. Maybe just a man who impacted Galadriel greatly.

Who knows--but there's a lot of potential there where we could continue Halbrand's journey. (And, let's be honest, could continue with Morfydd and Charlie's amazing chemistry. They were arguably the leads of the show and their journey together was a highlight for me.)

Now with Sauron, unfortunately we know there's only one direction things will go. And I have no idea if moving forward, they'll play Sauron as though Halbrand's personality was Sauron, or if they'll change him so much he feels like a completely new character.

Regardless, we do lose Halbrand's potential, and that chemistry between Halbrand and Galadriel. That's what I hate most.

(For the record, I acknowledge the potential enemies to lovers we have here lol. And I will eat it up, even knowing how it ends. I just would have preferred Halbrand to be Halbrand.)

[demonscantgothere]

In your humble opinion:

Do you think some of the press tour for ROP was (unintentionally or no?) ship-baiting?

I have noticed that when Vickers is alone his answers are vague but more detailed when with Clark???

That being asked… I LOVE your writing! Thank you so so much for being immensely engaging with-in the fandom.  ( Your make it a safe place !)

Let's ask the person who sent my last two anons in. I think they got a pretty good idea how to answer this. LAST ANON, COME FORTH AND ANSWER THIS. SHOW YOURSELF. SHOW YOURSELF.

So, he goes back and forth a lot, even within his solo interviews, and I'll call him out on it. In interview published on Oct. 14th (x), Charlie says this:

Charlie: That’s something I thought about a lot, but I don’t think so. W.H. Auden wrote an essay on Tolkien, and he said something along the lines of, “Evil loves only itself.” [“Evil, defiantly chosen, can no longer imagine anything but itself.”] So I think in his pitch to Galadriel, it cannot mean that he loves her or that there’s any kind of romantic relationship. There should be no ambiguity around the fact that Sauron is evil — he’s terrible, and he’s using Galadriel to enhance his power. Throughout the season, she shows him a different way of ruling and maybe illuminates some things for him. So in making that pitch, I think he’s saying, “Join me and we can rule, and I can coordinate everything and rehabilitate Middle-earth.” But having said that, I also think he would have gotten there anyway without her. He would have descended back into evil. It was inevitable. Haladriel shippers will despair. Charlie: [Laughs.] Shipping, by the way, is actually a word that Morfydd taught me! Hopefully people will see that any kind of romantic feeling, which couldn’t exist, vanishes into thin air.

Then, five days later, in an interview published on Oct. 19th (x), he says this:

There are a lot of viewers who wanted Galadriel to accept Sauron’s offer, despite what he did in the past and what they know he’ll do in the future. Has that reaction surprised you, considering who you’re playing? Vickers: I have been surprised by that. A few people have said that to me. But I think it’s great. Whatever our intentions were as performers, in creating this relationship, we don’t have ownership of how people interpret it. So it’s awesome for people to interpret it as a romantic thing, or however it might be interpreted. It was slightly surprising to me, as it seems to go against what my thoughts were when we were doing it, but I think it’s cool. I think it’s really cool.

Okay, Charlie, make up your mind. It's one or the other. You either think (a) we need to let this go because it couldn't exist and it needs to vanish into thin air, or (b) you think our interpretation is awesome, and you also think it's great and really cool.

SO, PICK ONE, CHARLIE. PICK ONE.

With that out of the way! Awww, I'm just having fun! Thank you so much for the lovely feedback on my writing! I appreciate that! Y'all send me so many asks, I don't know what to do with half of them sometimes, but I love talking to all of you!

I'm glad I can help make it a safe space! I think it's a beautiful thing when fandoms bond together and interact, especially those within a fandom ship. We should all be friends, damn it! Those are my humble opinions.