If there’s one thing I’m going to talk about, it’s that scene at the end of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 1 where Halbrand (Charlie Vickers) reveals his true identity as Sauron to Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) and asks her to join him. Some might know I am a diehard Reylo shipper — that’s Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) for those not in the know — so yes, there is a pattern in the kinds of character dynamics that capture my attention. Sauron’s offer in Rings of Power, much like Kylo’s in The Last Jedi (I’m done, I swear) is swiftly rebuffed, and the season ends shortly after. So where does this leave the Dark Lord?
In an interview with Collider’s Carly Lane, Vickers explained the sort of impact Galadriel has on Sauron throughout the season, also weighing in on whether that delightful romantic tension was intentional:
“It can’t be underestimated the impact that she has on him. He’s drawn to her in the same way that someone who has been through a lot is drawn to someone who’s been through something similar.
I would always think of them as having this cosmic connection
, in that their connection by some people, and on the surface, could have been interpreted as romantic because of the way it came off. That wasn’t something we were intentionally doing, but through their shared history, through different ways, they were able to connect more so than they would have connected with other people. It meant that it obviously culminated in this proposal, for want of a better word — not a proposal of marriage, although kind of.”
As for where Galadriel’s rejection leaves Sauron by the end of the season? In short, it’s not good, but it also proves to be a driving force for the character. As Vickers said:
“His getting rejected definitely leaves him with this sour taste in his mouth, and he goes away thinking, “I can make this right.” Whatever that means to him. That’s one of his throughlines in terms of his motivation or goals for this second season is how much he’s driven and how much this relationship gives him a sense of purpose.”
Galadriel Is Left Reeling By the Sauron Reveal in ‘Rings of Power’
While the proposal, however poorly it went, gives Sauron a renewed sense of purpose, the events of the Season 1 finale have quite a different effect on Galadriel headed into Season 2. As Clark told Lane in her own interview, the events of the first season leave her character “deeply changed”:
“Obviously, what happened to Galadriel at the end of Season 1 was so massive that she is deeply changed, and so she is starting Season 2 in a very different headspace. She’s been made aware, first of all, that she has the capacity to be very bad and dark, but also that she’s very vulnerable because she got taken advantage of. She is trying to get a concept of who she actually is because we always think she is a myth and a legend, and she’s not behaved accordingly. Her sense of self is pretty shattered.
Then, unfortunately, the biggest, baddest evil has risen so she doesn’t have much time to process that.
Before, she was running away from any connection, and now she’s reaching out for understanding and hope.”
While they might be in different places now, we all saw that Season 2 trailer. So don’t worry my fellow Haladriels, hope springs eternal.
The first three episodes of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power are streaming on Prime Video now. Stay tuned to Collider for more on Season 2.
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