**Spoiler warning for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power episode 8**
Well, it was quite the finale for Galadriel in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
The warrior discovered that her new close companion Halbrand (Charlie Vickers) had actually been her unseen nemesis Sauron the whole time.
The Rings of Power season 1 ending also saw the creation of the Three Rings of Power, which fans of The Lord of the Rings will be aware includes a ring (Nenya) that Galadriel herself will go on to wear.
Speaking to RadioTimes.com about the epic finale, actress Morfydd Clark discussed the events of the episode and what could come next for her elven warrior.
Yet, firstly, at what stage did Clark discover that Galadriel was being deceived all along by Sauron in the form of Halbrand?
“We’d already filmed the first few episodes by the time I found out,” revealed Clark. “I did have my suspicions. And so yeah, by the time we filmed episode eight I was prepared for it.”
However, the actress revealed that not all of the cast were so aware of Halbrand’s journey but clues did exist on-screen.
“So we kind of did have a little secret,” commented the Saint Maud star, “but then I think everyone started to kind of guess and, yeah, it was just really fun. And now watching it back again, I’m like ‘I didn’t notice that.’ There are lots of little easter eggs that I hadn’t realised when we were filming, like, for example, that he’s never asleep. ‘Evil does not sleep, it waits.’”
Of course, Galadriel had grown incredibly close to Halbrand over the course of the first season, so where does that leave her now and how does the deception change her relationship with both Sauron and revenge?
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Clark explained: “I think that she could be so deceived is quite horrendous and shows one of her limits, which I think kind of like over the 1000s of years that they’re alive, unfortunately, the Elves learn their limits through quite catastrophic instances and this is one of hers.
“And also, she’s just going to have to carry a lot of guilt and I’m really interested in, kind of, exploring that because there’s something kind of always guilt-free about vengeance, I think, if someone’s so wrapped up in that, so it’s just going to be a really different plane.
“I also feel so bad for her because she let him in. Actually, one of the moments that I liked filming was her seeing that he hadn’t died [in the seventh episode] and just feeling grateful that he hadn’t died. And now that obviously is going to be tipped on its head.”
In their confrontation in the finale, Sauron offers Galadriel the chance to rule Middle-Earth at his side as his queen. The speech clearly recalls the one made by Galadriel when she briefly contemplates taking the One Ring from Frodo Baggins in the Third Age as shown in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
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Recalling that classic episode with Galadriel, Clark noted: “She’s tempted enough to know that she can’t go to Valinor until she’s passed the test of rejecting the Ring, which she does thousands of years later. So she is made aware of a part of herself that is capable of terrible things.”
Clark adds of Galadriel in the series: “She’s going to become more powerful by having a ring, so she’s going to be more aware of the damage she could do when she’s powerful and more powerful. So I’m really looking forward to kind of exploring that. But yeah, I think it’s a completely life-altering, self-image-altering, moment for her.”
When discussing what else comes next for her character in the second season, Clark has her own desires for her character – to see Galadriel interact more with other elves.
“I’m hoping to be spending time with elves. Just because I think that she was quite like an elf alone in this season and spent a lot of time with humans and even when she was with the Elves, she was, kind of, feeling at odds with them.
“But I would love to explore how weird the Elves are in that, like, for example, there’s like one story of these two elves, they just meet in the woods and fall in love and then just stare at each other for like, 50 years before they move. Like, could you? I’d like to explore the kind of cat-like, animal-like aspect of what part of them that is an elf and not human by being with other elves.”
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Of course, the prospect of Galadriel being reunited with her long-lost husband Celeborn has also been teased in the seventh episode and Clark already has her own visions of their relationship.
The Eternal Beauty star teased: “I see Celeborn and Galadriel as being, like, running around trees and riding their horses together and, kind of, that when she’s with him, she really soaks up all the things of being alive.”
In the works of Tolkien covering later events in the Second Age and the Third Age, Galadriel is also depicted as a mother and later as a grandmother.
“I would definitely be interested to explore what is elf motherhood and fatherhood and childhood,” commented Clark, “that’s something I’d be open to exploring.”
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In the legendarium of Tolkien, Galadriel becomes the mother-in-law of her friend Elrond (Robert Aramayo), who recalls their first meeting in the finale of The Rings of Power.
However, Galadriel has made discoveries regarding Sauron that she has not shared with Elrond ahead of the creation of the Rings of Power.
Teasing their evolving relationship in the second season, Clark noted: “Now we’re going into Season 2 with her having betrayed him. Well, not lied, but omitted the truth…lied by omission in quite a big, big way to get these rings made. And so that will also be an interesting thing for their relationship because he will view her as really having done something wrong.”
Read more on The Rings of Power:
- Rings of Power release schedule: When are Lord of the Rings episodes out?
- How to watch The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies in order
- Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power review – Dazzling prequel doesn’t let Tolkien fans down
- Meet the cast of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 1 is on Amazon Prime Video– you can sign up now for a free 30-day Prime Video trial.
If you’re looking for something else to watch in the meantime, check out our TV Guide or visit our dedicated Fantasy hub.
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