After the smashing success of my Devil’s Minion-specific review for The Vampire Lestat, I became inspired to take this (I feel galaxy-brained) ship-review concept on the road. And our next stop is Middle-earth. If you read my more formal review of The Rings of Power season three, then you know I greatly enjoyed the season. But now it’s time to focus on what the people really want to know. And so I present my “The Rings of Power Season 3 Review: This Time It’s All about Saurondriel (The Artist Also Known as Haladriel).” And so, my preciouses, sit by me, and I’ll offer you the spoiler-free Saurondriel whispers season three murmured in my ear.
A Caveat: I wrote this review before I ever spoke with the creators and cast of The Rings of Power Season 3. I don’t claim to reveal objective canon intent here, only my takeaways about Sauron and Galadriel from episodes 1-7 after watching them. And is that not what a review is?
I must admit, when I asked the showrunners if The Rings of Power season three would have a love triangle between Galadriel, Celeborn, and Sauron, I was surprised that the answer was a resounding yes. And, although pleased, I thought to myself, well, they’re probably only half-serious. But let me be the first to admit I was wrong. Whether it was the creators’ intent or not, the results told me they were not only serious… They were serious serious in the best way.
I’m sure that all Saurondriel fans have seen and seen again that incredible clip from the trailer where indeed it is Sauron’s hand that caresses Galadriel’s cheek (long live Handgate) and turns her around so that we can see the pair of them lying in bed together—with Sauron looking extra sleek, might I add. And I feel like that’s a really fair preview of how the season looks when it comes to Saurondriel.
On Galadriel’s end of things, the way for Sauron into her mind might be shut. But the door has been shut with parts of Sauron definitely still inside. It is guilt, it is trauma, but mixed into all of that there is absolutely some irresistible pull that cannot be denied. Although, outwardly, Galadriel claims that she hasn’t seen or thought of Sauron in the last five years beyond as the enemy, the lady, as they say, doth protest too much. And however much she doesn’t want to admit it to herself, Galadriel is overtly haunted by the ghost of Sauron in The Rings of Power season three. (And the hauntings just happen to happen in bed most of the time. ::shrug emoji::)
This facet sits in juxtaposition with the theme of Galadriel’s loneliness this season. And while, in many ways, this idea serves to bring Celeborn into the narrative, it also reminds us that Galadriel HAS been lonely without Celeborn… BUT we also know she stopped feeling so when Halbrand came around. The muddle of these emotions gives definite points to Haladriel/Saurondriel.
And even in the Sauron sense, this season makes clear that it was Galadriel’s hunt for Sauron that filled the ache of loss and grief she felt after losing the ones she loved. We already knew this, but The Rings of Power season three underscores the notion, all while presenting the idea that the desperation Galadriel felt to find Sauron is an inversion of the love she felt for Celeborn. The line between love and hate is thin, and so is the one between desperation and longing.
I also noted down that, more than once, the choices Galadriel makes do come with the consequence of putting her into Sauron’s path in a way that feels to me suspiciously purposeful.
Sauron, meanwhile… Oh, Sauron. He’s definitely thinking of her. He and, I do quote, told the orcs that Galadriel is “beautiful.” And his importance to Galadriel is something he refuses to let anyone diminish and will, in fact, fight to make clear. It seems that two rejections plus a dive off a mountain weren’t received by Sauron as anything but opening volleys. Of course, Sauron wishes to have dominion over all of Middle-earth. But in season three of The Rings of Power, we can have no doubt that there’s a specific line item on Sauron’s to-do list for Galadriel.
And this, my Saurondriel preciouses, I cannot believe the trailer spoiled, but when Sauron tells Celeborn, “She’ll come to you, but she’ll come FOR me,” I gasped. Whether or not this line was meant to come with sexual implications, I just can’t imagine not one single living, breathing person on set didn’t say… “Uhm, I just want to be sure now, is that really what you mean and want to say?” And let me tell you, rewatching this scene only makes you giggle more. It has NOT gotten old. It’s even better in situ. Oh yes, he did.
Celedrial may not be a favorite name amongst the Saurondriel set and vice versa, but I urge everyone to embrace all the tangled relationships this season presents us with. Ultimately, the presence of a more conventional love interest for Galadriel in Celeborn really shines a light on just how much Sauron also occupies a similar narrative space. Now that Galadriel’s husband is back in the picture, Sauron’s framing is unmistakably that of an ex that you know is bad for you, but maybe you just can’t quit.
Ultimately, I am a multishipper by trade, so at the end of the day, I’m here for all the legs of this love triangle. (And Adariel. That’s not relevant; I just wanted to shout out to it. We do actually get crumbs, but I digress.) But if one messy relationship is a good time, two is a blast, and three is a party. And the series is really here to support Saurondriel, Celedriel, and DarkSilver (yes, AND DarkSilver!!!), in ways that surprised and delighted me, and I hope surprise and delight you.
Like I said in my The Vampire Lestat: Devil’s Minion review, some of the moments this season felt like they came right out of a fanfic. And to me that’s the highest praise I can offer a series, because it means that there was a focus on deep, meaningful, and complicated character relationships, and the series never felt like it had to hold itself back just because, but instead was brave enough to go to some places.
Saurondriel compatriots, I felt served by what was forged in the fires of The Rings of Power season three, and I hope you do too.
If you’d like to learn more about this Middle-earth adventure, you can pick up The Fall of Númenor: And Other Tales from the Second Age of Middle-earth and read more about Tolkien’s vision of the time when the show takes place.
The Rings of Power season three will release on November 11.
The post THE RINGS OF POWER Season 3 Review: Saurondriel Edition appeared first on Nerdist.
This articles is written by : Fady Askharoun Samy Askharoun
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