Morfydd Clark on Galadriel and Halbrand’s relationship in The Rings of Power
By Daniel Roman
The latest episode of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power featured an explosive battle that will change the face of the Southlands. It also featured a few big turns for some of our main characters. One of the largest was the development between the elven warrior Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) and the Southlands’ human king-in-waiting Halbrand (Charlie Vickers).
Galadriel and Halbrand have been paired up for most of the show’s first season, and for much of that time they have been reluctant allies at best. They first met at sea during the show’s second episode, when they were castaways clinging to flotsam after a monster attack. A trip to Númenor deepened their relationship, and then in Episode 6, it entered a new phase as they fought side by side against the forces of darkness.
Galadriel and Halbrand also pulled one another back when they were both tempted to kill the corrupted elf Adar. Their bond isn’t just about guarding each other’s backs, but also about reminding one another that they can be more than their darkness.
Morfydd Clark explores Halbrand and Galadriel’s relationship
In one of the better moments in “Udûn,” Galadriel and Halbrand confess that they felt something when fighting together. It’s not clear if this will manifest in a romance, but there’s a connection there.
“With Galadriel, the problem is she feels more than just vibes. She feels massive, monumental galaxy shifts whenever she feels anything,” Clark explained to TV Line. “Somehow, what she sees as a hopeless mortal that she found stranded at sea has forever changed her. It was really fun exploring how vulnerable this mythical being Galadriel could be. We spoke a lot about how we’d stage it, and both of us felt that looking at each other would even be just too intense. It’s, like, too much — whatever they’re feeling is too much.”
Halbrand wasn’t the only character Galadriel got some quality time with in The Rings of Power’s big battle episode. She also interrogated Adar, the corrupted elf played by Game of Thrones veteran Joseph Mawle. He saw a different, darker side of Galadriel.
“I think what is just awful to her about Adar is that she despises him and everything he stands for, and yet he seems to see her more clearly than anybody else,” Clark said. “That’s deeply uncomfortable for her.”
"She’s incredibly paranoid in a way, and rightfully so, because [Sauron is] all powerful, could be anywhere, could be anyone. Adar knows that, so he is playing with her because he can see her weaknesses."
Thankfully, Halbrand was there to pull her back from the brink when she had her sword up against Adar’s throat. But with Mount Doom erupting and the Southlands covered in ash, will the two even be together anymore? Or will they and their allies be scattered across the bleak landscape?
We’ll find out when The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power airs its next episode, “The Eye,” this Friday.
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