What could have saved Galadriel's grace

*Warning for major spoilers!

Streaming this year has graced us not just with one, but two prequels, adaptations of major fantasy literary works. Both House of The Dragon and the Rings of Power have been seeking neck and neck the audience's attention. But which one is better? And why?

It seems that the audiences have already decided and most critics align with them. House of The Dragon surpasses Rings of Power in popularity and positive ratings.

In my eyes, the reason is simple, and it all centers around Galadriel's portrayal in the Rings of Power, which lacks complexity and nuance. In contrast, House of The Dragon thrives in the complexity of its characters, their different wants and needs, and the conflict that arises because of them.

There is nothing wrong with changing some of Tolkien's conceptions around the building of Galadriel's character, and nothing wrong in portraying her as a warrior, despite the complaints of some hardcore fans that Galadriel was a Queen-Witch. It is most welcome to see Galadriel fight, because we do want a great and powerful main character (and because Tolkien himself had written her as a capable warrior.) So, facts are not the problem.

The problem is that Galadriel's character falls flat. Some people attribute it to a lack of a better performance by the actress, Morfydd Clark, but the truth is problems with characters usually lie in the script. The actress is not given much to work with, aside from showing anger and stubbornness. Even the leader of the Orcs himself is given more empathy than Galadriel.

As a main character, whose desire drives the narrative, Galadriel's want is to find and destroy Sauron. Her want comes from the need to avenge her brother's death. Nothing wrong with that, either. So far, so good. What's wrong with Galadriel's character is this: she has no inner conflict, no need that blocks her desire, almost no dilemmas, and no doubt. Therefore, she has no depth.

The writers of the Rings of Power have committed an unbelievable faux pas, a rookie mistake for a screenwriter. In Screenwriting craft 101 a writer learns to always center their attention around building a well-rounded, believable character that also has flaws. Which are Galadriel's flaws in the series except her stubborn insistence to her cause, which is entirely forgivable and justified, given that her enemy is Sauron?

The only other flaw we can see is her blindness towards Halbrand and his true nature. I don't know why writers thought it would be a good idea to drive their main heroine into complete ignorance as to the true nature of Sauron. They probably thought it would make for a great plot point to reveal later that Halbrand was Sauron himself. But this plot point fails completely to deliver and is not believable. (To their credit, there is some foreshadowing.) However, the writers build Galadriel as powerful only to make her appear like a fool later. Surely, they should have taken here a few notes from Tolkien's portrayal of her, as a wise woman who could see into the hearts of beings.

Here are a few more suggestions about Galadriel's character that could have turned the series around and would have made for a more complex character and a better narrative:

a. Galadriel should have a need that blocks her desire from happening. Here, again, the writers could have taken a few suggestions from Tolkien's playbook. Galadriel, according to Tolkien, did not stay in Middle Earth just to find and destroy Sauron, but she stayed out of her desire to establish her own rule into Middle Earth. Tolkien doesn't fear to give her the flaw of ambition. If she is torn between her desire to protect her own kingdom and her desire to hunt Sauron, if she has the dilemma to stay behind, establish her own rule and defend her own land rather than venture out of it and kill, then surely, that makes for a more fascinating narrative. Inner conflict here could have played a major role in the complexity of the character.

b. Galadriel's relationships to other characters should have been more complicated. There isn't much conflict apart from the main one between Galadriel and Gil-Galand, with regards to the hunt of Sauron and the argument whether he has disappeared and died or not, which again repeats itself with Queen Regent of Númenor. What if the conflict was entirely different? What if Celebrimor, Gil-Galand and the others were blind to Sauron's insidious workings regarding the creation of the rings, but Galadriel was not? What if she suspected that Halbrand was Sauron, but no one believed her? That would also make things more interesting and complicated between these characters.

c. A powerful dilemma. In the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Galadriel was offered the One Ring and did not take it. An amazing dilemma, a very powerful choice between seizing absolute power and the desire to do good for the sake of everyone. In the Rings of Power series, the only hard choice Galadriel has to make is at the beginning when she stays behind to seek Sauron instead of travelling to Valinor and attain immortality. While this choice is noble, it comes too early in the series during the first episode and therefore doesn't hold much weight. If a similar powerful dilemma was given to her much later in the plot, in the climax, and was properly set up and dramatized, then again the narrative would have been more effective.

d. Search for the right allies. Galdriel's struggle to find allies in the land of Númenor, also falls a bit flat. Why bother only with humans and human armies, in a land that's rife with magical beings? After all, it's Sauron she has to deal with, and he is supposed to have magical powers and abilities as equal as the elfs did, so she should have allies that were powerful as well. It is far more entertaining to see Elrond trying to gain the cooperation of the dwarves, than it is to watch Galadriel trying to convince the Númenorians. If Galadriel strived to find allies among other supernatural beings, the narrative would also be much more fascinating.

e. Kindness-Graciousness-Empathy. One of the most satisfying parts of The Rings of Power is the endearing relationship between Istar and Elanor of the harfoots, that gives us insight into the future of the trilogy, as to why a powerful wizard like Gandalf appreciated so much the company of small beings like the hobbits. Where is the endearing side of Galadriel? Nowhere to be found. Galadriel's kindness should be somewhere in the narrative. It is one of her main characteristics in The Lord of the Rings, and a side of her character that the writers in The Rings of Power have forgotten. There should be at least some opportunity where Galadriel could show that side of hers, so that we could see another dimension in her character that makes her likeable. Treating friends with kindness, even if we disagree with them, is what comes to mind first. For example, her relationship with Elrond could have been put to the test, and given more complexity. What if Elrond made a mistake that Galadriel would forgive? Elrond's attraction to her is evident in the series, and it is a pity the writers don't take advantage of it in order to show that even if Galadriel does not feel the same as he does, she could treat Elrond's advances in a graceful manner.

There is a point where Galadriel and Halbrand sit side by side after the battle, both of them feeling so close to each other, in an inexplicable way. They fought together, and they feel something connects them - something that they cannot fully grasp. It's a moment of clarity for the audience. The entire worth of the series depends on this perfect moment of bewilderment. It is the only time we are allowed a little glimpse into the subtext. What is good, and what is bad? Is Galadriel really good, and Halbrand really evil? Galadriel does not know Halbrand will become the Dark Lord. Neither does he. The rings are not made yet. Maybe these two characters are like yin and yang. It's the fact that they are together that makes this whole world exist and work. It is a wonderful moment. But it can easily pass unnoticed.

There lies the only explanation we can think of, regarding Galadriel's character development in this series. She is one thing before the creation of the rings of the Elves, and another after owning one of them. If not for this subtle moment of realization for the characters, the entire series would lack substance. The only way we can accept Galadriel as the single-minded avenger she appears to be during this series, is that this personal experience with Halbrand and the making of the rings will change her: they will give her the wisdom she is supposed to gain. Is that what the writers want to achieve? I do hope so. If it is, then Galadriel's character arc could be proven good enough to be the spine of the Rings of Power in the future.

So, these were my own two cents about The Rings of Power. While it was really nice to return to Middle Earth, the stunning visuals and the entertainment factor is there, however the taste we are left with is quite disappointing. In their effort to create a strong leading female character, the writers forgot that this character should not be one-dimensional. What do you think?