The creators of The Rings of Power have advertised the show from the start as a prequel to the story of Middle-earth, set before Sauron forged his ring. The lack of full rights to J.R.R. Tolkien's prose limited the showrunners in many ways, but it also provided an opportunity for entirely new stories in a world created nearly a century ago. Unfortunately, they not only chose to use beloved characters from the books but also decided to "enhance" them for the sake of the show. The result? A kissing scene in the penultimate episode sparked outrage - even from the actors themselves.
"The Rings of Power" Has Mother-in-law Kissing Son-in-law
This was one of the things Amazon Prime Video asked to keep secret until the official premiere of the series. And for good reason - the scene where Galadriel kisses Elrond in the penultimate episode of the show did not go down well with fans. What’s worse, it turns out that the actors themselves, somewhat familiar with Tolkien’s works, expressed concern about how it would be received.
I was against it, to be honest
- said Robert Aramayo, who plays Elrond in the series.
But I think in this world, such a gesture is perceived differently. In our world, when you see people kissing, you immediately make certain assumptions about what’s going on. But in the world of elves, I think it works differently. Morfydd [Clark, who plays Galadriel] and I talked a lot about it
- Aramayo explained in an interview with Nerdlist.
In a conversation with GamesRadar+, he expanded on his thoughts, adding that for Elrond, the kiss was more of a tactical move:
The scene was meant to be surprising—in such circumstances, in the tent. I think it’s part of Elrond’s clever strategy. But of course, I understand that considering the future that lies ahead for him and Galadriel... I get the controversy we’re causing
- he admitted.
Morfydd Clark herself also tried to explain, but her attempt wasn’t particularly convincing:
"Elrond turns out to be much bolder than Galadriel expected. She was shocked!" Clark said during an online Prime Video event following the episode's release.
Unfortunately, the creators' seemingly innocent intentions—if they were indeed such—didn't resonate well with the audience. What’s worse, the kiss, which was supposed to be non-romantic, came across as highly romantic, judging by Galadriel’s surprised expression. Could this mean a total shift from Tolkien’s narrative, where Elrond and Galadriel are portrayed as son-in-law and mother-in-law? At the time portrayed in the Amazon adaptation, Galadriel was not only happily married to Celeborn, who is absent from the series, but she was also the mother of Celebrían, who marries Elrond. If that marriage doesn’t happen, then Arwen, the future love of Aragorn, whom the series creators frequently reference by showcasing the lineage of Elendil with familiar shots from Peter Jackson’s adaptations, will never be born.
Tolkien Is Rolling in His Grave
- "What a mindlessly written scene. It goes against everything Tolkien wrote. These two characters were always just very close friends, never romantic!"
- "Celeborn right now: Am I just a joke to you?"
- "What the...?"
- wrote dozens of fans on Reddit and other social media platforms.
Regardless of what Tolkien fans think about Amazon's series, the creators remain steadfast in their plans to produce at least five seasons of The Rings of Power. Work on the third season is expected to begin soon. Executive producer Charlotte Brandstrom has hinted at this, though somewhat cryptically. In an interview with RadioTimes.com, she said, "I can’t say anything yet about the third season, but I think we’ll have good news to share soon." If this isn’t confirmation that The Rings of Power will continue, the only other piece of news that could make the most die-hard fans happy would be the announcement of the series' cancellation.
