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beyonddarkness · 1 year

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Thoughts on Haladriel/Saurondriel

(I might be converted)

Okay, can I be COMPLETELY honest?

I always understood the shipping of Halbrand/Sauron and Galadriel, but for the sake of analyzing, I never let myself believe that there was any element of attraction from either side. Because they have a "cosmic connection," you know?

But something changed today (even though that "cosmic connection" is still very much a thing). I came to the conclusion that, while my pain for Galadriel has now increased manifold, I am so relieved from everything Morfydd said in her recent interview, particularly that the ambiguity behind their relationship was Charlie's idea (how dare he) because now I know that Charlie is Sauron, irl. Let me explain. (Prepare for a long read—bonus content at the end):

Charlie never told a lie in press.

"Were we in a relationship of seduction or power? It's up to the viewer to decide" (Morfydd).

What Morfydd said didn't give anything away. It truly leaves everything up to interpretation even more than before, and yet any way you slice it, everything makes sense. It fits with everything that everyone has said in press (the 'cosmic connection', 'it's not romantic', etc.).

Think of it this way:

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If everything was purely platonic, and Galadriel was not attracted to Halbrand in the least, then Sauron was tempting Galadriel with power. This makes sense, since we know that Galadriel left Valinor in large part because she desired to rule over a realm of her own. Power is very enticing to her.

That also means that Galadriel would never, ever, EVER think of anyone but Celeborn, which is nice. I mean, once Elves marry, that's it. No backsies. In this case, Sauron would be playing it safe, not fooling himself into thinking that Galadriel would fall for a MAN (of all things), after she has already been married.

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On the other hand, BOY is Sauron able to seduce.

Now, when we think of seduction, some of us automatically think:

But Galadriel most likely would not be enticed by an extremely forward approach. She would slap that guy so silly.

So here's why Sauron is terrifying: Halbrand is so nice.

His approach would be: Become friends first, to make it difficult to resist joining him in the end. He made himself attractive in a way that, if successful, would make her attached to him for much longer than if he was strictly flirtatious (a few thousand years should do it). He never said anything forward until their friendship developed to a certain point (1x06).

And as long as I've been denying that either side was attracted to the other, the one thing I have never been able to get out of my head is the fact that in episode 7, Galadriel called to Halbrand before anyone else. Later, she mentioned Celeborn to Theo (for the first time in presumably centuries, after she assumed Halbrand had died). Then, when she saw Halbrand again, she called him her friend, and he for some reason had to say:

"Nor will you."

Then he made that STUPID SMIRK, and poor Galadriel looked SO TORN. We just barely learned that her husband was in the picture, so he was fresh on her mind. And then we had this thrown on us, to indicate that something about this friendship was not right.

(Oh, the discomfort and second-hand embarrassment I felt for Halbrand, before I knew that he was Sauron.)

Since Galadriel hasn't seen her husband in centuries (even though she loves him a lot—I mean A LOT), she was very vulnerable to seduction, because... she was alone. Halbrand saved her life, rivaled her intelligence, didn't beg for her attention on account of her beauty, connected with her on a level that probably hasn't happened in a while, became her really good friend, made her feel free fighting at his side, etc. If that doesn't spark someone's interest, I don't know what does. (His looks are a major bonus.)

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Now, here is what's really unfortunate, and causes me pain beyond measure: Sauron wouldn't have fallen in love. But Galadriel would have, and he knew that.

No one (JD, Patrick, Charlie, and Morfydd) ever lied in any interview. Have you ever noticed that whenever they spoke of the lack of romance, they were always talking specifically about Sauron's perspective? :')

Here are some examples:

Charlie: "I mean, look. I don't see it as a... strictly—I don't know. I haven't run this past you guys [Patrick: 'Run it by!']—as a King and Queen thing. I love the reflection bit. But it's not like... I think ultimately, if she had said yes, he's very much the King, and she's like his sidekick, in terms of ruling." Patrick: "And it's not like a marriage—[Morfydd: 'How...]—proposal...—[...dare you.'] [...] Charlie: "You guys sent me something really early on. It's WH Auden, talking about good and evil in Tolkien, and the difference when it gets to evil. It's affection—I'm paraphrasing here—but affection goes out the window. And you see this relationship, and you see affection, but in the end, it's only for personal gain. [...] The whole season, you see them working together, and they have this sort of—we like to call it a 'cosmic connection'. Not romantic. [laughs] Although, I got in a lot of trouble for saying it wasn't romantic yesterday, because of the 'shipping'; the people shipping. [Interviewer: 'How dare you.'] [laughs] Yeah, exactly. And I think it's very clear on the raft that he's just using her for his own personal gain, rather than any sort of love and affection to her." (Empire Spoiler Special)

Charlie: "I think they have a 'cosmic connection', but I don't think it's necessarily, in his mind, a King and a Queen... like husband and wife kind of situation. I think it's more, 'I can use you to get what I want, and effect my designs faster.' Because ultimately, I think he would have ended up ruling by himself, whether she joined him or not. And when she says no on the raft, it angers him, but it's not the end of the world for him." (Deadline Inside the Ring)

So, if Sauron was trying to effectively seduce Galadriel into falling in love with him, it was always going to be one-sided. He would have never felt any real love towards her, but his goal would be to get Galadriel to feel something like that towards him. For personal gain.

And if Galadriel did feel something, how much more ashamed and violated would she feel in the end, knowing that he did it on purpose?

:'))))

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Here is the ultimate question:

Did Sauron tempt Galadriel with power, or seduction (or both)?

Here's the thing -> Charlie

Morfydd said in her interview that "Halbrand's hold on Galadriel was less connoted in the storylines," meaning it was more straight forward, and not much was implied. But she did not say which direction the scripts leaned, meaning Charlie said one of two things:

"Let's make it seem less romantic."

"Let's make it seem more romantic."

Either way, he's actually so mean, I can't put it into words.

Here's why both possibilities work perfectly: Every time Charlie or anyone else has talked about the lack of romance in interviews, they're always speaking from Sauron's perspective; Galadriel's feelings are wide open for interpretation. Whether Sauron tempted her with power or seduction, he never loved her. He knows how to seduce, and he does it well, but it doesn't mean he feels it. That's why I'm terrified of him, and I'm also afraid of Charlie.

Ever since that interview with Morfydd, I've realized that Charlie has a lot more to do with the character than he's letting on. He knows enough about Sauron to propose an idea that fits into the lore. The fact that the scripts were "less connoted," and he managed to convince everyone to make the relationship more ambiguous is just... GAH. How dare he!

Is it power or seduction?? Both work so well, it could very well be both at the same time! (Charlie and his ambiguities. *sigh*)

But again, it's a matter of what Sauron is tempting Galadriel with; not what he feels, himself.

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So, why am I relieved? Because Chapter 6. :)

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Bonus: Translation of the Haunting Music

It is time.

With all of this in mind, I would like to take a shot in the dark. Remember that ultra creepy/seductive part of the music in The Broken Line? A couple of months ago, I was driven crazy by the fact that right in the middle of a musical phrase, the vocals transitioned from Black Speech to Quenya, when Sauron's doing this:

I wanted to know the translation, so I used Paul Strack's lexicon. I managed to pick out most of the words in the music, but since I'm not fluent in Elvish grammar, I don't dare try to translate it. I will just give you the translation for each word, and let you decide what it means for yourself. It'll be fun. :)

Here's the music:

Here are the words (red is confirmed, purple is what I made out, and the [?] is the last word that I cannot figure out, for the life of me. So if someone could enlighten me, I would greatly appreciate it):

ash gul ishi ghash [ash] gul insangarë antani márië i cilmë [?]

Here are the translations:

Black Speech:

ash: "one" gul: "phantom" ishi: "in" ghash: "fire"

Quenya:

insangarë: "temptation" anta-: "to give, present; to add to" ni: "me, I" márië: "well, happily; goodness, good estate, being well, happiness" i: "the" cilmë: "choice, choosing"

In episode 6, Adar said in Quenya, "What I seek. Give it to me." His sentence ended with "antani". So... if "antani" comes after the subject of a sentence... "insangarë antani"? O_O

Someone please help Galadriel. I can hardly stand it. Where's Celeborn?

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haladriel · 1 year

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Do Sauron and Galadriel already have their own theme?

Alright my fellow Rings of Power soundtrack nerds, this one's for you. I noticed there's a beautiful, tragic motif that appears twice in the music behind two of Galadriel and Halbrand's major scenes, in suspiciously similar places in the narrative:

Firstly in the cells in Númenor, when Galadriel first encourages Halbrand to take up his crown, looking something like this in F minor*:

(soundtrack for Episode 3: Adar, Both Our Bloodlines, 00:36-00:52)

And secondly (you'll never guess where), during the log scene after the battle, developed further in Bb minor:

(soundtrack for Episode Six: Udûn, Transformed By Darkness, 05:34-06:09)

Knowing how fastidious Bear McCreary is with this score, which is filled to the brim with masterful uses of leitmotifs, and the immense care he took developing those melodies, I have a very strong (and hopeful) suspicion this is another. But what does this theme signify? Is it Galadriel and Halbrand/Sauron's present/future love theme? Does it refer to the tragedy of their partnership, in whatever form that partnership takes? Or is it Sauron's theme alone, colouring the tragedy of a fallen Maia trying desperately to seek peace and redeem himself?

In favour of being their theme in some way, there is:

Shape of the melody: the leaping 6th intervals closely resemble, or at least echo, Bronwyn and Arondir's wistful and moving love theme, with its longing and impossibility (for them, Human and Elf relationships; for Galadriel and Sauron...)

Timing: the first instance of this motif lands perfectly behind Galadriel's words 'for you are him' (a double entendre), followed by Halbrand's 'That's an odd thing to say to a man in a cage'. The second instance is even more strongly linked to their relationship, coming directly after the dialogue: 'If I could just hold onto that feeling, keep it with me always, bind it to my very being, then I...' 'I felt it too.' Or, only the most romantic (or cosmic) moment between them in the series.

What do you think? What might these moments and this theme symbolise narratively? Is there anywhere else in the score you can hear it? (And Bear McCreary, if you happen to read my humble theorising and are at liberty to confirm either way, or to offer enlightening words of wisdom, please do. If not, keep it up. We love your work.) ________________________________________________ *I've done my best at transcribing the harmonies but do not claim perfection, and similarly the rhythms are indicative sketches only. Hopefully I'm right and Bear will give us the official version in a blog post some day. All copyright lies with the composer. I also may update this with more meta or thoughts later.

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adelcrait · 2 years

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the rings of power (2022) would have been funnier if sauron was so burnt out from being evil that his powers glitched. flying birds would die around him and animals would hiss at him. flowers and trees would rot when he walks by. he blinks and gets snake eyes. when he gets mad, it snows on a sunny day. when he sneezes, buildings crash. he drags random passerbys into terrifying, scream-inducing visions just by accidentally brushing hands in a crowd. he gets the occasional demonic voice crack and has to cough it out. and galadriel? she thinks halbrand has been cursed by sauron

#this is too entertaining for my little brain im having too much fun with this au #tags:#the rings of power #trop #trop spoilers #sauron #galadriel #halbrand #trop meta #lord of the rings #lotr #txt #the rings of power spoilers #also mind you that my lotr lore is very limited and im aware this show has criticism from lotr fans! i just think the potential for sauron #being an absolute wreck w his powers as a concept is very funny

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leadingrebel · 1 year

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The Names of Power

It is said that there’s power in a name. Maybe because it carries context, maybe because it can be used as a leash to drag one around. Once a name is created, there’s no easy way of changing what comes with it. Nor cleaning it, if necessary.

Thinking about The Rings of Power dancing around Sauron’s identity, the characters spit his name with hatred or mutter it with fear and it is tossed around so much across all Middle-Earth.

But I find there’s a special treatment when it comes to Sauron’s character himself and his own name. And I like to think about it as my argument of how Sauron didn’t want to be Sauron again.

So based on the words of canon, I’m choosing to believe S1 happens in the era in which Sauron thought of redemption. And I think the name Sauron was a dead weight for him at that time.

I don't think he had planned any future for that name. I don't think he ever wanted to put back on the cape of Sauron, the one who failed even after Morgoth was gone, the one who was betrayed and killed by a creature beneath.

In the series, he repeatedly states his name as Halbrand: to Galadriel and to everyone in Númenor. But then he has that fight with the guild’s men and he becomes violent and vicious. And even in this state of overpowering four on one, of superiority, of his power being displayed, he says:

“Call me Halbrand.”

As if the name Halbrand should mean anything to them. He’s building another name the same way he has done with all the previous ones. So the next time those men hear the name Halbrand they’ll remember the taste of blood in their mouths.

You only build a name you intent to keep.

I don’t think Sauron can live without a name. With this, I mean I don’t think he can tolerate being spoken to as someone without respectable naming. Which is exactly what we see in all his interactions with the guild’s men. He can be a nobody, as he is arriving at Númenor, and play along under the crowns of other people (at least for a while), just as long as you respect his name.

If people won’t have respect for his name, they’ll learn to fear it. Which is what he’s crafting with his actions in this scene.

As opposed to this, when Adar asks him, he remains silent.

“Who are you?”

Admittedly, he can’t tell Adar he’s Sauron unless he’s going to kill him right after. But he also doesn’t say any other name. He doesn’t say anything.

And I think this is the first time that for a flashing moment he wants to be Sauron again, but only to Adar. He wants to be able to look at him in the eye and watch him be aware that this is vengeance. But he’s biting his tongue because he doesn’t want to be Sauron outside of that, much less to Galadriel who just fought beside him and made him feel something unexpected.

One would expect that to someone who’s had so many names, the importance of that concept would be lost over time. But I think with Sauron it’s quite the opposite. I think he found the power in it. I think he crafts his names the same way a warrior sharpens the edge of a blade. He holds them like a tool but also like a part of himself, and as such, carries the consequences of each name as unfading scars.

I think he realised that the real power is not the appearance, it’s the name.

Because it doesn’t matter the appearance you have, if the name is not wanted. It doesn’t matter that his body is Halbrand’s if his name is Sauron.

This is something that comes very much into light in the reveal. He knows the power a name has and he also knows how to use it, brandishing it or sheathing it.

In Eregion, when Galadriel demands him to tell her “who he is”, he answers:

“You know who I am.”

He doesn’t restate “I’m Halbrand” or any other name. And I’m sure this is partially him talking in half-truths as he always is around her, but I also think there’s more to it. Because his efforts of avoiding names continue through the scene.

“Tell me your name.”

“I have been awake since before the breaking of the first silence. In that time, I’ve had many names.”

She asks specifically for his name, and still he doesn’t give her one. He doesn’t call himself Sauron, he doesn’t allude to any names he knows she has spoken with venom. He’s confirming without doubt that he is who she thinks, but he’s not putting a name on it.

Because he wants her to see he’s more than a name.

“You know who I am.”

He tells her again in the raft. And again he doesn’t use any name. In between the lines there’s desperation like I’m not who you think I am, who you think and who you know are different so you’ve seen more of me than the name.

For all the time he has spent trying to convince her that he is not the King of the Southlands, that he is not “the hero she seeks”, that he is not as good as she thinks he is, now he has to do the complete opposite.

Drag her away from the dark shadows over the letters, convince her to look past the name, to forget it, to take Halbrand in its place if she wants, to take the King of the Southlands she wanted. A changed name, a new one.

And only when he’s exhausted all his arguments and pleadings and desperate truths and still Galadriel refuses him, he takes up the name of Sauron.

“When you tell them that Sauron lives because of you?”

He not only picks the name up from where he had let it fall, he puts force behind it. He’s taking name, history, context and cape and wielding it all like a weapon.

It is this moment, for me, that is the “Fine, make me your villain” of Sauron. Galadriel doesn’t believe he can be Halbrand, she’s only seeing Sauron, so he’ll be Sauron.

He tried to make a new name, externally free of history even if he carried the darkness of it inside; but now he’s realising there’s no changing name for him anymore. There’s no shape-shifting powerful enough that can hide the atrocities the name Sauron entails.

Maybe he thinks healing Middle-Earth can also heal his name, or at least give him an opportunity to craft a new one, away from darkness and closer to peace. That the forgiveness of the Valar will also carry the forgiveness of the people and thus a forgiveness on his name.

#The Rings of Power #TROP #TROP meta #Haladriel #Halbrand #Sauron #m: meta #tropmeta #if someone told me like three months ago I would be making Sauron meta #what an era we're leaving i swear

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liveinfarbe · 1 year

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There's no such future, Sauron!

One of Rings of Power’s great achievements is the layered characterisation of Sauron that perfectly fits with Tolkien’s backstory for him. It’s essentially a tragedy and I get the empathetic perspective on Sauron, but I need to understand how he becomes this evil entity in Lord of the Rings.

So, this is how it ends between Galadriel and Halbrand: she tries to stab Sauron twice and Sauron doesn’t really care. He just doesn’t. He’s a Maia.

But he also reveals himself as having a pretty short fuse. He’s irascible, feral, unhinged when things don’t work out according to his clever plans.

You better not tickle his frail ego or he’ll give you a scare for life. If he likes you, it’s only in your mind, and you wake up just in time.

(I love how Galadriel totally would've stabbed him a third time though she just experienced the futilitiy of it.)

Sauron’s proposal was a mess, and it was a perfect introduction to all that isn’t okay with him:

First of all, it was cruel to use her memory of Finrod, which was a special one, and infantilize Galadriel as a means to his ends. He knows exactly what he’s doing in this situation, while she’s just massively confused, like, completely disoriented. In the forge in Númenor Halbrand said he was sorry about her brother, with teary eyes and all, but now he’s not caring about her grieve anymore. Instead he uses it, because all that interests him is that the Rings are forged. He wants the Rings.

He killed Finrod, did he really think this was going to go over well with Galadriel when he impersonates and completely misrepresents him? For all his wisecracking about diplomacy and human nature in Númenor earlier, he’s really naive or just arrogant to think this warms her heart for him, or maybe he just doesn’t care if it does.

Then he switches scenery. They’re on the raft and he makes his proposal. Galadriel’s tempted because he looks like the Halbrand again who saved her and she’s into him, but the situation is still scary. She’s got no agency here, except maybe to say ‘yes’. The power balance has shifted. Or rather, balance has evaporated. She’s at his mercy. He’s using his magic powers on her, she didn’t know he had, because until recently this was just moody human Halbrand who can do sword tricks.

The proposal - well, Galadriel owns an impressive dagger she can’t use against him; Sauron however stabs her with words and thoughts which is ultimately more harmful. All he knows about her vulnerabilities, he now uses to corner her, to coax her, to make her alloy with him. It effectively disarms her.

She rejects him - or in the metaphysics of ring-forging: her light rejects to alloy with him because his intentions aren’t pure enough - and just like that volatile Sauron emerges. He doubles down on the humiliating rhetoric, he gets worked up really fast. There’s a monstrous transformation going on with his voice and eyes, so finally, he also looks like the fucker who killed the people she loved and so many more, so she attacks him. It’s useless, but she can’t help it. So he plunges her under water and lets her sink.

Sauron’s reaction is purely emotional, he’s getting carried away, he’s like an ancient emo-kid acting out. But that’s foreboding. He could’ve acted differently even though she attacked him with the dagger. It was clear she wouldn’t be able to stab him. He was in control. He’s much more powerful than her and this was just unnecessary and sadistic to make her think she’s drowning.

You don’t do that to someone you fancy, do you? Make them helpless and scared for their life. There’s something so demeaning in this.

If this is his reaction because she doesn’t immediately grasp he’s a good guy now, then he’s got a long way to go yet. Just for that drowning experience alone, I would totally switch into vengeful dark Galadriel mode from the PJ movies too, if I met him next time. I really want her to go hard on him and pay him back.

Had he acted differently, would she then have accepted his proposal? He didn’t quite recommend himself as a reliable, genuine fellow, just an imitation of one, so how …?

On the other hand, I think Sauron is infatuated with her and he knows she reciprocated his feelings when he was still Halbrand. He won’t stop trying to bring her to his side and make it as hard for her as possible to be at peace:

Look at me Galadriel! Look at what I’ve done, this is all your fault! I massacre all those people, because you didn’t love me enough.

But it isn’t her fault, it’s his. He’s suspicious for the sole reason that he could’ve gone the way of full rehabilitation. As a Maia in Middle-earth he falls under the jurisidiction of the Valar, but he evades their judgment, and then can’t seem to bear Galadriel’s rejection either - just because she can’t immediately stop being a victim of his past dark doings …

If he’s a gift maker, he reveals himself here as one of those who take their gift back when they aren’t pleased with the recipient. Thus he let’s her drown this time. Nearly. Long way to go for Sauron.

She could become his personal life coach, sure, but there’s a possibility for her and people close to her of getting hurt and/or killed along the way because he’s a fragile toddler inside though being older than sound.

Even if he was a victim himself (of Morgoth), what difference does it make to Galadriel, or Finrod? Heck, even the Orcs he mutilated who were his dependents? Mutilated, traumatized, dead. He’s asking way too much of her in this moment, to forgive and reconcile at the same time, while he himself has dodged the chance to be held accountable and face punishment for the atrocities he’s done, because he fears he’ll be tested for a long time by the gods and it will be a bore.

From the Silmarillion: When Thangorodrim was broken and Morgoth overthrown, Sauron put on his fair hue again and did obeisance to Eönwë, the herald of Manwë, and abjured all his evil deeds. And some hold that this was not at first falsely done, but that Sauron in truth repented, if only out of fear, being dismayed by the fall of Morgoth and the great wrath of the Lords of the West. But it was not within the power of Eönwë to pardon those of his own order, and he commanded Sauron to return to Aman and there receive the judgement of Manwë. Then Sauron was ashamed, and he was unwilling to return in humiliation and to receive from the Valar a sentence, it might be, of long servitude in proof of his good faith; for under Morgoth his power had been great. Therefore when Eönwë departed he hid himself in Middle-earth; and he fell back into evil, for the bonds that Morgoth had laid upon him were very strong.

Sauron will possibly renew his proposal to Galadriel, but the first time made a bad enough impression. His methods of persuasion sucked. I’d love if this was Pride and Prejudice in Middle-earth, but Tolkien’s source material doesn’t leave much room for it. It’s not just that the Dark Lord’s manners are unpleasant and he’s a decent guy underneath. He’s described as being just that - unpleasant:

[…] a re-incarnation of Evil, and a thing lusting for Complete Power – and so consumed ever more fiercely with hate (especially of gods and Elves).

#haladriel #saurondriel #galadriel x sauron #sauron #galadriel #rings of power #the rings of power #lotr trop #lotr rings of power #lord of the rings the rings of power #die ringe der macht #trop meta #repost because I accidently deleted my original blog (?!?!)

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elssiie · 1 year

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I am 100% sure Sauron truly felt compassion and sorrow for Galadriel in this scene. Yes, big bad villain boy Sauron feels compassion towards lady of the light, Galadriel.

Sauron too, after all, knows what betrayal from your closest feels like, how much it hurts. Though Adar was just his loyal servant, Sauron looks more than just angry or vengeful when they meet. I believe in Numenor, he cries not just for himself but for her too because he realises how very much the same they are.

Galadriel and Sauron share the same pain in this regard. They both feel misunderstood by everyone. And they both have this all-devouring hunger for fighting, for following their goals. A tempest resides not only in Galadriel but also in him too.

And in ep 5 is where, I think, Sauron really comes to the realisation that he’s truly connected to her, like they’re sharing this pain, baring their souls to each other. It’s why he looks so awestruck.

#(I talked briefly about this on the bird app but might just as well pour my ramblings here too.)#haladriel #saurondriel #galadriel and halbrand #galadriel and sauron #sauron and galadriel #galadriel x halbrand #halatariel #rings of power #the rings of powe #haladriel meta #saurondriel meta #trop #lotr meta #trop meta #my writing

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ophidion · 1 year

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masterclass in casting

Artanis // Galadriel // Lady of Light

Mairon // Halbrand // The Dark Lord

(because yes, I'm always going to be a kid scene truther. And I think we all forgot that Sauron appeared in The Hobbit films.)

“Sauron appears as the Necromancer in Jackson's The Hobbit film adaptations, where he is voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch.”

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marimosalad · 1 year

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8 TV shows can say a lot about a person!

Certainly for me, I think! I’m listing here many of my personal recs which (as this is a Haladriel blog) I will be talking about them in relation to Haladriel, if applicable.

Thanks for the tag @pursuitseternal 🌟

Without further ado:

———

1. Needless to say, The Rings of Power.

I’m a total sucker for Hot Bad Men™️ so I never stood a chance against Saubrand.

Blorbo aside, my attachment to this show far preceded my Saurondriel obsession — I was completely enamored with it since Episode 1, the first big scenic shot of Valinor; the Two Trees; the epic soundtrack; stunning costumes. I had tears in my eyes during the boat sailing into the light of Valinor. The scale of storytelling far exceeded my admittedly meager expectations.

Let me be clear: I did not want to like this show and was set on dismissing it as an inferior fan service following The Hobbit franchise. Next thing I knew my inner child had been awakened and my love for Tolkien universe rekindled. Add to this concoction my weakness for complex villains and the epic reveal of Hot Sauron — boom, I was done. I’ll never recover from this.

2. FRINGE.

This show has such a special place in my heart. It’s sci-fi, mystery, time travel, alternate timelines, quantum physics mumbo jumbo, love story, and a father/son story all rolled into one amazing series that ended abruptly and went under the radar for so long.

In this universe, Denethor II has reincarnated into a much more gentle, sweeter Dr. Walter Bishop who actually loves his son and will put his life at risk for his son over, and over, and over again.

I also have an undying admiration for Anna Torv’s Olivia Dunham (I’m planning a separate post of all my fictional female crushes over the years). I was so giddy to see her in The Last of Us — she’s an underrated actress who deserves to be in the spotlight.

3. LOST.

Probably the first TV show that I actually got seriously invested in as a young adult and since then I’ve watched it so many times in every phase of my life. I’ve named our new puppy after Penelope Widmore. My computer name is Not-Pennys-Boat. I’ve been thirsting after stranded-at-sea disheveled ruffians since Sawyer, who is my favorite character who was the antagonist at the beginning (I’ve been saying that Halbrand is the perfect mix of Sawyer and Aragorn).

Sawyer/Juliet is my absolute favorite onscreen couple, pre-Haladriel. Their chemistry is fire. They just work. (Hated him with Kate.) Just tell me this doesn’t scream Haladriel (aesthetically):

Bonus: scene look familiar? Desmond did it first 🔥

4. Outlander.

Ok, believe it or not, I wasn’t quite watching this for the copious amount of steamy sex just because I was watching with my husband AND my mom over the pandemic when we lived together, and needless to say it was quite awkward 😂 I have a particular inexplicable love for Scotland (despite having only gone there twice), so when I discovered the series I went head over heels in love with the landscape, costumes, historic details, music (Bear McCreary), mythology, etc. Oh, and the hot Scotsman too 🫠

Jamie and Claire are the epitome of cosmically connected soulmates, their love transcending across lifetimes. Their early sex scenes are 🔥🔥🔥.

Bonus fact: Sam Heughan was named after Samwise Gamgee by his Tolkien hippie parents. He’s been casually broadcasting that he wants a role in TROP. Could we help him? If enough of us use the tag #SamHeughanForCeleborn, will they give Galadriel the husband she deserves?

5. DARK.

Did I mention I’m a big fan of quantum physics, philosophy, time travel, and parallel universes? No? Well, this brooding German show just about represents everything I love. The perfectly planned 3-season show is everything you could ever hope for in a good TV series. It’s moody, intelligent, mind-bending, and heart-wrenching. Watch the first episode, and by the end of it, you’ll be hooked, I promise you. Oh and for the love of god, do not watch it dubbed.

6. Norsemen.

Ok, I don’t typically watch too much comedy. But I do like The Office. I also like medieval movies/shows. What if I said Norsemen was basically a medieval version of The Office? Oh, it’s so dumb. It’s so dumb I almost didn’t finish the first episode. But once you get in the groove, it’s hilarious as fuck. On Netflix.

7. True Detective.

I don’t know how many times I’ve rewatched this show — it’s my comfort show I watch by myself on my laptop on rainy evenings. I don’t know what that says about me, and I don’t want to know 😂

Aside from the intrigue of the creepy Southern Gothic and unsettling cult themes, I mainly attribute my obsession with the show to Matthew McConaughey’s brooding Rust Cohle. He’s tall and lanky, a total weirdo, a lone wolf, has commitment issues, single-minded about his job, and (a bit more than) slightly unhinged. Also known as my kind of dude.

8. Better Call Saul.

Greatest of all spin-offs, who knew that the show about the sleazy lawyer who represented the world’s greatest meth kingpin was actually a love story in disguise?

Bob Odenkirk and Rhea Seehorn as Jimmy and Kim are the perfect embodiment of a modern couple who are equals and opposites, bring out each other’s best and worst, and have an undying respect for one another which serves as the backbone for their relationship. They even take turns towing on opposite sides of the law, pushing and pulling each other’s inclinations towards Good & Bad, only to find each other drowning in the dense grey area that is all too real. They are the *could have beens* for Galadriel and Sauron in the best case scenario (I could go on with the similarities but I don’t want to spoil the show).

Bonus fact: Gennifer Hutchison was the writer for both BCS and TROP. This fact should speak volumes about the kinds of discussions that would have occurred in the writer’s room regarding the nature of Galadriel and Sauron’s relationship. Watch the show and you’ll understand.

I’ve got many more recommended shows, but I think these 8 have been my primary emotional support shows over the past few years. I debated including Raised By Wolves, but as it was prematurely canceled there isn’t a whole lot I could say about it, despite having a fantastic premise (and which I still recommend people watch).

No pressure tags (but also curious to know): @starlady66 @maironiiel @demonscantgothere @scriberated @wyrd-syster @formerlyir @nenyabusiness @thegreatzombieartisan and any others who want to join.

#tag game #8 shows to get to know me #personal #trop meta

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wrath-ruin-reddawn · 2 years

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OH GUYS I JUST MADE A HUGE REALIZATION

So, the thing about Sauron is that he's a masterful liar in that he very rarely actually lies. He merely implies by stating half-truths, and allowing others to come to the wrong conclusions on their own. In light of this, I've been marinating over a few of his lines that felt the most "off" to me, the closest to being uncharacteristically outright falsehoods. And I think I've hit on something.

Come down the rabbit hole with me!

Alright, so the first thing I clocked upon rewatch was the odd specificity during Sauron and Galadriel's chat in the prison. He warns her that “the heir to this mark is heir to more than just nobility, for it was his ancestor who swore a blood oath to Morgoth." Not just an oath, but a blood oath. This calls back to the conversation between Arondir and his captain, where Revion mentions that "the blood of those who stood with Morgoth still darkens [the Southlanders'] veins." It's also notable that the key-hilt relies on blood to form the blade of its sword.

During this same conversation, Sauron also says that "it was [his] family who lost the war." Again, another odd turn of phrase. It's hard to imagine that Sauron is speaking as himself here, given that while he may have loved Morgoth I doubt he saw him as family. But, it also doesn't track well from the Southlander perspective-- they weren't particularly influential in determining the outcome of the war, one way or another. (Or at least, I assume that they weren't, because the Southlanders aren't mentioned in any of the canon texts the way that other humans who sided with Morgoth and fought in important battles were.)

Next is the argument that he and Galadriel have in the forge. I find it very interesting that he leads by saying something objectively true-- that Galadriel doesn't know "what [he] did before [he] ended up on that raft," alluding to his time serving Morgoth. But, curiously, he follows that up by saying that she doesn't "know how he survived," and he seems to believe that it's a sin egregious enough to contribute to them "cast[ing] [him] out" as much as being allied with their enemy-- and not just Galadriel, but the Numenorians and presumably the Southlanders.

And then it hit me. Who is Sauron, besides the Lord of the Rings? Sauron the Deceiver, yes, but Sauron the Wizard, Sauron the NECROMANCER. Sauron, who will go on to start up the cult of Morgoth and perform human sacrifices! He didn't just take the heirloom from the dead heir of the Southlands-- he straight up TOOK THE HEIR OF THE SOUTHLANDS.

Think about it-- Sauron clearly hates being seen as lowly or less than. Why, then, would he choose the form of a "low" man? Unless... he had no other choice. Because his previous form was so badly damaged by Adar's attack that his spirit had to latch onto that of another to survive, a body whose blood was already sworn to Morgoth because of an ancient pact. Halbrand's family really did lose the war, because Sauron is still alive because of them. The war isn't truly over because of them.

Look at this carving from Ostirith! That is human sacrifice right there.

Halbrand isn't just a mask that Sauron created, he was a real person at one point in time. And that is what guarantees that, even if he could be forgiven for his past transgressions, Sauron would never be accepted. If Halbrand is dead, then every word from Sauron's lips has been him puppeting the corpse of a man he murdered, and if some part of Halbrand is alive in there... well, it doesn't bear thinking about. It does make this line much more ominous though:

"Halbrand, I thought you had died."

YEAH I BET SAURON YOU SICK FUCK

God, I haven't even touched on the Mystics yet.

They also lend credence to this theory, because although they misidentified The Stranger (aka Gandalf, he's probably Gandalf), they did seem to have some knowledge of both his and Sauron's re-emergence. Perhaps they're operating under the information in a prophecy about the comet-- it would track with Sadoc's comment that the star fall does "not bode well." However, I do find it interesting that they weren't surprised to find "Lord Sauron" confused, and indeed expected him to potentially resist their help... say, like someone who had come back from the dead and was in a different, unfamiliar body?

And lastly, there’s the music. Oh boy, let’s talk about the music!

The original soundtrack for Lord of the Rings by Howard Shore is famous for its use of leitmotifs, pieces of music used to represent a character, place, or idea. Bear McCreary, the composer for TROP, is following in his footsteps. I’m biased, but personally I love leitmotifs— giving a character a signature piece of music or musical cue makes moments so much punchier. If you’re wondering why the track that plays when the Numenorian fleet departs for Middle Earth, titled “Sailing into the Dawn”, makes you feel like you’ve had jet fuel injected straight into your veins, it’s because in addition to just plain slapping, it’s emotionally satisfying! It’s the grand unification of multiple leitmotifs in a beautiful triumphant tapestry: there’s the Southlands theme, the Numenorian theme, Elendil and Isildur’s theme, AND Galadriel’s theme.

But, that’s the kicker: because leitmotifs carry so much narrative and emotional weight, it’s a huge no-no to use them carelessly. If Theme A has been associated with Character A, you really shouldn’t use it for Character B unless there’s a clear reason for it, like if Character A is taking up Character B's mantle or is being influenced by them. Think of how upset an audience is by cheap twists in writing: it works the same way with music.

This is actually a HUGE portion of why I spent so much time going back and forth on whether I thought Halbrand was Sauron or not-- because Halbrand's theme IS the Southlands theme. "Surely," I thought, "they would have composed an entirely different piece of music for Halbrand if he was Sauron." Because Halbrand is tied so strongly to the Southlands theme, the Sauron reveal would basically tarnish its emotional weight moving forwards, which is a very bold move to make.

And then, again, realization hit me. All of the leaders in TROP share the same leitmotif as the nation they rule. So, Tar-Miriel's theme is the Numenor theme, and Durin III's theme is the Khazad-Dum theme, while their subjects have themes of their own: Elendil and Isildur have the track called "Father and Son" and Durin IV has a track that's named after him. Bronwyn and Arondir also have their own leitmotif separate from the main Southlands theme.

In this way, Halbrand IS the Southlands. And what happens to the Southlands? It's taken over and twisted by the enemy into something unrecognizable... which is the same thing that happened to the real Halbrand. They share the same fate, and so the musical connection is entirely appropriate.

I'm not saying that I'm 100% convinced that this theory is true, but the textual evidence is there. And man, what a great plot beat it would be! To reveal that, the entire time that Sauron has been talking about redemption and recompense, he's been using someone else's skin to do it, callously exploiting the hopes of an entire nation of downtrodden people for his own personal benefit... it would really cement him as a villain in a deeply personal way to the Southlanders, to Galadriel, and to the audience. What a twist of the knife to learn that the bright future and hope that Halbrand represented to his people, the friendship and camaraderie that he forged with Galadriel, were possibilities that had been denied to them because of Sauron and his selfishness.

#the rings of power #trop #trop meta #trop spoilers #i am in my feelings about the southlands #does this make things better or worse?#because on the one hand it would give us the possibility of getting to see Halbrand as just Halbrand in flashbacks #but on the other it's very depressing

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thegreatzombieartisan · 1 year

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“…he… makes a pitch. He says, "Let's do this. You can be the queen, and I'll be the king." I don't think it's out of romance, at all. It's not a proposal.” - Charlie Vickers

Welcome to another game of…

“Is It a Business Proposition or a Marriage Proposal?”

If you, as a single male, “pitch” a business proposition to a single woman that includes you being her king and she, your queen, it’s a proposal.

If your “pitch” includes thinking about about what your potential business partner would wear so you can conjure the two of you standing side-by-side on the ocean surface, it’s a proposal.

If the titles you and your potential business partner will use leads others to assume you’re living together and fucking, it’s a proposal.

If there’s a chance someone could get pregnant within your business partnership, it’s a proposal.

If your “pitch” involves intimately touching the face of your potential business partner as they look at you like this at the very thought of you being their “king”, it’s a proposal.

But really…

Like what? Would Sauron and Galadriel live apart then commute to Barad-dûr like co-workers? Lol

If this is a platonic business proposition, would Sauron be OK with men courting his Queen? Would any man dare court Sauron’s Queen??

We know it’s not love here. But we know it’s not strictly platonic either.

#rings of power #saurondriel #watsonian #galadriel #Sauron #trop meta

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conundrumoftime · 10 months

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Some thoughts on what Rings of Power might be doing with Celeborn

Wrote this a couple of months ago, so I'm reposting it here now I'm here. Despite the dudebros on Reddit wishing Celeborn back so that he'll be the bestest strongest fightingest elf ever, I don't think that is what TROP have set him up for so far in the clues we have, and I think that's probably a Good Thing.

This show loves using visual imagery to allude to some canonical event it doesn’t have the rights or time to deal with. Here, Galadriel in Valinor is fighting with other elves, possibly her cousins (is the red-haired elf kid meant to make us think of a young Maedhros or Amrod or Amras?) over swan-ships. It’s not the Kinslaying at Alqualondë but it’s clearly meant as a nod to that:

And it tells you something about her personality, whether or not you know that story.

Here, she’s leading her company over the ice. It’s Forodwaith, not the crossing over the Helcaraxë that brought her to Middle-earth, but it’s meant to tell you the same things about her that that story tells: her bravery, her stubbornness, her position as a leader, and her will to press on:

And here she is on a battlefield after a battle.

The battle itself when we see it is… maybe meant to feel like the Nírnaeth Arnoediad, which was a huge disaster for the elves. (The helmet Galadriel’s holding has a Feanorian star on it - near her little finger if you zoom in.) But I think the visual imagery of the aftermath is meant to feel like something different.

Above, Galadriel’s battlefield; below, the Somme, where Tolkien fought.

I don't think this battle is meant to be an allegory for the Somme, but I think it's meant to call to mind similar things: the hell and waste and devastation of battle, on a scale that the people involved had not imagined possible.

One of the few things we know about TROP Celeborn at this point is that he rode away to a battle (unnamed) and never came back. Galadriel must presume he’s dead; look at the devastation around her and you can see why. A few people have theorised that the reason she's in her white dress in these scenes is that she's searching for him. If that's so, we know she doesn't find him. It's also implied that 'the war' he went off to is this one against Morgoth but it's not explained why he went: in book canon he's not Noldor and his king forbade any of his people to fight alongside them, on the grounds they had already brought too much death and devastation as it was.

Whyever he went to battle, we also know that he went underestimating it and unprepared for it. When she mentions him going to war says that his armour didn’t fit and that she teased him for it. She says ‘the war seemed so very far away’. If she’s in Doriath at this time, which isn’t named but sounds likely, then this must be especially so: the Doriath version of Celeborn (he has different origin stories) has lived his whole life in a magically protected land of peace and loveliness surrounded by a continent of war. And then he went to a battle that presumably looked like the one above, and never came back.

That, for Tolkien’s generation, was the story of a lot of men going off to the First World War. The gulf between expectation and reality at the start of the war was immense and while many wars in many places have that cultural memory, this one was the big one for Tolkien’s generation. Many people really believed when the war began in 1914 that it would be ‘over by Christmas’, lots of young men enthusiastically joined up to do their country proud (including boys lying about their age, they were so keen to go) and the soldiers - and the country as a whole - were massively unprepared for the scale and horror of modern, industrialised warfare. Tolkien went to war in 1916; he wrote later (in the LOTR preface) that by 1918, all but one of his close friends were dead.

The war was a huge influence on his work. Sometimes directly inspired (he wrote that the Dead Marshes in Lord of the Rings ‘owe something to Northern France after the Battle of the Somme’), sometimes more indirectly, like in this from Christopher Tolkien:

‘He told me once that he began The Silmarillion ‘in army huts, crowded, filled with the noise of gramophones’; indeed some lines of verse in which appear the Seven Names of Gondolin are scribbled on the back of a paper setting out the chain of responsibility in a battalion.’ In TROP, Galadriel’s line to Theo that she met Celeborn when he saw her dancing in a glade of flowers is meant to be a shorthand reference to Beren and Lúthien. But this part of Beren and Lúthien’s story was also inspired by Tolkien’s own life during the war: his wife Edith dancing for him in the woods in Yorkshire, in 1917, when he was home from the trenches recovering from illness.

Again I don’t think TROP is trying to show a literal allegory for the Somme and the war, but I think it’s trying to show something that feels like it, both in that devastated battlefield and in the idea of brave and idealistic young soldiers keen to go off to a distant war that they’re unprepared for and can’t possibly comprehend the horror of. Because it was so important and so formative for Tolkien, and because the writers want to glorify courage without glorifying war.

So: Celeborn. In TROP he went away to the war but we know he’s not dead, even though Galadriel reasonably thinks he must be. And they have a reasonable amount of leeway to play with him as a character around that because… well, Tolkien needed a Mr Galadriel and didn’t care that much about fleshing Celeborn out. He fights in the Second Age, he’s ‘wise’, and he really dislikes dwarves.

The dwarf thing you can read as just elf-dwarf antagonism, but if you want to put some texture behind it then you can read it as a legacy of the dwarves fighting with the elves in Doriath and killing their king, Celeborn’s relative. This does not make it okay for him to be rude to Gimli in LOTR and blame him for bringing trouble to Lothlorien - which Galadriel slaps him down for in front of everyone - but it does make him more interesting, if part of his character is that he’s still haunted by the wars of the First Age, if his desire to keep Lothlorien a little island of safety is always countered by his memory of how this failed with Doriath. And if we are going to be at all invested in him as a character in TROP they will want him to be interesting.

TV audiences don’t generally find established relationships that interesting, LOTR Celeborn is just not that fleshed out or interesting a character to begin with (which is fine! he's basically a background elf there! he's fine with that!), and so TV storytelling would require more than "yay happy reunion" if it’s going to create any kind of interest at all in what we all know is the canon endgame pairing. They aren’t going to use Celeborn to ditch the Galadriel and Sauron connection (which the creators have been explicit about building the whole show on), but she's got to end up with him without making everyone think "who?" or feeling sorry for her. So my bet is that if he is indeed coming in season 2, they'll a) give him his own storyline, separate from hers, and b) create some kind of tension in their relationship.

And so: where is he? In show continuity he's been missing for centuries at this point. Much of the fandom speculation is that he’s been held prisoner by Sauron or by Adar. I can’t quite see how this fits plot-wise - the only prisoners we know that either of them have are the elves digging the tunnels for Adar, who (if we believe what he says about Sauron’s work) haven’t been doing this for all that long. Sauron does canonically have a habit of putting enemies in prisons and then keeping them there indefinitely but TROP Sauron doesn’t have any fortresses with prisons that we know about and doesn’t seem in a place where he’s got that kind of power. Perhaps in Rhûn, where it seems there’s a Sauron cult? Although there’s no obvious reason why Celeborn would be there or what the purpose would be of keeping him.

Also, coming back from literal centuries of captivity and torture or whatever else is going to make it difficult for his plot to be about anything other than that and his recovery from that, because: centuries. Maedhros was held captive for thirty years and begged Fingon to kill him. What’s three hundred years going to do? Seems unlikely Celeborn would be swooping right back into the action in any sense, or be recognisably himself at all.

But. Assuming the show wants us to be interested in him as his own character rather than just as a plotdevice to stop Galadriel getting a bit too close to the Dark Lord. And assuming we’re still supposed to see him as a casualty of war, but in another sense than dying.

Maybe what’s keeping him from Galadriel - and the Noldor, and the war that Gil-galad is leading - isn’t that he’s locked in prison and can’t get there. Maybe he’s staying away from it all, including her, on purpose. And maybe he’ll get his own storyline, where he isn’t just Mr Galadriel, where we get to see why and how he finds his way back?

#rings of power #eyeofacat meta #celeborn #trop meta #trop #tolkien #the rings of power #personally I think we are not short of fighty elves and need some Had Enough Of Fighting Thank You elves #I really hope they do some interesting things with him as a character #and I include being Mr Galadriel who is less important to the narrative than his more powerful and impressive wife as one such thing #sorry reddit dudebros

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beyonddarkness · 10 months

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SAURON REBUILT

I cracked the code.

Sauron was rebuilt at the end of the first season. But HOW did he rebuild his power?

Think about this:

Who/what brought Sauron low in power?

Did he just wait things out, and let himself naturally rebuild?

What was required for him to rebuild his power?

The same questions may be asked for the Third Age (LOTR).

Why did Sauron have to rebuild his power?

Why was he incapable of naturally rebuilding over time?

What was the one thing he needed in order to rebuild?

First...

TIMELINE

J.D. and Patrick have not changed the timeline as much as so many assume. It is not jumbled, and it is not even compressed in the way that is widely accepted.

"What was important to the Tolkien estate was the principle of the narrative flow and the sequence of events, not the dates. The rings are made here, there's a war between Sauron and the elves after that, a later Sauron is taken to Númenor, Númenor falls, Gondor is established, and you end up with the Battle of the Last Alliance. Does it matter if a hundred or 500 years passed between those events? No" (Patrick McKay).

The "time compression" simply entails shifting the events that Patrick listed to the end of the Second Age, instead of spreading them out over three thousand years. Everything else stays the same. The anchor point is the Forging of the Rings, and every major event (which Patrick mentioned) would naturally follow suit—that is what they compressed. The actual duration of the Age has not changed.

We did not meet Sauron at the beginning of the Second Age, but at the tail end of it. (Sauron did not go sulk on a raft right after saying sorry to Eönwë; that obeisance was thousands of years ago.)

"Year gave way to year. Century gave way to century. And for many Elves, the pain of those days passed out of thought and mind" (Galadriel, 1x01).

"For, though Morgoth fell an age ago, some feared a new evil might arise from his shadow. So, for centuries now, these soldiers have swept across crag and crevice..." (Gil-galad, 1x01).

So, how much time passed between Adar's betrayal in Forodwaith and the raft? Thondir answers this question in the first episode:

"Surely it is lost to the ages now. Whatever happened here was long ago. [...] The mark is centuries old! Whoever left it could be long dead."

Even Charlie specified when Sauron was brought low, in his Deadline interview.

"At the beginning of the Second Age, [Sauron had] been brought low, and he lingered in Middle-earth, and his power then very slowly reemerged."

Sauron's weak and infirm state on the raft had been his lot since the beginning of the Second Age, which was millennia ago. If all he had to do was wait for his power to reload, why did we meet him at the same level to which Adar brought him centuries before? If his power grew naturally, we would have seen a much more powerful Sauron at the beginning of the season. Instead, Galadriel found him at his lowest state. And although he was at rock bottom for so long, he was REBUILT in a matter of months. How?

He was not able to rebuild his power until he met Galadriel, and he was not even fully rebuilt until Eregion. And it could not have been anyone's sheer presence that magically restored his power. He had to actively rebuild. The signs of his rebuilding lie in two scenes that I have talked about before.

But let's jump ahead to a time/story we are more familiar with.

REBUILDING IN THE THIRD AGE

Sauron was "brought low" in the Battle of the Last Alliance. The one thing he needed in order to regain his power in LOTR was the One Ring, which he sought for three thousand years.

"These Rings have a way of being found. In evil hands it might have done great evil. Worst of all, it might have fallen into the hands of the Enemy. Indeed it certainly would; for this is the One, and he is exerting all his power to find it or draw it to himself" (Gandalf, The Lord of the Rings [FOTR]: The Shadow of the Past).

Whoever had it in their possession would cherish it to the point of obsession, but "a Ring of Power looks after itself," Gandalf said. "It was not Gollum, Frodo, but the Ring itself that decided things. The Ring left him." Sauron was "calling" the Ring to him; it wanted to be found and to return to its master. Pretty much all Sauron had to do was touch it, and he would be rebuilt.

Tolkien said in one of his letters:

"While [Sauron] wore [the Ring], his power on earth was actually enhanced. But even if he did not wear it, that power existed and was in 'rapport' with himself: he was not 'diminished.' Unless some other seized it and became possessed of it. If that happened, the new possessor could (if sufficiently strong and heroic by nature) challenge Sauron, become master of all that he had learned or done since the making of the One Ring, and so overthrow him and usurp his place. This was the essential weakness he had introduced into his situation in his effort (largely unsuccessful) to enslave the Elves, and in his desire to establish a control over the minds and wills of his servants."

So, in the event that he retrieved the Ring, he would be able to take it off without losing any of his power. But someone sufficiently strong and heroic by nature could get ahold of it and challenge him.

REBUILDING IN THE SECOND AGE: Power Storage

His attempt at rebuilding his power in the Third Age (though unsuccessful) was exactly the same as his (successful) attempt in the Second Age. Most of his power was in the One Ring, and he needed it back in order to rebuild. That means that in the Second Age, his power was stored somewhere else. He needed his power back, so where was it stored?

Keep in mind what he was doing in the North. He meddled with the powers of the Unseen World, in an attempt to find a way to craft the same power that would later make up the One Ring. He could not find the "shadow of dark knowledge," no matter how much blood he spilt in its pursuit, and Adar betrayed and split him open. (I firmly do not believe Adar killed him/separated his spirit from his physical form. My reasoning for that is on its way.)

If Sauron tried to craft the same power in the North as what he later crafted in Mordor (after finding the shadow of dark knowledge), chances are high that he successfully channeled a portion of his power into whatever he was using. That thing would be MITHRIL (evident by the above depiction of a Balrog, which was shown as Adar spoke of Sauron's experiments). But Sauron was split open by Adar and incapacitated before the work was able to continue, and his plans were forestalled.

In the meantime, he did as Galadriel suspected: "[...] lying in wait, gathering strength, perfecting whatever dark art eluded him here." Mithril did not contain all of his power. There is another object which contained the other portion.

We know with certainty that Sauron had been seeking for this power when Finrod died, long before Morgoth fell.

Galadriel: "No, you died along with countless others because of him." Sauron, as Finrod: "No, Galadriel. He was seeking a power. Not to destroy Middle-earth, but to heal it, just as your fellow-Elves are seeking to do this very moment" (1x08).

In Sauron's tower, Finrod and his company were stripped of all their possessions, then thrown into the pits, where Finrod died. Is it not logical, then, that Sauron was aware of the dagger? Sauron didn't know Finrod's identity, but perceived him to be a Noldo of great might and wisdom, "deemed that in him lay the secret of their errand," and purposed to keep him alive longer than the rest. But after Finrod gave his life for Beren, what was Sauron to do?

In order to perfect an art, it must be practiced. If the art he desired to perfect was for the express purpose of enslaving the Elves, he would not leave the dagger of a great and mighty Noldo untouched. If presented with the opportunity, he would want a prototype. When Galadriel first took the dagger, in no world are we to think that the hand of Sauron never touched it, especially since we know that it was he who marked Finrod's flesh—likely with the dagger.

"But Sauron found him first, and marked his flesh with a symbol—one whose meaning even our wisest could not discern."

Long story short, Sauron channeled a portion of his power into the dagger around the time of Finrod's death, as a prototype—a tab to allow him access to the Elves. It so happens that Finrod's sister was the one to receive it, and she immediately became obsessed with finding Sauron. Later, another portion was harnessed in mithril, right before Adar betrayed him. Both circumstances are the first two test runs of channeling his power into an object. He will later succeed in harnessing most of his power in the One Ring.

REBUILDING IN THE SECOND AGE: Power Retrieval

—THE DAGGER—

The Ring was called "mine" at least 9 times in LOTR (excluding "ours" or "my own"), by Frodo, Bilbo, Gollum, and even Boromir. When Galadriel first took the dagger, she said:

"And there, in the darkness, his vow became mine."

That moment, long before Morgoth fell, and literally millennia before she was in Forodwaith, marked the beginning of her obsession, "which character after character in the show tells her is not a good thing," said Patrick McKay. "Is [Sauron] calling her to him?" — YES! ("...he is exerting all his power to find it or draw it to himself.")

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Yes, Galadriel cherished the dagger because it once belonged to her dead brother, but throughout the season, we saw many indications that her attachment was a bit more peculiar—feel free to look back at every scene with the dagger; particularly... - The mutiny scene (1x01) - The Boat scene (1x01) - Galadriel waking up on Elendil's ship (1x03) - "Whose dagger was it, Galadriel?" (1x05) - Galadriel's conversation with Adar (1x06) - Her conversation with Sauron on the log (1x06) - "These lands are dead," with Theo in Mordor (1x07) - The entire Vision Sequence (1x08) - True Creation Requires Sacrifice (1x08).

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Sauron had many reasons for calling Galadriel to him, but a major reason was obvious: his power had been diminished, and the dagger contained a portion of it. He needed it back, so just like with the Ring, he exerted what power he had to draw the dagger, and its possessor, to himself (see Chapter 4). Sure enough, when Galadriel met him on the raft, he was very run-down.

...then he found the dagger.

The last we saw of him in episode 2, he was resting.

Suddenly, his whole personality, demeanor, energy, physicality—his whole BEING changed in episode 3. He was no longer weak and bitter, but spry and lighthearted. What was behind the sudden rejuvenation?

He got the dagger back.

He retrieved that portion of his power, but the portion was small—only enough for him to get by, and keep Galadriel under his thumb by returning the dagger. Remember, he was able to take the One Ring off without being diminished; he would be able to part with the dagger because the power still existed and "was in 'rapport' with himself." However, if the hands of a naturally strong and heroic person obtained it, he could be challenged. Therefore, before he let go of the dagger, he parted with Galadriel on the following terms:

"And at the very least, do try not to make any new enemies."

—MITHRIL—

Celebrimbor's ambition was pretty strong in the beginning. He desired to craft something of real power, which motivation led him to believe at least two untrustworthy tales. In the same manner that Galadriel's one-track-mindedness was augmented by means of the dagger (especially after Sauron returned it), Celebrimbor was influenced by mithril (especially after Sauron returned it).

Charlie confirmed that Sauron injured himself in order to be taken to Eregion "because he understands that the only way he can be healed is through their power and magic." After the eruption, why would that be the only way for him to get things going?

Because the mithril contained the other portion of his power, and he knew exactly where that scrap was. He touched it, regained the remainder of his power, and gladly returned the scrap to Celebrimbor, saying:

"Call it a gift."

From there, Sauron kept Celebrimbor under his thumb.

Galadriel: "Those words. 'Power over flesh.' Where did you hear them?" Celebrimbor: "Uh... I was conferring with my smiths, I think... No, I believe those are my words." Galadriel: "Was Halbrand with you?" Celebrimbor: "What's it matter? It's over" (1x08).

CONCLUSION

THAT is why those two scenes were so similar.

They were not mere representations of him transferring his power into the objects, like I believed, but rather a sign that he was taking it (of course without removing it from the object). They were signs to the audience of how he was rebuilding his power—a precursor of his attempt to rebuild in the Third Age by means of the One Ring!

Let's answer the questions we asked at the beginning.

In the Third Age (LOTR)...

Why did Sauron have to rebuild his power? - He was "brought low" in the Battle of the Last Alliance.

Why was he not able to rebuild his power naturally? - Most of his power and essence were stored elsewhere.

What was the one thing he needed in order to rebuild? - The One Ring.

In the Second Age (TROP)...

Who/what brought Sauron low in power? - Adar, towards the beginning of the Age.

Did he just wait things out, and let himself naturally rebuild? - No. He had to actively regain his power.

What was required for him to rebuild his power? - The dagger and mithril, in which his power was stored.

The dagger and mithril are inseparably connected because both contained the two required pieces of Sauron's craft. That is why the only thing that could be alloyed with mithril was the dagger. The Three Elven Rings were never touched by the hand of Sauron, but the power within the elements that made them was Sauron's. That is why the Three are subject to the One.

Below are a couple of interesting patterns.

STRENGTH

—After the Dagger—

—After Mithril—

(Notice that after the dagger, having only the smaller portion of his power, he still exerted some effort in subduing four Men (I mean, he still broke an arm in a manner that J.D. suggested was superhuman); whereas after touching the mithril, having all of his power back, he not only effortlessly stopped an Elf, but warped her mind.)

FACE

—After the Dagger— "It's not poison, if that's your concern. Not for humans, anyway."

—After Mithril— "You believed in me. You saw strength in me. You pushed me to heights that no one else could have. I will never forget that. And I'll see to it that no one else does, either."

(Those were the first suspicious smirks he gave to Galadriel after he touched the dagger and mithril.)

(And this is the last smirk we see of him, when he is officially rebuilt.)

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