It’s been months since Rings of Power Season 2 wrapped up on the 2024 TV schedule, and there are a few scenes that have really stuck with me. One was Sauron crying when he killed Celebrimbor and the other was the evil being fighting with Galadriel and her jumping off a cliff to get away from him. So, when I spoke to Charlie Vickers and Morfydd Clark, I had to ask about the final scene their characters shared, and the break down of their mentalities as they fought each other is mind-blowing.
Morfydd Clark Explains The Mentality And Meaning Behind Galadriel Jumping Off That Cliff
I began this conversation about the final moment in Galadriel and Sauron’s fight, by asking Morfydd Clark how her character’s actions showed her growth as a character. Not succumbing to his power or her own self-consciousness, the elf dove off a cliff with her ring in hand, away from Sauron and toward safety. It was a massive moment for her, and the actress confirmed that idea, explaining:
I think it was her severing the tie between them, and her also choosing that it's better to be part of Middle-earth, kind of dead than be alive by his side.
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Obviously, she survived as the final scene of the season and Lord of the Rings proves. Clark also shared a fun fact during this chat that hilariously proved this too, noting that in The Silmarillion, the elves “were insane and just jumped on loads of buildings and created loads of havoc.” So, not only was this moment emotional and deep, but it also was a fun call back to the source material – which kind of blew my mind.
Then, to make matters even more meaningful, Clark spoke to me about the parallels between her actions and Elrond’s at the start of the season when he jumped off a waterfall to get the rings away from her. She said:
When we were doing it, I didn't even think that much about Elrond’s connection to it, but it's true that she was kind of inspired by him. And I've loved playing this relationship between them, that kind of the biggest – there was no better way of her learning about her mistakes and kind of suffering them than to be in Elrond’s bad books, because she adores him.
That parallel is so powerful, and it really hammered home the idea that Galadriel was fully out of Sauron’s shadow now. However, when it came to what Sauron was thinking at that moment, he wasn’t comprehending that at all.
Charlie Vickers Told Me What Sauron Was Thinking When Galadriel Jumped Away From Him
Jokingly, when I asked Charlie Vickers how Sauron felt about Galadriel jumping away from him and telling him to heal himself, he said it was like she said “heal yourself, bitch.” It was like a slap in the face, and one he didn’t fully realize at first, as the actor explained:
I think it's less about heal yourself – like, go to therapy kind of thing… I think that line [went] over his head. I think it's more like, because I don't think he cares about healing himself. I think it's more like you've got away.
This is where things got mind-blowing. When I watched this scene, I didn’t think this comment flew over Sauron like that. I thought he heard it – disregarded it maybe – but heard it. However, Vickers’ comment makes me think his character wasn’t even able to comprehend what was happening, he was only thinking about Galadriel jumping away as he continued to explain:
He's convinced in that moment that she's giving [him the ring] – he can't see any alternative because he's so arrogant and thinks he's the man, and she's giving him the ring, and he's like, ‘You're going to give it to me, you're going to give it to me.’ And then she resists him and jumps off the cliff. It's just like he could not fathom that was possible. So I think he's dealing with that, and also he knows she’s not going to die.
It seems like Saruon was so convinced he could get Galadriel, that her actions were unfathomable, which is wild! Now, I can’t wait to see how that impacts his view of her going into Rings of Power Season 3 and how the elf can maybe use that to her advantage.
This push-and-pull dynamic these two characters have is infinitely fascinating, and hearing Clark and Vickers break down how they think adds even more depth and meaning to their stories and actions. So, yeah, these explanations blew my mind, and yes, I will be thinking about them as this epic Lord of the Rings story continues.
