TROP Episode 7 manic thoughts

************ Spoilers **********

I am writing this so I can get my thoughts out. I have been a massive Tolkien fan since 2001 even though my Grandpa had us watch The Hobbit cartoon when I was about 5 and never knew who Tolkien was until I was a teenager. I digress.

After watching this week's episode for Rings of Power I have been hit with a lot of emotions and questions. Will Durin send a small army? How will Sauron make it over to Numenor? Will Celebrimbor die in the last episode (even though this seems obvious)?

I will begin with one scene that has some confused; think it makes sense, and those that do not think it makes sense. I am in the camp that it makes sense. Elrond and Galadriel kissing. Now for the weirdos that do not seem surprised because they thought a platonic relationship seemed romantic, there will NEVER be a relationship between the two and if you do not understand the context that was blatantly shown, I do not know what to tell you other than that women and men can have platonic relationships.

I do not have a problem with the scene. For me I could gather why it happened. I was able to infer from context even though others may not have and think there is little to no context and that is fine.

Elrond was there to parlay with Adar and for once we do not see the hero just give in and give up the item like Theo did to Adar in the first season and it is a common trope in novels and any other form of entertainment to give up something for their love, friend, etc. I am of the belief that Theo may become our tragic hero. It was nice to see there was already a plan in place for the refusal of giving Adar Nenya to save Galadriel. Elrond kissing Galadriel was definitely to throw off Adar. We already see, as Elrond is walking, unclip something from his cloak pin, caress Galadriel's cheek and kiss her. This would either leave Adar to look away at this private moment or put him off guard that she had a love. This keeps Adar from knowing that Elrond gives Galadriel the lock pick tool and ultimately her escape. This leads me to my next manic thought, Celebrimbor.

Now to bring a little context to my thoughts here, I was emotionally abused by my father and can see the abuse and know the abuse Celebrimbor is experiencing due to my experience in my adolescents and well into my adulthood. I may ship Sauron and Galadriel in my head but that does not mean I do not understand Sauron as an abuser.

Celebrimbor, throughout this entire episode was breaking my heart. From the moment of him having tea to where his facade of reality breaks. From the moment his guards take him back to the tower to when he sees Galadriel. I saw an article relating him to Jar Jar Binks and to be a little funny, "how wude!"

Celebrimbor is an abuse victim who is under the deceivers' influences. Jar Jar is under no one's influence and hands the entire galaxy to Palpatine with giving him emergency powers and Jar Jar, just because he is in the senate, does not mean he is intelligent nor is it displayed otherwise throughout the entire prequels. Celebrimbor is intelligent, thoughtful, caring, and wonderous. He is a great elven smith and knows his craft. Celebrimbor succumbed to the delusion provided by Sauron until the cracks started showing. Morgoth could manipulate others and bring about illusions and we see Sauron do the same. I love, once the facade is broken, that Celebrimbor tells Sauron he is deceiving himself and that he is no different than Morgoth. The anger Sauron gets from that is palatable and expected from an abuser.

In this same article they liken Celebrimbor to a teenager in a slasher movie! What kind of comparison is that?! We see blissful peace on his face and one that is naive to what is going on in Eregion while he is under Sauron's illusion. This does not a teenager make. I guess me sitting outside sipping tea and not knowing something means you are a teenager and deserve to die. Celebrimbor is an abuse victim and does not deserve to die. This is a wholly apathetic take likening Celebrimbor to a teenager and acting like he is deserving of death. Likening to character to Jar Jar Binks and a teenager show lack of understanding or any critical thinking skills.

Celebrimbor is also not like them as Sauron manipulates everyone close to Celebrimbor and made them believe Celebrimbor had gone mad from pouring so much of himself into his creations. This also leads to another point with Mirdania.

Even though unexpected, it is obvious as to why it happened. Some may not agree with me but Sauron was losing his grip on Celebrimbor, and he had to create a situation for those close by to believe Celebrimbor was mad! He needed to continue the lie until the 9 were finished. Once that happened Sauron had no need to hide himself, the lie was finished.

For my final thought, this is where Celebrimbor sees Galadriel again, which also proves how he is not a teenager nor a Jar Jar Binks like character. His relief at seeing her is a wave of emotions for him. He sees someone he can trust, someone who has already been deceived by Sauron, and someone who will BELEIVE him. The important part is believed. He already had his guards and Mirdania not trust or believe him and here is his savior, for lack of a better word, to show the others he is not wrong in how he spoke against Sauron/Annatar. The victim can finally speak plainly with no fear of distrust or abuse. He was an abused victim able to be free of Sauron in that moment. Free to share what he endured to Galadriel. She responded with kindness, understanding, and trust, which is what he needed. I felt so much emotion from this because I felt this sort of relief when I had a friend and now my partner who had seen the abuse from my father and I understood what Celebrimbor went through with seeing Galadriel and cried and I am still crying as I am writing this and as I keep thinking about this scene. His monologue was amazing.

When an abuse victim is not believed this leaves them still questioning themselves and keeps them under the power of their abuser until something allows them to be freed. Seeing some things out there today for some opinions shows that people have no understanding of abuse and lack critical thinking skills regarding victims of abuse. All in all an intense and well-done episode with everything finally coming to a head with the fall of Eregion.