A betrayal based on two-weeks long relationship just does not have the same weight as one involving years of manipulation.

Two thoughts, neither of which are fully satisfying: the first is that it was all part of his plan, namely meeting Galadriel at sea to win her trust to gain access to Lindon. But also that this where the seams of the writing show, and this was only way to cram developing Galadriel as well as introducing Numenor and…

Well, I don’t think the time compression’s necessarily the problem—Ontamo’s or Sadoc’s deaths could have been given weight had the show simply stopped for a moment to reflect on them.

Yeah, it’s less about the blood storyline and more about the lack of any other resolution. The ideas this series has played with are who gets a say about when Jen is or isn’t She-Hulk, what kind of lawyer Jen wants to be, and more generally what’s the role of the legal system in a world where there are problems that…

But those who have human and dwarf friends will never see them again, hence Durin’s dilemma with Elrond.

That’s not a justification they’ve given. You could imagine specifically that Gil-Galad would rather be High King in Middle-Earth than merely a vassal to Finarfin on Valinor, or something along those lines.

Well, the thing about Mordor’s history is that it’s the show’s future. At some point in the series, Sauron’s going to show up, build Barad-dur, and forge the One Ring, and in the meantime, other less well-described bad things will be happening.

Instead we get Galadriel bailing out with Theo without him even trying to find his mother. Elendil taking off without even knowing where Isildur or his possible dead body is.

But good on the writers if they’re setting up a direct connection to motivate why Celebrimbor and his smiths would be taken in by Annatar and create the Rings Of Power in the first place.

The jarring thing to me about the Harfoots is that it feels like we’ve spent so much time on them almost exclusively for setup, but aside from the Stranger, potential conflict for the Harfoots is that they’ll all die. Not to say that everything needs tension or stakes, but for what it says about the Harfoots…

I’m with you halfway—tbh I was trying to think of what would be a suitable Nienor parallel if it ends up being dragon-related, and I’m now rooting for Celeborn to be living as Elrond’s spouse when Galadriel sees them again.

To be clear, though, the need for the digging is urgent because these Elves are afraid of death!

My other weird little niggle is changing Isildur’s brother to a sister

Elendil isn’t concerned about revealing his allegiances for no reason.

The way she mentioned Celeborn certainly sounded like she didn’t think it was a separation, but who knows. My hunch is mostly that Celeborn won’t have been imprisoned, and everything else I can imagine would be goofier. But of those, ‘stared at Glaurung’ requires the least work to reconcile.

I would assume Berek has run off to find Isildur and that Celeborn will turn up in some future season having been bewitched by a dragon or something along those lines.

And for the time being she actually trusts Pharazôn,

That’s the Apple Pucker. You’re not missing out.

A thing you could imagine is that Adar sees Mt. Doom as what Sauron was missing in his attempts to create mastery over flesh, forges the men’s rings himself, and is betrayed like everybody else when Sauron makes the One. It’s not really textual, but then neither is Adar at all, and I’d imagine the basic fallout for…

First of all, Míriel is a Queen-Regent