The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power‘s Galadriel underwent great change in season two of the series. As the fierce warrior reckoned with her guilt, her failures, and brand new ring, her view of herself and of Middle-earth expanded and evolved, moving us closer to the ultimate Lady of Light that Tolkien fans know from the story of The Fellowship of the Ring. To celebrate season two of The Rings of Power, one of our best TV shows of the year, we sat down with Morfydd Clark to discuss all things Galadriel. Among other things, Morfydd Clark dove deep with us into Galadriel’s unexpected relationship with Adar, the lasting wounds Sauron left on her, and her love of The Rings of Power TikTok. You can check out the full interview below.

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Nerdist: One of Galadriel’s major relationships on The Rings of Power season two ended up being with Adar. How do you view their ultimate journey with one another?

Morfydd Clark: Well, I think he was her… She underestimated him hugely. And I think she’s learned a lot by being around him. I mean, his giving back of the Ring of Power is something that she will kind of remember and I think it will inspire her. And I found that really was a really interesting end. Because she’d always been talking back to him really and explaining how he was wrong and not seeing things. And he kind of does this massive, incredible, not a power move, that’s the wrong feeling for it, but this thing that she can’t question, but can only be kind of like, “Wow!” So it was really cool, and I was really sad that Adar… [makes throat-cutting gesture] died.

Me too, Me, too. In the end. How do you think Galadriel saw Adar? As an elf. Or as an equal? As an enemy?

Clark: I think she saw him as a possibility of any elf in a way. And so I think she did ultimately end up seeing him as an elf. I mean, part of kind of Galadriel’s journey is her realizing that she’s fallible and that she’s going to have to continue to water the part of her that rejects power and the part of her that believes that things can be good. The part of her that isn’t cynical, and he was this really tragic, cautionary tale.

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There did seem to be a strong kind of tension between them. Definitely, a chemistry. Where do you think the characters might’ve ended up if Adar hadn’t died in The Rings of Power season two?

Clark: What I just love about the elves is that every elf interaction is of great importance because they are so ancient and kind of a part of the weaving of Middle-earth. And I feel that if they’d spent more time with each other, maybe Adar would’ve started to despair and be full of regret, which would’ve been really painful as well.

What I love about the elves, as well, is that there are obviously these amazing love stories in Tolkien’s work, but there are also so many stories that are full of love but not romantic.

They’re full of deep connection and relevance, and maybe it would’ve been one of those.

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I love that. Touching on what you were talking about before, in their final scene together, Galadriel tells Adar, “I’ve slayed more of your children than any other alive.” And he says, “I forgive you.” But she didn’t exactly say that she was sorry. Is that what she meant?

Clark: She doesn’t exactly, does she? I will say she is riddled with revenge in the first season. And again, it is kind of her seeing this option of not being vengeful that he shows her there. I feel what I kind of enjoyed about Galadriel in season one, which she’s going to move further and further away from, is that she’d stopped seeing what was in front of her, and she stopped learning. And I think this moment with Adar is a very curious moment for her. Like, “Oh! I haven’t even kind of made it palatable, and still, he’s giving me back my ring.”

And do you think she now understands that the Uruks have names and hearts, and will that mean anything to her going forward from season two of The Rings of Power?

Clark: I think, unfortunately, Sauron is going to get in the way of that. I mean, I was really glad that she said “Uruk” at the end. And I think also, I feel she is starting to love Middle-earth for all its kind of darkness and its light. And starting to understand that one can’t exist without the other.

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Last Adar question! Do you think maybe she’d go back and bury Adar’s body?

Clark: I hope so! I hope that! I hope that he’s sung about. Because he did something huge. So yeah, I like to think that there are stories about him told.

Maybe he could have one of those tree memorials like her brother.

Clark: Yeah! Yeah.

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And then, shifting gears to the other men in Galadriel’s life, what was it like for Galadriel to see Sauron turn back into Halbrand during their final fight in The Rings of Power season two’s last episode?

Clark: Horrible. Because Halbrand is… She obviously had a connection with Halbrand [meaningfully]…whatever that may be…

But also, he represents her biggest flaws: that she was driven by a selfish endeavor and that she was hoodwinked. But I think, ultimately, he overplays his hand with her because he’s too cruel to her, and it makes her realize that he’s limited.

Do you think Galadriel felt tempted at all when he turned back into Halbrand, or was she beyond that sort of temptation at that point in season two of The Rings of Power?

Clark: I think by that point, she’s horrified because she’s seen what he’s done to Celebrimbor. And I don’t think he can fathom how altered her opinion of him will be because they live on different planes of what is acceptable.

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And how fun was it for you to play Sauron as Galadriel in The Rings of Power season two’s final episode, and how did you create his version of her?

Clark: It was so much fun. I was so excited about that bit. We’d been discussing ever since we were cast, like, “What is Sauron?” He’s such a fascinating character. And kind of Charlie [Vickers] diving really deep into all of Tolkien’s letters and writing and stuff. And one of the things he settled on was that, I am not going to be able to quote the Tolkien stuff that he quotes, but that “He’s looking to create order and stability.”

And there’s nothing more frightening than a really competent villain. And we were talking about this desire for stability. But you need chaos in life. And he’s [Charlie Vickers] created this kind of emptiness in Sauron and I felt that Galadriel is so full to the brim with life and possibilities that I wanted to strip all that away.

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Do you think Galadriel is totally healed from the corruption of Morgoth’s crown, or do you think there’s still darkness after effects lingering in her?

Clark: From Tolkien’s works, I think, no. I don’t know. She’s got so many wounds from him, I wonder which will be the one really lasts. And that’s an interesting thought about what it meant for her to come so close to something that’s so evil.

I spoke with Robert Aramayo about the Elrond and Galadriel kiss in The Rings of Power season two, and he said that he had extensive conversations with you about how maybe kissing means something different in the elven world. Can you share a little bit more about your thoughts on that?

Clark: Well, I wanted the elves to be kissing all the way through. Because I was quite obsessed with this idea that Galadriel doesn’t have kind of shame and embarrassment and the feeling of taking up too much space because she’s not a human woman. She’s an elf woman. And I kind of like this idea that their social norms are quite different. So I was really glad that we had that in because I didn’t see it as romantic. I saw it as this deep admiration and love but also he was being sneaky while he did it. He was passing over the key.

But no, I love it. I think elves are bohemian and weird.

I love that. I think so, too. I think they should have been kissing each other, everybody, all the time. That would’ve been amazing.

Clark: *laughs and nods*

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The showrunners shared that it was actually your idea to have Gil-galad hold the sword in the final scene of The Rings of Power season two, and not Galadriel. What did that kind of symbolize for you and her?

Clark: Yeah, I just felt that Gil-galad is going to be leading the charge in terms of “the sword,” and that she’s kind of moving away from that being her role. And I think also, I like the idea that Adar gave up this ring to her, and then there’s this feeling of like, “Oh, I’m not… I’m reevaluating.” She’s in a very different space that isn’t necessarily the desire to lead or have power. And it just felt right.

Also, I thought that Ben [Walker] looked so amazing in the armor that he really should be in the center.

So, just to wrap, I spoke to Sam [Hazeldine] about Adar at the end of the season, and he said you were quite fond of The Rings of Power TikTok. Do you have a favorite fan creation that jumps out to you?

I mean, there’s so many. I loved the “Brat” one that I posted. That said, “Girl, so confusing” about them. I loved that one. There’s also another one, oh, yeah. I find it really funny that Adar’s like, “Your grandmother was really attractive,” to Elrond. He talks about beauty a lot, Adar. That elfness is still in him.

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He did. The beauty of Sauron and Elrond. Where is that elf kissing when you need it?

Clark: [chuckles] Yeah!

Morfydd Clark’s performance as Galadriel and the rest of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power seasons one and two are now streaming on Prime Video.