Spoilers for Season 2, Episode 7 of Rings of Power are ahead! If you aren’t caught up, you can stream the series with an Amazon Prime subscription. Then make sure to catch the finale when it airs on the 2024 TV schedule on Thursday, October 3.
Yes, Elrond kissed Galadriel in the most recent episode of Rings of Power. Yes, it was shocking and caused quite a spectrum of hot takes from viewers. And, yes, we’re going to talk about it, because I had the chance to chat with Elrond actor Robert Aramayo about this pivotal moment and why his elf decided to kiss his friend as he worked to help her escape the Orcs.
Fans Have All Sorts Of Takes When It Comes To That Galadriel And Elrond Kiss
For the majority of Season 2, there’s been a rift between Galadriel and Elrond because of the rings and their opposing viewpoints on them. Morfydd Clark’s character wanted to use them to defeat Sauron. However, Aramayo’s elf wanted to destroy them, and he even jumped off a waterfall to make that happen.
Now, as the battle to save Middle-earth kicked into high gear, the two were reunited on the battlefield. And in an effort to save his friend, Elrond kissed her so he could sneak her a pin that would help her escape Adar.
Obviously, a kiss like that between two beloved Lord of the Rings characters is a very big deal, and viewers had all sorts of thoughts about it, as you can see below:
- i’m sorry but if any of you read anything else but desperation into the kiss that’s on you. it’s not gonna be weird to see elrond and celebrían because elrond and galadriel both clearly didn’t enjoy that fucking kiss. media literacy truly is dead😭 -thranduilstar
- They 100% had no reason to write a situation where Elrond kisses Galadriel on the lips into the show for any reason than that the writers wanted to write a scene where Elrond kisses Galadriel on the lips into the show. And that’s gross. -Strangeland_Elf
- i'm not even mad that elrond and galadriel kiss in that scene. look at her face she was like "dude wtf are you doing?!" and elrond said "forgive me" before. it's hilarious and made me laughing. -RosaLynaLerman
- They couldn't find a better way to give her a lock pick than by making Elrond kiss Galadriel. Wow 🤦🏻🤦🏻 The Rings of Power never disappoints when it comes to being the worst at times -FlicksandChill
- The way this kiss between Elrond and Galadriel wasn’t necessarily romantic and it was just a coy to give her the lock pick was smart 👌🏽 it also was a way to say goodbye to each other 😢#TheRingsOfPower #TROPspoilers -giselleb1234
There was also a lot of chatter about the fact that Galadriel, who is considerably older than Elrond, eventually becomes his mother-in-law, because he marries her and Celebron’s daughter Celebrían. So, while that hasn’t happened in the show, it’s certainly a part of the lore that fans aren’t forgetting.
So, with all that in mind, here’s what Robert Aramayo had to say about this polarizing moment in Rings of Power and why it happened.
Robert Aramayo Explained Why It Happened, It Makes Total Sense To Me
When I was preparing for my latest interviews with the cast of Rings of Power, I knew I had to ask Robert Aramayo about that kiss, because it was so shocking. I could feel the desperation in Elrond’s actions, and the looks on both their faces screamed that they were doing what needed to be done to survive. To that point, the actor told me why his character did what he did, saying:
I feel like it's a strategic move, you know, and it's quite a smart strategic move, because it's what nobody expects to happen.
Then, Benjamin Walker, who was sitting next to Aramayo and plays High King Gil-galad, chimed in saying that it was Elrond’s “only viable play, really.” And they’re both right. The elf needed to seriously shock and distract Adar and the Orcs so he could get the pin to Galadriel, and it worked.
Along with this being a tactical move, though, Aramayo explained his character’s love for Galadriel and the fear he was facing over possibly losing his friend froever at that moment. He said:
I mean, it is the most shocking play he could do – you know what I mean – in that room. But also, you know, he's fulfilling his promise. He's putting everything underneath, beating Sauron, you know? So, that is what he promised her, and that is what he's going to do. But he loves her, and, you know, she's like his family member. There's a lot of elves in, there's quite a few I think actually, in his life, that are almost very parental. Obviously, you're one of them [pointing to Walker who plays Gil-galad], you know, but she's another. She's got that, not quite in the same way as Gil-galad, but the sort of an influence over him. She's taught him so much. So the idea of this elf now going off and dying is, like, heartbreaking.
'The Rings of Power' Season 2 Interviews with Morfydd Clark, Charlie Vickers, Daniel Weyman & More
To me, it makes sense that in this moment, between Elrond trying to save his friend and genuinely thinking he might not see her again, he’d kiss her. It got her the pin, because Adar and the Orcs were distracted by the unexpected affection, and it allowed him to tell his friend who is basically family goodbye.
Now, I’m curious to see how their relationship evolves past this point. We know they both survive this battle and marry other people, but in the short term, I’m looking forward to seeing how this battle and instance of affection impacts them.
To find out what happens to Elrond and Galadriel next, make sure to stream the Season 2 finale of Rings of Power on October 3 on Prime Video.
