Rings Of Power Writer Gennifer Hutchinson Addresses The Potential Romantic Tension Between Sauron And Galadriel - Exclusive

"The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" had a busy finale to its first season (spoilers ahead if you haven't seen it yet!). The Mystics finally confronted the Stranger, revealing at least some of his identity. Númenor lost its monarch, an event that could have dire consequences down the road. Celebrimbor finally found a good use for Elrond's sliver of mithril, too — thanks to some clever advice from the mere mortal man, Halbrand.

Oh yeah, and Halbrand was finally revealed as Sauron. Yep. The deposed King of the Southlands who met Galadriel on the Sundering Seas, sailed with her to Númenor, followed her back to Middle-Earth, fought by her side to reclaim his kingdom, and then rode north with her to get some Elvish healing for his wound ...that guy? Yeah, he was Sauron all along.

The even crazier part is the fact that when Halbrand shed his disguise, he took Galadriel on a disturbing multi-layered vision where he tried to state his case and even get the Commander of the Northern Armies to join him as his Middle-Earth queen. It makes sense, too, at least in the context of the first season. Halbrand and Galadriel have had a connection from day one. Much of this has been focused on geo-political ambition. And yet, many viewers have also wondered if there was a subtle romantic underpinning to their collaboration that was confirmed when Sauron made his royal offer for them to unite as king and queen of the world.

The Halbrand/Sauron and Galadriel dynamic is apparent throughout Season 1. They share a lot of tension-filled moments, talk about how it felt right fighting side by side, and stick together through the thick and thin of the first season. When Sauron actually expresses a desire for Galadriel to join him as his queen, the question has to be asked, is he just looking for a powerful match, or is there a romantic attraction there, too?

We recently asked the finale writer Gennifer Hutchison if there is a personal or romantic motivation behind Sauron's powerful proposal or if it's simply a "power and control" kind of situation. The writer responded, "So much of what we were building to was less intentionally a romantic thing and more a meeting of the minds — this idea of this team together challenges each other to be their best in a lot of ways. She inspires him, and he helps push her. That was what we were thinking about [while] writing that scene — him selling this idea of 'Together, nothing could stop us.' That was the intention behind it."

While Hutchison refuted the idea that Sauron is head over heels in love with this Elven warrior princess, she did clarify that fans are certainly welcome to read more into the motivations in their own interpretations. Before saying Sauron and Galadriel's relationship was primarily a "meeting of the minds," Hutchison pointed out that "People can bring their own reads into that scene, especially with a character like Sauron. He's a little slippery." She also ended her answer by saying, "I love people being able to look into a scene and bring what they bring into it and get their own reads from it."

This reflects Tolkien's own opinion on his writings. In the foreword to "The Fellowship of the Ring," the author says that he cordially dislikes allegory due to its purposeful domination over the narrative, adding, "I much prefer history, true or feigned, with its varied applicability to the thought and experience of the readers." It's a sentiment that Hutchison is clearly reflecting through the interpretation of her own Middle-earth writing, as well.

"The Rings of Power" Season 1 is fully available to stream on Prime Video.