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In the latest episode of The Rings of Power season 2, two major characters kiss – and the moment is a little stranger than it might appear, once you take the works of J.R.R. Tolkien into account.
The following will contain spoilers for The Rings of Power season 2, episode 7! Turn back now if you're not up to date!
If you're still reading, then you know that Elrond and Galadriel shared an unexpected kiss before the Siege of Eregion. On the surface, this is nothing but a romantic moment between friends that takes Galadriel by surprise. Looking deeper, though, there's some weird subtext to unpick. If you're wondering why this kiss is controversial, head to the below for all your questions answered.
Why Elrond kissing Galadriel is controversial in The Rings of Power
In J.R.R. Tolkien's works, Elrond actually ends up with Galadriel's daughter, Celebrían. Elrond and Celebrían's daughter is Arwen, who plays such a major role in The Lord of the Rings.
Galadriel is married to Celeborn in Tolkien's works – and in the show – and though he's been mentioned in The Rings of Power, he hasn't yet appeared. That means the kiss between Elrond and Galadriel is kind of weird on two levels, considering Elrond is locking lips with his future mother-in-law, who also happens to be a married woman.
Though, of course, within the show, Elrond seems to be kissing Galadriel purely as a distraction technique. Just before the moment, he slips off his cloak pin, which Galadriel later uses to escape Adar and the Uruk-hai. It seems pretty clear that, during the kiss, Elrond passes Galadriel the pin for this exact purpose.
Now, why he decided kissing her was the best distraction is a mystery… and it'll surely lead to an uncomfortable story for Celebrían, someday.
You can check out our Rings of Power season 2 release schedule to keep up to date, or see our Rings of Power season 2 review for our spoiler-free verdict on all eight episodes.
