Now, Payne and McKay sit down with The Hollywood Reporter to discuss a few fan complaints and why they believe they took their characters and show in the right direction. One criticism that’s been brought up is Galadriel and her character being “too masculine,” along with never traveling to Númenor. Payne has an immediate rebuttal, saying, “I would love to see in Tolkien where it says Galadriel never went to Númenor — that doesn’t exist. Second, one of her nicknames is “Nerwen,” which means “man-maiden.” And third, she does not act masculine!”
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McKay reiterated his statement, adding, “Also, the name ‘Galadriel’ is loosely translated in Elvish as a maiden with a crown of golden hair,” he explains. “The reason she had a crown of golden hair is because when she would fight and do all sorts of sparring with other elves… she would braid her hair up and put it up on top of her head [to stay out of the way]. So in the etymology is the idea that Galadriel is a warrior.” It seems as though both writers understand the Galadriel character, although all Tolkien fans apparently won’t agree.
Payne and McKay Are Satisfied With the Pace of Season 1
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The Rings of Power features a massive ensemble cast, with plenty of locations spread out across the vast world Tolkien created. The first few episodes focus on exploring the characters and their motivations before we embark on the grand journey the writers have set up, and they are happy with the pacing at the beginning of the season.
“I hope that people can key in for the journey,” Payne says. “A lot of blockbusters have a breakneck pace where you’re wheeled from one set piece to the next until it all collapses under its own weight. Tolkien will take his time and let you sink into characters, to a journey, and journeys can be hard in Tolkien. I hope people will have the patience to settle in for a Tolkien epic.”
