An elaborated proposal for the Elven story of S1

Warning, long! And SPOILERS, obviously.

Continuing on my previous post dealing with the show as a whole.

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THE CHARACTERS

We can make some pretty good guesses which Elf characters will play a role in the show. However, a lot of them are really thinly drawn, if at all, and we need to differentiate them. I can see a couple of axes we can do that on - their relation to Middle Earth vs Valinor, their general optimism and idealism, the desire for power and gain vs joy in things for themselves, personal ambition, interests, opinions on other Free Peoples. With that in mind, I'll try to now sketch out the Elves as I see them.

Gil-Galad - Does not actually love ME, has a strong desire to see Valinor and strongly regrets the Noldor rebellion. However, as the rightful king of the High Elves, he stays in ME because he sees it as his duty to remain with his people, as well as to ""keep the fort" at the Gray Havens for all Elves desiring to cross the sea. Practical and pragmatic, more interested in government and strategy than knowledge and beauty (though that does not mean he can't appreciate those)

Cirdan - Ancient, wise, of few words. More of a supporting character. Having seen everything in his long life even for an Elf, he's now mostly just concerned with his ships and the craft and pleasure of making and maintaining them. Gil-Galad's mentor and father figure. Eventually will fill a similar role for Aldarion too, started by mutual interest in sea voyaging (Gil-Galad will also grow to see Aldarion as a quasi-brother close friend). It is hinted he might have some special connection with the Valar, acting as an indirect - sometimes prophetic - spokesperson for them. (Remember him knowing who Gandalf was when the Wizard arrived in ME and other instances of foresight - I suspect Ulmo whispers to his ear sometimes...)

Elrond - Young, still somewhat inexperienced, but eager, capable, in the height of his vigor. Not as idealistic as Celebrian but a far cry from the more serious and grand Elrond of the late Third Age. Has a passion for knowledge and lore but more for its own pleasure, not for gain. Gil-Galad's right-hand man, not a slouch as a warrior and leader but his strongest quality is his ability to understand and communicate with people, thus often serves as Gil-Galad's emissary and diplomat. Possible regret over being parted with his brother, who chose to be mortal (thus maybe having some hidden bitterness towards Men).

Celebrian - The youngest, brightest and most idealistic of all the Elf characters. Having never seen Valinor and being born after Morgoth's defeat, has the most pure love for ME and it's imperfect beauty. Feels an affinity for nature and the simple life of the wood Elves of Lorien and elsewhere. Loves her mother Galadriel but is more akin in nature to Celeborn her father. Their mutual idealism draws her and Elrond together.

Celebrimbor - Has a strong love for ME and desire to see it healed and improved, as well as a strong passion for knowledge - though more practically focused than Elrond's. However, these are strongly intertwined with and motivated by his ambition and desire for personal glory and acclaim. Will be the main representative of the fall to possessiveness and the temptation of the Machine. Strongly desires to atone for the damage done by his ancestor Feanor but ends up making many of the same mistakes. Has a fascination for Galadriel, whom he feels a kindred soul - growing over time into unrequited love and eventually bitterness.

Celeborn - Smart and capable, but perhaps feels overshadowed by Galadriel - with the Sindar as a whole perhaps feeling overshadowed by the Noldor - and unsure of his own quality. Often and strongly disagrees with Galadriel (and the Noldor) but their emotional bond is strong and they keep each other stable and their mutual flaws under control. His defining characteristic and biggest flaw is his strong dislike and distaste for the Dwarves, motivated by the sack of his home of Doriath in the First Age.

Galadriel - The nexus of all the Elven characters, having a share in all their skills and characteristics (yes, I'm referencing Melkor). She loves ME, but also has a strong desire to see Valinor again (which she is the only one of the main Elf characters to have ever actually seen). She is wise and knowledgeable but also physically capable and practical. She is prideful and desires independent power and glory (and that's partly why she loves ME) and has a capability for being ruthless but it's tempered by a sense of her own fallibility born our of the pain of the First Age and a genuine care for others. Her greatest weakness is the inner conflict of having to deal with those contradictions and opposing forces within her. Her greatest strength is her ability to successfully balance them. Of all the characters she is actually most similar to Celebrimbor, but crucially more able to moderate her negative characteristics. This enables us to establish both a kinship and a contrast between them, the two main Elven figures of the show in a real sense.

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THE PLOT

The Elven story starts in the Gray Havens, with a feast attended by all of our Elven characters. It's a feast in memory of their fallen kin from the past (an opportunity for some info-dumping via a reciting of the deeds of the First Age over shots of historical murals or some such), as well as a "goodbye party" for a new batch of ME Elves that have decided to leave over the sea. We meet our characters. It's a wonderful and joyful feast, as only the Elves can make one, but given the ocassion obviously there are some mixed emotions involved. And there's some subtle tension. A small Dwarven delegation from the Blue Mountains is present as guests, and at one point tensions flare up with some Sindar lead by Celeborn, but are quickly defused by Galadriel and Celebrimbor, who are friendly to the Dwarves. Further, a faction of Noldor lead by Celebrimbor has grown restless in Lindon, not satisfied with Gil-Galad's apparent satisfaction with protecting what they already have instead of expanding into the empty lands of ME and healing and developing them. Their desire is further fired up by the news brought by the Dwarves that mithril has been found by their kin in Khazad-dum, and Celebrimbor seeks Galadriel with the intention of convincing her to back their plan and lead them there, which would in his view ensure Gil-Galad's blessing (which they do not necessarily need, but see as advantageous).

Meanwhile, Galadriel is facing a dilemma. She's the respected First Age veteran, a legend among the Elves, but has been lying low for a while, not sure of her aim and purpose. Should she abandon her original pride and ambition and her memories and depart for Valinor too? Elrond believes she should (this is obviously based on that audition scene) and Celeborn affirms he would follow her anywhere (though not necessarily happy at leaving ME, and Celebrian really doesn't like the idea). The idea of leaving slowly starts prevailing in her, but then Celebrimbor introduces his plans to her. Impressed by the grandness of them and with her desire for power and a land of her own where she could improve the world as she sees fit rekindled, she is convinced, and the decision to found Eregion is made. Oh, Elrond also meets Celebrian for the first time here.

Time jump, and we move to the newly established Eregion. Still unfinished but already wonderful. The Noldor are working hard on their new home, happy and energized. Celebrimbor's Guild is established. Elrond arrives, to see their progress, and continuing on to Moria and further to Lorien, on a diplomatic "tour" as Gil-Galad's emissary. Galadriel and Celebrimbor join him, and this gives us a chance to be introduced to those places. (Celebrian, who wishes to see Lorien and spend time with Elrond whom she fancies, comes too - Celeborn of course stays behind, to rule while they're gone and having no intention of entering Moria). In Moria we meet Durin and Narvi, with whom Celebrimbor immediately bonds over their shared love of craft. And just in general we see a growing friendship develop between the Dwarves and the Elves. In Lorien we meet king Amroth - the Silvan Elves are friendly but we get hints that they're not crazy about all these high and mighty "High" Elves coming to potentially disrupt their lives (even though Amroth is actually Sindar himself, but has adopted Silvan culture).

Meanwhile, in Lindon things are going as they've always been, though with an occasional visit from the Numenoreans lead by Aldarion. However, one night, while Gil-Galad and Cirdan are enjoying the night sky and looking at Earendil's star (and commenting on it being their old friend - and Elrond's dad, lmao - gotta intrigue the viewers to check out the Silmarillion), suddenly what seemed like just a star starts moving and growing larger and approaching from the sea. They follow it to its place of landing and see a majestic figure, who greets them and introduces himself - Annatar, emissary of the Valar. They welcome him, though they aren't completely sure what to make of him and of his purpose. He spends a while in Lindon, mostly just observing and being friendly. Cirdan is surprised at his arrival and eventually confides to Gil-Galad that he does in fact know emissaries from the West will come, but not for a good while yet, and they will come in mortal bodies and on a ship (foreshadowing Glorfindel and the Wizards here). Elrond returns from his travels and is immediately suspicious of Annatar, sensing that he is hiding something.

They finally confront him - and he "reveals" that while he is indeed a Maiar from Valinor, he has come secretly of his own will, taking pity on ME and unhappy with what he sees as the passiveness and neglect of the Valar, desiring to help them. Gil-Galad, reverent of the Valar, vary of the Elves again risking going against their will, and having a bad feeling about Annatar (and unhappy at being lied to), refuses him and orders him to leave Lindon. The purpose of all this is to misdirect the viewers as to who Annatar is and what his "secret" is, allow Annatar/Sauron to espouse some of his ideas and motivations while making it as believable as possible that the Elves wouldn't at once see through him, and also explain Gil-Galad's refusal.

Then we move back to Eregion. Time has passed since we last saw it. At first, further benefiting from cooperation with the Dwarves, it has prospered, but slowly problems start creeping in - the Elves start again feeling the full force of the mortality and impermanence of the mortal lands (a good deal stronger than in Lindon, which has been tamed for a while). The weather attacks them. Drought, then storms. A blight spreads on their crops. Dangerous wild beasts and Orcs still roam the woods. Things are damaged, people wounded and some even killed, all a great grief to the Elves. There are troubling rumors of a dark power rising far beyond the mountains. With a harsh winter approaching, the prospect of not having enough food rises.

Celebrimbor advocates seeking direct aid from the Dwarves but that would be a great wound to Elven pride, and Celeborn is especially opposed. Celebrimbor also calls for allowing him and his people more and more research into tools that can increase their powers to overtly intervene into nature, even into the passage of time itself, with Celeborn advising caution. Galadriel leans towards Celebrimbor but is still hesitating. Suddenly, Annatar arrives and offers help. Word about him has reached Eregion but besieged with difficulties and tough choices, Annatar being very eloquent and convincing and getting the people on his side, and with their motivations and desires much more aligned with him than Gil-Galad's, Galadriel uneasily accepts him. She also allows him to help Celebrimbor (who immediately takes a liking to Annatar) in his research, which she sanctions.

With Annatar's help and knowledge, Eregion slowly recovers and prospers again, even more than before. Celebrimbor starts making minor magic rings, and his renown grows. Amid the glory of her realm, Galadriel, though at first placated and even somewhat enthusiastic, is however increasingly not happy, ever more distrustful of Annatar. She does not remember him from Valinor. He shows little interest in the Dwarves (to their great disappointment), which one would not expect from a Maiar of Aule. Elrond arrives from Gil-Galad, conveying their concerns. Annatar constantly travels, supposedly to find other places in need of help and to investigate the growing darkness, but they don't know exactly where. Dark dreams trouble her. And really, she just plainly doesn't like him, scorning his flattery (Celebrimbor, though, loves it). With Elrond's help, she sets out to find more. Together they discover something that convinces them that he is not to be trusted.

(Now, I'm not quite sure what to do here. How clear should their discovery be and what should it be? Maybe they capture an Orc and somehow learn something from him? Decipher some of Annatar's manuscripts to reveal signs of Morgoth-lore? Maybe they follow Annatar and see him meeting with Orcs or mysterious dark figures? Maybe they see him assailed by Orcs, only for the Orcs to freeze at seeing his face, bow to him and run away? Or maybe somehow completely reveal to them that he's Sauron? Would that be too soon?) Galadriel orders Annatar to leave and Celebrimbor to cease using his teachings. The people, who have benefited from Annatar, are unhappy. The Mirdain, on the cusp of a great breakthrough in regard to the rings, are furious. Annatar denies any accusations, warns that this is just the dark power seeding conflict within them (the irony) and accuses Galadriel of simply being jealous of the fact that it was Annatar and the great Celebrimbor that made the realm prosper, not her (claims not completely without merit, perhaps). But he leaves.

A short while passes, and suddenly Eregion is attacked on all sides by large bands of mountain Orcs. Elves are caught by surprise and horirble fighting ensues. In the midst of it, when things look pretty ugly, Annatar returns, glowing white and powerful on a white horse (deliberate echoes of Gandalf - actually, I'd try to draw as many deceptive parallels as possible in this manner everywhere in the story) and decimates and scares off the Orcs. The Elves welcome him as a hero, see Galadriel's accusations as discredited and lead by Celebrimbor demand she steps down. She refuses but a short relatively bloodless (but not completely) coup follows and she's forced to leave Eregion in shame, but still convinced that Annatar is no good. She departs for Lorien (where Celebrian might be visiting at the time?), but Celeborn again refuses to go into Moria and stays behind.

The news reaches Lindon, where it among other bad incoming news contributes to Gil-Galad sending the letter to Meneldur. Back in Eregion the Mirdain with Annatar's help forge many rings, and when the work is nearing completion, Annatar leaves ostensibly on some errand. Celebrimbor reveals that unknown to Annatar he has been working on the Three Rings - he's not completely gullible and trusting (though also he just wanted to keep the credit for them to himself). The Three are finished and Celebrimbor puts one on. He's exhilerated by its effect but suddenly his perception gets inexorably pulled over miles and miles of land to Orodruin where he sees a dark figure chanting the Ring Verse and putting on a golden ring, still hot. The figure turns, perceiving him, angry at being discovered, and in the flicker of the fire Celebrimbor sees the figure alternating between Annatar and Sauron. He pulls off his ring, and in horror understands what has happened and the magnitude of his folly.

That seems like a great point to end the season.

I've got a bunch of ideas for the other potential theaters of the story too, but this is long enough, lmao. Opinions?