Just saw over on Reddit there's been some more possible spoilers about the filming of "Rings of Power" season 3 last month before they wrapped and who was spotted on set!!! 😀
In October they were filming battle scenes in Hackney and we had set pics of a lot of the elves fighting. There's been an update posted on the Reddit for the show saying that the actors who play Gil Galad, Galadriel, Elrond, and the "book elf" Jamie Campbell Bower is playing were all spotted. The scenes are them fighting against Sauron's forces but not sure if it's orcs and/or men, as he'll have some groups of men on his side by then too. They're not sure if Sauron/Charlie was there or not, or if these scenes are from the season 3 finale, since we've also seen pictures of Pharazon in armor too possibly on Middle Earth too which if in the finale could be him and his forces capturing Sauron.
Great to hear that Galadriel was in these scenes. Also that Jamie's character is being called a "book elf". I've agreed with others that he's likely Glorfindel instead of Celeborn and I feel this proves it more. We know Glorfindel was allowed to come back by the Valar to fight with the elves against Sauron with his added powers. It also seems too fast for them to somehow find Celeborn, wherever he's been, and for him to be doing these big battle scenes all in one season. Just keeps seeming more likely to fit Glorfindel's story.
Thinking about Mark capturing Helena bc he noticed she was stalking him and he locks her up in his basement and fucks her <3 Like.. she's into him, but she's also scared of him so she's all confused if she likes his attention or not, it's not how she wanted it to happen, how they would get to fuck
Wait so did Helena know that the claymation thing was going to out Mark and Helly’s kiss to everyone or did she experience that in real time with the others while Milchick is just standing off to the side of the room serenely smiling knowing she can’t do anything about it
I hope severance fandom knows characters aren’t the mouthpieces of god in universe.As in Dan Erickson wasn’t speaking through Irving when he said Helly was never cruel.This was true for a very specific set of circumstances which applied to Irving at the moment(and the innies).Harmony isn’t the prophetess some of you think she is either.Her perception of Helena is deeply influenced by her personal suffering at the hand of Eagans.Just because she told iMark Helena will never care about him because she’s an Eagan doesn’t make it true.Her saying there’s no honeymoon ending for Mark and Helly doesn’t mean it’s Ben Stiller speaking through her.Characters say and do things in the story sometimes so later they can be proven wrong further down the line.What I mean is if you don’t like a particular character or relationship don’t use what a character said about said character or relationship as word of god to justify your perception.Characters aren’t affirming your dislike for a character or confirming the endgame for your favourite ship.You are reaching that conclusion by yourself.
It’s interesting to me that whenever Helena is outside Lumon she’s all bundled up. Like all the way up to her neck. Even seemingly wearing leg warmers or boots over her tights.
Even in the car on the way to Lumon in episode 9. She’s bundled up to her neck.
At Zufu she keeps the top of her jacket open a bit. A teeny bit of vulnerability.
I don’t think Helena really has an identity at all. Like I don’t think she’s ever been given the opportunity to form one so she doesn’t really lie in any space in terms of identity she just occupies whatever space makes her feel safe. Sometimes that’s a masculine space sometimes that’s a feminine space. Sometimes it’s be serious and emotionless and sometimes it’s be jokey and fun. If you asked Helena what does she truly want to be and what does she want from her life and who is she truly at her core? I don’t think she would have an answer. I don’t think she knows. She’s never had the opportunity to examine it.
I might be a minority here, but I really disagree with that theory that Helena thought Mark liked her, because, honestly, I think it makes Helena seem a bit stupid. He knew he didn't like her. Except maybe if it was about her personality, and she was right because he did like it. But I'll elaborate.
This got lengthier than I expected. I also rant about the drowning scene.
I think Helena is well aware that Mark S likes Helly and if at any point he was to learn that it was her outie there instead, he wouldn't like her. What she does believe, though, imo, is that she's entitled to that affection.
Not in the sense, as people said also, that she went to the severed floor for love. come on. look at her face on 2x02, both when they said "we'll give him everything he wants, including Helly R" and when she goes down the elevator. Helena doesn't want to go to the severed floor.
However, the moment she saw the footage of the kiss, she realised her innie had a richer life than her and once she saw Mark going all dewy-mouthed about her (and the hug and all that), she thought "hey, why shouldn't I enjoy that as well?".
But she knew it wasn't about her. She knew he wouldn't like Helena Eagan, and that's why she admits she doesn't like who she was outside, but not who she is.
However, however, she would be correct in assuming that Mark likes the person she was when she was down there. Because he did. Sure, Mark had feelings for Helly since before the OTC, but those feelings matured in the weeks between the OTC and the ORTBO and, although we can't tell how much of the person she was down there was truly her and how much it was her portrayal of Helly, imo opinion, a lot of it was her. Not just because she and Helly are the same person and some characteristics are intrinsic to both of them, but also because I think that, down there, she let out a real side of her she doesn't allow to surface anywhere else. And Mark liked that, and that's part of the reason why he felt so betrayed and guilty.
So I think she'd be correct in assuming that he liked her personality, while acknowledging he couldn't like Helena Eagan (both because she was deceiving him and because she's an Eagan).
That said, something else I REALLY disagree with that derives from that "he thought he liked her and at the drowning scene realised that that wasn't true", is that that's now how I read the scene at the waterfall At All.
Again, probably a minority here, but that scene wasn't about no one doing anything to save Helena Because Mark, even in his confusion, even if he hated Helena, wouldn't be okay with Irving killing Helly's body. Similarly, Milchick wasn't frozen because he didn't care.
IT WAS BECAUSE IT WAS A WHAT THE FUCK MOMENT
No one was prepared for Irving to straight up drown someone (nope, not forgave him yet), and they were further frozen because of the revelation. Helena's shout is what spurs Milchick into motion because it snaps him out of that.
I really don't think Helena would've read that scene as "Mark doesn't care about me, he didn't come to save me", because no one had time for anything. Because if Mark was on his right mind in those brief moments where he wasn't running to save her, he would've run towards her anyway, because that was Helly's body.
I don't want to say that this is another excessive victimization of Helena, but. well.
Like, things were dire enough for her. She was drowning, Helly's father figure caught up on her, threatened her (just like her own father does!), tried to kill her, busted her cover. She doesn't need, from a writing perspective, to also say "oh, and both Mark and my subordinate would let me die", like. She's a tragic enough figure without that.
it really frustrates me when people refer to markhelly’s love as “teenage love.” i never see that argument used against burt and irving, and mind you, they’ve had about the same amount of time together as mark and helly, yet their love is never diminished in any way. same with idylan and gretchen. he met her, like, twice and was already proposing, and their love is taken seriously. so why is it only mark and helly’s relationship that gets downplayed?? i genuinely don’t get it and probably never will. we’ve had two seasons showing how deeply their connection runs, how much it’s changed them for the better. they make each other better. the way their love has been built into the narrative is so intentional and well done. love didn’t just transcend for burt and irving or dylan and gretchen, it did for mark and helly too. that was the whole point of the zufu scene! it doesn’t matter that helly is helena eagan. it doesn’t matter that mark scout is “married.” these two will find a way to be together. so downplay their relationship all you want, it doesn’t change the fact that their love is a huge part of the story whether you like it or not.
Britt Lower to Variety on if a sense of hopelessness looms over her portrayal of Helly in Season 2, knowing her outie is Helena, the heir to Lumon (June 12, 2025)
I know it's been said many times before, but I just can't get over Britt Lower's acting, because it's SO GOOD. This is true for a lot of reasons, but specifically I'm blown away by the subtleties in her portrayal of Helena.
The way you can immediately tell something is off when Helena replaces Helly? The way Helena and Helly are able to be read as distinctly different characters just by their body language and tone? The way you can see hesitance in Helena's eyes whenever she feels vulnerable? The look on her face when she entered the elevator and turned control of her body over? The way she speaks down to Helly like a scolding mother? The way her smiles are wider than Helly's, yet less happy? The sputter of her laugh when she just couldn't hold it in anymore? The monologues she gives with just her face? Her stiffness and cool control contrasted against Helly's bold carelessness?
and since I don't gaf about staying in the fandoms good graces anymore I can finally say I derive so much happiness from knowing markgemmas will never be vindicated for all this lying ass PR they're doing like when I remember how hopeless it is for them and how hard they're pushing despite this I laugh really hard
