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Culture War Roundup for the week of September 5, 2022

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Your heroine version of heroine's journey definitely fits Captain Marvel movie. Now I had some discussions around Galadriel character in latest Rings of Power TV show. Some people defend it as hero's journey:

  • Galadriel had her brother die tragically

  • Galadriel is now raging and obsessed with revenge which is her flaw

  • Galadriel listens to the call for adventure to find Sauron and enact her revenge on him at all costs. And she has success finding various clues about him

  • Galadriel is too hardcore, pushing everybody away from her due to her single-minded focus on revenge, this is her flaw

Now there are some not so subtle hints that the character of Halbrand is the Sauron and he will use her rage to actually enact his plan. Which will cause Galadriel to almost lose everything. Then she gets rid of the flaw, gives up the whole "warrior Guyladriel" shit and becomes protector/enchantress Galadriel from the books. Now I'd actually love this arc, although I would definitely had it described differently. It would be good if in prologue Galadriel was not warrior-princess but more measured wise woman. Only death of her brother driving her to embrace the flaw.

Another potential version of this character arc using your heroine arc:

  • Galadriel is the bestest ever: the wisest, fairest, smartest and best warrior out there. She is pure

  • Galadriel will have her wings clipped in some future episode, maybe being tricked by Halbrand/Sauron and other male characters who will be successful at putting her down.

  • Galadriel will fail to attain as much success as before with this tactic.

  • Galadriel will be in the end forced to use actual force to save hobbits and other main characters. Only to be chastized for it so she returns to her pacific ways

  • Saurons takes advantage and kills loads of people - including weakling men that held her down

  • Galadriel is pissed, picks up her sword and decapitates sauron Arya Stark style in 5 seconds

  • All the men who offered any criticism will bend their knees to her and proclaim her as the true Elven Warlord for the end of times

  • The End

I am actually "looking forward" to seeing where the show moves with her story.

I would agree that "I am only fighting as a warrior because of my rage and I should be doing something else that I have more honest motives for" counts as a flawed heroine. But my confidence that a major American producer these days would have such a plot is close to zero.