he is so perfect in this role, I cannot--
like. look, you don't understand. I've had Sam Neill as my Círdan in my head since like...'03, '04? I was that bitch who was whining on Livejournal and moaning when the super popular LotR websites were painting the Shipwright as basically Draco Malfoy's father with silver hair (no, no kidding, I cannot tell you how many blends/photomanips I saw of beardless Círdan who looked as cold as ice, and that was like, accepted as the canon. Go straight to hell, damn). Like. I was so ready to panic about who they cast as this astounding, beautiful elf that I have loved for the longest time. Who could do better than who I casted in my head?
Ben goddamn Daniels is who.
He is so absolutely, utterly Círdan I can hardly believe it. He is this paragraph come to life: "Very tall he was, and his beard was long, and he was grey and old, save that his eyes were keen as stars", and the way he plays him, oh goodness. I can see all his wisdom and kindness and age and longing and steadfastness.
I mean. Just. Goddamn. Like, do you have any idea how much this elf has denied his own happiness and longing to make sure his divinely appointed task wasn't just done, but done well? And his longing was like a sunset that never passed into dusk, no less -- and Ben Daniels communicated that in his performance. And took my breath away wholly.
I have fallen in love with this character ten times harder than I already was, and that, my friends, is utterly unheard of. This actor is a delight and this show is a Silmaril in the sunset. ♥
