Why Galadriel doesn't talk about Celeborn

Galadriel has lost a lot of family in the events of the first age. When it comes to Rings of Power, perhaps the biggest surprise was hearing that she also lost her husband. Now anyone who’s seen the LOTR movies or read the books, knows Celeborn isn’t dead, but that’s not the point right now. Criticism came from the fact that Galadriel only mentioned him once throughout the show's entire first season, saying it doesn’t make sense that he matters so little to her, demanding justice for Celeborn. However, I believe it’s not as simple. Here’s why I believe Galadriel only brought up having lost Celeborn only once.

Unlike her husband, Galadriel mentions having lost her brother, Finrod, on several occasions. This is because it’s a different kind of pain. Galadriel saw Finrod’s body, she knows how he died, and she knows who’s responsible. Celeborn is a different story. As Galadriel states, he went to war and was never seen again. His death is uncertain. Galadriel cannot know his fate, doesn’t have anyone to blame, and is scared to hope he might still be alive. In a sense, knowing how Finrod died and by whose hand, gave her a sense of closure. She hasn’t processed it, but she knows his life is over. She can’t have the same with Celeborn. The uncertainty of his situation provides a whole other layer of pain and refuses her that knowledge of it being over. Losing Celeborn hurts much more and in a totally different way than Finrod, which is why she talks about her brother but not her husband.

But why tell Theo? I believe that has to do with how big of a part of Galadriel’s character is that she feels completely alone. She believes that no one can understand what she is feeling. No one has lived through what she has.

In episode 6, Orodruin erupts and in episode 7, Galadriel and Theo are traveling together to the Númenorian encampment. Galadriel sees her own reflection in Theo from basically the beginning which becomes important when Theo, still pretty early on in their journey, fueled by the loss of his home, starts talking about how everyone he’s ever known is probably dead. Galadriel encourages him to not start guessing things he cannot know. Later, however, it becomes clear that Theo is still fearful of his mother and people being dead. Driven by this fear, he asks Galadriel if she’s ever lost family to the orcs which is where she first talks about her husband in who knows how long, telling Theo about how Celeborn went missing. She did this because she knows what it is to be alone, feeling things that no one can understand. She tells Theo about Celeborn to show him that there is someone out there who knows what he’s feeling. How he fears losing his mother, and the uncertainty of his situation. She wants him to know that, even if he doesn’t know her, there is someone out there who understands. She wants him to feel less alone.