Television The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

neverdie

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Gotta feel for the ideologs, so determined to hate this from the start, grimacing through all this fun and sweetness, repeating a this is bad mantra as the show shapes itself into an excellent version of what they probably wanted anyway.

Galadriel is the best. She is warrior princess but a clumsy diplomat, hubristic and vulnerable. Love them Harfoots, leaning into those rustic, salt of the earth clichés. E.T. and Elliot vibes from your magical homeless there. Evil man is sinister enough.

It is a little bit ramshackled with its mixing of tones and temperaments but I think that gives it a certain energy and momentum. It doesn't have that stylistically consistent, singular vision of Peter Jackson but it feels lighter on its feet and less conservative as a result.
i think it depends on whether the last episode is a sign of things to come. it would signify a very smart alteration in the pacing of the thing which has been problematic as well as an overall improvement in the dialogue. someone else said that it will work if the next three episodes play to the pacing set by the latest and, even as someone who has not been impressed with it so far, i would agree with that overall.
 
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Gehrman

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The ending was cool. Otherwise I find it difficult to be engaged with this show. Galadriel is still terrible and very few of the characters are engaging. It moves so slow as well. 6 hours now and I don't really feel much has happened.

I doubt we'll see Sauron before the final episode in this season or it still might be Halbrand.
 
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SuperiorXI

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The ending was cool. Otherwise I find it difficult to be engaged with this show. Galadriel is still terrible and very few of the characters are engaging. It moves so slow as well. 6 hours now and I don't really much has happened.

I doubt we'll see Sauron before the final episode in this season or it still might be Halbrand.
Just think if she didn't swim into that raft, she'd still be swimming back to Middle-Earth.
 

Nou_Camp99

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This latest episode wasnt good, it wasn't great...it was phenomenal.

Feels like the show has truly arrived now. :)
 

Nou_Camp99

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Is it worth persisting with? Currently about half way through episode 5 and finding it really difficult to stick with on account of it being... well... shit.
It's not shit. Just building the story.

Episode 6 will blow your socks off. Absolutely phenomenal.
 

Gehrman

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That episode left me with goosebumps. For those saying it was slow moving, how much more fecking fast paced could you get than that!?!?!?
I think I'm just more suited to binge watching this season pr. season rather than waiting a week to see what happens next. We are 6 hours in and yeah something grand finally happened. Now we can wait another week to see the stranger again and then perhaps in some season we'll see Sauron. But the ending was definitely epic. Don't really believe Adar killed Sauron in any meaningfull sense of the word. Sauron is the most powerfull of the Maiar.
 

Red Shorts

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I think I'm just more suited to binge watching this season pr. season rather than waiting a week to see what happens next. We are 6 hours in and yeah something grand finally happened. Now we can wait another week to see the stranger again and then perhaps in some season we'll see Sauron. But the ending was definitely epic. Don't really believe Adar killed Sauron in any meaningfull sense of the word. Sauron is the most powerfull of the Maiar.
It's going to be 5 seasons long, each episode being an hour which is more than your typical show. I think the pacing itself has been spot on, the characters are getting better as we progress in my opinion, and the tension is continuing to build.

I don't believe Adar killed Sauron either. Perhaps near-fatally wounded him, but I don't see them "reviving" Sauron only to have him defeated by Isildur at the end of the series (if they do stick to the storyline in that regard).

On another note, Arondir has now become one of my favourite characters in this series. He's a grittier version of Legolas (who was also my favourite in LOTR, controversially).
 

bringbackbebe

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I'm officially giving up after this episode. I have no idea what's going on. I'm by no means a purist but this series is to LOTR what holy spider in that South Park episode is to the Catholic church.

 

Organic Potatoes

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I thought they’d leave Mt Doom erupting for the finale, so it was pretty cool to see it already.

The most brilliant aspect of this show, which doesn’t get enough credit, is how it has you rooting for the bad guys to win. If it wasn’t for Galadriel riding her horse upside down we could’ve really been winning.
 

Red Shorts

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I thought they’d leave Mt Doom erupting for the finale, so it was pretty cool to see it already.

The most brilliant aspect of this show, which doesn’t get enough credit, is how it has you rooting for the bad guys to win. If it wasn’t for Galadriel riding her horse upside down we could’ve really been winning.
I was gunning for them to cut Theo's head off, but unfortunately did not come to fruition
 

weetee

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I kinda enjoy it - though that might be down to me not having watched any series for a long time. It does have possibly the worst intro ever in my opinion.

That said, I really dislike the Numenor storyline. Doesn't help that Galadriel and the other dude (supposed to be king, forgot the name) don't have any real chemistry going on nor are they good actors imho and those Numenors (three buddies + that sister of one) really do nothing for me, in fact they looked totally tacked on. I would have much appreciated it if they rather took that time to show more of the other factions and flesh them out. Now it's all a bit cardboardish and strangely rushed while also drawn out at the same time which doesn't help. I understand that they don't want to show the Orcs that much (they're awesome imho) to build up the momentum.
 

Red Shorts

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I kinda enjoy it - though that might be down to me not having watched any series for a long time. It does have possibly the worst intro ever in my opinion.

That said, I really dislike the Numenor storyline. Doesn't help that Galadriel and the other dude (supposed to be king, forgot the name) don't have any real chemistry going on nor are they good actors imho and those Numenors (three buddies + that sister of one) really do nothing for me, in fact they looked totally tacked on. I would have much appreciated it if they rather took that time to show more of the other factions and flesh them out. Now it's all a bit cardboardish and strangely rushed while also drawn out at the same time which doesn't help. I understand that they don't want to show the Orcs that much (they're awesome imho) to build up the momentum.
The Numenor storyline did take it a bit off-piste, I agree with that as well as Isildur's mates being very out of place. Don't agree however with Galadriel and Halbrand (the name you forgot) being bad actors. They play their roles really well in my opinion.

Galadriel did seem to be one dimensional for most of the episodes, but I felt she showed more in this one than any other in terms of diversity of emotions.
 

weetee

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The Numenor storyline did take it a bit off-piste, I agree with that as well as Isildur's mates being very out of place. Don't agree however with Galadriel and Halbrand (the name you forgot) being bad actors. They play their roles really well in my opinion.

Galadriel did seem to be one dimensional for most of the episodes, but I felt she showed more in this one than any other in terms of diversity of emotions.
May be, I still don't find there any chemistry going on between them nor within their interaction within Numenor. It appears a bit dialled in or generic. Galadriel I find in total totally sufficient acting wise yet there was one scene - 3rd or so episode - where she rides that horse (I think once she arrived at Numenor, escaped and "flew" to that Elfen library) where she was constantly grinning as if something great has happened yet all the circumstances were just as bad as they ever where which killed it for me. That's obviously not down on the actress rather the director but that goes always hand in hand since I can only judge what I see and that felt incredibly out of place.
I also don't agree with presenting Galadriel (or most of the cast for what it's worth) so one dimensional - that's part of what I meant with cardboardish - but that's a problem with almost all the AAA shows and pictures so nothing new. Too much cliché and conventional to be really something I'D consider watching a second time (same goes for Peter Jacksons movie adaptions.)

But as I said, as pure entertainment I can see past those issues and enjoy it for what it is.
 

Gehrman

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So Galadriel ended up helping Sauron by having a host of Numenor destroyed by the eruption of Mt. Doom.
 

Nou_Camp99

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Not the words I would use at all. Bore your socks off maybe
Thats the trouble of being part of the sheeple. Can't think for yourself.

Go watch episode 6 and tell me that's boring. It was fabulous.
 

Donaldo

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May be, I still don't find there any chemistry going on between them nor within their interaction within Numenor. It appears a bit dialled in or generic. Galadriel I find in total totally sufficient acting wise yet there was one scene - 3rd or so episode - where she rides that horse (I think once she arrived at Numenor, escaped and "flew" to that Elfen library) where she was constantly grinning as if something great has happened yet all the circumstances were just as bad as they ever where which killed it for me. That's obviously not down on the actress rather the director but that goes always hand in hand since I can only judge what I see and that felt incredibly out of place.
I also don't agree with presenting Galadriel (or most of the cast for what it's worth) so one dimensional - that's part of what I meant with cardboardish - but that's a problem with almost all the AAA shows and pictures so nothing new. Too much cliché and conventional to be really something I'D consider watching a second time (same goes for Peter Jacksons movie adaptions.)

But as I said, as pure entertainment I can see past those issues and enjoy it for what it is.
Should've put this in the first line so that I could've stopped reading earlier.
 

lsd

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I'm sticking with it as I'm living in hope season 2 will correct the many wrongs in season 1.

I know there's no hope for the remaining episodes this season but episode 6 of anything was there worst yet.

More absolutely awful dialogue nonsense about finding the light.

The battle was rubbish and Galadriel gets more laughable every scene with her no we need him alive only to try and kill him two seconds later.

They have completely made a pig's ear out of it and as I say I'm not going to deny it and pretend it's good but just admit it and hope they get it right next time around
 

Nou_Camp99

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Joseph Mawle, the actor playing Adar, is doing a fabulous job. Really enjoying his performances.

Halbrand is definitely Sauron too I reckon. There's been a few subtle clues.
 

Van Piorsing

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Joseph Mawle, the actor playing Adar, is doing a fabulous job. Really enjoying his performances.
He's nailing it to the point, there's no need for Sauron to enter the scene that quickly with this kind of brilliant guy behind the wheel of glorious evil.

Halbrand is definitely Sauron too I reckon. There's been a few subtle clues.
:lol:

At some point, Sauron being in every character starting to make more sense... even the boy from the village.
 

Volumiza

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Joseph Mawle, the actor playing Adar, is doing a fabulous job. Really enjoying his performances.

Halbrand is definitely Sauron too I reckon. There's been a few subtle clues.
im beginning to wonder if Halbrand may eventually become the king of the dead under the mountain
 

Bobski

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Surprised there haven't been more complaints about Galadriel being such a badass in combat. How dare she.
Back to that eh?

Amazon, and others creators, running with the narrative that all criticism comes from sexist, racist, homophobic, over sensitive man babies doesn't exactly help when it comes to nuanced discussion

It is a 5 or 6 out of 10 show, carried hard by the sumptuous visuals and held back by the writing. Improve that for the second season and they could have something special on their hands.
 

Organic Potatoes

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He's nailing it to the point, there's no need for Sauron to enter the scene that quickly with this kind of brilliant guy behind the wheel of glorious evil.
He’s rocking that role. Other than everyone’s favorites Elrond and lil’ Durin, and Elendil for me, he’s the one I want all the screen time with. Like someone else said a ways back, it’s neat that he’s had multiple cool roles in big fantasy series.

There is another actor that sort of has done the same here within LOTR stuff but he’s much harder to spot, so I’ll let you guess if you don’t know already...
 

Reditus

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I didn’t realise they were in the area that was to become Mordor. Before this weeks I had been looking for maps to work out where they were and I found one which suggested they were in the east but north of Mordor. Obviously that was wrong
 

Gehrman

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im beginning to wonder if Halbrand may eventually become the king of the dead under the mountain
Nah the witch king or Sauron would be more interesting. He's declared the true king of the southlands and then it becomes Mordor