Television The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

glazed

Eats diamonds to beat thermodynamics
Joined
Sep 30, 2012
Messages
7,669
Dunno how are they going to frame the fall of numenor? In the books its because they raised the strongest fleet in history to attack the Valar and eru intervened.
i imagine it will be the same. CGI finale of season 2 maybe
 

RedSky

Shepherd’s Delight
Scout
Joined
Jul 27, 2006
Messages
74,250
Location
Hereford FC (Soccermanager)
I don't want to sound like a gatekeeper but the films aren't the gold standard for Tolkien nerds, the books are. And in the books Galdriel is already a Queen and a mother from early in the second age. This is fan fiction modern TV trope Galadriel and should be enjoyed as such. Tolkien might have recognised small elements of her as First Age Galdriel but I feel sure he would have considered this show overall as an atrocity.
All you do in this thread is gatekeep. You keep repeating the same things over and over, yes we understand that some of the lore is different, yes we understand that you keep saying its fan fiction. It's an adaptation, every adaptation is in essence fan fiction as all films, games and tv shows based on novels will never be 100% lore accurate. They've got one hand tied behind their backs due to the Tolkien estate. We will never know what Tolkien felt of the show or the films, it's all just your opinion, just like we'll never know what Shakespeare thinks of the countless examples of his work rewritten to film and tv. This obsession that it has to be 100% accurate or it's a travesty is bizarre.

If I want a 100% lore accurate depiction of Middle Earth, I'll go to my shelf and pick up one of the books. But even then Tolkien contradicts himself so it's a hard task at times.
 

glazed

Eats diamonds to beat thermodynamics
Joined
Sep 30, 2012
Messages
7,669
All you do in this thread is gatekeep. You keep repeating the same things over and over, yes we understand that some of the lore is different, yes we understand that you keep saying its fan fiction. It's an adaptation, every adaptation is in essence fan fiction as all films, games and tv shows based on novels will never be 100% lore accurate. They've got one hand tied behind their backs due to the Tolkien estate. We will never know what Tolkien felt of the show or the films, it's all just your opinion, just like we'll never know what Shakespeare thinks of the countless examples of his work rewritten to film and tv. This obsession that it has to be 100% accurate or it's a travesty is bizarre.
Well I enjoy Rings of Power for what it is but we can reasonably assume Tolkien would have hated it. His son Christopher Tolkien was the ultimate gatekeeper and we know that Amazon took more liberties than he allowed up to his death. CT didn't even like the movies that were quite respectful for the most part.
 

RedSky

Shepherd’s Delight
Scout
Joined
Jul 27, 2006
Messages
74,250
Location
Hereford FC (Soccermanager)
Well I enjoy Rings of Power for what it is but we can reasonably assume Tolkien would have hated it. His son Christopher Tolkien was the ultimate gatekeeper and we know that Amazon took more liberties than he allowed up to his death. CT didn't even like the movies that were quite respectful for the most part.
I realise I came across a bit snappy in that past post, apologies, long day.
 

Spoony

The People's President
Joined
Oct 27, 2001
Messages
63,184
Location
Leve Palestina.
I'll annoy Tolkien fans but most of his work was a struggle to read. I prefer the adaptations. The only one I enjoyed reading was the Fellowship.
 

Spoony

The People's President
Joined
Oct 27, 2001
Messages
63,184
Location
Leve Palestina.
I got a 2 month migraine reading Silmarillion for the first time.
That doesn't surprise me. I couldn't be arsed after the first page. And as much as I enjoyed reading the Fellowship, I found Two Towers a grind. The film's extended edition was such a great watch in comparison. The problem is they're both different mediums and fans of literary work will generally be disappointed with TV/film adaptations.
 

tomaldinho1

Full Member
Joined
Nov 26, 2015
Messages
17,746
I got a 2 month migraine reading Silmarillion for the first time.
Amazing thing about that book is it gets better every time. First time is like reading Ulysses combined with Moby Dick, it's an incredible amount of information to take in, arguably too detailed in places and it isn't really written as a story so there are parts that don't flow together - basically it's not reader friendly, similar to much of the source material Tolkien based LOTR on. It's an absolute goldmine though, easily top of the pile of all of his works with the most interesting and dramatic storylines.
 

Nou_Camp99

what would Souness do?
Joined
Apr 1, 2013
Messages
10,274
Everyone who is slating the show is still watching every episode it seems.

Hmm......
 

glazed

Eats diamonds to beat thermodynamics
Joined
Sep 30, 2012
Messages
7,669
The reviews seemed bad. I'm a huge Tolkien nerd. I'm afraid to watch this now :(
It's a visual feast. It's not really Tolkien so much as Dungeons and Dragons using the names of Tolkien's characters. But if you're ok with that and some occasionally iffy dialogue then it's a fun watch.
 

mu4c_20le

Full Member
Joined
Jul 7, 2013
Messages
43,676
The reviews seemed bad. I'm a huge Tolkien nerd. I'm afraid to watch this now :(
Literally the only type of people who truly hate it. But give it a try, and if you can tolerate Galadriel for the first two episodes, you should be good.
 

RedSky

Shepherd’s Delight
Scout
Joined
Jul 27, 2006
Messages
74,250
Location
Hereford FC (Soccermanager)
The reviews seemed bad. I'm a huge Tolkien nerd. I'm afraid to watch this now :(
If nothing else, they've nailed the dwarves in this. I also think Numenor is done very well too. I'd ignore the reviews and make your own mind up as there was always going to be bad reviews due to the Amazon backlash and people being annoyed that its woke (it isn't).
 

Utd heap

Models for Coin.
Joined
Aug 15, 2006
Messages
21,464
I'm only watching as my G.F is into LOTR. I can take it or leave it.

Was enjoying the series enough until that last episode which was absolute tosh bar the last ten minutes. Hopefully just a shit week.
 

Fully Fledged

Full Member
Joined
May 23, 2013
Messages
16,180
Location
Midlands UK
I'll annoy Tolkien fans but most of his work was a struggle to read. I prefer the adaptations. The only one I enjoyed reading was the Fellowship.
Why would that annoy anyone? I realise it does but why do people get so worked up because somebody else doesn't enjoy the same things they do.
 

Fully Fledged

Full Member
Joined
May 23, 2013
Messages
16,180
Location
Midlands UK
If nothing else, they've nailed the dwarves in this. I also think Numenor is done very well too. I'd ignore the reviews and make your own mind up as there was always going to be bad reviews due to the Amazon backlash and people being annoyed that its woke (it isn't).
I pretty much do this with everything I watch/play.

I'm a sucker for Western Fantasy/Medieval shows, films or games so I'll give anything a go and make my mind up if they are worth my time. As someone who was a teenager during the late 70's and early 80's I grew with much of the fantasy films out there being really bad, so no matter how bad this get it won't be as bad as some of the films I watched back in the day. That doesn't mean I have to give it a free pass though.
 

Andycoleno9

matchday malcontent
Joined
Mar 4, 2017
Messages
28,972
Location
Croatia
The reviews seemed bad. I'm a huge Tolkien nerd. I'm afraid to watch this now :(
Don't. It is a travesty. I am not a Tolkien nerd but i am huge fan who read, watched and played ( :) ) everything related to Lotr and i can tell you that this is utter garbage which leaves bad taste after watching it.
 

Zen86

Full Member
Joined
Jul 1, 2007
Messages
13,919
Location
Sunny Manc
I'm going to start this tonight. I've avoided any reviews or real conversation about it so far, although I'm aware of it having a pretty heavy backlash before it was even released.
 

bosnian_red

Worst scout to ever exist
Joined
Aug 13, 2011
Messages
58,014
Location
Canada
The reviews seemed bad. I'm a huge Tolkien nerd. I'm afraid to watch this now :(
I really enjoy it. Love the world, find it really interesting, pacing was good though last episode a bit slow, visually it is fantastic.

Also a point - I never get annoyed if tv doesn't hold true or has discrepancies from books. Game of thrones, witcher, LotR, whatever. It's a made up book. It's a made up show. Writers are within their rights to change what they want. Look at all of it as its unique thing.
 

Andycoleno9

matchday malcontent
Joined
Mar 4, 2017
Messages
28,972
Location
Croatia
I really enjoy it. Love the world, find it really interesting, pacing was good though last episode a bit slow, visually it is fantastic.

Also a point - I never get annoyed if tv doesn't hold true or has discrepancies from books. Game of thrones, witcher, LotR, whatever. It's a made up book. It's a made up show. Writers are within their rights to change what they want. Look at all of it as its unique thing.
I strongly disagree with you in this (maybe because i am huge geek).
The fact that it is made up world doesn't justify changing things. That "made up" world is made by someone and it has his fans who love it exactly just like it is.
Lotr, Got, Star wars, Star trek, fairytales...are all unique and should stay how their creator created them. Butchering those stories are just insult to their fans.

You either film it how they are or don't. Also nobody is stopping you (producers, not you personally :) ) to create new world and sell it to audience? No problem. Hire writters to create new original story and film it. But it is easier this way...lets use something great which has big fanbase and ride on that train.

But that is just my opinion. We are all different i guess
 

bosnian_red

Worst scout to ever exist
Joined
Aug 13, 2011
Messages
58,014
Location
Canada
I strongly disagree with you in this (maybe because i am huge geek).
The fact that it is made up world doesn't justify changing things. That "made up" world is made by someone and it has his fans who love it exactly just like it is.
Lotr, Got, Star wars, Star trek, fairytales...are all unique and should stay how their creator created them. Butchering those stories are just insult to their fans.

You either film it how they are or don't. Also nobody is stopping you (producers, not you personally :) ) to create new world and sell it to audience? No problem. Hire writters to create new original story and film it. But it is easier this way...lets use something great which has big fanbase and ride on that train.
It's hardly butchering it. Besides, this isn't quite like lord of the rings where there were 3 iconic books to base the movie off of entirely. Isn't this show based more on a collection of history notes, formed together to make a story? It's never been told as an actual full story. So they have to make their own stories. But either way even if it has ... They are within their rights to change it. It is its own thing. Their fans don't own it and it can be adjusted. Look at it as its own medium and judge it based on that, not based on a collection of history points written 60 years ago....

They get the rights to make a show out of it that is faithful to a lot, but changes some. That's fine. It's not like they are using character names and then changing every little and major detail to create a completely different story. The overarching story is what is kept the same. How we get there is up to the writers to make it good - it doesn't have to be the same.
 

tomaldinho1

Full Member
Joined
Nov 26, 2015
Messages
17,746
I strongly disagree with you in this (maybe because i am huge geek).
The fact that it is made up world doesn't justify changing things. That "made up" world is made by someone and it has his fans who love it exactly just like it is.
Lotr, Got, Star wars, Star trek, fairytales...are all unique and should stay how their creator created them. Butchering those stories are just insult to their fans.

You either film it how they are or don't. Also nobody is stopping you (producers, not you personally :) ) to create new world and sell it to audience? No problem. Hire writters to create new original story and film it. But it is easier this way...lets use something great which has big fanbase and ride on that train.

But that is just my opinion. We are all different i guess
I'm a big Tolkien fan but I wanted them to put their own mark on it, I don't really have an issue if things change given how little actual writing we have to work with. I view this as a standalone show and it's best looked at like that.

In a way it's fast becoming the Harry Maguire of tv series, the price of production mixed with past performances created unfulfillable expectations which have given rise to ludicrously over the top criticism. The truth is Maguire isn't a donkey or that bad, he's just not that good and that's the issue the show is having right now.
 

sullydnl

Ross Kemp's caf ID
Joined
Sep 13, 2012
Messages
34,063
I really enjoy it. Love the world, find it really interesting, pacing was good though last episode a bit slow, visually it is fantastic.

Also a point - I never get annoyed if tv doesn't hold true or has discrepancies from books. Game of thrones, witcher, LotR, whatever. It's a made up book. It's a made up show. Writers are within their rights to change what they want. Look at all of it as its unique thing.
Not only are they in their rights to do it, they'd be well advised to do it.

I don't want to watch a TV or film adaptation made by people who needlessly hindered themselves by rigidly operating within constraints set by different creators for a different audience in a wildly different medium.

I want adaptations made by people who do what the term implies and actually adapt things to fit the needs of their own creation, making whatever changes they feel are required to best serve their story for their audience in their medium. Because that's what I'm tuning in to see, not the exact same content that was in the books made worse by being transposed directly to a form it wasn't designed to fit.
 

bosnian_red

Worst scout to ever exist
Joined
Aug 13, 2011
Messages
58,014
Location
Canada
I'm a big Tolkien fan but I wanted them to put their own mark on it, I don't really have an issue if things change given how little actual writing we have to work with. I view this as a standalone show and it's best looked at like that.

In a way it's fast becoming the Harry Maguire of tv series, the price of production mixed with past performances created unfulfillable expectations which have given rise to ludicrously over the top criticism. The truth is Maguire isn't a donkey or that bad, he's just not that good and that's the issue the show is having right now.
I genuinely think it's a good show so far though! It's slow pacing for now, but it's slated for 5 seasons, give it time. They have to build the story up and I like that they aren't rushing it. The criticism that I've seen of it has mostly been the usual criticisms that are easily ignored - over the top book fan boys who get upset at any little deviation. Personally I'm really enjoying it and looking forward to every episode, though of course they'll need to move things along pretty soon as they can't just have "story build up" with no big events in the entire first season. But it's been only 4. So it's fine with me so far.
 

tomaldinho1

Full Member
Joined
Nov 26, 2015
Messages
17,746
I genuinely think it's a good show so far though! It's slow pacing for now, but it's slated for 5 seasons, give it time. They have to build the story up and I like that they aren't rushing it. The criticism that I've seen of it has mostly been the usual criticisms that are easily ignored - over the top book fan boys who get upset at any little deviation. Personally I'm really enjoying it and looking forward to every episode, though of course they'll need to move things along pretty soon as they can't just have "story build up" with no big events in the entire first season. But it's been only 4. So it's fine with me so far.
There's huge potential there but 5 seasons will have to be relatively slow placed, particularly because we know exactly where the series will end and Isildur is already a young man. I'm assuming this season we might not even see/find out who Sauron is and the climax will be
The Balrog killing Durin III whilst Durin IV is with the elves, then somehow being driven underground/sealed in cave or something. This satisfies the timeline as it's still Durin's Bane albeit it's killing a much earlier Durin
, we might not even see a ring of power until next season.
 

Bobski

Full Member
Joined
Sep 5, 2017
Messages
9,921
Everyone who is slating the show is still watching every episode it seems.

Hmm......
I don't think there are many who totally hate it. It looks gorgeous and there are moment that tease the possibility of real potential in the show. Only 4 episodes in as well.

However the writing needs to improve significantly, and I think the main character, Galadriel, is by far, the worst thing about the show, and the actress has been badly served by the writing team. Maybe that can change as the season progresses but they may need to rethink their approach there moving forward.
 

RedSky

Shepherd’s Delight
Scout
Joined
Jul 27, 2006
Messages
74,250
Location
Hereford FC (Soccermanager)
I'm curious to find out how Galadriel will react when she finds out that it isn't Sauron that's causing chaos in the Southlands but instead it's Adar. If Adar turns out to be a son of Feanor then it would end up being a good way for Galadriel to let go of her oath that's compelled her since her brothers death. The realization that she's heading down the same route as Adar would be a well written mirror and allow her to have decent character growth. That could also give an explanation on why the Elves trust Sauron and allow him to forge the rings, as he can flat out deny being responsible for the Southlands incident. But the only way this all works is if Sauron is already present with the Elves off screen. Which could be the case given that the Elf Lords were having a meeting in the first episode (the one Elrond wasn't allowed in) and then suddenly the Forge is being created... that would also explain why Gil-Galad ordered Galadriel away knowing that eventually she'd find out that Sauron was with the Elves at that moment.

That's my theory anyway.
 

caid

Full Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2014
Messages
8,312
Location
Dublin
I don't think there are many who totally hate it. It looks gorgeous and there are moment that tease the possibility of real potential in the show. Only 4 episodes in as well.

However the writing needs to improve significantly, and I think the main character, Galadriel, is by far, the worst thing about the show, and the actress has been badly served by the writing team. Maybe that can change as the season progresses but they may need to rethink their approach there moving forward.
I'm not that bothered by Galadriel specifically. Its her being catapulted from one end of middle earth and back again and the 20+ characters we've been introduced to along the way. Not to mention a few centuries (?) of history in the first episode. Having her sit on a boat calling Halibrand a wanker for an episode would be kind of welcome.
I'm sure it'll settle sooner or later and become a bit more focused. I'm just impatient. Its probably a good thing that i keep watching it every week despite wanting to wait till the end of the season and being annoyed by the release schedule.
 

glazed

Eats diamonds to beat thermodynamics
Joined
Sep 30, 2012
Messages
7,669
Literally the only type of people who truly hate it. But give it a try, and if you can tolerate Galadriel for the first two episodes, you should be good.
I'm a huge Tolkien nerd and I don't hate it. You just have to accept it's not Tolkien it's a modern riff on Tolkien. If I have an issue it's just not a very good story compared to LOTR or the Hobbit.
 

Cascarino

Magnum Poopus
Joined
Jul 17, 2014
Messages
7,616
Location
Wales
Supports
Swansea
I strongly disagree with you in this (maybe because i am huge geek).
The fact that it is made up world doesn't justify changing things. That "made up" world is made by someone and it has his fans who love it exactly just like it is.
Lotr, Got, Star wars, Star trek, fairytales...are all unique and should stay how their creator created them. Butchering those stories are just insult to their fans.
These things have all been changed though. You mentioned you played many LOTR games (I don't blame you, some of them are great), but they all took massive liberties with the story. So did the movies, and some of the changes that got criticised at the time I think make perfect sense with a movie format, like the exclusion of Tom Bombadil (sorry Tom). GoT is very different to asoiaf, Star Trek has had multiple generations, Star Wars has about a million different accompanying pieces of media, from comics to games to toasters. When you say you want these things to stay as their creator created them, does that you mean the LOTR movies shouldn't have been made? The games shouldn't have been made? We shouldn't be able to buy star wars toasters?

I've bolded fairytales because that's the one that stands out. Some fairy tales we tell today are thousands of years of old, that have long diverged from their original telling and filtered through various cultures and regions. What fairy tales did you have in mind?

Not only are they in their rights to do it, they'd be well advised to do it.

I don't want to watch a TV or film adaptation made by people who needlessly hindered themselves by rigidly operating within constraints set by different creators for a different audience in a wildly different medium.

I want adaptations made by people who do what the term implies and actually adapt things to fit the needs of their own creation, making whatever changes they feel are required to best serve their story for their audience in their medium. Because that's what I'm tuning in to see, not the exact same content that was in the books made worse by being transposed directly to a form it wasn't designed to fit.
Yeah, this is how I feel.

Even outside of practical differences like running time and the medium of exposition, I think some of the best adaptations go in a different direction to their source material, like the Shining, or even purposefully subvert it like Starship Troopers, for valid artistic reasons.
 
Last edited:

lefty_jakobz

I ❤️ moses
Joined
Aug 22, 2013
Messages
3,648
Never read the books, only watched the films and now started watching this show, first two episodes are a bit meh but the next two were decent. Now looking forward to the next episode.
 

tomaldinho1

Full Member
Joined
Nov 26, 2015
Messages
17,746
I'm curious to find out how Galadriel will react when she finds out that it isn't Sauron that's causing chaos in the Southlands but instead it's Adar. If Adar turns out to be a son of Feanor then it would end up being a good way for Galadriel to let go of her oath that's compelled her since her brothers death. The realization that she's heading down the same route as Adar would be a well written mirror and allow her to have decent character growth. That could also give an explanation on why the Elves trust Sauron and allow him to forge the rings, as he can flat out deny being responsible for the Southlands incident. But the only way this all works is if Sauron is already present with the Elves off screen. Which could be the case given that the Elf Lords were having a meeting in the first episode (the one Elrond wasn't allowed in) and then suddenly the Forge is being created... that would also explain why Gil-Galad ordered Galadriel away knowing that eventually she'd find out that Sauron was with the Elves at that moment.

That's my theory anyway.
No rights to those characters sadly. I had hoped when we saw the original trailers and the elves were raising their swords in a circle that we were going to witness the Oath and that would form the backdrop for the prelude, then Galadriel going after them instead of her hunting Sauron would bring her to middle earth and then the series would have started with that context, seems like Amazon can't use any of those characters though.

I wouldn't be surprised if the leant on a first age character a little though for Adar
He's a Sindar elf because of his name, Legolas' father/Thranduil's dad was Oropher who does come up in the appendices and isn't written about in huge detail given he was a late addition. I doubt it's him but can imagine them making him some kind of relative as he was in Beleriand and also links to the dragonfire burns PJ added into Thranduil's character in the Hobbit (I'm assuming it's not Thranduil as that would be ridiculous).
 

glazed

Eats diamonds to beat thermodynamics
Joined
Sep 30, 2012
Messages
7,669
I wouldn't be surprised if the leant on a first age character a little though for Adar
I think he's very likely to be another first age character -
Maeglin. Though as you say Adar is Sinadarian for father so who knows?
Though I'm not sure if Amazon would the rights to first age characters. I get the impression the Tolkien estate became a lot more relaxed about things after Christopher Tolkien passed away.
 
Last edited:

Gehrman

Phallic connoisseur, unlike shamans
Joined
Feb 20, 2019
Messages
11,127
Decent episode for it is. Still moving quite slowly imo.

Didn't understand the stuff about mithril and the elves mortality. And Galadriel really is terribly written.
 
Last edited:

Gehrman

Phallic connoisseur, unlike shamans
Joined
Feb 20, 2019
Messages
11,127
There is a theory that the stranger, who's almost 100% Gandalf or one of the Istar did combat with Sauron was defeated and landed in fire of the eye of Sauron as a symbol of that and thats why the priestess of melkor presumably are looking for him