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Amazon's THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RINGS OF POWER (2022)
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Started by Bosco685,

630 posts in this topic

jcjames

jcjames

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On 9/8/2022 at 10:38 PM, kimik said:

Things pick up nicely in Episode 3. This show is going to become epic if they follow it through properly. We will see the fall of Numenor through to the siege of Barad-dur where Isildur gets the one ring. 

Yes, I agree, this show is progressing well so far, and with plenty of space to roam. 

 

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Axelrod

Axelrod

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The only thing that annoyed me (which probably won't annoy most) was:

Spoiler

The Harfoot practice of, apparently, "every man for himself, and if you can't keep up, sorry, tough cookies."  Even if the reason you can't keep up is, like, a broken foot.  Dude, someone just give him a ride.  That's ridiculously harsh.  Done for dramatic license and not because it make any sense in a civilized (and what at least *appears* to be an otherwise kind) society.  I assume they give babies rides?  They're not a large people.  Meh.

Also,

Spoiler

I would have thought someone in Elf society would have, you know, asked the Numenor people at some point in the last, however long it's been, "um, hey, why you mad?"  As opposed to what they apparently did, which was shrug and say, "oh well, guess we don't go there anymore...."

These are the things I think about.

Edited by Axelrod
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Bosco685

Bosco685

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Both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit highlight Gandalf’s (Ian McKellen) special relationship with Hobbits. While it became clear why he chose Frodo (Elijah Wood) in The Fellowship of the Ring and how Gandalf and Frodo’s relationship was particularly affectionate, it was never explicitly said why Gandalf spent so much time with Hobbits. After all, Hobbits have always been quite private, not venturing far from the Shire, but also not willing to accept strangers in their midst, much like Harfoots in The Rings of Power. This makes Gandalf’s long-standing fascination with Hobbits especially peculiar, as even in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey he was familiar with Bilbo’s (Martin Freeman) family and village, but he didn’t already share the affection he would later have with Bilbo and Frodo.

 

The Meteor Man and Gandalf both arrive at Middle-earth from somewhere else, as Gandalf is one of the Maiar. If the Stranger is revealed to become Gandalf – since The Rings of Power takes place in the Second Age’s beginning while Lord of the Rings happens well into the Third Age – the wizard's fascination with Hobbits would be explained. The Rings of Power episodes 2 and 3 not only highlight how Nori was willing to help the Stranger despite Poppy’s best attempts at stopping her but also how much she risked to protect him, as she might have risked her place in the caravan with the other Harfoots, creating what could be a long-lasting bond between the Stranger and the group that will become Hobbits.

 

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The Commissioner

The Commissioner

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On 9/11/2022 at 3:50 PM, Axelrod said:

The only thing that annoyed me (which probably won't annoy most) was:

  Reveal hidden contents

The Harfoot practice of, apparently, "every man for himself, and if you can't keep up, sorry, tough cookies."  Even if the reason you can't keep up is, like, a broken foot.  Dude, someone just give him a ride.  That's ridiculously harsh.  Done for dramatic license and not because it make any sense in a civilized (and what at least *appears* to be an otherwise kind) society.  I assume they give babies rides?  They're not a large people.  Meh.

I thought that part was a little odd.  Saying "Nobody gets left behind!" but then is super okay with leaving people behind...

Aside from that, I thought episode 3 was really good.  Enjoyed seeing Númenor for the first time.

Spoiler

It is a little eerie seeing it though knowing what happens later on....

 

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ChasingKingKirby

ChasingKingKirby

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I've read some of the commentary here regarding the show.  Just my two cents:

    *  Serious deviation from the source material is always going to annoy the fans of that source material.  If you're gonna deviate it better be good...  (I think the jury is still out whether this is going to be "good".)

   *  Don't care one whit about the different races of actors playing the parts, though LOTR was based on Medieval England.  Do have to ask why they had to change the canon of dwarven women being bearded.  That seemed odd.

   *  Galadriel's characterization is soooo far different from how she's portrayed in the books and the Jackson movies.  It's a real culture shock.  I find her character annoying and grating.  

I'm not a fan so far, but am hoping for the best.  

 

   

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sfcityduck

sfcityduck

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Episode 3 was a strong and entertaining.

I have no doubt that we're seeing the origin of Gandalf's relationship with Hobbit-kind, and its a welcome insertion which clarifies two massive black holes in the history of Middle Earth - What was Gandalf up to and how did he become close friends with Hobbits some point long before Bilbo.

I also welcome the storytelling about the more youthful and inexperienced Galadriel before she became Elrond's mother-in-law and eventually an ancient grandmother (possibly the oldest elf in Middle Earth).

And, yes, the "ordinary people reviews" of RoP are being bombed by white supremacists.  There are many articles discussing this in respected publications right now, and admissions by those pushing those views. It's a sad thing.

The only thing I'd add is that Shakespeare wrote about a black lead character, "Othello," and western literature was not destroyed even at that fragile juncture in its development. So anyone worried about racial purity in the RoP (or Spiderman or Bridgerton or anything else) needs to look deep inside. RoP is just an adaptation - if you don't like the skin colors of the actors, don't watch.  But don't try to claim that our culture or the story is being destroyed.  Nothing can destroy the story, it is in the books and they are everywhere! If it can survive Ralph Bakshi, it can survive anything.  

Edited by sfcityduck
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sfcityduck

sfcityduck

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On 9/13/2022 at 11:57 AM, ChasingKingKirby said:

 

   *  Don't care one whit about the different races of actors playing the parts, though LOTR was based on Medieval England.  Do have to ask why they had to change the canon of dwarven women being bearded.  That seemed odd.

There were blacks in Medieval England. A lot were living in London based on contemporaneous accounts.

As for the dwarves, I'd hope it wasn't due to some fear of making dwarves out to be gay. The dwarf wife does have facial hair, but not a full-blown beard. Not sure why "canon" matters. The "canon" was blown out the door in every adaptation of LOTR (no Tom Bombadill, enhanced role for Arwen, Frodo robbed of a key heroic moment in his story arc, etc.) in material ways. The beard thing is just a footnote, not anything that matters.

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drotto

drotto

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On 9/14/2022 at 6:06 PM, sfcityduck said:

Episode 3 was a strong and entertaining.

I have no doubt that we're seeing the origin of Gandalf's relationship with Hobbit-kind, and its a welcome insertion which clarifies two massive black holes in the history of Middle Earth - What was Gandalf up to and how did he become close friends with Hobbits some point long before Bilbo.

I also welcome the storytelling about the more youthful and inexperienced Galadriel before she became Elrond's mother-in-law and eventually an ancient grandmother (possibly the oldest elf in Middle Earth).

And, yes, the "ordinary people reviews" of RoP are being bombed by white supremacists.  There are many articles discussing this in respected publications right now, and admissions by those pushing those views. It's a sad thing.

The only thing I'd add is that Shakespeare wrote about a black lead character, "Othello," and western literature was not destroyed even at that fragile juncture in its development. So anyone worried about racial purity in the RoP (or Spiderman or Bridgerton or anything else) needs to look deep inside. RoP is just an adaptation - if you don't like the skin colors of the actors, don't watch.  But don't try to claim that our culture or the story is being destroyed.  Nothing can destroy the story, it is in the books and they are everywhere! If it can survive Ralph Bakshi, it can survive anything.  

Just a question then.  I know some people were originally complaining about House of the Dragons race swapping (with thr Valarians and Targarians), but review bombing is not affecting that shows public reviews at all at this point. 

 

Another very popular show, Cobra Kai, has a very diverse cast, and seems to be universally liked and even loved.

 

How can these differences be explained?

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sfcityduck

sfcityduck

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On 9/14/2022 at 3:42 PM, drotto said:

Just a question then.  I know some people were originally complaining about House of the Dragons race swapping (with thr Valarians and Targarians), but review bombing is not affecting that shows public reviews at all at this point. 

 

Another very popular show, Cobra Kai, has a very diverse cast, and seems to be universally liked and even loved.

 

How can these differences be explained?

Politics.  Which we're not supposed to talk about on this site.  But you can read this: The Reactionary Geeks Are Mad About 'Rings of Power' - The Atlantic.

There are articles about this online.

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