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Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

Discussion in 'Television Shows' started by purriwinkle, Aug 4, 2022.

  1. purriwinkle

    purriwinkle Well-Known Member

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    For those of us who enjoy fantasy, we’re getting another prequel. On September 2nd, premiering on Prime will be the Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. It will cover the 2nd age of Middle Earth, and the forging of, as the title tells us, those rings given to the Elves, Dwarfs and the Sons of men.

    "Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
    Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,
    Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,
    One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
    In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
    One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
    One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
    In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie."
    J.R.R. Tolkien's epigraph to The Lord of the Rings

    It’s been awhile but it looks well done, promising lots of action for those who love Tolkien’s works.
     
  2. purriwinkle

    purriwinkle Well-Known Member

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    This was the official trailer dropped at Comic Con

     
  3. Stealth

    Stealth Well-Known Member

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    This one feels risky after the epic nature of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Even the Hobbit films after it were a bit underwhelming. I still enjoyed those movies, but they never quite reached the same height as Lord of the Rings. I'll check it out, but I'm a little skeptical of this one.

    Prime recently did season 1 of the Wheel of Time and it was incredibly boring, which is sad for a fantasy series. I won't be watching the second season of that one.
     
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  4. purriwinkle

    purriwinkle Well-Known Member

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    I agree that the Hobbit movies were underwhelming because they tried to stretch a fairly simple (although delightful) story of in my book, 287 pages, including maps, etc. into three full length features. Doesn’t really work all that well.

    Jackson, did an admiral job of adapting the trilogy, even though he had to leave a lot of material out. What he used was so beautifully woven together and visually stunning that it didn’t seem to matter.

    I’ll go out on a limb and say most of what people know about the second age of Middle Earth had to be garnered from different sources. Unless you’re a hard core Tolkien fan, viewers won’t know much about it. That leaves some leeway for the script writers to gather it all together into hopefully a cohesive and entertaining story line.

    Just like seeing those early Targs in House, I want to see the stories of those early elves and dwarves. How after Morgoth’s defeat, Sauron came to power, etc. I think it’s going to be visually alluring so if the writing is any good we may have a winner.
     
    #4 purriwinkle, Aug 10, 2022
    Last edited: Aug 10, 2022
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  5. Stealth

    Stealth Well-Known Member

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    I would feel more optimistic about it if HBO or Netflix had it, but Prime concerns me.

    Now, the one time they did do well was with The Expanse. That's an excellent show. But they also decided to end the story when there was still more to tell from the books. It was done due to financial reasons, and even the final season was impacted because of cost cutting.

    So even if it is well written, there's the extra concern that they might not complete the story.

    I'll give it a chance though.
     
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  6. purriwinkle

    purriwinkle Well-Known Member

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    I watched the first two episodes and I think it’s brilliant so far.

    First off, the cinematography is stunning. It has the feel and look of Jackson’s trilogy. The CGI/special effects are spot on. I was stunned at seeing how they showed Khazad dum as it once was after seeing that grand place in The Fellowship in ruins, for instance. When it came to anything Elvish, I don’t think “ethereal” would be out of place.

    I think they’re doing a good job with story lines so far by giving a quick overview of the first age which leads to what will be Sauron’s rise in the second. It’s slow but steadily building as it was in the trilogy. We had action though with Orcs, sea worms and Ice Trolls. I think I read it was going to be five seasons so I imagine it will end with the One ring being cut from Sauron’s finger by Isildur. At least I think that would be a good place to end.

    Loving the characters, especially the new ones. Nori and Poppy are sending that Frodo and Sam vibe as well as young Elrond and Prince Durin’s relationship acting as a precursor to Legolas and Gimli. Gotta love it. Like the romance too. The forbidden feelings between Arondir and Bronwyn. Durin IV and his wife. I even wonder where the friendship(?) between Galadriel and Halbrand may be going for better or worse.

    They’ve even given us some mysteries, sort of, like who was the man who crashed on earth via comet. I had my own ideas right away and I was excited to see that others were thinking along the same lines. My speculation was it’s gotta be Gandalf. We’ll see. They didn’t show us what was in the Dwarf’s chest either although it gave off some illumination. I’ve read the probable answer and it makes sense to me but we’ll see on that too.

    Whats with that sword hilt that Theo found? It’s activated by blood and I think it’s acts like a homing beacon for the orcs but there’s more to it. The Watch Commander said the people they “watched” supported Morgoth and it was still in their blood. I hope nothing happens to the kid even if they age him. I hope neither he or his dad end up becoming the Mouth of Sauron. We don’t know what happened to dad and Theo seems quite attached to his treasure. Hasn’t even told mom about it.

    One small thing that bugged me was that “young” Elrond wasn’t given that jet black hair that Hugo Weaving rocked in the Trilogy. C’mon some continuity please! Also the dwarves weren’t as good looking as they were in the hobbit. ;) I’ll live, lol

    *sigh* I’m hooked.
     
    #6 purriwinkle, Sep 4, 2022
    Last edited: Sep 4, 2022
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  7. lastcat3

    lastcat3 Well-Known Member

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    I'm really enjoying this series thus far. Have to admit I like House of the Dragons a bit better but that is just because I like for fantasy shows to still stay relatively grounded and LOTR goes a lot deeper into the fantasy elements than Game of Thrones shows do. 90% of Game of Thrones isn't much different than our own medieval time period.
     
  8. purriwinkle

    purriwinkle Well-Known Member

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    True, Tolkien’s world is populated with a variety of species and beings. It’s also very much a good vs evil tale unlike Dragons where there is much more of a gray area when it comes to the main protagonists. I like both shows for how different they are. It would be a bore if they had too many similarities.
     
  9. purriwinkle

    purriwinkle Well-Known Member

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    Looks like I have some reading to do, cause I’m a little behind the eight ball with this. The Silmarillion has been sitting on my book shelve for years and somehow I never got around to reading it. Did I start and put it down? Did I not like it at the time? It’s been so long I can’t remember why it was left unread.

    After reading the thoughts from people who have read it, I realize that’s there’s a big hole in my knowledge of the second age. I don’t know if that’s good or bad. Should I be surprised at some of the turn of events or would I like to have some advanced knowledge. It’s a two edged sword cause they don’t have the rights to the book so they more than likely will have to change some things as to avoid a copy right infringement. Never the less, I think I’ll forge ahead and see if I can get through it.
     
  10. Stealth

    Stealth Well-Known Member

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    I'll get around to the series in a couple of months. I was worried about it, but I'm glad to see that people are liking it so I won't be approaching it with skepticism now.

    The Wheel of Time on Prime made me the most concerned about the Rings of Power. If you're ever having trouble getting to sleep, just put Wheel of Time on. It's quite an accomplishment, a fantasy series that's incredibly boring.
     
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  11. purriwinkle

    purriwinkle Well-Known Member

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    I made a decision to wait and read the Silmarillion after I watch season one and I think it was a good decision cause I was on the edge of my seat…already…with what was going on in Epi.3.
    All I can say is did ‘you know who’ make an appearance at the end of the episode? OMG, I wonder since I read he could still take on a pleasing human form in the second age. Shit. Where’s epi four already!!! Maybe I should have waited and binge watched so I wouldn’t have this damnable wait.
     
  12. purriwinkle

    purriwinkle Well-Known Member

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    Wow! Epi four is moving the story forward. Visions of the end of Numenor, men and elves going to fight the enemy together, Arondir delivering a message to the people of the South lands to swear fealty to Sauron or be eliminated, meeting Adar who no, is not Sauron but shit, he appears to be an evil, disfigured elf no less. A flight from Orcs where Arondir gets a chance to show off a nifty arrow move and what the hell is going on with Theo and the evil sword hilt? I’m very worried for the kid. He has no idea what he’s got himself into. The elves weren’t wrong to keep an eye on those nasty Southmen. At least we have Mithril but even that will have a down side for the dwarves in the future.

    So far this has been a beautiful fantasy romp. Takes me right back to Middle Earth. *sigh*
     
  13. purriwinkle

    purriwinkle Well-Known Member

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    Epi 5 was interesting. I have no idea who’s who except I think I can cross Halbrand off as being Sauron although he’s quite the adept smith.

    Adar? Maybe. Yes, yes he had a hissy fit when one of the treacherous Southlings called him by that name but I read he didn’t like that moniker but preferred his original name before he followed Morgoth. Who knows. He loves the orcs and again I read that he was the one who began breeding Orcs. I don’t know. We’ll see.

    I also think meteor man may be a Blue Wizard now rather than Gandalf because of the timing and because we know so little of the two that were sent that the writers would have greater flexibility in the scripts. Whoever, he needs to control his power better although his intent to save the Harfoots was not without merit.

    Maybe Sauron, still in his “fair” guise is that evil person who we saw looking at the landing site. Could be he realizes what has come to earth but can’t deal with it now cause he’s on his way to the Elves as Annatar to get those rings forged.

    Speaking of the elves, it turns out they knew about the Mithril. They think mining it will be the only way to save their race but when the dwarves dig to far down? NOT GOOD. The high elf king has put Elrond in a bad position, using his friendship with Durin to get what they think they need.

    Galadriel has whipped up the Numenoreans and Halbrand and it looks like they’re off to Middle Earth despite the sabatoge of Ar-Pharazon’s son. I think we need to keep an eye on Ar-Pharazon too. He’s in but for all the wrong reasons.

    At least Islidur was able to get himself back in his father’s good graces and he’s off to Middle Earth as well.

    Meanwhile, back in the Southlands, who knows what will happen with Bronwyn, Theo (who finally fessed up about the magic sword hilt), Arondir and the people who chose to stay with them. I must say I’m a little worried.
     
    #13 purriwinkle, Sep 27, 2022
    Last edited: Sep 29, 2022
  14. purriwinkle

    purriwinkle Well-Known Member

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    Epi 6 is done and as battles go we had some gnarly action. I don’t know why someone didn’t kill Adar. He deserved it as he’d be too dangerous to leave alive, IMO. Ok we got some exposition but without his brains and drive it seems the orcs or excuse me, oruks, would be rudderless…until Sauron at least made his entrance.

    Unfortunately, Adar faked out both elves and men with the hilt spirited out by Waldreg and now the southlands are turning into what will become Mordor. Turns out the hilt was instrumental in causing Orodruin to erupt. We don’t know if Adar survived the explosion. What a mess. What will become of the Southlings who faced off against the evil? Or their new king, Halbrand, for that matter? Will Arondir and Bronwyn ever get a happy ending now that they’ve officially smooched? Only two more episodes and we need to get back to the Harfoots and the Stranger yet! Will Sauron even make an appearance in season one? Maybe not.
     
  15. purriwinkle

    purriwinkle Well-Known Member

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    Managed to watch epi 7 and this was an aftermath episode. We see the far ranging results of the volcanic eruption that has destroyed the Southlands and will form the evil land of Mordor.

    Most of our main characters are accounted for with the exception of Isildur and we know from canon that this is not his end. I think his horse is going to pull a Lassie and find his rider.

    Even the Harfoots were touched by the destruction….in more ways than one. I don’t know who those three witches are or what they want with the Stranger but it can’t be good if their actions are any indication. Don’t tell me that “Hobbits” have no adventurous streaks cause Nori and co. are certainly willing enough to try and save their very big friend even if it means going into the woods on their own.

    I worry for Halbrand because I like his character but we know that his lands are forfeit. I’d hate to see him come under the spell of Sauron and become one of his Nazgûl seduced by the idea that possessing a ring of power will bring his kingdom back.

    Getting around to Durin IV and Disa, we see that his desire to help Elrond will in the future cost the Dwarves the mines of Moria. An ancient Balrog has been awakened by the seemingly innocent act of King Durin III throwing a leaf from Lindon down the Mithril shaft. Who knew, right? Never pays to litter.

    Tar-Miriel and her Numenoreans are pissed off now. Forces will be gathered to answer Adar’s assault but, as I said, they should have killed him when they had him cause now we see he survived and will be planning more heinous acts against Middle Earth and it’s people.
     
    #15 purriwinkle, Oct 9, 2022
    Last edited: Oct 9, 2022
  16. purriwinkle

    purriwinkle Well-Known Member

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    I watched the season finale and all I can say is ACK! Did I call it wrong! I’ll discuss it under a spoiler tag:


    I understand it will be a bit of a wait until season two but I’ll be watching when it finally airs.
     
  17. Stealth

    Stealth Well-Known Member

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    I've finished The Rings of Power and I'm underwhelmed by it. It's difficult when you have a franchise that has an epic trilogy like Lord of the Rings. Everything is going to be compared to that. The Hobbit wasn't great, but it was still a decent ride. This series is far below that one.

    It just doesn't feel like that world. There are flashes of it. I think episode 6 was by far the best one. It felt familiar and was a good fit for the franchise.

    The visuals and sound are top notch. Sometimes though the track is overly dramatic and nothing significant is happening. So it becomes awkward at points.

    I question many of the casting choices. The promos made it seem like Galadriel would be great, but the actress is mediocre at best, and even produces some cringe moments with her inappropriate expressions.

    Elrond doesn't feel like a fit either, but I warmed up to him a bit more as time went on. Most of the characters aren't likeable though. The only one I think I really connect with is Durin.

    The Harfoots are the worst part of it. I was tempted to fast forward through them at points, but I didn't. It seems like a high school play watching them.

    The Sauron reveal was fine, but it didn't make sense that he wouldn't just kill Galadriel when she refused him. It's one of those situations where you have drama by bringing two rivals together but it doesn't work because plot supersedes character. There is no conceivable reason why Sauron just wouldn't kill her.

    There was a lot of social media backlash to the series. I don't let that sort of thing impact me. I keep reviews and audience reaction in mind, but plenty of times I've gone the other way than what the majority has felt. I really wanted to like this series too.

    The writing was weak too. The big scene with the Stranger where his line to Sauron's cohorots was, "I am good," was the best they could do? Really?

    I'm not excited that the Stranger is Gandalf either. It's tough to recast iconic roles, and it feels as if they fell short here.

    I think they could salvage the series in season 2, but they need major revisions. It's better than The Wheel of Time, but that's not saying much since that show could help induce sleep in those inflicted with insomnia.
     
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  18. purriwinkle

    purriwinkle Well-Known Member

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    That was an honest review. I liked it more than you did but that’s ok too. I tried to keep in mind that the events being shown happened thousands of years before the third age of Middle Earth that Jackson so masterfully portrayed. Middle Earth was still young and characters still forming into who they finally would become.

    Why didn’t Sauron kill Galadriel? First and foremost that wouldn’t be canon, lol. Then we have to look at the relationship that was developing between Sauron (as Halbrand) and Galadriel. We never got an explanation as to why he was out in the sea with the other “humans” but I wonder if being Maia, he knew Galadriel had been hunting him and that she was filled with rage and the need to avenge her brother to the point that the High Elf king had to practically send her away.

    I think he positioned himself in that sea to see what she would do. When she decided to jump ship he knew he had a chance of using those feelings to convert her, if you will, to his side….as Morgoth had converted him.

    There’s no doubt that they had a moment of connection, which again was a tell as elves are mated for life and she was already wed to Celeborn although he had been gone so long she thought him dead. Hmmm. She was seduced… to a point, so he ended up using her to come into contact with Celebrimbor.

    So when she finally discovered his identity and refused his offer to jointly rule at his side, why didn’t he kill her? Maybe he kinda liked her ;). They were going to both live long, long immortal lives. Maybe he thought he might have a second chance at her, and he actually did when Frodo offered her the One Ring in the Fellowship. Those dark feelings hadn’t been entirely purged and she had to come to grips momentarily as to whether she would except it and become a great and powerful evil “queen”. She fought the temptation and “passed the test” but what if she hadn’t? Moot point but it would have been a bitch to see her by Sauron’s side.

    The Harfoots? Not Hobbits yet but I can envision their ancestors as migrating foragers. Simple tribal people leaving a light footprint as they tried to stay out of the way of the big people. However, we can see even then there would be some with incredible courage and loyalty that would make a big difference in their world. If not for Hobbits intervening at key times throughout Middle earth’s history, Sauron might have eventually won out.

    Has it been confirmed that the wizard is indeed Gandalf? If not, I’d wager it was one of the blue whom Tolkien wrote little about which would leave the door wide open for the writers to fill in. We do know they traveled to the Far East and South. I think I read somewhere that the Istari were rather brain fogged, if you will, when first arriving in Middle-Earth until they got their bearings.

    I’m gonna watch season two and see how they develop the story line and the characters. I was disheartened though when I read that Joseph Mawle had been recast as Adar. WTF? He was so good and nuanced as one of the original elves that Morgoth had captured and tortured into a new being as an Orc. I didn’t read the whys but I hope it was because the actor chose to leave for some reason rather than those in charge of the show didn’t like his rendition of the character.
     
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  19. Stealth

    Stealth Well-Known Member

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    You make a good case for why Sauron didn't kill Galadriel. I'm skeptical though that the writers had that in mind. It's not really a subtle series. So I think they needed to be clearer about the reason, or have something intervening that would keep him from killing her. Your reasoning is good, but I still criticize the execution.

    After I finished the series, I checked and that it IS Gandalf. He dropped that "always follow your nose" line too that was used in LOTR.

    I'm tempted to say they should've left Galadriel and Gandalf out of this series since they were such iconic well played roles in the original, but I think it just comes down to bad casting.

    We both watched Interview with the Vampire and weren't unconvinced by the new Louis, Molloy and Claudia actors. (Lestat is still a work in progress. I'll wait to see how Season 2 works out. lol)

    You have to tread really carefully when you reboot a successful franchise. The Sopranos had a prequel film come out a couple of years ago and I was concerned about how they'd portray a younger Tony Soprano. It actually worked, but James Gandolfini's son took up the part. He did the role justice. And while you don't expect to see the exact same character as you do in the original, you need that connection that one will lead to the other.

    I heard they've begun filming Season 2, which is a little concerning, because it means the scripts were all set prior to them seeing the feedback from Season 1. We'll see.

    I agree too on the Adar actor. He was one of the few characters that was well cast and he'll be missed. Mawle said he wanted to "pursue other characters." That's why he left. It's odd because if you take up such a role you have to realize it's more than one season. Maybe he didn't like the scripts going forward. It's also odd that they didn't sign him up for more than one season. They typically do something like a 3 year contract on series. Very poor planning. He's not someone you can just switch out.
     
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