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The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power - Amazon Prime


Michael Knight

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On 9/2/2024 at 9:36 PM, KeysPhoneWallet said:

I wouldn’t be surprised if these are the 2 blue wizards that then become Saruman and Gandalf.

That's not what happened (I don't think).  There were 5 wizards total.  Saruman, Gandalf, Radagast, and 2 blue wizards who disappeared into the East.

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Great episode with a ton of content.

Spoiler

First, Tom Bombadil!  They did a great job introducing him and can't wait to see more.  Also, brought back the scene with Old Man Willow (different name) that they referenced in the extended scene in Two Towers with Merry and Pippin.  Used the same lines and everything.

Second, another LOTR reference that was left out of the movies with the Barrow-Wights.  Super cool.

Third, Ents were cool, but I'm finding it hard to care about the Arondir/Theo storyline much.  

Fourth, I like that they are fleshing out the Hobbit history.

Much more to come.  My body is ready!

 

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1 hour ago, Biff Tannen said:

Great episode with a ton of content.

 

I liked it! I’m really digging this season 

Epsiode was even better when they didn’t go back to Numenor for a bit 

Edited by Js1
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I'm not buying their band of elves. They also need a paraplegic Venezuelan and a Navajo with Downes syndrome. 

Do you think the black elf is good at basketball?

Spoiler

HOLY SHIT THEY FOUND THE ENT WIVES!!!

Me and Arondir are going to get an apartment together in the lower east side and write the next great American screenplay. (Galadriel can come too)

Overall enjoying the new season. I thought ep 3 was a bit of a slog but I'm such a sucker for Tolkein world-building that it's going to take a lot for me to not stay invested. 

I do feel like they are distancing further and further from LOTR canon 

Spoiler

(I mean the whole Gandalf and Tom Bombadil thing is way the fuck out of left field)

which is okay and might work out for the better although I'm sure plenty of viewers are going to keep bitching about it. 

Edited by ztejas
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I know the usual suspects on YouTube are crushing this, but I’m enjoying this season. They need to tighten the storylines though. For example, unless Theo ends up being the Witch King, just clip his storyline.  Also I’m not sure I need the political intrigue in Numenor either (but I haven’t read anything beyond the Hobbit and LOTR so perhaps it’s super important). Still hoping the Stranger isn’t Gandalf, and this Dark Wizard isn’t somehow Saruman. The one thing that stands out that really bugs me is Galadriel’s overly breathy voice with the  rolling of her R’s. 

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2 hours ago, Frieda’s Boss said:

For example, unless Theo ends up being the Witch King, just clip his storyline.

Counterpoint: Arondir

(I agree the side plots are a little excessive)

2 hours ago, Frieda’s Boss said:

Still hoping the Stranger isn’t Gandalf

I think it's a million % Gandalf but they did the Sauron twist pretty well in S1.

Edited by ztejas
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I know the usual suspects on YouTube are crushing this, but I’m enjoying this season. They need to tighten the storylines though. For example, unless Theo ends up being the Witch King, just clip his storyline.  Also I’m not sure I need the political intrigue in Numenor either (but I haven’t read anything beyond the Hobbit and LOTR so perhaps it’s super important). Still hoping the Stranger isn’t Gandalf, and this Dark Wizard isn’t somehow Saruman. The one thing that stands out that really bugs me is Galadriel’s overly breathy voice with the  rolling of her R’s. 

My kids call her ‘Jenna Maroney’ for that reason.
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On 9/10/2024 at 8:02 AM, Frieda’s Boss said:

 The one thing that stands out that really bugs me is Galadriel’s overly breathy voice with the  rolling of her R’s. 

ok so its not just me hallucinating things then.  it was never this prominent last season, was it? seems like elf lady turned latina in 1 episode.

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14 hours ago, 52-80 said:

How was celebrimbor so gullible?

Was magic an exclusive trait to elves/valars…such that if annatar performed a trick that was enough proof that he was sent by the elven gods?

I think he's so lost in his craft and lets his lust for creating incredible things kind of blind him. 

Also he's called Sauron the Deceiver for a reason. He's definitely supposed to have some magical powers of manipulation - even over elves. 

But yeah on the surface it seems a little silly.

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On 9/13/2024 at 6:08 AM, ztejas said:

I think he's so lost in his craft and lets his lust for creating incredible things kind of blind him. 

Also he's called Sauron the Deceiver for a reason. He's definitely supposed to have some magical powers of manipulation - even over elves. 

But yeah on the surface it seems a little silly.

Yep. Don’t forget he also desperately wants to live up to Feanor as the greatest smith in Middle Earth. Blinded by ambition and insecurity. 
 

Spoiler

I kinda missed the Stranger/Harfoots story this week. And the dwarves are waking up the Balrog. Shit gonna get real. 
 

I know that Elendil (sp?) eventually becomes King, but curious to see how this coup turns out. Well, the coup on top of the other coup I guess. Lots of coup-ing happening in Numenor. 

 

Edited by Biff Tannen
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Gonna be honest. Feel like the show is losing a bit of steam. Everything is feeling kind of cluttered and disconnected. Just seems like a lot of waiting around and setting shit up without... shit happening. 

We'll see where they go. I'm definitely going to stick with it.

I like the dwarf plot although it can get a little cheesy at times. I REALLY like the acting the guy playing Sauron is doing - and I think they are developing his character very interestingly and well. He's just pure evil but I catch myself kind of liking him at times - which is supposed to be who he is. 

I'm ready for Numenor to fall and Elendil to take the mantle and for whatever the fuck is going on with Gandalf and the harfoots to get on with it. 

Still a big Arondir fan. Dude does nothing but fuck shit up.

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Obviously the best episode of the series. What's problematic is that they had to cut out two side-plots to get there (or Jesus Christ - I guess it's three now).

It's like, um, yeah, maybe there was a bit too much bullshit going on to cram into 60 minutes every week.

I like the overarching storyline as a whole and there's a ton of potential remaining for later seasons - just not sure they're doing a very good job at maintaining momentum week to week and keeping the quality consistent. 

It's like they're crafting a satisfying narrative with good scenes, writing, acting etc. they're just not stitching it together well to make good TV. 

Think S1 was a bit tighter in that regard. 

Edited by ztejas
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I have the series slow and grinding. Sort of like a dungeon crawl game. The only way I am half enjoying the series is to disconnect with the books and treat it stand alone. Visuals and acting are good but waaay too many story lines and at times the pacing and storytelling is disjointed. Hate how Galadriel whispers and hisses her lines but enjoy her overall. 

Another pet peeve. I hate how they attempt to make the orcs sympathetic. Hate it. They are fucking evil like a sociopath or psychopath. They were corrupted and bent on destruction.  Stop trying to humanize them 

I am sticking with it but think it should have been max 3 seasons about the rings. There are so many other stories they could flesh out 

Might get negged for this but they are trying to be "all inclusive " with the elves. Just seems out of place. Like a Norwegian indigenous Japanese. But whatever 

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1 hour ago, nineliveslost said:

I have the series slow and grinding. Sort of like a dungeon crawl game. The only way I am half enjoying the series is to disconnect with the books and treat it stand alone. Visuals and acting are good but waaay too many story lines and at times the pacing and storytelling is disjointed. Hate how Galadriel whispers and hisses her lines but enjoy her overall. 

Another pet peeve. I hate how they attempt to make the orcs sympathetic. Hate it. They are fucking evil like a sociopath or psychopath. They were corrupted and bent on destruction.  Stop trying to humanize them 

I am sticking with it but think it should have been max 3 seasons about the rings. There are so many other stories they could flesh out 

Might get negged for this but they are trying to be "all inclusive " with the elves. Just seems out of place. Like a Norwegian indigenous Japanese. But whatever 

I like this take because you're an obvious book nerd but you are willing to look past that shit to still enjoy the visual realization of Tolkien.

I'm not quite a book nerd but I'm totally a lore nerd and I agree with a lot of your points. To me it feels like they're putting a lot of badass Tolkien shit in live-action but also kind of making a shitty TV show? 

I don't care about the DEI-fucking-whatever-black-people-in-middle-earth-or-not horseshit neckbeard arguments but I agree that the Elf stunt with the most black and most asian stereotypically looking actors possible posing as elves was ridiculous. Arondir's looks don't bother me. He still looked elvish enough. Like "within range" if that makes sense. The other two was just too much and not in line with anything we've ever seen. I'm glad they both quickly died. 

I can't decide on the orc humanization. I kind of dig it but I can understand why it would bother some. 

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1 minute ago, ztejas said:

There are so many other stories they could flesh out 

Well they're trying to add in dumb shit like Gandalf and Tom Bombadill to hit on as much fan-service as possible and I think that's the problem. That shit should have been separate from the start. 

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6 minutes ago, ztejas said:

Well they're trying to add in dumb shit like Gandalf and Tom Bombadill to hit on as much fan-service as possible and I think that's the problem. That shit should have been separate from the start. 

They could have added a breath of fresh air by making a separate series from great story with the Blue Wizards. The men of the south turning corrupt would be another excellent story

The Blue Wizards are an open book that they could have explored, and no one could bitch because there is so little written 

Dive into Tom and how he flirted but didn't completely involve himself with the affairs of middle Earth.

don't try to cram everything into this series

 

 

 

Edited by nineliveslost
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1 minute ago, nineliveslost said:

They could have added a breath of fresh air by making a separate series from great story with the Blue Wizards. The men of the south turning corrupt would be another excellent story

The Blue Wizards are an open book that they could have explored, and no one could bitch because there is so little written 

Dive into Tom and how he flirted but didn't completely involve himself with the affairs of middle Earth.

don't try to cram everything into this series

 

 

 

Dude I'm a little lit myself. You're with friends.

What exactly do they have rights to? They can't do any of the hard origin stuff like Morgoth or the Valar/Maiar before coming to middle earth because it's in the Silmarillion? Is that correct?

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5 minutes ago, ztejas said:

Dude I'm a little lit myself. You're with friends.

What exactly do they have rights to? They can't do any of the hard origin stuff like Morgoth or the Valar/Maiar before coming to middle earth because it's in the Silmarillion? Is that correct?

per Wiki

The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit are set during the Third Age of Middle-earth, while the First and Second Ages are explored in other Tolkien works such as The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales, and The History of Middle-earth. Because Amazon only acquired the television rights to The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, the writers had to identify all of the references to the Second Age in those books and create a story that bridged those passages. These are primarily in the appendices of The Lord of the Rings.[17] Tolkien's estate were prepared to veto any changes from his established narrative,[37] including anything that contradicted what Tolkien wrote in other works.[17] The writers were free to add characters or details,[37] and worked with the estate and Tolkien lore experts to ensure these were "Tolkienian".[17] They referenced letters that Tolkien wrote about his mythology for additional context on the setting and characters.[17][53] Simon Tolkien, a novelist and the grandson of J. R. R. Tolkien, consulted on the series and helped develop its story and character arcs. He is credited as a "series consultant".[54]

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3 minutes ago, nineliveslost said:

per Wiki

The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit are set during the Third Age of Middle-earth, while the First and Second Ages are explored in other Tolkien works such as The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales, and The History of Middle-earth. Because Amazon only acquired the television rights to The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, the writers had to identify all of the references to the Second Age in those books and create a story that bridged those passages. These are primarily in the appendices of The Lord of the Rings.[17] Tolkien's estate were prepared to veto any changes from his established narrative,[37] including anything that contradicted what Tolkien wrote in other works.[17] The writers were free to add characters or details,[37] and worked with the estate and Tolkien lore experts to ensure these were "Tolkienian".[17] They referenced letters that Tolkien wrote about his mythology for additional context on the setting and characters.[17][53] Simon Tolkien, a novelist and the grandson of J. R. R. Tolkien, consulted on the series and helped develop its story and character arcs. He is credited as a "series consultant".[54]

We need one of us to make it big and buy the Silmarillion rights. That's where the real fucking money is. 

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2 minutes ago, ztejas said:

We need one of us to make it big and buy the Silmarillion rights. That's where the real fucking money is. 

To me with the right director and writer that would have been a perfect trilogy. Difficult, yes. Peter Jackson would have lost 8 years of his life but it would have been glorious. Consider it a distant prequel to the Hobbit 

NO cameos  

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