The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power series

Truth!

Some further thoughts on this, as I say, strange show

So we're halfway through this _Rings of Power_ season and time for another thread. (Again, as per the one from a couple of weeks ago, long range details of Tolkien's writing will be discussed, so if you want to stay somewhat surprised, avoid this…)

— Ned Raggett (@NedRaggett) September 17, 2022

I dont have any stakes in this & am still enjoying the show as a weird thought exercise w cool visuals that has become a nice chill way to spend my Friday evenings

but I think the inherent genericness of this franken-adaptation is def the most frustrating aspect. it dilutes any sense or feeling of Tolkien to a point where it’s like, well why even reference him or his ideas if you aren’t making it ~worthy~ of him.

like i get you dont have the full rights but embody the values & style ffs, honor him in your dialogue & story, and instead of LARP-level story and dialogue worthy of a final fantasy cd-rom

or: Ned otm

As mentioned somewhere upthread or maybe on another thread, LotR is essentially a story about country rambling. If you don't get that then don't bother. (have not and will probably never see this new series btw)

The country rambling aspect is certainly key, especially to Fellowship, but I don't think that it's the "essence" of LotR.

I agree with Ned & VegemiteGrrl, but I also have this sense that the showrunners and writers really were trying their level best. There's an earnestness to all of it that doesn't seem like phoning it in, but you can tell that they're not experienced at this.

yeah i’ll buy that
that may be the upshot of it all at the end of the day

effects and CGI aside a lot of this show is p sub-par but one thing i do find myself liking is just the sense that the texture of life in middle earth at this particular moment was a bit crappy and niggly and competitive and anxious

arguably this is untolkienish in feel (his routine thing being several thousand years of NIGH AND NOBLE FEELING* now and then offset by the threat of hordes of horrible cockney goblins (plus an oasis of cheerfully cocooned hobbitism to start us off)

but here everyone except the harfoots is a dislikeable bickering dick of one sort or another and the harfoots are all sorts of greenwood proto-celtic weird

I did like what are effectively dwarf druids in the last episode.

Obv Durin should have responded to Elrond's magisterial tale of the burdens of being the son of an elf hero with "Now, the stars, those are the things like faraway gems, right?"

Last episode significantly improved by the lack of the O'Harfoots, too.

I like the scary orcs, and the sound vibration opening credits. It's not bad, though, it's just fine. But I'm not comparing it to any books (I don't know if I ever read any sources for this? I read the Silmarilion about 30 years ago...)

the sources are the LOTR appendices only and strictly

Maybe they should have the appendix taken out

🚮

Last episode significantly improved by the lack of the O'Harfoots, too.

The three of us kept waiting for that shoe to drop and were at least relieved that didn't happen here.

Without patting myself TOO much on the back, my thread seems to have taken off among a number of readers/fans/watchers in the wider community. From the sound of it there's not much talk about these kinds of issues precisely because so much of what IS out there discourse-wise is racist bullshit.

I also have this sense that the showrunners and writers really were trying their level best. There's an earnestness to all of it that doesn't seem like phoning it in, but you can tell that they're not experienced at this.

Well famously the two showrunners, who are indeed comparatively young, have never done anything like this before and barely have any credits! I honestly think this was just networking triumphing since they'd worked with JJ Abrams. The results are as we see them.

it’s really just astonishing. how the fuck can you commission something this expensive from such beginners. i mean you could get lucky i guess? but like… welcome to the big leagues, amazon. making a good show is hard

It's not that weird. One of the GoT showrunners had no credits before that show either. Producers want new talent who are available for a long time commitment. Screenwriters may have several lauded scripts that have never been produced, showcasing their talent.

The writers room is very experienced. So are the directors.

ah okay.

I don’t think I’d use the GoT producers as evidence of that being a good idea

gives us a clue where the story's going with galadriel

I do like that the dawrf king in this is played by Peter Mullan, while his old mucker Paddy Considine plays the king in House of Dragons.

My cohost Jared has some good thoughts on the series (free to read)

https://www.patreon.com/posts/just-some-guy-in-72248227

the line "the sea is always right" is a simply moronic phrase and however seriously i was taking this show, it declined by half after i heard that

the aquatic disagreer has logged on

"the sea is sometimes right"

the sea googles a lot of stuff

From Ned's co-host:

He lets go of a rope and gets fired, along with his friends. That’s basically his first real scene.

Excuse me, I think you'll find that his first scene is exactly the same one week earlier.

meanwhile the sea supports me in email

the sky is always wrong

the earth is somewhere in the middle

I am truly impressed at how just off and weird and ridiculous this show gets episode for episode. Astounding in its breathtaking foolishness.

thought i was in the drag race thread for a second

Roffle.

Jesus the song and montages..

Elvish has left the building

How is the show doing in the wider world? Is it a hit?

This show is unbelievably boring. I’m out.

i enjoy the durin / elrond stuff, i think those two actors have good chemistry & have slightly better story/dialogue to work with

i find the galadriel stuff the biggest slog it seems like its pure exposition & endless indicating & ugh i get deeply bored by that

it's indicating that galadriel needs to find three dragon eggs p damn soon

or else one of her dullard swordplay pupils runs her through bcz of clumsiness

still low-key enjoying the competition for most insufferable: elendil vs gil galad

'we have reason to suspect a passing brigand"

how is this middle-earth's major sea power

well THAT was a fucking trudge

This thing looks good (still) but I'm beginning to lose interest.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power *(Rings Not Included in this Series)

'we have reason to suspect a passing brigand"

= hark a vagrant

instant classic

i’ve seen the first three minutes or so of the first episode and that was enuf for me

A cut towards the end between Gil-Galad and Halbrand, both full of dark, boring, secrets.

I also regret to inform you I've remembered who Isildur reminds me of
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIh2xe4jnpk

lol