Spoilers Rings of Power is back!

[TheSword]

The article series linked above provides some very specific reasons why at least season 1 of the show had some serious logic issues, over and beyond setting fidelity (where it also had some serious issues).

The guy refers to those posts as a collection of unmitigated pedantry. With three of the articles themselves referred to as nitpicks that the writing begins by saying these things don’t affect the story. I really don’t care whether the shoulder braces on the scales armour are sufficiently curved or not.

All those posts can be summed up as looking for problems not looking for solutions.

For instance, the impossibility of Numenror reinforcements travelling 2 thousand miles in seemingly a couple of days. Looking for solutions is easy enough as nothing states that Galadriel's scenes on Númenor were happening at the same time as the other events in the same episode in the southlands.

Or that the Harfoots can’t possibly have books because they don’t interact with other societies. When we now know that Sardoc wasn’t always a nomad.

I often read someone give the lie to their claim ‘I really wanted this to be good’ by being unbelievably petty. It see it a lot when investigated grievances in a work scenario. Where the most banal and trivial things are raised even if there are serious issues because clearly the person is trying to find fault wherever they can. Even though it can undermine the broader point they’re making.

The truth is these posts get more interest ripping things apart. It’s also easier to do that than more balanced criticism because the elements of proportionality, context and importance aren’t really relevant to criticisms being made. We know the algorithms and the worst of human nature means these approaches get more clicks/interest.

There used to be something called the temporary suspension of disbelief that used to handle things like Sardoc having a book. It seems to be falling out of fashion now in favour of “if it isn’t spelled out clearly to me it can’t be the case”

 

[Micah Sweet]

The guy refers to those posts as a collection of unmitigated pedantry. With three of the articles themselves referred to as nitpicks that the writing begins by saying these things don’t affect the story. I really don’t care whether the shoulder braces on the scales armour are sufficiently curved or not.

All those posts can be summed up as looking for problems not looking for solutions.

For instance, the impossibility of Numenror reinforcements travelling 2 thousand miles in seemingly a couple of days. Looking for solutions is easy enough as nothing states that Galadriel's scenes on Númenor were happening at the same time as the other events in the same episode in the southlands.

Or that the Harfoots can’t possibly have books because they don’t interact with other societies. When we now know that Sardoc wasn’t always a nomad.

I often read someone give the lie to their claim ‘I really wanted this to be good’ by being unbelievably petty. It see it a lot when investigated grievances in a work scenario. Where the most banal and trivial things are raised even if there are serious issues because clearly the person is trying to find fault wherever they can. Even though it can undermine the broader point they’re making.

The truth is these posts get more interest ripping things apart. It’s also easier to do that more balanced criticism because the elements of proportionality, context and importance aren’t really relevant to criticisms being made. We know the algorithms and the worst of human nature means these approaches get more clicks/interest.

There used to be something called the temporary suspension of disbelief that used to handle things like Sardoc having a book. It seems to be falling out of fashion now in favour of “if it isn’t spelled out clearly to me it can’t be the case”

The first article is hardly nickpicky IMO, and you can't fault the tongue-in-cheek title of the entire website.

You're welcome not to care, but that doesn't mean it's not worth it for anyone to care.

 

[ART!]

The guy refers to those posts as a collection of unmitigated pedantry. With three of the articles themselves referred to as nitpicks that the writing begins by saying these things don’t affect the story. I really don’t care whether the shoulder braces on the scales armour are sufficiently curved or not.

All those posts can be summed up as looking for problems not looking for solutions.

For instance, the impossibility of Numenror reinforcements travelling 2 thousand miles in seemingly a couple of days. Looking for solutions is easy enough as nothing states that Galadriel's scenes on Númenor were happening at the same time as the other events in the same episode in the southlands.

Or that the Harfoots can’t possibly have books because they don’t interact with other societies. When we now know that Sardoc wasn’t always a nomad.

I often read someone give the lie to their claim ‘I really wanted this to be good’ by being unbelievably petty. It see it a lot when investigated grievances in a work scenario. Where the most banal and trivial things are raised even if there are serious issues because clearly the person is trying to find fault wherever they can. Even though it can undermine the broader point they’re making.

The truth is these posts get more interest ripping things apart. It’s also easier to do that more balanced criticism because the elements of proportionality, context and importance aren’t really relevant to criticisms being made. We know the algorithms and the worst of human nature means these approaches get more clicks/interest.

There used to be something called the temporary suspension of disbelief that used to handle things like Sardoc having a book. It seems to be falling out of fashion now in favour of “if it isn’t spelled out clearly to me it can’t be the case”

This, 1000%

I read less than half of the first article and realized it was going to be a waste of time. I'm sure there's valid points in there, but just because there's water in mud doesn't mean I'm going to drink the mud if there's perfectly fine water (more balanced analyses) to be drunk.

 

[Micah Sweet]

This, 1000%

I read less than half of the first article and realized it was going to be a waste of time. I'm sure there's valid points in there, but just because there's water in mud doesn't mean I'm going to drink the mud if there's perfectly fine water (more balanced analyses) to be drunk.

What a perfectly fair and not at all insulting view of someone else's opinions and research!

 

[TheSword]

The world as depicted in RoP is nonsensical in a lot of ways. That first article in the series describes the big ones, as well as why they are important. It's an amazing read, and sums up my feelings for season 1 and my desire for verisimilitude in general in one tight package.

The most egregious criticism in the article was about the scale. Tolkein has always focused on small groups rather than immense societies and kept attention where the interesting events were. Not been distracted with demographics. How many hobbit villages did we see in Lotr? How many human settlements did we see west of the Misty Mountains? The southlands settlements were remnants. They were never claimed to be the only southland settlements but they were where the action occured so that’s what we saw. The size of the Numenor relief was criticised as only being 300 but they were a volunteer force acting as a queens escort - not a state invasion.

 

[Eric V]

The first article is hardly nickpicky IMO, and you can't fault the tongue-in-cheek title of the entire website.

You're welcome not to care, but that doesn't mean it's not worth it for anyone to care.

I dunno...seemed pretty nitpicky.

 

[TheSword]

The first article is hardly nickpicky IMO, and you can't fault the tongue-in-cheek title of the entire website.

You're welcome not to care, but that doesn't mean it's not worth it for anyone to care.

More than a bit!

He states that the old man turning the key couldn’t have produced enough torc to shift the stonework and because he didn’t see the mechanics behind that he won’t consider it wow.

He states that while steam based explosion can trigger volcanic eruptions this one wouldn’t have in his opinion even though it’s fictional representation of a volcanic explosion not a scientific one and he admits he’s not an expert

I’ve discussed some of his many other faulty assumptions (like the idea that the events are all happening concurrently).

See it’s much easier to rip someone apart than to judge them fairly. When you step back and rest a bit more comfortably in your enjoyment of the show it’s quite hilarious watching Tolkeinistas rend their garments to try and find reasons to hate the thing in as many mediums as they can.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I dunno...seemed pretty nitpicky.

Like I said, you're welcome to not care, but I would still ask for respect for those who do.

 

[Micah Sweet]

More than a bit!

He states that the old man turning the key couldn’t have produced enough torc to shift the stonework and because he didn’t see the mechanics behind that he won’t consider it wow.

He states that while steam based explosion can trigger volcanic eruptions this one wouldn’t have in his opinion even though it’s fictional representation of a volcanic explosion not a scientific one and he admits he’s not an expert

I’ve discussed some of his many other faulty assumptions (like the idea that the events are all happening concurrently).

See it’s much easier to rip someone apart than to judge them fairly. When you step back and rest a bit more comfortably in your enjoyment of the show it’s quite hilarious watching Tolkeinistas rend their garments to try and find reasons to hate the thing in as many mediums as they can.

I thought we talked about how hyperbole wasn't helpful? "Rend their garments"? Also a little schadenfreude there, with your talk about enjoying other people's consternation about issues that clearly don't matter to you. I'm not seeing any high ground on your side of this.

 

[TheSword]

I thought we talked about how hyperbole wasn't helpful? "Rend their garments"? Also a little schadenfreude there, with your talk about enjoying other people's consternation about issues that clearly don't matter to you. I'm not seeing any high ground on your side of this.

I’m not talking about a person’s creative person work requiring many years of effort and skill. But rather the collective apoplexy of a group of people who have said some fairly unkind things and yuk’d on a lot of peoples yum IMHO. A self immolation if you like considering that it seems to be entirely self inflicted and highly likely to do little but make further cool fantasy stuff less likely.