Micah Sweet
Level Up & OSR Enthusiast
Fair enough, but given the state they suspensefully left him in at the end of the last episode, that would have been a good thing to show, or at least refer to.
Spoilers Rings of Power is back!
- Thread starter Morrus
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Sepulchrave II
Legend
This show requires the viewer to make an awful lot of assumptions in order to maintain a strained sense of continuity.
Micah Sweet
Level Up & OSR Enthusiast
In many places, yes. A side-effect of trying to cram so much narrative into 8 episodes a season. It's impressive that much of it is still pretty good to great IMO, despite all of that (which in general I do agree with).
Whizbang Dustyboots
Gnometown Hero
If we have to see every single moment on screen, just so no one's wondering when the halflings go to the bathroom, we're going to need a lot more episodes.
The Soloist
Hero
Maybe it was filmed but cut during the final editing to tighten the pace. I get that feeling a lot while watching this series.
Sepulchrave II
Legend
In many cases, this could have been eased by the showrunners inserting a single, brief scene which aided continuity, e.g.:
Miriel’s Numenorians arrive in the Southlands. They begin a cavalry charge. Where? Why?
Insert: Brief scene describing/demonstrating/alluding to an orc attack on a nearby settlement.
This pattern - where a gap exists between the apparent understanding of the actors and their actions - is a recurring problem with this show.
TheAlkaizer
Game Designer
So my girlfriend insisted to watch the remaining episodes. Were now done with Season 2. It might be some of the worst television I've watched.
Season 1 felt soulless but inoffensive. Some major departures from the lore immediately killed the show for me, but I was able to non-chalantly cruise through it.
Season 2 has a bit more personality, but it's so, so bad. The writing is absolutely atrocious. You can guess the characters line before they come, the punchlines are so bad. And they're unable to build anything with any emotional charge without winking a Jackson's work.
It's really bad. And it's not not lore accurate. It's actively going against so many lore elements that made these stories so interesting in the first place. Tolkien's work has a poetry to it. This feels like a room of kids writing poetry for the first time.
I'll give the show some credit. I abhor the final product, but it's obvious lots of love went into many aspects of the show.
Season 1 felt soulless but inoffensive. Some major departures from the lore immediately killed the show for me, but I was able to non-chalantly cruise through it.
Season 2 has a bit more personality, but it's so, so bad. The writing is absolutely atrocious. You can guess the characters line before they come, the punchlines are so bad. And they're unable to build anything with any emotional charge without winking a Jackson's work.
It's really bad. And it's not not lore accurate. It's actively going against so many lore elements that made these stories so interesting in the first place. Tolkien's work has a poetry to it. This feels like a room of kids writing poetry for the first time.
I'll give the show some credit. I abhor the final product, but it's obvious lots of love went into many aspects of the show.
- The music is great.
- I love the costumes and the visual quality.
- Some actors are really strong, especially with the text they have to work with. Elrond, Durin (King), Celebrimbor especially. I was unconvinced by the actor of Sauron in the first season, but he played the fine line of Sauron's role exceptionally well. I'm still unsure if he enjoyed his time with Celebrimbor or was just manipulating him.
- I like Sauron's depiction.
- I dislike the new Adar's actor, but I like the character.
- The opening sequence is lovely.
Whizbang Dustyboots
Gnometown Hero
This is Wheel of Time erasure and I will not stand for it.
Dire Bare
Legend
I'm with Dr. Olsen . . . there is no canon in Middle-Earth.
www.ign.com
As the Identity of The Rings of Power’s Stranger Is Revealed, a Tolkien Professor Insists The Lord of the Rings Canon Doesn’t Exist - IGN
Now that Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 has wrapped up, fans finally know the identity of the Stranger and are debating whether the character’s inclusion in the show marks a significant break from the canon established by The Lord of the Rings author J. R. R. Tolkien.
Sepulchrave II
Legend
I'm with Dr. Olsen . . . there is no canon in Middle-Earth.
As the Identity of The Rings of Power’s Stranger Is Revealed, a Tolkien Professor Insists The Lord of the Rings Canon Doesn’t Exist - IGN
Now that Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 has wrapped up, fans finally know the identity of the Stranger and are debating whether the character’s inclusion in the show marks a significant break from the canon established by The Lord of the Rings author J. R. R. Tolkien.
The Article said:
Do you think Prime Video compensated Olsen for his time and work?
I think it’s also worth pointing out that it was Olsen who dubbed Olsen “The Tolkien Professor” - it’s not like it was somehow acquired through popular accolade.
A couple of thoughts:
1. I think it's worth drawing a distinction between "canonicity" and "lore authentic to Tolkien's vision."
2. There is a difference between Tolkien constantly tinkering with his own work, and a TV studio reconfiguring large tranches of it. It's Tolkien's to tinker with, after all.
But as I've suggested, I think it's a mistake to try and reconcile anything in RoP with Tolkien's legendarium. It's harder than trying to harmonize the gospels.
Edit: which gives rise to another point. Canon may contradict itself, but it remains canon.
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