Lord of the Rings: The Long Defeat

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Poking around in the LotR appendices trying to understand the timelines of the Second and Third Ages, I came to the realization that the Second Age aren't the stories I most want to hear.

I think I understand why Amazon would pick the Second Age -- relatively blank canvas, better traditional story arc (suspicions, evil growing, ends on a high with a bang-up battle and happy ending), clear linkage to the opening scenes of the LotR movies with the forging of the rings to defeat of Sauron.

What I'm more interested in though are the stories of the Third Age: the rise and fall of the two kingdoms, the breakup and fall of Arnor, loss of Minas Ithil and transformation of Gondor, emergence of Durin's Bane and loss of Moria, the war of Dwarves & Goblins, the coming of the White Council, the founding of the Shire and the watch on its borders, etc. It has the benefit of more familiar characters and locations. End with the beginning of the Hobbit.

What do you think? Would The Long Defeat be worth seeing?

 

[Guest 7034872]

What do you think? Would The Long Defeat be worth seeing?

I think so, yes. It's generally the second act of an opera that's the most interesting and beloved.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

This would call for a more anthology based format as the time scales are very long for a single set of characters (even Numenorians). Not a fashionable format at this time.

 

[MarkB]

Sounds like the equivalent of the Star Wars prequel trilogy - "here's how everything went wrong that the heroes have to deal with in the Original Trilogy". It's fine as a join-the-dots exercise, but not as a story I'll enjoy in my heroic fantasy genre.

 

[drl2]

I'd rather see some fleshing-out of the tales from the First Age. The stories of Turin, or Beren & Luthien, for example, could be turned into amazing films in the right hands.

 

[DrunkonDuty]

The trouble with most of the stuff that isn't Lord of the Rings or the Hobbit is that it's episodes from history. You'd need to build up the background first then tell the individual stories. Doable in a book, takes a lot more to do in a TV series.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

I'd rather see some fleshing-out of the tales from the First Age. The stories of Turin, or Beren & Luthien, for example, could be turned into amazing films in the right hands.

Beren and Luthien maybe, but Turin, that is some downer and that is one of the issues with the First Age. It is all downhill and ends with a literal Deus Ex Machina.

 

[DrunkonDuty]

Beren and Luthien maybe, but Turin, that is some downer and that is one of the issues with the First Age. It is all downhill and ends with a literal Deus Ex Machina.

True. To make the Deus Ex Machina less irritating one could try to put more emphasis on the Doom of the Noldor and the feel of this being a great history. A history that is Doomed (DOOOOOMMMMMMED!!!) but can be saved by an act of Grace. So always make that possibility of the Valar's Grace visible to the audience, tease it throughout the story, especially during the darkest hours.

The individual tales are then told within that framework. Almost as separate mini-series but always framed as part of the broader sweep of history.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

True. To make the Deus Ex Machina less irritating one could try to put more emphasis on the Doom of the Noldor and the feel of this being a great history. A history that is Doomed (DOOOOOMMMMMMED!!!) but can be saved by an act of Grace. So always make that possibility of the Valar's Grace visible to the audience, tease it throughout the story, especially during the darkest hours.

The individual tales are then told within that framework. Almost as separate mini-series but always framed as part of the broader sweep of history.

I also think that the machinations of Morgoth leading up to the destruction of the Two Trees and the consequences leading up to the Kinslaying would be a place for some good story telling and drama, with out the obvious "all is doomed" vibe of the War of the Sillmarils.

 

[Hriston]

Poking around in the LotR appendices trying to understand the timelines of the Second and Third Ages, I came to the realization that the Second Age aren't the stories I most want to hear.

I think I understand why Amazon would pick the Second Age -- relatively blank canvas, better traditional story arc (suspicions, evil growing, ends on a high with a bang-up battle and happy ending), clear linkage to the opening scenes of the LotR movies with the forging of the rings to defeat of Sauron.

What I'm more interested in though are the stories of the Third Age: the rise and fall of the two kingdoms, the breakup and fall of Arnor, loss of Minas Ithil and transformation of Gondor, emergence of Durin's Bane and loss of Moria, the war of Dwarves & Goblins, the coming of the White Council, the founding of the Shire and the watch on its borders, etc. It has the benefit of more familiar characters and locations. End with the beginning of the Hobbit.

What do you think? Would The Long Defeat be worth seeing?

I don't think anyone has mentioned it in this thread, so in case you didn't know, you'll get to see one of those stories on April 12, 2024 when The War of the Rohirrim is released. Link