Rings of Power -- all opinions and spoilers welcome thread.

[Maxperson]

Oh, whatever. Its no more unlikely than being eaten up by Old Man Willow and immediately having a forest god show up who can deal with it.

Seriously? You think that one coincidence(Bombadil showing up at the right moment) is just as unlikely as three coincidences showing up at exactly the right moment? That Bombadil in his forest that is much smaller than the ocean is just as likely to be in one part of it as three things in just the right spot in the wide ocean?

I think your odds maker loves you when you gamble.

Characters running into people who can help them in unlikely places (like Faramir and Frodo) are a common occurrence in Tolkien.

Riiiiight, just like I said that I would be okay with one coincidence happening, but not three of them at once. You keep giving examples of one coincidence and likening it to three, which is a False Equivalence.

 

[Maxperson]

indeed it's clear the hierarchy in knowledge goes: Tolkien himself> Christopher> you>then everyone else.

If you say so.

 

[trappedslider]

If you say so.

Well the way you are acting despite how involved the actual IP holders are, is giving off "I know better than them" vibes. Along with "no true scotsman"

 

[Maxperson]

Well the way you are acting despite how involved the actual IP holders are, is giving off "I know better than them" vibes. Along with "no true scotsman"

No. Being able to recognize bad decisions by an IP holder isn't even close to "no true scotsman." Otherwise all the Star Wars movie decisions would automatically be good ones and nobody would have the right say otherwise.

 

[RuinousPowers]

Seriously? You think that one coincidence(Bombadil showing up at the right moment) is just as unlikely as three coincidences showing up at exactly the right moment? That Bombadil in his forest that is much smaller than the ocean is just as likely to be in one part of it as three things in just the right spot in the wide ocean?

I think your odds maker loves you when you gamble.

Riiiiight, just like I said that I would be okay with one coincidence happening, but not three of them at once. You keep giving examples of one coincidence and likening it to three, which is a False Equivalence.

Running into the stone trolls as pure Hobbit fan service. Running into Fangorn- couldn't have been any other ent. Running into Eomer- another ruler who had access to the unique insights the fellowship needed.

Everytime they needed help, they ran into the lord of whatever land they were in who tripped over themselves to give them all the aid they needed. Name one time they needed help and someone didn't just show up to provide it.

 

[Maxperson]

Running into the stone trolls as pure Hobbit fan service. Running into Fangorn- couldn't have been any other ent. Running into Eomer- another ruler who had access to the unique insights the fellowship needed.

So you think more examples of singular coincidences is supposed to convince me that a triple coincidence is just as likely? What makes you think this is going to be effective?

 

[RuinousPowers]

So you think more examples of singular coincidences is supposed to convince me that a triple coincidence is just as likely? What makes you think this is going to be effective?

I'm just pointing out that everytime the fellowship needed something poof an NPC showed up with exactly what they needed.

I doubt even Tolkien could change your mind on the molehills you've chosen to die on. I'm just saying your incredulity isn't persuasive either. I mean, where is your incredulity when Hobbits from the Shire and the Orcs of Mordor- both pretty insular groups- speak the same language? You pick and choose what you find unbelievable.

 

[Maxperson]

I'm just pointing out that everytime the fellowship needed something poof an NPC showed up with exactly what they needed.

And I said above that single coincidences are fine. I can suspend disbelief for that. The three at once in the middle of the ocean went beyond the pale and was ludicrous. It was just plain bad.

 

[Rabulias]

Likely I'd give it 4 stars out of 5 if it didn't have ridiculousness like an elf jumping off a boat in the middle of the ocean and then having a shipwrecked group of humans "wander by" within minutes, followed by a sea monster at the same time, followed by a chance meeting with a ship soon after.

If it was coincidence, it would be a stretch. But if it was an evil celestial being's machinations and manipulations to position himself to secretly exploit his nemesis to get what he wants, that I believe. A random sea monster attack? Or was it called by Sauron to crush the ship? And attack again to get rid of the other survivors? Who better to summon such a creature?

It would not surprise me that Sauron had divined some glimpses of the future (through a palantir or some innate ability) and took advantage of that knowledge to put himself and others where he wanted them to be.

While that is a leap not directly supported by what we see in the show, it is not too large a leap to make, IMO.

 

[Parmandur]

If it was coincidence, it would be a stretch. But if it was an evil celestial being's machinations and manipulations to position himself to secretly exploit his nemesis to get what he wants, that I believe. A random sea monster attack? Or was it called by Sauron to crush the ship? And attack again to get rid of the other survivors? Who better to summon such a creature?

It would not surprise me that Sauron had divined some glimpses of the future (through a palantir or some innate ability) and took advantage of that knowledge to put himself and others where he wanted them to be.

While that is a leap not directly supported by what we see in the show, it is not too large a leap to make, IMO.

So, Season 2 is kicking off with Dauron giving his own Galadriel style history montages monologs. I think that Season 1 gives enough to suggest that it was a definite plan (not shown, but implied: somone convinces Gil-Galad that the Elves are Doomed unless they build a Tower of Babel and start collecting Mithriral ASAP, and by the way Galadriel should be returned to Valinor. Shown: Sauron shows up near Galadriel with a convenient excuse and makes fun of her for being a deserter...like that was the expected result of her being sent), but I think Season 2 will make some subtext into text.