[+] The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power - SPOILERS ALLOWED

[Paul Farquhar]

They could have just explained it like it happened, with the Edain who helped during the War of Wrath and suffered because of Morgoth being granted Numenor. They have the rights to show that.

Stuff that happens over hundreds of years does not make an entertaining TV show. Viewers need to engage with characters, not a narrator telling you about string of monarchs who begat other monarchs. If that's your bag, there is the History Channel.

 

[Maxperson]

Stuff that happens over hundreds of years does not make an entertaining TV show. Viewers need to engage with characters, not a narrator telling you about string of monarchs who begat other monarchs. If that's your bag, there is the History Channel.

It doesn't have to. This is about the forging of Rings of Power and the 2nd age. Isildur has no business being here at all.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

It doesn't have to. This is about the forging of Rings of Power and the 2nd age. Isildur has no business being here at all.

It's an entertainment. It is not a history program. Isuldur is in because he ties into the Lord of the Rings movies, and this show's target endpoint is the beginning of those movies. Numenor is in because it's an interesting story that explains Aragorn in the movies. But it wouldn't be interesting TV if it has a string of monarchs who keep dying and being replaced by other monarchs just as the audience is becoming engaged with them.

 

[Dire Bare]

LOL wut.

One of the most widely read works of fiction ever, but largely no one has read it.

Heh, really? The Silmarillion or the Lost Tales are some of the most widely read fiction ever? I'm thinking not so much.

I think folks are trying to say . . . "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" ARE some of the most widely read works of fiction, but . . . . "The Silmarillion" and the 10+ multi-volume "History of Middle-Earth" series is NOT very widely read.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

And the level of gate keeping here is pretty breath taking.

I think that's a bit of a stretch, unless you don't mean "this thread" by "here". Almost everyone here likes the show, myself included. Though I think that there's not much point in discussing it at all if we can't nit-pick a little. And I think anyone who actually doesn't like it who's chimed in here, has been pretty civil about it (even if they're generally a little too reverent for the source material, IMO).

Just to be clear on some of my earlier points: I have absolutely no problem with Galadriel being a butt-kicking soldier. I think my problem probably comes from her seeming to go from how I see her as a social introvert (like myself) to an anti-social extrovert. She feels to me like she's gone from "one of us" to "one of them".

(This is me trying to analyse my own feelings on the subject - anyone else is free to feel differently).

 

[Mort]

It's an entertainment. It is not a history program. Isuldur is in because he ties into the Lord of the Rings movies, and this show's target endpoint is the beginning of those movies. Numenor is in because it's an interesting story that explains Aragorn in the movies. But it wouldn't be interesting TV if it has a string of monarchs who keep dying and being replaced by other monarchs just as the audience is becoming engaged with them.

Even (and often even especially) in fiction, There's always a danger when taking existing characters that have an established history and messing with their place in the timeline.

The benefit to a "known" character is it gives people something familiar to draw them in, the drawback is the expectations that come with the familiar character.

Personally, I do just want to see a 'good" story and if Isildur can be a part of that then great. But There might be some extra hurdles (for me).

Introducing a known character brings extra baggage to overcome. It's like Strange New Worlds introducing T'Pring and Spock before TNG. It's cute watching their relationship grow and develop but there's a real hint of sadness and tragedy that overlays the supposed fun.

 

[Dioltach]

But it wouldn't be interesting TV if it has a string of monarchs who keep dying and being replaced by other monarchs just as the audience is becoming engaged with them.

[Mel Brooks voice] Hey, it worked for A Game of Thrones!

 

[Maxperson]

It's an entertainment. It is not a history program. Isuldur is in because he ties into the Lord of the Rings movies, and this show's target endpoint is the beginning of those movies. Numenor is in because it's an interesting story that explains Aragorn in the movies. But it wouldn't be interesting TV if it has a string of monarchs who keep dying and being replaced by other monarchs just as the audience is becoming engaged with them.

Okay, but then this is NOT the story of the 2nd age or the Rings of Power. With just what we have in the appendices in the LotR, we know that this story that they are telling is completely false. I wish they wouldn't try to call it Lord of the Rings and just say it's a fantasy story with another name.

 

[Maxperson]

I think folks are trying to say . . . "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" ARE some of the most widely read works of fiction, but . . . . "The Silmarillion" and the 10+ multi-volume "History of Middle-Earth" series is NOT very widely read.

Over 1 million copies of the Silmarillion have sold.

 

[Mort]

But it wouldn't be interesting TV if it has a string of monarchs who keep dying and being replaced by other monarchs just as the audience is becoming engaged with them.

Actually, it could be a really interesting take from the Elven perspective. How it's so hard for them to relate to/understand mortals because they just keep changing/dying on them.

We already had a bit of this with Elrond and Durin. I think it could be VERY interesting if done with the elves and humans. Not that it will be, we pretty much know that's not the direction.