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

[trappedslider]

But how much of what people are mentioning was "missed" is from the TotR appendices, and how much is from The Silmarillion?

This should be posted at the top of each page in this thread along with a reminder of what they can use.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Poppy and Nori are reminding me quite a bit of Sam and Frodo, actually, which I don't think is an accident.

Elrond on the other hand is completely wrong. For the record, I was not at all fond of his depiction in the films either, but even that was somewhat preferable. He's a lore-master and herald of Gil-galad. This unflattering depiction reduces him, to use Galadriel's word, to a politician, and a smarmy one at that.

I think it makes sense that he is a politically engaged puller of strings at this time in his past. It fits.

Again, words can have nuanced meanings.

This TV show depicts the fictional character of Elrond, Herald of the High King, as a less than honest, behind the scenes puller of strings. In his conversation with Galadriel, although he professes to be her friend and tells her he's going to speak plainly, he doesn't tell her that, at the ceremony, the High King is going to declare an end to war and grant her passage to the West, which he obviously knew ahead of time because he wrote the speech. And although he looks surprised at her reaction, it came off, at least to me, as a set-up to maneuver her into an awkward position where she could no longer pursue her goals. This was not to my liking. (ETA: Perhaps more importantly, this type of behavior is not implicit in the description herald.)

Elrond always seemed like a fairly deeply flawed person, to me. I’m seeing nothing especially out of character for the much younger version of the character we meet much later in life in the hobbit and the Trilogy.

 

[Ryujin]

Forget the Channel, it's gotta be at least like swimming across the Atlantic!

The maps I've seen seem to imply that the distance would be comparable.

 

[Hriston]

I think it makes sense that he is a politically engaged puller of strings at this time in his past. It fits.

Elrond always seemed like a fairly deeply flawed person, to me. I’m seeing nothing especially out of character for the much younger version of the character we meet much later in life in the hobbit and the Trilogy.

I think you're comparing this Elrond to the one in the films. I'm comparing him to the one in the books.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I think you're comparing this Elrond to the one in the films. I'm comparing him to the one in the books.

Nah, they’re both layered and subtle, which is largely how you describe a manipulator with good ends.

And this is set before his brother chooses mortality and dies a mortal death, his home is lost, he watches the evil he thought gone return and nearly destroy everything he cares for, a whole war, and then generations of men of relatively peaceful slow diminishment.

His depiction here tracks.

Could do with more songs, but that element of Tolkien elves always seems to get lost in live action.

 

[billd91]

Nah, they’re both layered and subtle, which is largely how you describe a manipulator with good ends.

And this is set before his brother chooses mortality and dies a mortal death, his home is lost, he watches the evil he thought gone return and nearly destroy everything he cares for, a whole war, and then generations of men of relatively peaceful slow diminishment.

Not according to the timeline in the LotR appendices. By the time the elves establish Eregion, Elros is already three centuries dead.
I'm waiting for the show to visit Númenor.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Not according to the timeline in the LotR appendices. By the time the elves establish Eregion, Elros is already three centuries dead.
I'm waiting for the show to visit Númenor.

Except the timeline isn’t being used here, but sure. One of the things I listed may have already happened.

Do you feel that has some significant impact of the truth or relevance of the point I made in that post?

 

[Hriston]

Nah, they’re both layered and subtle, which is largely how you describe a manipulator with good ends.

I don't see it. Maybe you have an example from the books? In the Hobbit and LotR, he serves primarily as a source of exposition and connection to the past. He was a witness, as the herald of Gil-galad, to these earlier times.

And this is set before his brother chooses mortality and dies a mortal death,

I think this isn't right. Elrond has clearly made his choice to live among the elves, and I think it has been more than five hundred years since then (more like one thousand). Elros has surely died by this time.

his home is lost, he watches the evil he thought gone return and nearly destroy everything he cares for, a whole war, and then generations of men of relatively peaceful slow diminishment.

His depiction here tracks.

Could do with more songs, but that element of Tolkien elves always seems to get lost in live action.

I'm not sure what you think these biographical details imply about Elrond. The show-writers seem to be leaning into a certain depiction of Elrond as a crafty statesman, and I find it to be unfitting. Elrond is a lore-master and a healer. He established the refuge of Rivendell for his people after the fall of Eregion. None of that says cunning diplomat to me.

 

[Hriston]

I'm waiting for the show to visit Númenor.

I think the shadow of the boat we see at the end of the second episode is going to be Numenorean.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I don't see it. Maybe you have an example from the books? In the Hobbit and LotR, he serves primarily as a source of exposition and connection to the past. He was a witness, as the herald of Gil-galad, to these earlier times.


I think this isn't right. Elrond has clearly made his choice to live among the elves, and I think it has been more than five hundred years since then (more like one thousand). Elros has surely died by this time.


I'm not sure what you think these biographical details imply about Elrond. The show-writers seem to be leaning into a certain depiction of Elrond as a crafty statesman, and I find it to be unfitting. Elrond is a lore-master and a healer. He established the refuge of Rivendell for his people after the fall of Eregion. None of that says cunning diplomat to me.

He’s explicitly stated to hold a political position in an important court at this point in his life. A herald in this context is a political position. A diplomat.

If you find it incongruous to see the young version of a subtle and wise leader who is stated to have been a diplomat under a great old king depicted as a canny diplomat…I think you and I have biases and expectations that are too far apart of further discussion on the topic to be fruitful.