Rings of Power

P

PantherProud

Well-known member
Yappi said:
I'm watching this show and enjoying it. I'm one of those people that went to the theater to watch the Lord of the Ring movies but really didn't get into them. Forgot the names of nearly every character as I exited the theater. I thought the movies were well done but nothing special. It made it tougher for me because I didn't want to spend the energy memorizing every detail to enjoy the show(s) even more.

With that said, I actually like the streaming shows much better. I can watch them at my own pace and if I happen to miss something, I can rewatch that part. I prefer all the storylines going on at once because they differentiate the groups so obviously. Much like GoT having all those locations and tying them together so well.
Click to expand...


You could go the route of my wife and give them nicknames.

Aragorn was "Scruffy Hot Boy" and Boromir was "Scruffy Not As Hot Boy".

21 years later, that's still what they're called.
 
E

eastisbest

Well-known member
Yappi said:
Ironically, I do know who the dwarf is. I called him "the professor." He was on a show in the 1990s called "Sliders" and played a professor.
Click to expand...
I went through his entire IMDB trying to figure where I'd seen him. I'd convinced myself he was the butler in one of those divoced dad sitcomes and jumped right over "Sliders."
 
P

PantherProud

Well-known member
Best episode of the season IMO. Certainly the most action packed.

This episode had more action than we’ve seen out of the combined seasons of Rings of Power, House of the Dragon and Andor so far.

Shout out again to a great score.
 
ogealbhain

ogealbhain

Well-known member
It's been 30+ years since I've read The Silmarillion, but aside from the names, the story lines seem like there is limited connection to the source material. Is that a correct assessment?
 
L

lotr10

Well-known member
Wow, the latest episode was spectacular. Both in its big battles and smaller one on one fights it had a true LOTR cinematic feel to it. The visuals are stunning and the acting is hitting its stride.

The money spent on Rings of Power is starting to show up in a big way. After a bit of a slow start this series has blown past House of the Dragon in visual wonders, characterization and epic story telling.
 
E

eastisbest

Well-known member
I guess I will have to suffer through, pick up the episodes I'd stopped watching. It was still worth going back and watching the trilogy so not a total loss. This Silmarillion thing seems of interest. I think I'd rather a series detailing where all this stuff come from would have been of more interest to me.
 
Crusaders

Crusaders

Moderator
ogealbhain said:
It's been 30+ years since I've read The Silmarillion, but aside from the names, the story lines seem like there is limited connection to the source material. Is that a correct assessment?
Click to expand...

Yeah it’s wildly different from what Tolkien wrote. Shameful to have his name on it honestly
 
E

eastisbest

Well-known member
Caught up. Can't say my opinion has much changed. Still seems tropish and slow. Neither acting nor interactions are consistently solid. Adar the Bad Elf is a good character and one of the better actors IMO, putting both the Uruk and the Elves into the grey area instead so solidly B&W as depicted in the trilogy of movies. This is the first time I've felt a story in this mess.
 
Last edited:
P

PantherProud

Well-known member
"It would be very tempting to make the first season of this show The Sauron Show, very villain-centric,” he says. “But we wanted that level of evil and complexity of evil to emerge out of a world that you’re invested in — not because evil is threatening it immediately. We wanted you to fall in love again with Middle-earth. We wanted you to understand and relate to the struggles that each of these characters are having before we test them in a way they’ve never been tested before.”
Click to expand...
“It’s another Tolkien thing where when a shadow spreads — which is part of what is happening in our show — it affects everyone’s relationships,” Payne says. “Even Frodo and Sam. They’re the best friends in all of Middle-earth, yet they started to mistrust each other because that’s a manifestation of that shadow. So having an audience suspect this person or that person could be Sauron is drawing them into that thing where the shadow is overcoming all of us and making us suspicious of each other.”
Click to expand...



www.hollywoodreporter.com

‘The Rings of Power’ Showrunners Break Silence on Backlash, Sauron and Season 2

Two first-time showrunners who landed TV’s biggest series give THR a behind-the-scenes tour as they navigate challenges even scarier than Mordor — from "patently evil" online trolling to massive industry expectations.
www.hollywoodreporter.com www.hollywoodreporter.com


I think this was very smart.
 
Last edited:
Crusaders

Crusaders

Moderator
Only problem is, they created a world absolutely no one is invested in. You can say this or that but it ultimately comes down to execution, and they've failed miserably

Frodo and Sam weren't struggling with a "shadow", they were in possession of the ring. These guys are complete morons
 
E

eastisbest

Well-known member
Crusaders said:
Only problem is, they created a world absolutely no one is invested in. You can say this or that but it ultimately comes down to execution, and they've failed miserably

Frodo and Sam weren't struggling with a "shadow", they were in possession of the ring. These guys are complete morons
Click to expand...

I don't disagree. As you posted, they essentially admitted as much. They strive to get better. We'll see.
 
P

PantherProud

Well-known member
Really like this week's episode. I'm digging these evil priestess like characters. They had much needed spice to the Harfoot storyline.


Its weird that next week is already the season finale. While we're going to end up having close to 10 hours of show, I think they would have benefited from a 10 episode season. IMO 10 tends to be the sweet spot with streaming shows these days.
 
ogealbhain

ogealbhain

Well-known member
PantherProud said:
Really like this week's episode. I'm digging these evil priestess like characters. They had much needed spice to the Harfoot storyline.


Its weird that next week is already the season finale. While we're going to end up having close to 10 hours of show, I think they would have benefited from a 10 episode season. IMO 10 tends to be the sweet spot with streaming shows these days.
Click to expand...

Who are they? I would say this episode was my favorite.
 
OhioBobcatFan06

OhioBobcatFan06

Well-known member
I really like how Mordor has been incorporated. Even the most casual fan of LOTR is going to understand the significance of that place in this world.

Definitely feels like "Middle Earth" now. Great story to have in a prequel
 
E

eastisbest

Well-known member
OhioBobcatFan06 said:
I really like how Mordor has been incorporated. Even the most casual fan of LOTR is going to understand the significance of that place in this world.

Definitely feels like "Middle Earth" now. Great story to have in a prequel
Click to expand...

I don't think it's been all that clear. Some old guy thinking Adar is Sauron seemingly joined to save his own life and when that was no longer an issue, steals the sword, hobbles all the way back to the tower knowing it is a key that will create an orc homeworld and bring back Sauron?

I feel like I'm missing some scenes (not unlikely since it has been a stay awake struggle). So unless he is Sauron himself, why did he do this? They'd never showed him buying into a system that favors Orcs over humans. He was just trying to save his own skin. He had nothing to gain by flooding the valley and killing all his fellow towns people. He could have kept the key/sword knowing the power behind it and went on his business. And for the flood to just happen to start a big steaming mess that was the whole goal of the series? And a lucky leaf fall creates a big bad?

Nope, I'm not seeing the significance of the place, other than as an orc homeland. It seems to me that they're using pre-destiny to drive the story and nothing is lazier than that. Maybe if I ever get motivated to rewatch from scratch, it will seem more like logical dominoes. At this point, it's just writer's throwing a bunch of crap on the wall and then writing the needed conclusion, regardless what was shown before doesn't lead to it.

On the plus side, it is well illuminated.
 
P

PantherProud

Well-known member
eastisbest said:
I don't think it's been all that clear. Some old guy thinking Adar is Sauron seemingly joined to save his own life and when that was no longer an issue, steals the sword, hobbles all the way back to the tower knowing it is a key that will create an orc homeworld and bring back Sauron?

I feel like I'm missing some scenes (not unlikely since it has been a stay awake struggle). So unless he is Sauron himself, why did he do this? They'd never showed him buying into a system that favors Orcs over humans. He was just trying to save his own skin. He had nothing to gain by flooding the valley and killing all his fellow towns people. He could have kept the key/sword knowing the power behind it and went on his business. And for the flood to just happen to start a big steaming mess that was the whole goal of the series? And a lucky leaf fall creates a big bad?

Nope, I'm not seeing the significance of the place, other than as an orc homeland. It seems to me that they're using pre-destiny to drive the story and nothing is lazier than that. Maybe if I ever get motivated to rewatch from scratch, it will seem more like logical dominoes. At this point, it's just writer's throwing a bunch of crap on the wall and then writing the needed conclusion, regardless what was shown before doesn't lead to it.

On the plus side, it is well illuminated.
Click to expand...

The Old Man was part of the group of humans that was loyal to Sauron and he believed Adar to be Sauron reborn, so that’s why he pledged allegiance to Adar. I don’t think he knew what the new sword did, he was just doing the bidding of his new master.

As for the flooding causing the eruption, that’s how it works (they even consulted a volcano expert). The water hits the lava to create steam, which causes the eruption. That’s what the orcs have been doing all this time, digging tunnels for the water to flow through to Mt. Doom.

Regarding the Balrog, it doesn’t really have anything to do with the leaf, but the fact that all the digging from the dwarves in general awoke him.
 
E

eastisbest

Well-known member
PantherProud said:
The Old Man was part of the group of humans that was loyal to Sauron and he believed Adar to be Sauron reborn, so that’s why he pledged allegiance to Adar. I don’t think he knew what the new sword did, he was just doing the bidding of his new master.
Click to expand...
They did not show any loyalty. He pledged allegiance to save his bacon. He made this clear before he left town. They showed only him doing for himself. This is the "casual fan," take, which is who the post was directed to. They did not show his "master" bid him to flood the town. They didn't even show him steal the key and sneak back and why would he flood the town knowing his "master" would be in direct danger? They didn't show that. They didn't show him have ANY reason for going back to the tower.

PantherProud said:
As for the flooding causing the eruption, that’s how it works (they even consulted a volcano expert). The water hits the lava to create steam, which causes the eruption. That’s what the orcs have been doing all this time, digging tunnels for the water to flow through to Mt. Doom.
Click to expand...

Who "they?" I remember now the line about them digging the tunnels. I'll have to rewatch that bit to see what I missed. As of now, they did not show why this creates anything other than steam. The point of OBC's post. It is not clear to me the importance of Morder, why this created it r why this action created it. hell, I don't even know what Mordor is. Just a city for the "bad guys?" Why does it have to be steamy and firey? I presume it something magical, that's where the rings were created and destroyed, no?

PantherProud said:
Regarding the Balrog, it doesn’t really have anything to do with the leaf, but the fact that all the digging from the dwarves in general awoke him.
Click to expand...
They showed him created when the leaf hits the heat. They did not show him snoozing then get conked on the head by a leaf. What is it exactly? That's not the same place as the volcano is it?
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
.
Top