Lord of the Rings series!?

For discussion of Amazon's new television show "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power"
Post Reply
User avatar
Eldy
Drowning in Anadûnê
Posts: 1503
Joined: Sat Sep 14, 2013 3:44 am
Location: Maryland, United States
Contact:

Re: Lord of the Rings series!?

Post by Eldy »

Voronwë the Faithful wrote: Wed Aug 10, 2022 2:49 pmMore generally, plenty of people have complained about how much it doesn't look or sound like Tolkien. Just the other day, David Bratman wrote in a comment to a blog post by John Rateliff: "Yes. While the trailer scenery looks great, the dialog sounds like the kind of fantasy I turned to Tolkien to get away from. If I get bored and turn the show off after one episode, that'll show that evaluation was right."
Oh, no! If Bratman drops ROP after one episode, who will write a latter-day "Summa Jacksonica"? :P

Anyway, I agree about the larger picture of the Elvish (?)memorial being quite beautiful. :)
User avatar
Voronwë the Faithful
At the intersection of here and now
Posts: 45926
Joined: Mon Nov 21, 2005 1:41 am
Contact:

Re: Lord of the Rings series!?

Post by Voronwë the Faithful »

I'm not too worried about Bratman dropping the show after one episode. I expect him to pick apart every second of all five years. ;)

I'm still trying to figure out where that picture comes from. I asked on Facebook and someone said "new cover from Amazon" but when I asked for clarification she said that she meant new poster, which I assume refers to the poster that we have seen with Galadriel and Gil-gilad and only one of the sculptures. Hopefully someone will clarify.
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
User avatar
Eldy
Drowning in Anadûnê
Posts: 1503
Joined: Sat Sep 14, 2013 3:44 am
Location: Maryland, United States
Contact:

Re: Lord of the Rings series!?

Post by Eldy »

Huh, weird. I'm not seeing it on the official Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram pages, and a Google reverse image search is turning up only the narrower version of the poster. I hope you're able to get some clues from wherever you found it!
User avatar
Stranger Wings
Posts: 537
Joined: Mon Nov 19, 2012 6:00 pm

Re: Lord of the Rings series!?

Post by Stranger Wings »

Eldy wrote: Wed Aug 10, 2022 5:10 pm Image
I’m sure I can see Narvi in the background, scurrying after them.
Voronwë the Faithful wrote: Wed Aug 10, 2022 2:49 pm
Stranger Wings wrote: Wed Aug 10, 2022 8:52 am
Voronwë the Faithful wrote: Wed Aug 10, 2022 2:03 am

Not just Finrod!
It’s beautiful! Has anyone on the interwebs complained yet about it not looking Tolkien?
You mean this specific picture, which I took from a post on Facebook? The only negative comment was someone saying "Yea. But the looks of elves in this series is nt ok." I'm not actually sure where this picture is from. I've asked, but does anyone recall seeing anything like it before?

More generally, plenty of people have complained about how much it doesn't look or sound like Tolkien. Just the other day, David Bratman wrote in a comment to a blog post by John Rateliff: "Yes. While the trailer scenery looks great, the dialog sounds like the kind of fantasy I turned to Tolkien to get away from. If I get bored and turn the show off after one episode, that'll show that evaluation was right."
Yes, it was in reference to the poster/ image. Just a joke about how even the most Tolkien-esque images will be ripped apart for not being Tolkien enough.
“He went alone to look in Mirrormere.” - The Book of Mazarbul
User avatar
Eldy
Drowning in Anadûnê
Posts: 1503
Joined: Sat Sep 14, 2013 3:44 am
Location: Maryland, United States
Contact:

Re: Lord of the Rings series!?

Post by Eldy »

A Galadriel-centric 30-second YouTube ad (h/t DwellerInDale on TORn).



The sword jump scene was fleetingly glimpsed in the recent "Stories from the Legendarium" featurette, and it should definitely please the people who want ROP to be like the Jackson films. :P
User avatar
Voronwë the Faithful
At the intersection of here and now
Posts: 45926
Joined: Mon Nov 21, 2005 1:41 am
Contact:

Re: Lord of the Rings series!?

Post by Voronwë the Faithful »

"My brother gave his life hunting the enemy." Well, no, your brother gave his life fulfilling his oath to Barahir. I understand why they would distort that, but I don't like it.
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
User avatar
Eldy
Drowning in Anadûnê
Posts: 1503
Joined: Sat Sep 14, 2013 3:44 am
Location: Maryland, United States
Contact:

Re: Lord of the Rings series!?

Post by Eldy »

I guess the question is whether that line indicates Galadriel ... shall we say, creatively reframing the circumstances of Finrod's death in order to justify her own extended hunt for the enemy (perhaps said in response to Elrond or others trying to convince her to stop), or if it's the writers changing what "actually" happened in the show's backstory.
User avatar
Stranger Wings
Posts: 537
Joined: Mon Nov 19, 2012 6:00 pm

Re: Lord of the Rings series!?

Post by Stranger Wings »

Voronwë the Faithful wrote: Wed Aug 10, 2022 11:09 pm "My brother gave his life hunting the enemy." Well, no, your brother gave his life fulfilling his oath to Barahir. I understand why they would distort that, but I don't like it.
I don’t think that’s quite fair, as both things are true. He was fulfilling his oath (by helping Beren), and he was doing so by hunting the Enemy (to recover a Silmaril). Not to mention that it’s Galadriel saying it, not Tolkien, so we can interpret it as her fudging the truth a bit.

On this point, however, is there enough in the LOTR/ LOTR Appendices to draw on to tell the story of Finrod assisting Beren? As far as I remember, that detail isn’t in there. Though of course, it seems the showrunners could ask for special permission.
“He went alone to look in Mirrormere.” - The Book of Mazarbul
User avatar
Eldy
Drowning in Anadûnê
Posts: 1503
Joined: Sat Sep 14, 2013 3:44 am
Location: Maryland, United States
Contact:

Re: Lord of the Rings series!?

Post by Eldy »

I think that's kind of stretching the usual meaning of "hunt," considering the Quest for the Silmaril was never about killing or even harming the Enemy (unlike the Hunting of the Wolf later in the same tale), but of course, Galadriel could have good reason to do so.
Stranger Wings wrote: Thu Aug 11, 2022 3:52 amOn this point, however, is there enough in the LOTR/ LOTR Appendices to draw on to tell the story of Finrod assisting Beren? As far as I remember, that detail isn’t in there. Though of course, it seems the showrunners could ask for special permission.
Two of the three mentions of Finrod (not counting Gildor Inglorion's "House of Finrod" comment) listed in the index of the 50th Anniversary Edition mention his connection to Beren, but only in the most general terms. (1) "It is said that [the ring] was none other than the ring which Felagund of Nargothrond gave to Barahir, and Beren recovered at great peril." (2) "[Galadriel] was sister of Finrod Felagund, Friend-of-Men, once king of Nargothrond, who gave his life to save Beren son of Barahir." I hope/assume Amazon secured sought and secured permission to include details from The Silmarillion.
User avatar
Voronwë the Faithful
At the intersection of here and now
Posts: 45926
Joined: Mon Nov 21, 2005 1:41 am
Contact:

Re: Lord of the Rings series!?

Post by Voronwë the Faithful »

Stranger Wings wrote: Thu Aug 11, 2022 3:52 amI don’t think that’s quite fair, as both things are true. He was fulfilling his oath (by helping Beren), and he was doing so by hunting the Enemy (to recover a Silmaril).
To the extent that that is true, the Enemy would be Morgoth. Presumably in the clip Galadriel is referring to Sauron. But of course, I am jumping to conclusions without having enough context to really judge what is being said. But why should that stop me now? :pancake:
On this point, however, is there enough in the LOTR/ LOTR Appendices to draw on to tell the story of Finrod assisting Beren? As far as I remember, that detail isn’t in there. Though of course, it seems the showrunners could ask for special permission.
Surprisingly, there probably is, based on this statement in the Second Age header for Appendix B:
. In Lindon south of the Lune dwelt for a time Celeborn, kinsman of Thingol; his wife was Galadriel, greatest of Elven women. She was sister of Finrod Felagund, Friend-of-Men, once king of Nargothrond, who gave his life to save Beren son of Barahir.
That would probably leave them enough wiggle-room to refer to Beren and Barahir (and maybe even bring the Ring of Barahir into play, although I doubt it), but invent their own backstory.
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
User avatar
Stranger Wings
Posts: 537
Joined: Mon Nov 19, 2012 6:00 pm

Re: Lord of the Rings series!?

Post by Stranger Wings »

Voronwë the Faithful wrote: Thu Aug 11, 2022 4:21 am
Stranger Wings wrote: Thu Aug 11, 2022 3:52 amI don’t think that’s quite fair, as both things are true. He was fulfilling his oath (by helping Beren), and he was doing so by hunting the Enemy (to recover a Silmaril).
To the extent that that is true, the Enemy would be Morgoth. Presumably in the clip Galadriel is referring to Sauron. But of course, I am jumping to conclusions without having enough context to really judge what is being said. But why should that stop me now? :pancake:
On this point, however, is there enough in the LOTR/ LOTR Appendices to draw on to tell the story of Finrod assisting Beren? As far as I remember, that detail isn’t in there. Though of course, it seems the showrunners could ask for special permission.
Surprisingly, there probably is, based on this statement in the Second Age header for Appendix B:
. In Lindon south of the Lune dwelt for a time Celeborn, kinsman of Thingol; his wife was Galadriel, greatest of Elven women. She was sister of Finrod Felagund, Friend-of-Men, once king of Nargothrond, who gave his life to save Beren son of Barahir.
That would probably leave them enough wiggle-room to refer to Beren and Barahir (and maybe even bring the Ring of Barahir into play, although I doubt it), but invent their own backstory.
The rabbit with a pancake on its head told me to tell you not to assume that Galadriel is referring to Sauron in that clip.
“He went alone to look in Mirrormere.” - The Book of Mazarbul
User avatar
Inanna
Meetu's little sister
Posts: 17680
Joined: Sat Jan 07, 2006 5:03 pm

Re: Lord of the Rings series!?

Post by Inanna »

Seen at UIC:

Image
'You just said "your getting shorter": you've obviously been drinking too much ent-draught and not enough Prim's.' - Jude
User avatar
Voronwë the Faithful
At the intersection of here and now
Posts: 45926
Joined: Mon Nov 21, 2005 1:41 am
Contact:

Re: Lord of the Rings series!?

Post by Voronwë the Faithful »

Cool! University of Illinois at Chicago?
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
User avatar
Voronwë the Faithful
At the intersection of here and now
Posts: 45926
Joined: Mon Nov 21, 2005 1:41 am
Contact:

Re: Lord of the Rings series!?

Post by Voronwë the Faithful »

Yet another new poster.
Attachments
Yet another new poster.jpg
Yet another new poster.jpg (419.85 KiB) Viewed 1304 times
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
User avatar
Voronwë the Faithful
At the intersection of here and now
Posts: 45926
Joined: Mon Nov 21, 2005 1:41 am
Contact:

Re: Lord of the Rings series!?

Post by Voronwë the Faithful »

"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
User avatar
Stranger Wings
Posts: 537
Joined: Mon Nov 19, 2012 6:00 pm

Re: Lord of the Rings series!?

Post by Stranger Wings »

Pretty boats!
“He went alone to look in Mirrormere.” - The Book of Mazarbul
User avatar
Voronwë the Faithful
At the intersection of here and now
Posts: 45926
Joined: Mon Nov 21, 2005 1:41 am
Contact:

Re: Lord of the Rings series!?

Post by Voronwë the Faithful »

There's a lot to parse out in that clip, isn't there? What do you think about the sun-sails on the pretty boats?
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
User avatar
Eldy
Drowning in Anadûnê
Posts: 1503
Joined: Sat Sep 14, 2013 3:44 am
Location: Maryland, United States
Contact:

Re: Lord of the Rings series!?

Post by Eldy »

I'm a big fan of Númenórean sun symbolism, so I'm happy to see that keep cropping up. :) I just hope we see some Elvish moon symbolism to complement it.
User avatar
Inanna
Meetu's little sister
Posts: 17680
Joined: Sat Jan 07, 2006 5:03 pm

Lord of the Rings series!?

Post by Inanna »

Voronwë the Faithful wrote:Cool! University of Illinois at Chicago?
Correct! Irika rolled her eyes at me. Image

And that poster is just wow.
'You just said "your getting shorter": you've obviously been drinking too much ent-draught and not enough Prim's.' - Jude
User avatar
Stranger Wings
Posts: 537
Joined: Mon Nov 19, 2012 6:00 pm

Re: Lord of the Rings series!?

Post by Stranger Wings »

My sense is that this show will look like a low-rent Game of Thrones, or a cheap LOTR knockoff, and audiences will...wait, is that a mural depicting all the rulers of Númenor along that long battlement?

Image

Holy Hammer of Mahal, that is the most incredible fantasy cityscape I have ever seen.
“He went alone to look in Mirrormere.” - The Book of Mazarbul
Post Reply