The Rings Of Power. Wait, come back! It has the Tolkien seal of approval!

[Captain Smith]

If I parse out what I know about the Tolkien universe from the show and wanting to see that in play, this episode was boring. Also, Meteor man - if not Sauron - who cares? If Sauron, then watching him be mentally deficient, be nice then eventually become bad - what a yawn.

Also all the triumphal and ethereal music score is grating. Oh, some pretty scenery, big city - cue the music.

I got a hint for Numenor - let's have a scientific revolution and move out of thousands of years of middle ages tech. Build some airplanes and steam ships.

Last, Galadriel is an unpleasant person and greater forces arrange meetings with kings at sea. Oh, how the great beyond has to screw around with artifacts, portents and mysterious manipulations.

Yep, I get the problem of theodicy - you have omnipotents floating around who let millions die a horrible death until the great heroes or some unknown commoner finds the magic tea pot and saves all. Yawn.

[Tofali]

I'm convinced Halbrand is Sauron lol. He so easily made Pharazon reconsider and change the Queen Regent's mind about him and Galadriel to stay in Numenor. He stole Galadriel's dagger from Elendil without him noticing during and after it happened. He seems obsessed with smithing and forging.

[Captain Smith]

So Meteor Man is Kal-El? If he is not Sauron - then who cares about a new character made out of whole cloth who wanders around like someone with brain damage?

Also the halffootsies - give me a break. The noble creatures of the wild, holding festivals and dancing around. Yep, they got the old wise dude and the young rebel. What a new idea! Nori - nice name, after Japanese seaweed wraps. Where's her friend - Sashimi?

Galadriel - the bathrobe is not a good look. Get some pants.

Also, the slow motion fight with the Orcs - what a new idea and the warg - well, that didn't look like a CGI critter (haha!). The orcs are so cliched also. Makeup from the Halloween aisle at Walmart?

[HollowSage]

So Meteor Man is Kal-El? If he is not Sauron - then who cares about a new character made out of whole cloth who wanders around like someone with brain damage?

Also the halffootsies - give me a break. The noble creatures of the wild, holding festivals and dancing around. Yep, they got the old wise dude and the young rebel. What a new idea! Nori - nice name, after Japanese seaweed wraps. Where's her friend - Sashimi?

Galadriel - the bathrobe is not a good look. Get some pants.

Also, the slow motion fight with the Orcs - what a new idea and the warg - well, that didn't look like a CGI critter (haha!). The orcs are so cliched also. Makeup from the Halloween aisle at Walmart?

So It seems that you aren’t enjoying the show. That’s unfortunate but you gave it a solid try and found it not to your liking. On the bright side it only took 3 episodes and now you have free time to watch something else.

[Omega Alpha]

Man, discussing this show in any board is so boring. 99% of the posters are book readers whining about changes. I don't love this show, but don't hate it either- if you despise it so much, just stop watching.

[Username taken]

Man, discussing this show in any board is so boring. 99% of the posters are book readers whining about changes. I don't love this show, but don't hate it either- if you despise it so much, just stop watching.

Agreed.

It's very, very difficult to discuss the series anywhere.

[Username taken]

Regarding Galadriel, the actress playing her (Morffyd Clark) is pretty amazing. She hasn't been given so much to do so far in TROP.

I would recommend people watch her in Saint Maud. It's one of the more underrated performances of the last few years (probably because it's a horror movie).

Although I would mention the movie deals with some very, VERY sensitive and intense stuff.

[Celgress]

Agreed.

It's very, very difficult to discuss the series anywhere.

This tends to happen with any built-in fanbase.

I doubt I would enjoy the TV versions of My Hero Academia, Demon Slayer, Invincible, or The Boys as much as I do if I had read the comics/manga first. For example, I see a lot of comic book fans complaining about changes made in season one of Invincible (mainly to the character of Amber people claim she is less of a "judgmental bitch" in the comics) whereas those changes mean nothing to me because my experience with the TV product is self-contained.

[Frobisher]

Man, discussing this show in any board is so boring. 99% of the posters are book readers whining about changes. I don't love this show, but don't hate it either- if you despise it so much, just stop watching.

Yeah, it’s like, I’ve read the books, but it’s not like I put my left hand on the Silmarillion and pledged to defend the historical accuracy of the Return Of The King appendices with my life. This is obviously going to be super condensed take on the material; If you’re not going to accept any compromises in adaptation you’re going to have a miserable time, and probably already did when they could see Barad Dur from the Black Gate in the last movie (it’s thousands of miles from there still and behind a second wall and gate).

[Wandering_Wand]

The show is partly at fault for daring, yes I say daring, to put "The Lord of the Rings" in its title. Whether they legally had to or not, it's already open at that point to all comparison to Peter Jackson's trilogy, which is widely considered by many to be the best films of all time.
I've thought if they hadn't put "The Lord of the Rings" in the title, there's one contingent of ticked off fans gone. On the other hand, it may have been necessary for marketing. I'm not sure.

So, I'm little less than half way through ep. 3 and this show is finally starting to pick up for me. I have no idea if that comment will come back to bite me but I'm starting to like it a little more. Most of my original gripes are the same, but Numenor is making up for it. It was beautiful and the music was great for it.

I'd also say if you aren't enjoying it, forcing yourself to watch it is doing no one any favors. Just stop and walk away from it as you would anything else.

[Sutekh]

Yeah, it’s like, I’ve read the books, but it’s not like I put my left hand on the Silmarillion and pledged to defend the historical accuracy of the Return Of The King appendices with my life. This is obviously going to be super condensed take on the material; If you’re not going to accept any compromises in adaptation you’re going to have a miserable time, and probably already did when they could see Barad Dur from the Black Gate in the last movie (it’s thousands of miles from there still and behind a second wall and gate).

I read the Silmarillion ages ago, and found it to be a dreadfully boring read, like a history book relating to the world in which cool adventures can happen, rather than a series of actual cool adventures (which, to be fair, it kind of was, not being intended as a novel in and of itself, just the historical connective tissue that led up to the tales told in the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings).

So I'm kind of glad to see some departures from the text. Both because the text was deadly dull, and because something new is interesting, not just a slavish recreation of what I've already seen before. I've had the same argument with fellow comic fans when movie or TV show adaptations do something new, like the Mandarin reveal in Iron Man 2, or the identity of Taskmaster in the Black Widow movie, but as someone who already has read the source material, I feel like at least some deviation from the source material is a *gift* to me, since I get to see something new, and maybe even be surprised, and not just sit on my butt commenting on how faithfully they've adapted something I already read, or how so-and-so does or does not look or sound how I pictured them in my head umptity years ago, or some boring minutiae like that.

[Ramsay Snow]

Man, discussing this show in any board is so boring. 99% of the posters are book readers whining about changes. I don't love this show, but don't hate it either- if you despise it so much, just stop watching.

The whining honestly gives me a good laugh. It's just people taking their childhood reading material to ridiculous heights.....The reality is Tolkien's Middle Earth books aren't the greatest pieces of literature ever written, but they were solid books (especially for their time) in regard to what they were. Plus, they built a foundation for modern fantasy. Peter Jackson's LOTR trilogy was kind of boring, to put it mildly, but cool adaptations of the original source material.

I'm enjoying the new show. It's not the best show out there, but it's not bad, and it remains to be seen how well it'll stack up to the previous LOTR adaptations......And the criticism of the show can sometimes lead to interesting discussions, like the "whether Galadriel was a warrior" side-discussion in this thread.

This tends to happen with any built-in fanbase.

I doubt I would enjoy the TV versions of My Hero Academia, Demon Slayer, Invincible, or The Boys as much as I do if I had read the comics/manga first. For example, I see a lot of comic book fans complaining about changes made in season one of Invincible (mainly to the character of Amber people claim she is less of a "judgmental bitch" in the comics) whereas those changes mean nothing to me because my experience with the TV product is self-contained.

I read the entire Invincible run long before the show came out. I think the show is equal to the comic, although there's not much to compare to, as of yet, since we've only gotten a single season.....And I didn't mind Amber's portrayal in the TV series.

The show is partly at fault for daring, yes I say daring, to put "The Lord of the Rings" in its title. Whether they legally had to or not, it's already open at that point to all comparison to Peter Jackson's trilogy, which is widely considered by many to be the best films of all time. .

lolololol..........Good god, which geniuses actually make that claim? The trilogy has had acclaim as being the best (or one of the best) trilogies of all-time, but that's not much of an accomplishment since most trilogies aren't that great. Plus, it's somewhat of a self-contained comparison as there aren't many trilogies out there, to begin with. That said, I'd rank Wong Kar-Wai's trilogy above and beyond the LOTR trilogy in terms of film quality and scope, but maybe that's just me. I'd also go out on a limb and say Kieslowski's Three Colours trilogy should rank above it, as well.

[Frobisher]

lolololol..........Good god, which geniuses actually make that claim? The trilogy has had acclaim as being the best (or one of the best) trilogies of all-time, but that's not much of an accomplishment since most trilogies aren't that great. Plus, it's somewhat of a self-contained comparison as there aren't many trilogies out there, to begin with. That said, I'd rank Wong Kar-Wai's trilogy above and beyond the LOTR trilogy in terms of film quality and scope, but maybe that's just me. I'd also go out on a limb and say Kieslowski's Three Colours trilogy should rank above it, as well.

I saw my DVD box of Three Colours yesterday, which reminded me I’ve still only ever watched one of them. Oops! Love him as a director too.

Which films are the Wong Kai-Wai trilogy - Days Of Being Wild, In The Mood For Love and 2046?

[Ramsay Snow]

I saw my DVD box of Three Colours yesterday, which reminded me I’ve still only ever watched one of them. Oops! Love him as a director too.

Which films are the Wong Kai-Wai trilogy - Days Of Being Wild, In The Mood For Love and 2046?

Correct. I have the Criterion releases (The Wong Kar-Wai blu-ray box set is pretty cool), but I'm pretty sure both trilogies are available on HBO Max....Unless Zaslav has expunged further titles from the HBO Max library.

[Kirby101]

LOTR was not a trilogy, it was a single fantasy novel too large to publish in one volume. The trilogy was the idea of the publisher, not Tolkien. And it is perhaps the greatest piece of fantasy literature ever written. That said, I don't care how faithful to all the unfinished bits of ancillary writing they are. As long it is good. I am enjoying revisiting Middle Earth again. Much more than going back to the grim Westeros.