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

[Celgress]

Ah, I've lost interest in this show. The Trump/Immigration allegory from the last episode was too on the nose for me. I'm out.

[Scott Taylor]

They're all women as well. It was thought the main one was Anson boon but it's an Australian actress, Birdie Sisson.

Well not to go all woke on this thread, but the fact is that the Istari can take many forms. I wouldn't rule anything out with them on the basis of gender, looks or anything. But keeping track of each other and cooperating against evil is definitely their thing at this point in history. Manwe was concerned that they could be tempted by their powers on Middle Earth.

And he was right to be concerned considering what happened with Saruman, all the Maiar who became Balrogs, etc. Its kind of amazing anyone in Middle Earth survived at all!

[thwhtGuardian]

Ah, I've lost interest in this show. The Trump/Immigration allegory from the last episode was too on the nose for me. I'm out.

What does that even mean?

[Kirby101]

What does that even mean?

I hope it was sarcasm about right wing snowflakes who look to be offended by the "liberal media".

[Wandering_Wand]

I hope it was sarcasm about right wing snowflakes who look to be offended by the "liberal media".

Side note: The mainstream media is majority “left,” to be sure. There are statistics available but last I knew, over 80% of journalists are registered Democrat and identify as liberal.

So, it’s a real thing and it may be hard for some people to see that if you’re one yourself and unable to see the biases. That’s where we get into echo chamber territory (like many Internet forums) and one side thinks they’re right about everything simply because they’re the majority. I’ve seen it happen dozens of times across many forums…

Back to the show: still haven’t seen ep. 5, but I totally understand why a lot of people have lost interest. It hasn’t hit me yet (although it almost got me by ep.3), so I’ll keep tuning in for now.

[Harasar]

We saw him have a last moment of reluctance when it came to going back to claim the throne. Since that couldn't have been a show for someone watching him, I think that rules out Sauron.

It would be quite ironic and tragic, if Halbrand is indeed Sauron and for some reason he hadn't wanted to return and rule, but Galadriel of all people had pretty much forced him to go back and take his throne.

[Frontier]

To be honest I would probably call out Isildur for being a flake too after the stunt he pulled. He only seems reliable when it suits him. Honestly he had those punches coming. But it is kind of funny that what gets him on board is saving and covering for a saboteur, but at least they're starting him small.

Galadriel feels like someone I would probably dislike if I ever actually knew her. She doesn't take no for an answer, she always assumes people will go along with her whims or will do what she wants them to do to the point of expecting blanket loyalty/fealty, and she's just in general kind of smug and condescending. I think it's telling that her best friend is Elrond and he has experience befriending strong personalities.

I'm genuinely surprised Galadriel got knicked in that sparring match.

Technically Elrond didn't break his oath because the elves already pretty much knew about the Mithril. I would watch a spinoff of him and Durin just wandering around Middle Earth getting into hijinks.

It's kind of funny to me that Bronwyn made this big show of them uniting and standing up to the Orcs and then at the very end gives up pretty easily. I mean, I can kind of understand considering the dire circumstances, but still. Although good thing towers are always so plot relevant in LoTR.

Isildur's nice friend with a fiance has obvious death flags.

"You're my friend. Maybe even my best friend" (other friend looks genuinely shocked and betrayed) and the whole thing of the elves lugging the entire table away were actually pretty funny.

Everybody thinks this is going to be some heroic quest and journey to stop evil, but I feel like it's not going to go anywhere near as well as everyone expects, especially with the foreboding sense that Miriel might be leading her people to their doom. I'm thinking they're going to lose a lot of people, Pharazon's plan for control will fail because they won't have enough forces left to secure Middle Earth, Numenor will be weakened, and Galadriel will be humbled that A. Sauron had nothing to do with this and B. her desire for the fight ended up leading to a lot of people dying.

The irony that just as the Stranger is getting popular with the other Harfoots, now he's scared off Nori because he almost froze her to death. I was half-expecting her to lose her arm. But now he's better at communicating so he doesn't feel completely hopeless, but I imagine those women in white will cause more trouble for the Harfoots.

So Adar's not Sauron and doesn't care to be compared to Sauron, so he's probably not trying to fulfill Sauron's plans. Which tells me that this is all for the Orc's sake. And Sauron probably has his own plot going on that we might not realize until the finale.

[Kirby101]

Side note: The mainstream media is majority “left,” to be sure. There are statistics available but last I knew, over 80% of journalists are registered Democrat and identify as liberal.

So, it’s a real thing and it may be hard for some people to see that if you’re one yourself and unable to see the biases. That’s where we get into echo chamber territory (like many Internet forums) and one side thinks they’re right about everything simply because they’re the majority. I’ve seen it happen dozens of times across many forums…

Back to the show: still haven’t seen ep. 5, but I totally understand why a lot of people have lost interest. It hasn’t hit me yet (although it almost got me by ep.3), so I’ll keep tuning in for now.

First, that is not true. Most are independents.



And most media companies are owned by Conservative Republicans.

But that being said, we are talking about a fantasy TV show produced by Amazon. So I don't think they were doing a secret Trump parody. But then again, these same snowflakes were outraged by black hobbits and elves. I still think the post was sarcasm.


Back to the show, I am still enjoying all the stories, and it is an absolutely gorgeous show. That $billion is on the screen.

[Captain Smith]

Pompous, boring speeches by folks in my Grandma's old bath robes. Poorly scripted sword fights. Will Meteor Man be good or bad, Sauron or Wizard. yawn. Frolicking proto-hobbits who seem developmentally delayed. Those wolves are the worst CGI animals in a long time.

The Elves should fade - they are most bathetic characters. Get on the Love Boat to Elf Disneyland where you can spend the next trillion years wandering around doing nothing.

At least the dwarves make things. Humans will come up with planes and Iphones. What do the elves do? Mope?

[Scott Taylor]

I'm genuinely surprised Galadriel got knicked in that sparring match.

I was glad about that, there is no way even the best master swordsman of all could realistically have gone unscathed facing so many in those circumstances. I also enjoyed the swordsmanship on display and the directing of that scene. Somebody coached the actors well.

[Frontier]

Pompous, boring speeches by folks in my Grandma's old bath robes. Poorly scripted sword fights. Will Meteor Man be good or bad, Sauron or Wizard. yawn. Frolicking proto-hobbits who seem developmentally delayed. Those wolves are the worst CGI animals in a long time.

The Elves should fade - they are most bathetic characters. Get on the Love Boat to Elf Disneyland where you can spend the next trillion years wandering around doing nothing.

At least the dwarves make things. Humans will come up with planes and Iphones. What do the elves do? Mope?

Weren't the Elves instrumental in stopping Morgoth and saving Middle Earth the first time around?

[Captain Smith]

Talking about the current set on the show. It's like they are going to Valium as compared to Valinor.
The LoTR movie elves had more energy. Let's get on a ship and sail into a glowing orifice and then do what? Start a space program to visit the dudes in the sky?

I'd like to see some of them with the fire of the early Elves. BTW, that Balrog was a crappy graphic also.

[Wandering_Wand]

First, that is not true. Most are independents.



And most media companies are owned by Conservative Republicans.

But that being said, we are talking about a fantasy TV show produced by Amazon. So I don't think they were doing a secret Trump parody. But then again, these same snowflakes were outraged by black hobbits and elves. I still think the post was sarcasm.


Back to the show, I am still enjoying all the stories, and it is an absolutely gorgeous show. That $billion is on the screen.

I question your definition of “conservative Republican.”
I won’t muddy the thread anymore than it has been with quote blocks, but here are a couple sources to counter you:

https://ballotpedia.org/Fact_check/D...o_to_Democrats

https://www.investors.com/politics/e...as-left-study/ (The link to the original study is gone and while I didn’t deep dive, I’m not shocked to find that a “major” outlet didn’t carry that study from what I found on my search engine)

Independents can be liberal. They can be conservative. The overwhelming minority of journalists per your source and mine are “conservative.” My overall point remains in tact and confirmed despite an attempt to cherry pick. I think it would be best to continue this over DM if you insist so we dont derail or risk deletions/bans from the mods. I’ll stop here, happy to DM if you want.

Back to the show, I think Isildur’s character needs to be in line for a major arc redemption. I think that’s what they’re doing.

[Kirby101]

You are right Wandering that this is not the place to discuss bias in journalism. I just want to point out, I didn't, I was making a snarky comment on why a right wing snowflake would see that scene as a "liberal media" attack on Trump. This isn't the News, it has nothing to do with whether reporters are liberal or not, just a fantasy show from based on the work of a British scholar. Did Tolkien have a liberal bias? I believe he insisted there were no parallels to real world conflict in his books.

[Frontier]

So from what I've been hearing Numenor is supposed to come off as a lot more capable and competent than they appear to be here?