The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power | Amazon | September 2, 2022

[Hatebox]

On 10/22/2022 at 1:26 PM, James said:

Nah, I don’t get how anyone could prefer the theatrical versions. I recently rewatched the theatrical cut if FOTR afer many years if watching the extended one and it feels chopped up and rushed. 

 

That's just because you're used to the extended versions. Some of the extended scenes are interesing but lots of them also go on too long. Jackson did well to kill his darlings. I'd have probably kept the Borimir scene in the Two Towers though, because seeing that side of him enriches Fellowship rewatches.

[dudalb]

On 10/16/2022 at 9:48 AM, Brainbug said:

My personal main problem with Saurons portrayal in this season was that he is one of the most cunning characters in Tolkiens universe, yet here he is portrayed as just having luck that everyone else around him is a moron, including Galadriel who is in Tolkiens universe one of the most intelligent and wisest characters.

 

I want to say again that i dont hate this show - 5/10 - and i will give the 2nd season a chance when it comes around, but compared to the source material, the version of Middle-Earth that is portrayed in Rings of Power feels honestly like a really dumbed-down version of Tolkiens work and that bothers me.

 

Again, im glad for everyone who likes this show.

That is my problem.  A lot of the problem was that they could only use material in LOTR, they could not use material in The Silmarallion and other Tolkine writngs. That hurt.And will hurt since the Sim goes into detail on WHY Numenors falls, which they did not touch here. They never explained why most Numenoreans had turned hostile toward the  Elves...and that is central  to understanding the fall of Numenor.

Even with the material in LOTR, they did a lot telescoping,. Events that the Tale of Years describing as happening a Thousand Year of more apart happen n the same time.

I think the chatecter of Galadrial was hurt by no making her an exile from Valinor. In Tolkien'

s wrtings..she can't go back...she is under a ban of the Valar for her part in the revolt of the Noldor. It is not lifted until  after the final fall of Sauron in ROTK.

I did not hate the show...visually it was impressive, the performances were over all good..I was impressed by Morfydd Clark as Galadrial. Visually it was impressive..they nailed Numenor..exacly how I imagianed it. But, yeas, kn the end it was just a moderately entertaing sword and sorcery story set in Midde Earth. And for Tolkien that is simply not goo enough.

I do get frustrated the people treat Tolkien works just like a comic book franchsie. I am something of a comic book geek myself, but Tolkein writings are a major work on English Literature..on anoother plane alrogether.

 

[dudalb]

They are building up for the War of Elves and Sauron  in which Sauron will come very close to conquering Middle Earth.

I also predict that Gladdy's Husband Celeborn who they sort of wrote out this season with him being a MIA, will show up in subsequent seasons. After all, he is in the LOTR films.

I also think that GLaddy will cross paths with Olorin and the Harfoots.

[Porthos]

 

 

Joseph Mawle was fan-fucking-tastic in the role of Adar bringing a level of nuance (not to mention pathos) that is very difficult to nail, so Sam Hazeldine def has his work cut out for him.

 

 

...

 

[Ozymandias]

Ngl I'm a bit suspicious, its hard to imagine any of these actors not being contracted for at least 2 seasons because a Season 2 was always going to happen no matter what, even if only 12 people watched Season 1.

 

I'm gonna gonna put on my conspiracy hat and speculate something else happened behind the scenes because the idea of an unknown actor(outside a small role in GOT) just voluntarily leaving a big role in a billion dollar Lord of the Rings show (regardless of the reception) is a bit strange in of itself.

 

This is after all the team and company that canned the most renowned living Tolkien expert Tom Shippey for what is now obvious(and shitty) reasons.

[MikeQ]

That is quite a loss - I agree that Joseph Mawle was terrific in the role and elevated the character. A real bright spot in the casting.

 

Unfortunately, this just adds to my pessimism for season 2. The more that I reflect on the season 1 finale, the more I dislike it - and where the narrative sits going into the second season. I wish this wasn't the case. 

 

The creative team is going to have to do something different in their approach to season 2 to turn things around for me.

 

Peace,

Mike

Edited December 2, 2022 by MikeQ

[ChipDerby]

I'm fine with the change.

[Ozymandias]

 

[Valonqar]

21 hours ago, Ozymandias said:

Ngl I'm a bit suspicious, its hard to imagine any of these actors not being contracted for at least 2 seasons because a Season 2 was always going to happen no matter what, even if only 12 people watched Season 1.

 

I'm gonna gonna put on my conspiracy hat and speculate something else happened behind the scenes because the idea of an unknown actor(outside a small role in GOT) just voluntarily leaving a big role in a billion dollar Lord of the Rings show (regardless of the reception) is a bit strange in of itself.

 

This is after all the team and company that canned the most renowned living Tolkien expert Tom Shippey for what is now obvious(and shitty) reasons.

 

Rumors are swirling on twitter that he was an asshole. Supposedly went method to the extreme and berated extras whenever they said Orc instead of Uruk. So some people raised a stink and he got the boot. There are counter rumors that he couldn't read lips of actors who played Orcs due to their prosthetics (he has impaired hearing). So who knows but there was definitely drama, it was not amicable.

[dudalb]

On 12/1/2022 at 6:28 PM, MikeQ said:

That is quite a loss - I agree that Joseph Mawle was terrific in the role and elevated the character. A real bright spot in the casting.

 

Unfortunately, this just adds to my pessimism for season 2. The more that I reflect on the season 1 finale, the more I dislike it - and where the narrative sits going into the second season. I wish this wasn't the case. 

 

The creative team is going to have to do something different in their approach to season 2 to turn things around for me.

 

Peace,

Mike

That they are filming in the UK and not NZ is also not a good sign.

[Valonqar]

A HA HA HA LMAO Critics Choice awards! Constipation That's Gripping the Nation got the Best Supporting Actor nomination while Paddy Considine got snubbed! WTF? I don't even know how this guy of all ROP people got nominated. He can't emote! No one from ROP should have been in contention but least of all this hack. LMAO! 

 

🤮

[Ozymandias]

29 minutes ago, Valonqar said:

A HA HA HA LMAO Critics Choice awards! Constipation That's Gripping the Nation got the Best Supporting Actor nomination while Paddy Considine got snubbed! WTF? I don't even know how this guy of all ROP people got nominated. He can't emote! No one from ROP should have been in contention but least of all this hack. LMAO! 

 

🤮

 

Are you telling me you weren't moved by his stilted "do you believe it!?" speech to all 50 South Landers or his chemistry-free romance with the Middle-Earth Kardashian?  I guarantee if Rings of Power didn't become such a big controversy in the culture wars from the moment that Superbowl teaser dropped critics would've panned it.  Critics are human like everyone else and they didn't want to be seen as piling on a show that already received a lot of backlash, some of which in bad-faith.

 

And yeah, its pretty wild Paddy Considine was overlooked when pretty much everyone thought episode 8 wasn't just the best of the season, but one of the best GOT episodes period largely thanks to him.
 

 

[CoolioD1]

1 hour ago, Valonqar said:

A HA HA HA LMAO Critics Choice awards! Constipation That's Gripping the Nation got the Best Supporting Actor nomination while Paddy Considine got snubbed! WTF? I don't even know how this guy of all ROP people got nominated. He can't emote! No one from ROP should have been in contention but least of all this hack. LMAO! 

 

🤮

Also if they wanted a guy from a franchise show Stellar Skateboard in Andor would've been a better nod too. Diego Luna got nominated so it's not like they missed it.

[Valonqar]

1 hour ago, Ozymandias said:

 

Are you telling me you weren't moved by his stilted "do you believe it!?" speech to all 50 South Landers or his chemistry-free romance with the Middle-Earth Kardashian?  I guarantee if Rings of Power didn't become such a big controversy in the culture wars from the moment that Superbowl teaser dropped critics would've panned it.  Critics are human like everyone else and they didn't want to be seen as piling on a show that already received a lot of backlash, some of which in bad-faith.

 

And yeah, its pretty wild Paddy Considine was overlooked when pretty much everyone thought episode 8 wasn't just the best of the season, but one of the best GOT episodes period largely thanks to him.
 

 

 

 No I weren't. Nor I was moved by his apology to a plastic plant in The Happening, er, ancient styrofoam tree in some episode where he was in labor camp. 

 

I agree that controversy made critics go easy on ROP. But FFS, then nominate the leading lady who, no matter what one thinks of overall performance, at least had some dramatic shit to do. 

 

Considine snub is shocking and it kinda isn't cause critics didn't like HOTD that much and they saw the whole thing. It got lower Meta than ROP's first 2 episodes that critics saw which were among the show's weakest. 

 

11 minutes ago, CoolioD1 said:

Also if they wanted a guy from a franchise show Stellar Skateboard in Andor would've been a better nod too. Diego Luna got nominated so it's not like they missed it.

 

Agreed. It seems that Considine missed cause Luna got his place even though Luna is considered the weakest part of Andor. I hear praise for Skateboard and Serkis all the time, nothing for him. I don't watch the show so maybe I'm just seeing minority opinion. 

Edited December 6, 2022 by Valonqar

[filmlover]

On 12/6/2022 at 1:38 PM, Valonqar said:

A HA HA HA LMAO Critics Choice awards! Constipation That's Gripping the Nation got the Best Supporting Actor nomination while Paddy Considine got snubbed! WTF? I don't even know how this guy of all ROP people got nominated. He can't emote! No one from ROP should have been in contention but least of all this hack. LMAO! 

 

🤮

I don't watch this (never felt compelled to continue after the first two episodes) but gotta approve of Ismael Cruz Cordova going from Sesame Street to playing and earning some kind of recognition for a big fantasy show.

 

[Valonqar]

He's one of the worst actors on the show, completely wooden, so his nomination cannot be anything but a make-up for ROP backlash. Completely without any merit. Basic role, basic performance, it's like nominating Orlando Bloom in FOTR over Ian McKellen (or Sean Bean who was also awards worthy). @filmlover

Edited December 9, 2022 by Valonqar

[Ozymandias]

 

 

[Valonqar]

36 minutes ago, Ozymandias said:

 

 

 

No one should have expected above the line nominations but I guess Critics Choice WTF nomination for Constipation made some fans delusional. 

[XXR vs XXR]

LOTR: The Rings Of Power’: Vernon Sanders Talks Season 1 Return On Investment & Season 3 Renewal, Teases Faster Pace & Bigger Battles In Season 2

 

https://deadline.com/2022/12/lotr-the-rings-of-power-amazon-vernon-sanders-interview-investment-season-2-spoilers-pace-battles-season-3-renewal-1235201384/

[cookieleeann]

I went to CVS last night to pick up some snacks and one of the workers there noticed my Hobbit bag and started up a convo with me about the show. Long story short, they started ranting about the show and everything they disliked about it. From the way the Elves look to the storylines. Didn't seem to be that much of a fan of the show at all despite being a big LOTR fan. 

 

Yeah, the disdain for this show is just not an online thing like some people think, it's definitely a real life thing. 

 

They will have to bring their A-game for season 2 because between the lack of amazing reception among fans and even the most positive reviews being ho-hum, the buzz going into season 2 worries me.