Rings of Power discussions and rants

[danutz_plusplus]

Even though I don’t expect this thread to lead anywhere, I’ll start this one. I thought it would be better towards the members that don’t want to hear the negative remarks about ROP, to do it in a separate thread. i’ll move my remark here.

I don't mean to bring back the ROP hate-train, but apparently this is how they reveal Mordor in the last episode. By using an animated text transition. Holy shit. Not good. They could've done it in plenty of different ways. And at least some would've certainly been better. Like, in the actual context of the film. Not in a text overlay. Even having Adar say it, while generic and reused as much, it would've been better imo. The way they did is what I'd expect from a B movie or something that doesn't take itself seriously.

Ideally, you'd do it in such a subtle way that you don't even need to have the guy ask what the new name of the land is. It's so obviously 4th wall breaking that I think the whole interaction has no place in the episode.

Anyway, I'm putting way too much focus on something this minor. But I think it's emblematic.

 

[JDR13]

I feel like this is where someone would normally post a facepalm meme in reaction to that video clip, but I'm not sure if there's one that could do it justice.

 

[Alrik Fassbauer]

Personally, I still prefer the books. Which is ... probably because I have lots of imagination capabilities available, what we call here "head cinema" ("Kopfkino").

 

[Carnifex]

Aye Alrik, the books are superior, no doubt and that's usually the case anyways yet even more obvious in this situation. I did get talked into checking out the fifth episode and it was a bit better, yet I still kept a book handy for when the show simply lost me. Even the Wheel of Time telly series was far more engaging than this one currently is.

 

[Ripper]

So, I got to the final episode, and thought it was a terrible pile of shite. There's clearly a level of competence involved, and I was trying to pin down where it is. I think it's what might be called the 'technical artists'; you tell these guys what you want to see, and they will make it look pretty cool.

But the writing and direction... Lord have mercy. As for the soundtrack, what would have worked comedically is the sound of a gunshot, followed by the sudden cessation of the melodramatic kitsch.

People are giving the acting a lot of grief, but I think actors are rarely the problem - I tend to pin it all on the writers and directors. It's nigh impossible to make a bad script work. And actors will give takes that don't work until the director figures out how to get what's needed.

 

[danutz_plusplus]

Well, both out of a bit of morbid curiosity and wanting to not just take youtuber's opinion blindly I decided to start watching the show. I also want the whole context. I think I got most of the pain points and the cringe moments out of the way before watching show, so I can go in with an appropriate level of expectations. I know they're butchering plenty of the points in the book, but I am really curious how going into it knowing all of this beforehand will affect my viewing.

And I saw the first episode, and it was pretty decent overall. Aside from some weird writing which obviously tries to sound either too philosophical that it falls on its face. And the really weird plot point that Galadriel jumps into the ocean, and intends to swim it back to Middle-Earth, which is just insane.

It looked pretty solid visually, aside from one particular armor that the elves were wearing right at the ceremony where they were welcomed back. That was just pure garbage, how that looked. Awful. But otherwise, the visuals range from pretty good to great.

I’ll see how much I manage to keep with it, knowing how much I know of it. But I am honestly curious as to my experience having the proper expectations.

 

[Hastar]

I enjoyed the last episode and think it sets up season 2 rather nicely. I would give the series a B.

 

[danutz_plusplus]

Episode 2 was also pretty decent, ignoring the stupid plot of Galadriel and Sauron being lost at sea. I just can’t get over how stupid this whole idea was from the start, to have her try and swim the ocean.

I liked the elven and dwarven dynamic.

Also, knowing what the sword, that Theo finds, will ultimately be really kind of makes the mystery box of it kind of dumb.

I also kind of liked the dynamic between the Nori and Gandalf. It’s interesting, but I think it uses Jackson’s imagery a bit too much for what it’s trying to suggest. Whispering to the firefly similar to how he whispers to the moth, I guess.

But the main thing this episode has really underlined for me is what a giant shame this series turned up how it did. It’s such a great world they could’ve built had they been a lot more faithful, with the kind of budget they’re working with. Such a shame. But I’ll keep on watching.

I think I’m also getting a bit of taste of re-reading the books.

 

[JDR13]

I also kind of liked the dynamic between the Nori and Gandalf. It’s interesting, but I think it uses Jackson’s imagery a bit too much for what it’s trying to suggest. Whispering to the firefly similar to how he whispers to the moth, I guess.

What makes you think that's Gandalf? Did you read that somewhere?

 

[danutz_plusplus]

What makes you think that's Gandalf? Did you read that somewhere?

I basically saw the cliff-notes of the episodes, and there's been a few pretty strong hints towards that. Especially in the last episode. If he's not, he's definite a Maia. Who'ever the white witches that hunted him down were referring to when they said "the other".

Hope I didn't spoil that. I mean, I went into this thread with the assumption that spoilers are going to happen.

 

[JDR13]

I basically saw the cliff-notes of the episodes, and there's been a few pretty strong hints towards that. Especially in the last episode. If he's not, he's definite a Maia. Who'ever the white witches that hunted him down were referring to when they said "the other".

Hope I didn't spoil that. I mean, I went into this thread with the assumption that spoilers are going to happen.

Nah... Since this thread is only about RoP, spoilers should probably be expected.

I really hope it doesn't turn out to be Gandalf though. The show is already embarrassingly bad without some absurd fan service like that being thrown in.

 

[Ripper]

Oh, my sweet summer children...

 

[danutz_plusplus]

I think it’s pretty much guaranteed to be Gandalf, especially after his remarks of “always follow your nose” and the moth imagery. It’s too on the nose not to be. Pun intended.

 

[danutz_plusplus]

Yeah, nevermind. I just saw a more thorough analysis of the last episode, and it kind of killed my whole, even morbid, curiosity. Some of the script involving Halbrand Celebrimbor and Galadriel is just stupid.

A lot of the stuff they show in ROP are so confusing. They use imagery from Jackson's LOTR, but due to how they changed the order of events, some of them make no sense. At least according to how they happened in Jackson's film/the books. So they're using the imagery just to tap into your 'memberberries, but they have no real tie since their events are in a different order. The one I'm thinking of right now is the showing of the 3 witches that hunt for Gandalf (if he is Gandalf) as Nazgul? or are they not supposed to be Nazgul? And they're just using the imagery, but with a completely different explanation? Weird. It's a real mess.

 

[JDR13]

The one I'm thinking of right now is the showing of the 3 witches that hunt for Gandalf (if he is Gandalf) as Nazgul? or are they not supposed to be Nazgul? And they're just using the imagery, but with a completely different explanation? Weird. It's a real mess.

The Nazgul don't (or at least shouldn't) exist yet at this point, but who knows with this clusterfuck?

 

[danutz_plusplus]

The Nazgul don't (or at least shouldn't) exist yet at this point, but who knows with this clusterfuck?

Yeah, that's the confusion I'm having. Unless, as I said, they're simply using the imagery but with no actual narrative sense. Since, unless I missed something, they also give no hints that the other rings were already created. So maybe they just switched everything around. But then why the hell use imagery that conforms to a certain timeline. Just to confuse even more, I guess. And bank on the emotional tie of the viewer.

 

[danutz_plusplus]

Just to make sure we know what we're referring to, I'm not sure what they could besides Nazgul.

 

[Thrasher]

Mostly disappointed by all the departures from Tolkien’s cannon: no Annatar, Gandalf arriving thousands of years too early and by meteor rather than ship, the mithril elven need, and lots of minor departures. Liked the depiction of dwarves, Durins, Khazadum, Numenor, Lindon, and the looks in general. Will continue watching it when season 2 comes out despite the butchering.

Mostly surprised that Tolkien estate approved this massacre of the lore.

 

[henriquejr]

I really hope it doesn't turn out to be Gandalf though. The show is already embarrassingly bad without some absurd fan service like that being thrown in.

I also wish the Stranger wasn't Gandalf, but after Season 1 final episode, I'd sadly given up on clinging to that hope. Yes, it seems they brought him too early.

 

[Thrasher]

Not to mention that Elendil, Miriel, and Isildur are born 1500 years after the 3 elven rings were forged.