The TV Series discussion thread

[JFarrell71]

Their portrayal of her as some kind of mighty warrior single-handedly slaying hordes of Orcs is laugh-out-loud absurd.

Good thing she's not portrayed that way.

"I don't have as much of a problem with hobbits being in it as much as I do with the way they're being portrayed. The manner in which they act and talk (those accents!) it's almost as if they were included for comic relief."

Have you ever watched the LOTR or Hobbit films? Maybe you had issues with how the hobbits were portrayed in them too, in which case great, okay. But if not, it beggars belief that you've chosen this show and this show alone to crticize for this when the hobbits (and dwarves!) were about 90% comic relief in those films.

 

[Ripper]

It's actually almost as interesting to read about Tolkien's work as it is to read the work itself. There really were decades of deep thought, study, and effort poured into it. While I was looking for something else, I stumbled across this article on Wikipedia, which is the first time I've seen the concept of 'the Impression of Depth' spelled out in that way.

The impression of depth in The Lord of the Rings is an aesthetic effect deliberately sought by its author, J. R. R. Tolkien. It was intended to give the reader the feeling that the work had "deep roots in the past", and hence that it was attractively authentic.

For me, that gets at the heart of what I'm going on about, and a Tolkien adaptation lives or dies by how well it succeeds in that.

Tolkien was actually quite skeptical of the idea of dramatizing LOTR, in particular that when it is reduced to the dialog and events, you've really lost an awful lot. I think it is a real challenge to bring it to the screen.

With regard to portrayals in the Jackson movie, I certainly didn't like Legolas' moments as Neo the Ninja Elf. That's an unfortunate inheritance in this one, for me.

 

[Redglyph]

The question is "why?". It's not about people of our world, and I can't imagine that many fans of fantasy want the characters to be less fantasy-like.

I'm wondering too. I suppose that's what they meant by "It felt only natural to us that an adaptation of Tolkien’s work would reflect what the world actually looks like. Tolkien is for everyone. His stories are about his fictional races doing their best work when they come together.” So they didn't want some people to feel excluded? Maybe there's more sensitivity about those things now, though it sounds strange to me. But as you said, they could have "shuffled" the actors differently to avoid the problem.

I don't have as much of a problem with hobbits being in it as much as I do with the way they're being portrayed. The manner in which they act and talk (those accents!) it's almost as if they were included for comic relief.

They're a special bunch, haven't they always been portrayed as a joyful and caricatural people? They don't care about the problems of the world, and likely not much about how serious they look.

I don't begrudge others for enjoying it though, and I'm glad that some people are. I was still watching it until last week, and I'll probably watch that last episode when I get my power and cable restored. For me though, House of the Dragon has proved to be vastly more enjoyable.

Yeah, it's a completely different style.

I hope things are getting better over there, did you manage to get your generator working?

 

[Philistine]

I just finished the first two seasons of The Boys. Plot twists seem to come out of blue a little to much though... the new villain they reveal at the end of S2 - I cannot fathom their motivation based on their actions up to that point. Also I find Homelander much more sympathetic than Butcher although they are really just as bad as each other.
Speaking of random plotlines, I'm re-watching Lost from S1 with my son so I can see what theories he comes up with. Evangeline Lily has gotten even hotter with my age

 

[Tony]

I tried watching Dahmer with my girlfriend. I couldn't get into it, but she absolutely loved it. She was even watching interviews with the real Dahmer on youtube after. I'm getting up there is age, and I remember when this was happening when I was younger.

 

[JDR13]

Good thing she's not portrayed that way.

"I don't have as much of a problem with hobbits being in it as much as I do with the way they're being portrayed. The manner in which they act and talk (those accents!) it's almost as if they were included for comic relief."

Have you ever watched the LOTR or Hobbit films? Maybe you had issues with how the hobbits were portrayed in them too, in which case great, okay. But if not, it beggars belief that you've chosen this show and this show alone to crticize for this when the hobbits (and dwarves!) were about 90% comic relief in those films.

Except she pretty much is. Did you miss where she took down that troll all by herself after it was wiping the floor with the rest of her group which of course were all men?

Don't let facts get in the way of blindly defending it though.

As for the hobbits, yes, there was some comic relief in the films, but it was done so much better. Maybe it was the quality of the actors themselves that made the difference for me, but they didn't seem nearly as pathetic as the hobbits in ROP.

 

[danutz_plusplus]

Except she pretty much is. Did you miss where she took down that troll all by herself after it was wiping the floor with the rest of her group which of course were all men?

I also saw another ridiculous scene, in a later episode, where she teaches a number of rookie Numenorean soldiers how to fight by making fun of their amateurish abilities. This also in a pretty ridiculously choreographed fight. In the sense that it really feels amateurish and the sort of stuff you see in fan videos.

Also, weren't Numenoreans regarded as some of the most able martial warriors? I'm not too familiar with Tolkien lore, but that's what I hear. So they should have plenty of opportunities to hone their combat abilities amongst themselves, without the writers needing another scene that shows how powerful Galadriel is; but the strange thing is they try to do it by not even facing her against something serious. But against rookie soldiers that can't handle themselves. And then makes one of them lieutenant? That whole scene was so eye-rolling.

 

[JDR13]

I think this guy really nails how I feel about ROP. He's a little blunt in parts, but he ain't lying.

 

[Redglyph]

As for the hobbits, yes, there was some comic relief in the films, but it was done so much better.

You mean like this?

View: https://youtu.be/-PcUnqlPA8A?t=104

This also in a pretty ridiculously choreographed fight. In the sense that it really feels amateurish and the sort of stuff you see in fan videos.

It wasn't worse than Legolas shooting with a bow and making all the mistakes a rookie would do and more; actually I'd say it was more convincing. Nor was it worse than fights scenes in Matrix.


Seriously, this obsession is becoming a little tiresome. Feel free to continue bashing the series if you must but I would suggest that you create your own thread to do it.

 

[danutz_plusplus]

Seriously, this obsession is becoming a little tiresome. Feel free to continue bashing the series if you must but I would suggest that you create your own thread to do it.

That was indeed a bit out of the ordinary and eyebrow-raising, but they're so small an issue in an otherwise great tapestry of film that it doesn't bother me as much.

Plus that's a a 5-10 second scene iirc, not a 2 min awkward fight. Or at least that's how it felt

 

[JFarrell71]

Except she pretty much is. Did you miss where she took down that troll all by herself after it was wiping the floor with the rest of her group which of course were all men?

Don't let facts get in the way of blindly defending it though.

Troll? I could have sworn that the post I responded to, and quoted, was you saying she was wiping out hordes of orcs. Where did the troll come from?

She actually fights in a battle against a lot of orcs (the size of a horde being somewhat subjective), and she kills a very normal number of them, while people fight and kill orcs all around her. She is certainly not portrayed as a one elf wrecking crew.

You wink all you want, but that's an objective fact. The part where you consider the hijinks in the films to be less objectionable than the treatment of dwarves and hobbits in this show is much more subjective, but also very obviously biased on your part.

 

[JDR13]

You mean like this?

View: https://youtu.be/-PcUnqlPA8A?t=104

A few scenes vs acting that way pretty much the whole time.

Seriously, this obsession is becoming a little tiresome. Feel free to continue defending the series if you must but I would suggest that you create your own thread to do it

 

[JDR13]

Troll? I could have sworn that the post I responded to, and quoted, was you saying she was wiping out hordes of orcs. Where did the troll come from?

From a cave?

It's pretty pathetic to split hairs like that when the example makes the same point. Whether it's a bunch of Orcs or a troll that was shrugging her warriors off like fleas before she stepped in, she's being portrayed as some incredible bad-ass warrior regardless of how you try to spin it.

 

[JFarrell71]

A few scenes vs acting that way pretty much the whole time.

Seriously, this obsession is becoming a little tiresome. Feel free to continue defending the series if you must but I would suggest that you create your own thread to do it

You do know that putting a smile at the end of insults and mockery doesn't make what you write less insulting and less mocking, right? You've got to know that. Try going up to someone IRL and talking to them like you talk to people here with a big, winking smile on your face and see how far it gets you.

 

[danutz_plusplus]

Guys, arguing endlessly on the internet doesn't do anyone any good. Text is the worst format to argue in since it's so lacking in so much context and you can easily escalate anything, especially if you've had a bad day. And then easily interpret what the other one says, in the worst way. And even if some response feels warranted, since you feel jerked around, it's really not worth spending that much energy. Just agree to disagree and move on. It's easier for everyone.

I'm also wondering why sometimes I feel I need to defend something, as though I were getting something in return for that support. And most often I'm not. So it's really not worth getting upset over and wasting energy.

I always love this one.

 

[Ripper]

Who'd have a guessed a Tolkien adaption could get things heated in the cRPG forum?

I wonder if a new thread might be an idea - I know I've been banging on a bit.

 

[JDR13]

You do know that putting a smile at the end of insults and mockery doesn't make what you write less insulting and less mocking, right? You've got to know that. Try going up to someone IRL and talking to them like you talk to people here with a big, winking smile on your face and see how far it gets you.

You know that projecting that what I did was insulting and mocking doesn't make it insulting and mocking, right?

If you're gonna get this butthurt over people saying naughty things about a show you like, maybe it's time for you to stop participating.

 

[JDR13]

Who'd have a guessed a Tolkien adaption could get things heated in the cRPG forum?

I wonder if a new thread might be an idea - I know I've been banging on a bit.

The irony is that I was staunchly defending the show when it was announced last year or the year before.

There's a thread I started around here somewhere where most people were saying it was probably going to be crap, and I was insisting that we shouldn't be judging it before it was even released.

Oh boy if only I had known...

 

[Shagnak]

Guys guys guys, has the new LOTR show got hot elf babes trouncing hordes of orcs or not? It's imperative to my decision on whether I invest time in it.

 

[Couchpotato]

Guys, arguing endlessly on the internet doesn't do anyone any good. Text is the worst format to argue in since it's so lacking in so much context and you can easily escalate anything, especially if you've had a bad day. And then easily interpret what the other one says, in the worst way. And even if some response feels warranted, since you feel jerked around, it's really not worth spending that much energy. Just agree to disagree and move on. It's easier for everyone.

I'm also wondering why sometimes I feel I need to defend something, as though I were getting something in return for that support. And most often I'm not. So it's really not worth getting upset over and wasting energy.

I always love this one.

Just do what I do roll your eyes, say nope, move on, and never reply to certain posts. It works especially on sensitive topics were it turns into a flame war on Social media.