Update: For those wondering, it never really got better... There were definitely some moments that were done well, but overall the show still has the feeling of entertainment over art and fan-fiction over original lore.
Before the show aired, in my first post here for Substack, I wrote about the odditity of this show. There were camps mad about it for weird reasons and those championing it for weird reasons. In the end, it was merely hard to imagine it could be worth watching as the vast majority of TV shows are vacuous to begin with, and this one was turning not even two dozen pages of the Silmarillion into an entire series. It was clearly a hackneyed cash-grab. No, I didn't watch it--so anyone may berate me for weighing in without watching it if they feel that is their best impulse--but I don't think it was worth investing my life as such to see how low it can go. Thanks for venturing in for me.
I had the same intuition about season 1 and for that reason I didn’t watch it when it first came out. To be honest, I wonder (of course I can’t confirm it) if some of the changes they made in season 2 are just as a result of them knowing they were going to lose a ton of money on it if they didn’t clean up their act. So I think your point is very valid. Since it does exist though, I hope they continue to move it in a better direction than season 1.
Well, in S1 prologue there’s a scene where Sauron is in his his full bad armor and Galadriel is narrating how he commanded the Orcs and they spread all over Middle Earth. Now in this season’s opening he was having a hard time convincing the orcs to follow him, even though this was at the beginning of the second age, right after Morgoth’s defeat.
Ah, gotcha. Yes, I forgot that they showed that in season 1… hmm. Maybe the opening of season 2 was meant to show that their trust in him as a leader started to fall apart after they had followed him for a while? Not sure… either way, the whole Adar inclusion is one of those “extras” that is inconsistent with Tolkien’s own telling. Maybe they were just trying too hard to force him into the storyline.
Hi Maddie, the world of JRR Tolkein and his Middle Earth are dear to many many hearts, so I get your assessment.
Contrary to popular public opinion, my husband and I actually enjoyed RoP seasons 1 and 2, particularly after we delved into its genesis. My grandson kept urging us, "LOTR diehards think the show is horrible, Nana, don't watch it." From what we discovered online, Amazon bought the rights only to The Appendices of Tolkein's work and were barred legally from even mentioning material that was in the texts themselves by the owners of Tolkein's estate.
Amazon Studios has fabricated their own world based on what they had/have access to and can legally use as material. Their purchase contract allows them to make I believe 5 seasons... we shall see how they fare.
Update: For those wondering, it never really got better... There were definitely some moments that were done well, but overall the show still has the feeling of entertainment over art and fan-fiction over original lore.
Informative
Before the show aired, in my first post here for Substack, I wrote about the odditity of this show. There were camps mad about it for weird reasons and those championing it for weird reasons. In the end, it was merely hard to imagine it could be worth watching as the vast majority of TV shows are vacuous to begin with, and this one was turning not even two dozen pages of the Silmarillion into an entire series. It was clearly a hackneyed cash-grab. No, I didn't watch it--so anyone may berate me for weighing in without watching it if they feel that is their best impulse--but I don't think it was worth investing my life as such to see how low it can go. Thanks for venturing in for me.
I had the same intuition about season 1 and for that reason I didn’t watch it when it first came out. To be honest, I wonder (of course I can’t confirm it) if some of the changes they made in season 2 are just as a result of them knowing they were going to lose a ton of money on it if they didn’t clean up their act. So I think your point is very valid. Since it does exist though, I hope they continue to move it in a better direction than season 1.
Good review. I feel like this season’s introduction conflicted with the storyline for S1’s introduction, what do you think?
Which aspect of it did you feel was conflicting? You’ll have to remind me as I can’t totally remember all of the details.
Well, in S1 prologue there’s a scene where Sauron is in his his full bad armor and Galadriel is narrating how he commanded the Orcs and they spread all over Middle Earth. Now in this season’s opening he was having a hard time convincing the orcs to follow him, even though this was at the beginning of the second age, right after Morgoth’s defeat.
Ah, gotcha. Yes, I forgot that they showed that in season 1… hmm. Maybe the opening of season 2 was meant to show that their trust in him as a leader started to fall apart after they had followed him for a while? Not sure… either way, the whole Adar inclusion is one of those “extras” that is inconsistent with Tolkien’s own telling. Maybe they were just trying too hard to force him into the storyline.
Hi Maddie, the world of JRR Tolkein and his Middle Earth are dear to many many hearts, so I get your assessment.
Contrary to popular public opinion, my husband and I actually enjoyed RoP seasons 1 and 2, particularly after we delved into its genesis. My grandson kept urging us, "LOTR diehards think the show is horrible, Nana, don't watch it." From what we discovered online, Amazon bought the rights only to The Appendices of Tolkein's work and were barred legally from even mentioning material that was in the texts themselves by the owners of Tolkein's estate.
Amazon Studios has fabricated their own world based on what they had/have access to and can legally use as material. Their purchase contract allows them to make I believe 5 seasons... we shall see how they fare.