A Song of Ice and Fire (Spoilers! Only enter if you have read all books)

[greyhammer90]

Has anyone watched the Rings of Power? Maybe we should get a thread started on that. But let me just say, so far, an absolute snoozer. No bad, not good, just boring. Should pick up by the end of the season with some major events kicking off, but as a huge Tolkien fan, I don’t know if I’ll make it.

It's not bad, just amazingly mediocre. Really the worst thing in the show is Galadriel. I really dislike what they've done with her, but even beyond my own Tolkien-fanboy hangups, her story is just so boring. I find myself thinking how long the episodes are every time she shows up. The hobbits and Elrond stuff is mediocre, but entertaining enough.

 

[Armyirish47]

It's not bad, just amazingly mediocre. Really the worst thing in the show is Galadriel. I really dislike what they've done with her, but even beyond my own Tolkien-fanboy hangups, her story is just so boring. I find myself thinking how long the episodes are every time she shows up. The hobbits and Elrond stuff is mediocre, but entertaining enough.

Agreed, and its a shame because it's so beautiful. The writers clearly don't know what to do with elves, and the protohobbits are a nothing burger. I was super excited at first and still think they can land the plane in some cool ways but it's clear the Tolkien estate mishandled the material with the weird appendix vs Silmarillion split the baby shenanigans they worked out.

 

[tussin]

I think the primary storyline is more interesting in HOTD than in GOT. My only critique is that there are effectively no secondary characters or stories being developed whereas GOT had 5+ to keep track of at any one time.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

Agreed, and its a shame because it's so beautiful. The writers clearly don't know what to do with elves, and the protohobbits are a nothing burger. I was super excited at first and still think they can land the plane in some cool ways but it's clear the Tolkien estate mishandled the material with the weird appendix vs Silmarillion split the baby shenanigans they worked out.

I'm not sure this was a bad move for them. There's essentially no source material for the "rights" they sold to Amazon, so if it sucks, it can just be written off as bad fanfic.

 

[calvegas04]

Has anyone watched the Rings of Power? Maybe we should get a thread started on that. But let me just say, so far, an absolute snoozer. No bad, not good, just boring. Should pick up by the end of the season with some major events kicking off, but as a huge Tolkien fan, I don’t know if I’ll make it.

I am watching and I'm enjoying it much more than HofD. I like the multiple storylines going on. The actions has been good. The production value is amazing it is like watching a movie each episode.

 

[Bishop2b5]

I'm not sure this was a bad move for them. There's essentially no source material for the "rights" they sold to Amazon, so if it sucks, it can just be written off as bad fanfic.

I'd like to see The Silmarillion get developed into a multi-season, high production values TV show. It would be almost impossible to adapt it to the big screen in a trilogy and stay faithful to the original work, but 24-40 episodes with the visuals of GOT would be wonderful. You'd have an evolving cast a la The Crown, but with some actors/characters appearing across the seasons, but there are so many storylines and events in that book that beg to be seen and would be incredible if done right.

 

[Armyirish47]

I'm not sure this was a bad move for them. There's essentially no source material for the "rights" they sold to Amazon, so if it sucks, it can just be written off as bad fanfic.

True but I'm like Bishop, I don't want bad fanfic, GIVE ME GLORFINDEL

 

[GATTACA!]

I think the primary storyline is more interesting in HOTD than in GOT. My only critique is that there are effectively no secondary characters or stories being developed whereas GOT had 5+ to keep track of at any one time.

I think we need to reserve judgement on that aspect until we get caught up to the “current” timeline. The actual dance with dragons is the core of this show and that heavily involves the children we just started to really get to know this episode. I think they’ve done a good job setting up the motivations of several houses and I think we will get multiple threads once we have our final set of characters. There’s one last time jump between this episode and the following and from my understanding that should be the last.

 

[Cackalacky2.0]

It's not bad, just amazingly mediocre. Really the worst thing in the show is Galadriel. I really dislike what they've done with her, but even beyond my own Tolkien-fanboy hangups, her story is just so boring. I find myself thinking how long the episodes are every time she shows up. The hobbits and Elrond stuff is mediocre, but entertaining enough.

Have to agree with this. I really want to like it but it’s almost unbearably slow. I like Elrond enough and Durin very much. It’s absolutely beautiful and there are some very cool shots and cinematography. Numenor is almost exactly how I imagined. I’m almost convinced I know who the Stranger is. This is not the Galadriel I recall reading in the Silmarillion and LoTR.

The Silmarillion has so much to draw from I don’t think they needed to create new stories. They absolutely could have expounded on Fingolfin, Feanor, Morgoth, the Valar…. Now it seems we will just get non canon new stories spritzed with hot words from the literature and that this could take multiple seasons to get to construction of the rings.

I’d love to see a thorough telling of the sack of Gondolin or the kinslaying.

 

[phillyirish]

Game of thrones season 1 started off pretty slow, so I wouldn’t write of HotD cause of that. So far it’s an few orders of magnitude better than Rings of Power.

ROP: Awful, corny dialogue (“there’s a temperest in me”). They spent 5 episodes doing absolutely nothing with the plot, then paced the last episode like the last season of Thrones with the Numenoreans just jumping from the middle of the ocean to save the day. They legit pulled the “oh no they’re gonna die, wow saved at the last second” schtick 6 times……. In the last episode alone. The show is beyond bad. Some stunning cinematography, yet at times I’m wondering who embezzled the 600$ million dollar budget when I see the epic climatic battle of a dozen troops.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

True but I'm like Bishop, I don't want bad fanfic, GIVE ME GLORFINDEL

Agreed! Which is why I'm not watching. The showrunners' comments make it clear that they don't understand Tolkein, so there's no reason to get invested.

But it's too early to tell whether this license was a mistake for the Estate. It's not going to produce anything of quality, but my impression is that it'll be easily ignored and forgotten afterwards.

 

[GATTACA!]

Agreed! Which is why I'm not watching. The showrunners' comments make it clear that they don't understand Tolkein, so there's no reason to get invested.

But it's too early to tell whether this license was a mistake for the Estate. It's not going to produce anything of quality, but my impression is that it'll be easily ignored and forgotten afterwards.

Didn't amazon pay 1 billion dollars for the rights? I think the family would be happy with just about anything produced at this point.

 

[IrishLion]

Have to agree with this. I really want to like it but it’s almost unbearably slow. I like Elrond enough and Durin very much. It’s absolutely beautiful and there are some very cool shots and cinematography. Numenor is almost exactly how I imagined. I’m almost convinced I know who the Stranger is. This is not the Galadriel I recall reading in the Silmarillion and LoTR.

The Silmarillion has so much to draw from I don’t think they needed to create new stories. They absolutely could have expounded on Fingolfin, Feanor, Morgoth, the Valar…. Now it seems we will just get non canon new stories spritzed with hot words from the literature and that this could take multiple seasons to get to construction of the rings.

I’d love to see a thorough telling of the sack of Gondolin or the kinslaying.

My kingdom for a show or movie that expands upon (or faithfully builds upon) all the cool, dark, heavy-metal type of shit that Tolkien hinted at.

I haven't watched any RoP yet, so I'm not sure how much "bad guy" content there is, or if it dips into any of the cool bad guy stuff that is pre-Sauron as flashbacks or world-building or anything like that...

But I'd kill for a drama that focused almost entirely on Morgoth and how he accumulated power and created entire races of bad guys and other creatures, set in Utumno and/or Angband.

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

ROP > HOTD > GOT

 

[Armyirish47]

Didn't amazon pay 1 billion dollars for the rights? I think the family would be happy with just about anything produced at this point.

I'm pretty sure Christopher Tolkien is only happy when it rains.

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

I'm pretty sure Christopher Tolkien is only happy when it rains.

In heaven?

 

[Armyirish47]

In heaven?

Mandos.

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

Has anyone watched the Rings of Power? Maybe we should get a thread started on that. But let me just say, so far, an absolute snoozer. No bad, not good, just boring. Should pick up by the end of the season with some major events kicking off, but as a huge Tolkien fan, I don’t know if I’ll make it.

Or we could rename this thread: Neckbeards Anonymous

 

[NorthDakota]

Agreed! Which is why I'm not watching. The showrunners' comments make it clear that they don't understand Tolkein, so there's no reason to get invested.

But it's too early to tell whether this license was a mistake for the Estate. It's not going to produce anything of quality, but my impression is that it'll be easily ignored and forgotten afterwards.

I've been watching. Its okay. Nothing to write home about.

 

[ACamp1900]

I actually enjoy RoP well enough,…

 

[phillyirish]

My kingdom for a show or movie that expands upon (or faithfully builds upon) all the cool, dark, heavy-metal type of shit that Tolkien hinted at.

I haven't watched any RoP yet, so I'm not sure how much "bad guy" content there is, or if it dips into any of the cool bad guy stuff that is pre-Sauron as flashbacks or world-building or anything like that...

But I'd kill for a drama that focused almost entirely on Morgoth and how he accumulated power and created entire races of bad guys and other creatures, set in Utumno and/or Angband.

Amazon doesnt have the rights to those works. The opening sequence of episode one shows a little bit, but maybe like 3 min total. Even specific names cant be used unless they were mentioned in the Hobbit/LOTR books and appendices.

ROP > HOTD > GOT

Its ok. A lot of children get their inequality signs backwards too. Good attempt though!

 

[GATTACA!]

RoP is fine. Just feels kinda lifeless. I don’t really care about any of the characters. Knowing Elrond and Galadriel have plot armor doesn’t help either.

 

[Cackalacky2.0]

Or we could rename this thread: Neckbeards Anonymous

I could give Steven Colbert a serious run for his money.

 

[Cackalacky2.0]

I'm pretty sure Christopher Tolkien is only happy when it rains.

Garbage post

 

[IrishLion]

Amazon doesnt have the rights to those works. The opening sequence of episode one shows a little bit, but maybe like 3 min total. Even specific names cant be used unless they were mentioned in the Hobbit/LOTR books and appendices.

I've read the Silmarillion a couple of times, but it's been long enough that I'm not familiar with primary content vs appendices.

Might be a good excuse to go re-read it between Wheel of Time books.

 

[NDdomer2]

i have fell asleep every single episode of ROP. i really did want to like it, just nope.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

i have fell asleep every single episode of ROP. i really did want to like it, just nope.

Same. Both sentences of your post.

 

[calvegas04]

Y'all hating on RoP have no taste

 

[notredomer23]

No more time jumps I suspect going forward.

Question for those that watched... I have said it since episode 5 or 6 when we first saw her, but the servant girl that reports to Daemon's side chick at the very end-- that's gotta be young Melisandre right?

 

[GATTACA!]

No more time jumps I suspect going forward.

Question for those that watched... I have said it since episode 5 or 6 when we first saw her, but the servant girl that reports to Daemon's side chick at the very end-- that's gotta be young Melisandre right?

Idk but I’d guess no. Melisandre was from Assahai.

In GoT lore she doesn’t travel to Westeros until the beginning of the war of the five kings.