I guess the obvious question is, why. We've got the books, we've got Jackson's movies, we've got all the comic books,, video games, RPGs, etc.... do we really need a new retelling of story, wonderful a story as it is.
What are you referring to? This show isn't based the same books as the Jackson films. The show takes place in the Second Age, 3000 years before the LOTR trilogy. There might be comics, games and RPGs that are set in the same time frame. but I dont' know because those aren't my thing.
Are there LOTR comics? I don't think I've ever seen any, at least not from the last few years that I've been following comics.
If only it were. The Rings of Power is based on the appendices to The Lord of the Rings and then only in the loosest sense. I tried very hard to find something to like in the series, but I've decided that, while it looks pretty, it's also pretty badly written fan fiction.
If you say so. For my part, it rekindled my love for Tolkien and inspired me to read The Silmarillion for the first time. As for the relationship between The Silmarillion and the show, the show can't draw from The Silmarillion directly, so therefore... And I'm not sure how the descriptor "fanfiction" applies when almost every single word in the book, with a minimal of non-invasive editorial bridging, was written by Tolkien himself. Now, if you wanted to call the show fanfiction, you would have an argument. The show is much more an extrapolation of Tolkien than an adaptation.
Yes, I thought that was evident. There is no book by Tolkien named The Rings of Power. The show is a travesty if you are familiar with The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales etc., which is a pity given the enormous amount of money Amazon has spent. I think it was episode four where the lack of understanding of the source material really showed and the show descended into abject nonsense. I had tolerated the traduction of Galadriel into a shrill, unlikeable harridan, but Pharazôn's speech to the crowd in the Armenelos marketplace showed how truly bad the show's writing is.
Amazon didn't have the rights to use anything from The Silmarillion. It's all that deserves. There's people here who have read those books and still liked the series.
Well then I offer my apologies. That's what I get for posting first thing in the morning before my caffeine. As for the nonsensical statement that there is no book called "The Fall of Numenor" by JRR Tolkien, that is utterly, totally and completely false. I have it on my bookshelf. It was compiled exactly the same way as every other posthumous Tolkien release, with the exception of being edited and compiled by Brian Sibley instead of Christopher Tolkien. If The Fall of Numenor is fanfiction, then so is The Silmarillion.
We live in a world where some people don't like the stuff that others do. I'd just like to know what redeeming qualities the series has apart from pretty scenery, good design and a decent musical score. If the adaptation were good, I would probably like it even though it diverges radically from the appendices. The rationale given for Númenórean distrust of the Elves made absolutely no sense given that they had no contact with Elves apart from nutty, driven Galadriel showing up accidentally and being very eager to leave. The showrunners have obviously decided to abandon Tolkien's primary theme contrasting death and deathlessness. Galadriel being driven by seeking vengeance for Finrod's death also makes no sense as she knows his fëa will go to the Halls of Mandos. In fact, in The Silmarillion, we learn he is re-embodied and reunited with his father Finarfin and his betroathed Amarië. Although Galadriel might not learn of Finrod's fate until she returned to Valinor at the end of the Third Age, the Istari such as Gandalf and Saruman possibly might have known as his reincarnation was a special exception among the souls of the exiles. In the First Age, even Melian the Maia seems to have been unaware of the facts surrounding the Kinslaying at Alqualondë ,so she couldn't give the glad news to Galadriel.
I am familiar, as is my wife. Somehow, we still love it... Travesty strikes me as a bit harsh. I find the characters, especially Galadirel, Elrond and Durin very compelling. Each step is learning how individuals manage being touched by the darkness yet move forward. I love that.
Oh well, I'm glad you like it. I did spend weeks trying to make excuses for it, but it diverged way too far from the books for me. If they could have made Galadriel more like she is described in The Silmarillion and not invented the seeking vengeance motivation, it might have been more tolerable. A lot of the dialogue was also execrable compared with Tolkien, but it's probably inevitable that none of the writers has the required skills as they don't appear to understand the source material (or perhaps don't care). Retaining a reputable Tolkien expert and actually listening to them might have helped knock off some of the rough edges. But they've knocked the heart out of this tale of the Second Age and replaced it with a modern-day issues substitute that I find completely unconvincing. I might watch the second season to see if they correct things, but I think it's probably too late now to save this series and make it a classic.