I’m finding the whole thing just about good enough to keep me watching, but never looking forward to the next episode, which I guess is damming with feint praise?
The only decent character is Adar, don’t think it was the writers intention, but I’m now routing for the orcs!
The writer who's responsible for Harfoot songs should also be sent back to CBeebies before season 2!
Theres absolutely no sense of the depth of history and story in this that Jackson managed to capture in his trilogy.
Whilst I am really enjoying it, I think you are right here. Every Elf acts like they are still in their teens rather than some of the oldest and wisest that ever existed, and there's little to no sense of what has been lost.
I also think it massively under plays the power the elves would have had in the 2nd age, versus what we see in LotR. Unless the rings of power are supposed to have restored them, rather than stemmed the waning (as I always interpreted it).
Still, plenty to work with in future series, though the timelines are messed up.
I think Joseph Mawle is excellent, best thing in it so far, and a very underrated actor.
The Harfoots are just annoying, I want the Orcs to eat them all.
Episode 6 was good, the formation of Mount doom was well done. Some of the fighting was pretty gruesome, orc blood from the eye hole! I thought the reveal they'd been killing humans hit hard, the downfall of man fighting between themselves.
Episode 7 was alright, a bit bored with the Hargoots, think that storyline will get better now there's a small group? Still hoping it's not Gandalf, seems too obvious
Intrigued by the evil elf people, leader looks like Eminem 😅
Is the sword Galadrial gave Theo relevant? Seem to be a lingering shot of it...
I’m watching it with my son who loves it. He thinks it’s quite scary in places. Yeah there are a few issues around pacing and some of the story lines are a lot weaker than others but it looks gorgeous and the last couple of episodes were pretty good. Plus it’s better than the awful Hobbit adaptations and far more enjoyable than House of Dragons.
The "boat people" are Numenorean, who are the people that founded Gondor. Elendil and Isildur are both amongst them, who might have been mentioned once or twice in the books and films...
I need to get out more too...
far more enjoyable than House of Dragons.
Yep.
Given the diversity of the harfoots, and the lack of diversity in hobbits...There must have been some awful event in their past.
From what i've read i do get the feeling the harfoots were the wandering hobbits who were darker, to be fair diversity of the harfoots isn't the issue, it's the acting levels, Lennie Henry is fine, but there's not much more in there, the younger ones look like they've been plucked off the street without any acting background!
Intrigued by the evil elf people
Yeah, who are they meant to be?
Lenny Henry is definitely doing his somerset/devon accent
I'd disagree with that - It's Irish along with all the other Harfoots. Not terrible either - much better that Cameron Diaz in Gangs of New York
much better that Cameron Diaz in Gangs of New York
This is the kinds of quote they need to add to the posters for this series 😂
Bit of oooh,nah,thought so etc in this one. Still a thumbs up from me.
A couple of reveals and a red herring! Not a bad finale
Well, it's better than that other soap opera with people muttering in dimly lit castles.
The Harfoots' dialogue was just badly written. Maybe the rest was too, but top level actors can deliver clunky lines and make them sound ok. The kids playing the Harfoots couldn't, it just sounded lame and cliched.
What's with all the Harfoot hate??
Just because they're short and don't have cool weapon skills, and are pretty much shit at everything except hiding..
As stated previously, the Harfoots are the weakest written characters and some of the poorest actors are in there, they just feel like they've been shoved in this show to pay homage to hobbits, they had no real part in the tale until the third age as well, but then again the show is doing a few things way earlier and some things way later than in the timeline.
As for the finale, lots going on, lots not getting explained, they'll need to up the ante in the second season to really get this show focused, definitely think they needed to get a few more high level actors in the cast, it's a very inexperienced cast at the top, and it shows at times, yeah the scripts aren't great, but they don't seem to have the Charles Dance/Sean Bean/Aiden Gillen/Jonathan Pryce/etc that GoT's had whilst they blooded a lot of younger actors, even Dragons has renowned folk in key areas to do the same.
Again, still enjoying it, but to survive the negativity they need to up the game a bit, so much going on at the same time will be a huge strain for the next season.
Ooh why wasn't the rest of the series like that final episode!
Quite enjoyed it all to be honest. Maybe I've developed a penchant for slow TV in my old age? They do need to up the ante regarding writing / acting in the second series though.
In the end, you knew from the moment he said 'oh is this the workshop of Celebrimbor'
But pretty good in all.
Hopefully series 2 isn't the fun adventures of wizard and comedy sidekick, and instead we get more sauron mind games.
Didn't want it to be, but HOTD is better
Overall I was disappointed with it but I’ll continue to watch it as new series are released. Looks like the stranger is Gandalf which makes no sense. Halbrand as Sauron happened way too quickly and what about the remaining 17 rings? Slow yet somehow rushed too. Just felt disjointed and never seemed to find its feet.
Maybe I’ve developed a penchant for slow TV in my old age?
I think this is me, started watching Ozark and felt exhausted after an episode.
Well, that was a bit better. I think I was relieved that they stopped teasing us and went for at least a bit of a reveal. I had my doubts about Halbrand all along, but as soon as he said "consider it a gift", the game was up.
Still not sure who the Istar is. Was it confirmed Gandalf, or just heavily hinted?
what about the remaining 17 rings?
Didn't Sauron make and gift those himself? But, the canon is all over the place here, didn't the 3 rings get made to oppose the one ring? Can't really remember.
The three rings were made by the elves, Sauron made the rest.
top level actors can deliver clunky lines and make them sound ok
True. Though I’m not sure I’ve experienced this in RoP.
I gave up with S01E06 when the boat approaches land at sunrise. I just could not bear any more pompous elven blah blah, nor the caricature accent nonsense throughout.
The three rings were made by the elves, Sauron made the rest.
He only made the one ring and the rest were made with his aid (disguised as Annatar). The three Elven rings were actually the last of the 19 to be made. They’ve pissed all over Tolkien’s work in some regards. Not that it really matters for a TV show. I’m just intrigued as to how the rest are now made and why they’ve changed it.
I’d guess each series will be centred around how a set of rings get made, with a “guess the Sauron” character in each, manipulating first the dwarfs, then men to create their sets of rings. Final series, he’ll make the One Ring followed by the final battle where Isildur will defeat him and take the ring.
In parallel, hobharfoots will traipse around until settling in The Shire, men will build various cities we recognise, and dwarfs will get kicked out of Moria. Oh, and Elrond will build a little retirement cottage in the woods.
“guess the Sauron” character
Bit late for that!
Still not sure who the Istar is. Was it confirmed Gandalf, or just heavily hinted?
I reckon it might be Radagast - from memory, he's the only other named Istar, and some of the interaction with flora and fauna might point in that direction. If nothing else, it would rehabilitate the character after that nonsense with Sylvester McCoy.
Well he's off to the east, and there was the discussion on the blue wizards, although there's only one of course, but that wouldn't be a huge issue going by the other stuff that's been moved about in the show.
If it's not, and one of the 3, i'd go for Saruman, they can do a bit more with that character, as we've rarely seen him when he was on mission, the weird thing is that they're not scared to do the obvious in this show, which can throw you off as much as feigning it.
Well as a Tolkien geek I enjoyed it. I basically threw out the any idea of them following the books, seriously how could they, the folk moaning about how boring it is would go on longer than the series though 🤣
I took it for what it is, a bit of fantasy escapism. At least I don't keep falling asleep during it unlike the House of the Dragon snooze fest.
Follow your nose, to me is one big pointer to it being Gandalf.
Follow your nose, to me is one big pointer to it being Gandalf
This. Up to that point I thought Saruman as I thought he was the first of his order.
Enjoying it, especially last three episodes. Don't mind the Harfoots.
The song in the closing credits refers to the number of rings; three for the elves, seven for the dwarves etc.
In parallel, hobharfoots will traipse around until settling in The Shire
Actually, I reckon they’re there to provide both a link to the ring & explain Gandalf’s fondness for them - they were kind to him when he arrived etc.
I think they’ll settle near a river and become the Stoors, who are a distant cousin of the Hobbits; a pair will grow to be Deagol & Sméagol, and the ring will be found. Sméagol is over 400 years old by the time Bilbo meets him…
Shit, I’m such a geek 😂
Follow your nose, to me is one big pointer to it being Gandalf
This was a dead giveaway. Or was it just another fake out?
Here, what about the Sauron cultists as the fabled blue wizards?
Here, what about the Sauron cultists as the fabled blue wizards?
That little group of weird pale white warlock type people who are obviously trying to track the tall man down?
No Idea, I'd be interested to hear what the Tolkien geeks make of them...
Aye, that's the ones. I am a Tolkien geek, that's why I'm asking.
I preferred it too and found it less boring than the LoR and hobbit films.
Finished watching this last night, thoroughly enjoyed it - much better than the snoozefest of HoTD.
They have just started filming Series 2 and are currently filming on Hankley Common......we were politely diverted away from the filming area on Monday. Apparently Series 2 doesn't air until 2024......
No Idea, I’d be interested to hear what the Tolkien geeks make of them…
In the subtitles they are referred to as the "The Aesthetics" no, me neither, no idea.
New season is out... well 3 episodes...which I'm happy about as there's no more house of dragon for about a year or so.
Is it any better than S1?
My wife, a total Tolkien fan (our son is even called Beren), is refusing to watch it after what she called the abomination of the first one. I'm planning on watching it solo to see anyway, but interested to hear thoughts on S2.
Well, I'm enjoying it, but I also enjoyed the previous season!
I'm not a huge Tolkien fan, though, I loved lord of the rings films, hated the hobbit films, and love rings of power, so take that as you will 😀
