Rings Of Power (spoilers)

Anybody watching this? Couldn’t see a thread and no idea how to search forum since the update…

Watched first two episodes, enjoyed it. Definitely feels like they’re trying to match the style of the PJ films, it looks stunning. It’s good that they released both episodes, it really got going once we get to meet the new dwarves and more of the ensemble.

Lenny Henry is ace.

Who’s the man who fell from the sky?

I watched episode 1 last night and will watch episode 2 tonight.

Enjoyed episode 1 and it’s nice as a series as they can explore more beside the main story.

I’m assuming the man who fell from the sky is Gandalf?

Enjoyed the first 2 episodes, I’m going to go with Gandalf the Grey of the Istari.

I’m assuming the man who fell from the sky is Gandalf?

I thought so too, was hoping someone with more Tolkien knowledge would have a better answer. I’ve read that there were other wizards apart from Gandalf, Saruman and Radigast that came to middle earth. Gandalf is one of my favourite characters from the movies / books, just not sure I need to see ‘young’ Gandalf…

I’ve watched both episodes and am undecided. Ep 1 started well with the battles but went downhill from there for me. Ep 2 held my interest more and I think I’ll persevere with it.

It’s also nice to see that Lenny Henry isn’t the comic relief.

Definitely feels like they’re trying to match the style of the PJ films, it looks stunning.

It damn well better look stunning considering how much money they’ve thrown at it. I’ll watch it tonight, hope they can write a better ending than the Game of Thrones crew.

Don’t think it’s Gandalf as he doesn’t make an appearance until the third age and this is set in the second. Could be one of his kind though.

Preferring it to House of the Dragon so far. Lenny Henry can actually act.

Sort of hoping it’s not Gandalf. Nice to see Dwarves at the height of their power rather than their underground cities in ruins.

Was sauron around before the Wizards? Haven’t seen any of it yet.

(There’s a sentence I never thought I’d write).

I’m assuming the man who fell from the sky is Gandalf?

I thought so too, was hoping someone with more Tolkien knowledge would have a better answer. I’ve read that there were other wizards apart from Gandalf, Saruman and Radigast that came to middle earth. Gandalf is one of my favourite characters from the movies / books, just not sure I need to see ‘young’ Gandalf…

In the books the Valar sent Maiar from Valinor to Middle Earth in the Third Age, they appeared as old men, 5 are known.

Watched the first two episodes, not bothered about the diversity malarky, but the script is a bit clunky and some of the actors are pretty poor for such a huge series.

The big worry is the potential for a lack of originality, we are 2000 years before LOTR and we’re seeing harfoots being a big part of the story, and they’re the same jovial fun people from the films, we also appear to have the wish.com Aragon and he’s hooking up with Galadriel, it’s got a very Fellowship feel to it already!

Gonna have to watch this, I loved the Silmarillion when I was a young un!

Maybe because I’ve been waiting impatiently for this to drop, but I really enjoyed it. Looks amazing, it’s not perfect, but looks promising.

Do agree with argee, it does have a very fellowship feel to it.

Was sauron around before the Wizards? Haven’t seen any of it yet.

They are both Maia older than Middle Earth, Sauron was active on Middle Earth in the First Age as Morgoth’s lieutenant, Gandalf was sent in the Third Age.

(from what I remember, it was a complicated timeline across various books and appendixes, and some inconsistencies)

There were two blue wizards sent in the second age but they normally arrive by boat. My money is on the stranger being Sauron.

There were two blue wizards sent in the second age but they normally arrive by boat. My money is on the stranger being Sauron.

Can’t see it, think it’ll be a wizard of the same ilk as Gandalf, from source material Sauron is plotting elsewhere, and the second episode gave us the insight to his entrance to the storyline.

Very good so far, I thought. Definitely has potential.

think it’ll be a wizard of the same ilk as Gandalf

Could it be Tom Bombadil?

https://lotr.fandom.com/wiki/Tom_Bombadil

I’m partly ashamed to admit, Tolkien geekery is one of my favourite things. Let me just pull up a chair and get comfy…

I was worried that the non-canon stuff they’ve added would annoy me, but after watching the first 2 episodes, not so much. Galadriel the Warrior Queen is going to get annoying, as it seems so far beyond the character as originally written. Not sure why they couldn’t just have written an original character for that role, as they’ve created so many original characters elsewhere, but we’ll see how it goes.
Weirdly, I think having played the Middle-Earth RPG stuff years ago has prepped me to be more accepting of non-canon stuff. Tolkien left loads of blank space for writers to play around in. So I’ve gone from being “oh god, this could be terrible” to “actually, that wasn’t so bad” in the space of 2 episodes.

Could it be Tom Bombadil?

Nah. The implication was that he was something special, who had always existed, not a creation of the in-universe god. I think they are trying to fake us out with this guy. I think they are trying to make us think it’s Gandalf or Saruman, though the bit with the fireflies is very Radagast. But the wizards were sent much later in order to be Sauron’s adversaries, so if that’s one of them, then my worries over the mangling of the canon get turned up a notch.
I reckon he’ll turn out to be Sauron, who still had physical form in the 2nd age. Or some newly created original character.

The way he arrived, it’s possible he could be a T800, sent by skynet from the future to ensure John Connor is never born?

The stranger, i believe the fire and molten rocks were cool to the touch, this was set up as as a hint earlier when the Elves noticed their torch flames were also cold due to the presence of evil.

The fire flies all died after dancing to his tune. Very Sauron IMO. Can’t be sure though.

I too played significant amounts of MERP BITD.

AFAIR, in the second age, Sauron worms his way into prominence in Numenor, the original home of the Dunedain men, and he’s responsible for their fall by making them too arrogant and some other stuff. He’s more of a beautiful manipulator than warrior overlord at this time.

Difficult to say at the moment, not many clues as to where in the second age we are.

Galadriel the Warrior Queen

she’s a veteran of the last war with Morgoth at this time, but is just a ranking officer. Note the absence of any magic use to date.

In the time of LOTR she’s a powerful sorcerer.

Sauron worms his way into prominence in Numenor

Will have to keep an eye out for men out at sea …

Difficult to say at the moment, not many clues as to where in the second age we are

Eregion exists, Moria looks to be at its height, Sauron is nowhere to be seen and Mordor still seems to be fertile and settled by humans, so somewhere between SA 750 and 1000, I reckon.

http://lotrproject.com/timeline

Sauron Annatar the fair, “Lord of Gifts” is nowhere to be seen (he/she teaches Elrond and Celebrimbor how to make the rings of power according to Tolkien).

Have to say they’ve not let any hints out with the casting as to who is going to play Sauron/Annatar. (still hoping it’s going to be Cumberbatch 😉 )

After episode 3, it doesn’t look like there’s any point trying to pin things down to a particular point in time in the published works.

Sauron hasn’t revealed himself and the rings haven’t been forged, that puts it around SA1000.
But Miriel is Queen of Numenor, which has been closed to elves for generations. That would put it around SA3200.

That said, I did enjoy it.

Still a bit plodding, acting and tone all over the shop but still looks nice. Hoping it starts to improve and find a tonal balance soon.

2 in and I’m struggling, spoilt by The Boys, Vikings and in the last month saw all 73 GOT’s.

It’ll be a slow burn I think, so much going on and so many characters it’s going to not make much sense until they start merging.

Still think the harfoots stuff is going to be a complete wedge in to be like fellowship, episode 3 has made it even more aligned!

I too played significant amounts of MERP BITD.

Still got a mint, boxed copy!

I like it so far.
The discrepancies don’t bother me, at least not as much as they did watching Sherlock!

And I love the diversity, although the Oirish accents for the Harfoots (Harfeet? 🙂) is starting to grate a bit, as are the Elvish aphorisms.

I’m really enjoying this so far. It’s probably the most stunning TV show I’ve ever seen visually, better than most movies as well.

I love the LOTR books and the Hobbit but aren’t too much of a lore snob so I don’t particularly mind them condensing a lot of the second age into a more manageable timeline for the show. Really interested in finding out who the man is, I don’t think he’s either Sauron or Gandalf. Sauron is definitely hiding out as someone else at the moment though.

Also I’m loving the actor who plays Galadriel, I think she’s great in it.

I’ve watched the first two episodes, and will be watching the third tonight.

Absolutely stunning looking show. Agreed that it looks better than most films (including all the Marvel ones). So far it has introduced some interesting characters and enough intrigue to keep me watching.

I’ve got all the Tolkien books from The Hobbit to The Silmarillion and love the world he created but I really do not understand all the online hate for this series. Seems like all the weird incel / MAGA / 4Chan basement dwellers have got in a tizz over a couple of BAME characters and have nothing better to do than review bomb the series.

3 episodes in and I’m really enjoying it.

I’ve read all the books and seen the films but not a LOTR lore nerd so there are enough reference points for me to pick up on, but I don’t know timelines so aren’t worried about stuff getting mixed up.

Watched three now, first two were enjoyable but didn’t really grab me. Three was brilliant for me with some of the big names from LOTR history starting to apear.

I’m very much enjoying this, beautifully done and very immersive. After watching GoT I found the dialogue in the movies a bit cringy but came back round and I’m lapping this up. Witcher and Wheel of time were let downs but this has grabbed me even though it’s slow to take off.

Watched 1&2 don’t think it’s sauron. Too “innocent” even to the extent of not understanding the effects of his power.
GoT was harsh and I just stopped watching half way through an episode never went back. This is much easier to watch.

I’ve watched the first 3 episodes and quite like it despite never having read any Tolkien books, I’ll hunt out the lord of the rings trilogy and hobbit stuff to watch on prime/Netflix as I’ve only managed to see the first episode of lord of the rings.

As soon as elendil and isildur appeared all the childhood memories of reading the Hobbit and LoTR came flooding back. Great series so far

This ^^