There are lot of questions about how the rest of the series will play out, including if and how Celeborn will be introduce, who will become the Nazgûl, etc. But to me one stands heads and shoulders above the rest. That is how they will present the Downfall of Númenor, and how it comes about. This is, arguably, the single most important part of the history of the Second Age, and one that they seem unprepared to portray. The Downfall occurs when the Valar "laid down their government of Arda" and "Ilúvatar showed forth his power" and "changed the fashion of the world." Or, more properly, since the LOTR appendices are what they have rights to, "the Valar laid down their Guardianship and called upon the One, and the world was changed. Númenor was thrown down and swallowed in the Sea, and the Undying Lands were removed forever from the circles of the world." But while the Valar have been mentioned several times in the show (most prominently in the IMO ridiculous sequence in which Míriel faces the sea creature and is 'judged' to be innocent, I don't think they have mentioned anything about Eru Ilúvatar or the One. Will they incorporate that into the narrative, or will they try to lay the drowning of Númenor at the feet of the Valar? Based on what they have done so far (good as some things have been), I'm not confident that they can pull this off. But if they don't, the show will be a failure.

IMHO, of course.

I am not Catholic, or Christian, or religious in any traditional way. I don't need for it to make sense from a religious standpoint; I just need for it to make sense. But I have a hard time imagining any scenario that makes sense without the intervention of the One. Having the Valar suddenly able to exercise that kind of power on their own would render Ar-Pharazon's attack on the Undying Lands ridiculous or worse.

I agree that it's hard to do on-screen divine intervention well I accept gods and such in fantasy just as I do elves, wizards and dragons. It’s all fantasy. But keep it simple, or at least as simple as possible.

...

I don’t mind if RoP does bring Iluvatar into the destruction of Numenor but I don’t want the religious aspects of the story to be front and center any more than is necessary. That’s partly because I’m not particularly interested in that stuff myself but I also believe that it’s just not a winning strategy for a piece of art/entertainment meant for general consumption.

I accept gods and such in fantasy just as I do elves, wizards and dragons. It’s all fantasy. But keep it simple, or at least as simple as possible.

I think that less is best in presenting the Numenor story to a general audience. We’ll surely see the island disappear under the great wave, but because RoP has never said anything about a flat earth that I recall, there’s no need to show geographical changes. There’s been no mention of the Guardianship of the Valar for them to lay down and we’ve never seen a Vala anyway. A few more allusions to Iluvatar and they can blame him for the Fall. Or they can put it on the Valar, who have been referenced several times already and might be considered to have the right and the power to defend their homeland, especially from people as vile as the slave-taking, human-sacrificing Numenorians.

We’ve already seen the beginnings of Pharazon’s obsession with mortality. I expect that Numenor will receive more attention next season and that theme will be developed as the Miriel-Elendil-Pharazon story progresses. Meanwhile, the war in Eriador will play out and Sauron will eventually go to Numenor to start that phase of the story. There’s still time.

I don’t mind if RoP does bring Iluvatar into the destruction of Numenor but I don’t want the religious aspects of the story to be front and center any more than is necessary. That’s partly because I’m not particularly interested in that stuff myself but I also believe that it’s just not a winning strategy for a piece of art/entertainment meant for general consumption.

I hope they do "go there" and not shrink away from the in-world religious beliefs and systems. I also agree about the cowardice in backing away from that kind of thing - especially in the entertainment world. People don't want to be reminded of bigger, higher, or more important things than us. But I don't think that should stop the show from doing its thing.

I was encouraged, listening to all the interviews with the showrunners over the last few weeks (one with Corey and Maggie on Rings and Realms was particularly refreshing in this area) and that they seem very much in tune with Tolkien's religious foundations. They don't seem like the type to shy away from this - and I think we've seen some evidence in the show already that they're going to "go there".

I'm excited for it.

I hope they do "go there" and not shrink away from the in-world religious beliefs and systems. I also agree about the cowardice in backing away from that kind of thing - especially in the entertainment world. People don't want to be reminded of bigger, higher, or more important things than us. But I don't think that should stop the show from doing its thing.

I was encouraged, listening to all the interviews with the showrunners over the last few weeks (one with Corey and Maggie on Rings and Realms was particularly refreshing in this area) and that they seem very much in tune with Tolkien's religious foundations. They don't seem like the type to shy away from this - and I think we've seen some evidence in the show already that they're going to "go there".

I'm excited for it.

Artists write screen plays and have huge amendments made to their scripts, If Ridley Scott is given 100 million dollars to make a movie he will make the movie that is requested by the one who pays for the movie. That is particularly pertinent to what we are talking about when he turned away from seeking God, to making another monster movie; with a story line.

God is big business in the United States, particularly the fly over states.

In Reply To

This leans toward "writing cowardice" rather than "lack of imagination." You imply the writer, producer, director, whichever or all Scott might be, does not wish to offend the Big Business of religion, or Big Business in general, or at least is willing to compromise his story for the backer. Maybe I should add artistic integrity to the list.

The story in this case, was already written by J.R.R. Tolkien. All they have to do is follow it. I see the show runners' or writers' philosophical ideas about what they are doing as somewhat pretentious, trying to convince viewers their clothes are beautiful while they are actually... Well, you know the fable. William Peter Blatty determined to use a demon instead of Satan (though the demon claimed to be Satan), so we're kind of stuck there. His book dictates what the writers do, so they are excused. But there no such excuse for Rings of Power, no matter how many story theories and justifications we bandy about..

In Reply To

This leans toward "writing cowardice" rather than "lack of imagination." You imply the writer, producer, director, whichever or all Scott might be, does not wish to offend the Big Business of religion, or Big Business in general, or at least is willing to compromise his story for the backer. Maybe I should add artistic integrity to the list.

The story in this case, was already written by J.R.R. Tolkien. All they have to do is follow it. I see the show runners' or writers' philosophical ideas about what they are doing as somewhat pretentious, trying to convince viewers their clothes are beautiful while they are actually... Well, you know the fable. William Peter Blatty determined to use a demon instead of Satan (though the demon claimed to be Satan), so we're kind of stuck there. His book dictates what the writers do, so they are excused. But there no such excuse for Rings of Power, no matter how many story theories and justifications we bandy about..