The One Ring Forums: Off Topic: The Pollantir:
How much are you enjoying (or not) The Rings of Power?


Poll: How much are you enjoying (or not) The Rings of Power?
Way better than I expected 3 / 6%
Better than I expected 10 / 19%
It's meeting my expectations (good or bad) 14 / 27%
Worse than I expected 9 / 17%
So, so much worse than I expected 9 / 17%
Other 7 / 13%
52 total votes
 

Ataahua
Forum Admin / Moderator


Sep 14 2022, 9:36am


Views: 29778
How much are you enjoying (or not) The Rings of Power?
We're three episodes in and have a good feel for the show by now. Compared to what you were expecting before the premiere screened, how much are you enjoying it?
Celebrimbor: "Pretty rings..."
Dwarves: "Pretty rings..."
Men: "Pretty rings..."
Sauron: "Mine's better."

"Ah, how ironic, the addictive qualities of Sauron’s master weapon led to its own destruction. Which just goes to show, kids - if you want two small and noble souls to succeed on a mission of dire importance... send an evil-minded beggar with them too." - Gandalf's Diaries, final par, by Ufthak.

Fantasy novel - The Arcanist's Tattoo

My LOTR fan-fiction


(This post was edited by Ataahua on Sep 14 2022, 9:38am)


Eldy
Dor-Lomin


Sep 14 2022, 6:54pm


Views: 29673
Meeting my expectations...
...both good and bad. Wink

Because this is a Tolkien adaptation, I followed the rumors and trailers and such far more closely than I normally would, so I had a pretty good idea of what to expect. So far, I think the show is very well made, I have reservations about a number of changes from the source material, but I'm enjoying the ride and getting to talk about it online. It's nice to see online Tolkien discussion getting a boost after those lean years in the second half of the 2010s. If nothing else, I'll be grateful to ROP for that, but I remain open to the possibility of the show winning me over in the long run. Given the pacing so far, I expect I'll take a while to come to a firm opinion.


The Grey Elf
Hithlum


Sep 17 2022, 11:19pm


Views: 29537
After 4 Eps, still a mixed bag
Some aspects I really enjoy, others just aren’t working for me. But enough good is there for me to continue watching. I do believe the show has yet to really find its feet.


Silvered-glass
Nargothrond

Sep 23 2022, 3:57pm


Views: 29319
Not Enjoying
I wasn't planning on watching, but ended up seeing an episode (#5) anyway and had paid attention to online discussion and reviews, which allowed me to know what was going on. This show is disastrous. The only reason I'm not voting "much worse" is that my expectations were pretty much on the floor to start with.

My biggest issue is that the screenwriting is inhumanly bad. As in, I have some experience with AI-generated material, and RoP has exactly that feel, like there wasn't a human brain involved in coming up with all that stuff and everything is just random associations in the shape of a script.

Verdict: Watch Khraniteli instead. It beats RoP in everything except the sets and the CGI.


Aunt Dora Baggins
Elvenhome


Sep 24 2022, 2:29pm


Views: 29282
I'm enjoying it a lot.
When the ice troll appeared at the beginning I thought "Oh, here we go again," fearing a repeat of PJ's 20 minute cave troll fight. I was pleasantly surprised when it was over so quickly.

It has aspects I loved from the movies like amazing visuals, pretty people, fun easter eggs, and it doesn't have some of the things I hated from the movies like lugubrious elves and interminable action scenes.

I love love love Galadriel. Is she petulant and insuffable? Yes, just like she is in UT. Tolkien retconned her to be something like Mother Mary in LotR, but I like his original fiery version. I'm hoping Celeborn will show up and be more interesting than he was in LotR.

I haven't cracked open the Tolkien books in a while, but this is sending me scurrying back to the appendices and the Sil and UT. Sure they're playing ducks and drakes with the timeline, but that makes it all the more fun to try to puzzle out all the little mysteries. Who is Adan, and the Stranger, and Halbrand? Have we seen Sauron yet? Right now my money's on the creepy mystic. I know the actor's a woman, but Sauron can take any form, so it's believable.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GNU Terry Pratchett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"For DORA BAGGINS in memory of a LONG correspondence, with love from Bilbo; on a large wastebasket. Dora was Drogo's sister, and the eldest surviving female relative of Bilbo and Frodo; she was ninety-nine, and had written reams of good advice for more than half a century."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"A Chance Meeting at Rivendell" and other stories

leleni at hotmail dot com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Ataahua
Forum Admin / Moderator


Sep 24 2022, 6:58pm


Views: 29270
To be fair, that wouldn't be hard.
In Reply To
I'm hoping Celeborn will show up and be more interesting than he was in LotR.
Cool

I know he was instructed to act as if speaking and being in the moment was difficult for a creature as long-lived and deep-thinking as he, but Marton Czokas just didn't nail it. Whenever I think of that scene in Lothlorien, I'm reminded of a quip from a board member: "Where is my personality? For I much desire to have it."
Celebrimbor: "Pretty rings..."
Dwarves: "Pretty rings..."
Men: "Pretty rings..."
Sauron: "Mine's better."

"Ah, how ironic, the addictive qualities of Sauron’s master weapon led to its own destruction. Which just goes to show, kids - if you want two small and noble souls to succeed on a mission of dire importance... send an evil-minded beggar with them too." - Gandalf's Diaries, final par, by Ufthak.

Fantasy novel - The Arcanist's Tattoo

My LOTR fan-fiction


Starling
Gondolin


Sep 25 2022, 1:21am


Views: 29244
That's funny
The delivery of that line was pretty terrible.
I find the character better in the EE, where he has more lines.



Aunt Dora Baggins
Elvenhome


Sep 25 2022, 1:46am


Views: 29249
Even in the book
I never found Celeborn to interesting enough to believe thay he would attract Galadriel. I'm hoping to see an on screen character that I could plug into my mental image, like I did with movie Boromir.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GNU Terry Pratchett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"For DORA BAGGINS in memory of a LONG correspondence, with love from Bilbo; on a large wastebasket. Dora was Drogo's sister, and the eldest surviving female relative of Bilbo and Frodo; she was ninety-nine, and had written reams of good advice for more than half a century."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"A Chance Meeting at Rivendell" and other stories

leleni at hotmail dot com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Ataahua
Forum Admin / Moderator


Sep 25 2022, 2:03am


Views: 29250
Yeah, EE Celeborn and TE Celeborn have two different energies.
Maybe he was still half-asleep when the Fellowship rolled up to the flet?

(I admit that my strongest memory of the EE scene is how hairy Celeborn's arms were...) Angelic
Celebrimbor: "Pretty rings..."
Dwarves: "Pretty rings..."
Men: "Pretty rings..."
Sauron: "Mine's better."

"Ah, how ironic, the addictive qualities of Sauron’s master weapon led to its own destruction. Which just goes to show, kids - if you want two small and noble souls to succeed on a mission of dire importance... send an evil-minded beggar with them too." - Gandalf's Diaries, final par, by Ufthak.

Fantasy novel - The Arcanist's Tattoo

My LOTR fan-fiction


Starling
Gondolin


Sep 25 2022, 6:10am


Views: 29237
Lol!
Every time I see him I remember that he proposed to my flatmate. Laugh



Ataahua
Forum Admin / Moderator


Sep 25 2022, 6:16am


Views: 29230
OMG! What a claim to fame!!
I have a story about Karl Urban and what he got up to in Auckland after his Shortland Street years. Cool
Celebrimbor: "Pretty rings..."
Dwarves: "Pretty rings..."
Men: "Pretty rings..."
Sauron: "Mine's better."

"Ah, how ironic, the addictive qualities of Sauron’s master weapon led to its own destruction. Which just goes to show, kids - if you want two small and noble souls to succeed on a mission of dire importance... send an evil-minded beggar with them too." - Gandalf's Diaries, final par, by Ufthak.

Fantasy novel - The Arcanist's Tattoo

My LOTR fan-fiction


Starling
Gondolin


Sep 25 2022, 8:03am


Views: 29223
That sounds much more fun
than my 'I nearly got run over by rude and arrogant Hobbit star' story!



Altaira
Superuser

Sep 26 2022, 4:59am


Views: 29161
All right ladies
spill the beans!


Ataahua
Forum Admin / Moderator


Sep 26 2022, 8:46am


Views: 29152
Beans? What beans?
*slams pantry door shut*

There are no beans to see here...

Angelic
Celebrimbor: "Pretty rings..."
Dwarves: "Pretty rings..."
Men: "Pretty rings..."
Sauron: "Mine's better."

"Ah, how ironic, the addictive qualities of Sauron’s master weapon led to its own destruction. Which just goes to show, kids - if you want two small and noble souls to succeed on a mission of dire importance... send an evil-minded beggar with them too." - Gandalf's Diaries, final par, by Ufthak.

Fantasy novel - The Arcanist's Tattoo

My LOTR fan-fiction


Arannir
Doriath


Oct 13 2022, 9:32am


Views: 28656
Hard to answer
I voted "Meeting my expectations", however, in a lot of ways it is better than I expected because my expectations were not very high and only got better around ComicCon.

I think they need tighter scripts with better pacing as the #1 issue. I do not think the so-called plotholes are half as bad and many can be explained but the fact that they arise in the first place have a lot to do with the way the show is edited and paced in general.

I am positively impressed with the CGI and set design. I was not sure all that money would result in a good look. I thought it would be polished but "clean". It looks very "real" and down-to-earth.

I also like the way they shape many characters and am positively surprised by how they handled their original characters. Some of them are my favourites so far (Disa and Arondir, for example, also Bronwayn grew on me).


I dislike the mystery box stuff and hope they move away from that. The big mystery of a lot of this is not what or who will happen/do something/be someone but how we get there. I said it elsewhere, a bit like Titanic. We know the ship sinks... but how we get there is the engaging stuff.

Overall until the finale it is a 7.5/10 from me. The finale might have a huge impact on the score.


"I am afraid it is only too likely to be true what you say about the critics and the public. I am dreading the publication for it will be impossible not to mind what is said. I have exposed my heart to be shot at." J.R.R. Tolkien

We all have our hearts and minds one way or another invested in these books and movies. So we all mind and should show the necessary respect.



Celandine Brandybuck
Lindon


Oct 26 2022, 12:35am


Views: 28148
A little more hastiness needed
Quote
I know he was instructed to act as if speaking and being in the moment was difficult for a creature as long-lived and deep-thinking as he, but Marton Czokas just didn't nail it.
Hear, hear. A number of the elves in TRoP are doing that speak-so-slowly thing *coughGil-galadcough* which, I understand the reasoning, but it just does not work very well for me as a viewer. Galadriel is significantly older than Gil-galad, and she doesn't speak as slowly (most of the time). Perhaps that's intended to indicate her relative impetuousness, but it also makes it much easier to listen to her.
Et Eärello Endorenna utúlien. Sinome maruvan ar Hildinyar tenn' Ambar-metta!
[Out of the Great Sea to Middle-earth I am come. In this place will I abide, and my heirs, unto the ending of the world.]

"Happiness isn't happiness without a violin-playing goat."

(This post was edited by Celandine Brandybuck on Oct 26 2022, 12:37am)


DGHCaretaker
Nargothrond

Oct 26 2022, 1:23am


Views: 28138
Expected Vs Hoped
If I selected one, my answer to "hoped" might be much different than "expected." One can expect poor and have that expectation met, while hope is much different.


(This post was edited by DGHCaretaker on Oct 26 2022, 1:23am)


Altaira
Superuser

Oct 28 2022, 2:45am


Views: 28071
How freaking great is it to see you here!!?
!!!!********* T H A T G R E A T *********!!!!


Many hugs and hopes that you've been happy and thriving and that live has been exceptionally good to you!!

HeartHeartHeartHeart


N.E. Brigand
Gondolin


Oct 28 2022, 4:31am


Views: 28066
Very nice to see you here again!
I hope you're doing well, Cel.

Glory to the heroes.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Discuss Tolkien's life and works in the Reading Room!
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
How to find old Reading Room discussions.


swordwhale
Dor-Lomin


Oct 31 2022, 1:46am


Views: 28000
bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa haaaaaaaaaaaa
I DON'T REMEMBER HAIRY, BUUUUUUUUUUUUUT...

eh, more Dwarvish than Elvish there dude...
Goals: crazy dragon lady, mermaid (for the rest, just see my profile)

Na 'Aear, na 'Aear! Mýl 'lain nallol, I sûl ribiel a i falf 'loss reviol...
To the sea, to the sea, the white gulls are crying, the wind is blowing and the white foam is flying... (JRR Tolkien, Legolas Song of the Sea)








swordwhale
Dor-Lomin


Oct 31 2022, 1:53am


Views: 27994
thoroughly enjoying it...
I began with the books in 1978 (because when I rolled up a character and waved it at the DM, he said "play an elf." To which I replied, "Like Herbie, in Rudolph???"

"Read LOTR" he said. I have, many times since.

I'm saying RoP is about as good as I hoped. And I hoped for pretty darn good.

I love the PJ films, an it is an iconic and impressive feat. I like some RoP bits better. I feel PJ's elves were a bit too ethereal and supermodelly at times (except Legolas, fine) and I like the more down to earth Elves in RoP. Arondir is the most elvish elf that ever elfed. Nuff said.

Two observations: RoP was cut from 10 to 8 eps I hear??? yeah, don't do that again guys, I felt the missing scenes...

I can mention many series (cough*NextGen and Disco*cough) that were meh in their first years and hit the ground running in year two.
Goals: crazy dragon lady, mermaid (for the rest, just see my profile)

Na 'Aear, na 'Aear! Mýl 'lain nallol, I sûl ribiel a i falf 'loss reviol...
To the sea, to the sea, the white gulls are crying, the wind is blowing and the white foam is flying... (JRR Tolkien, Legolas Song of the Sea)








Finding Frodo
Dor-Lomin


Oct 31 2022, 2:22am


Views: 27994
Enjoyed it, and looking forward to next season!
I didn’t love everything, but I do appreciate it, and some moments were really magical!
Where's Frodo?


Ethel Duath
Gondolin


Oct 31 2022, 4:46pm


Views: 27965
Ahhh!! Did
the other party say yes? Did they, did they, Precious? We mussssst know . . .


Starling
Gondolin


Nov 2 2022, 5:47am


Views: 27910
Good Lord no
She barely knew him.
He was pretty keen on her though!



Ethel Duath
Gondolin


Nov 2 2022, 4:26pm


Views: 27883
Barely knew him?!?!
A little more "hasty" than his screen appearances would suggest! Laugh


elentari3018
Nargothrond


Mar 19 2024, 12:52am


Views: 34358
didn't watch at all and not interested at all
 
"By Elbereth and Luthien the fair, you shall have neither the Ring nor me!" ~Frodo

"And then Gandalf arose and bid all men rise, and they rose, and he said: 'Here is a last hail ere the feast endeth. Last but not least. For I name now those who shall not be forgotten and without whose valour nought else that was done would have availed; and I name before you all Frodo of the Shire and Samwise his servant. And the bards and the minstrels should give them new names: Bronwe athan Harthad and Harthad Uluithiad , Endurance beyond Hope and Hope Unquenchable.." ~Gandalf, The End of the Third Age , from The History of Middle Earth series

"He knew now why Beregond spoke his name with love. He was a captain that men would follow, that he would follow, even under the shadow of the black wings."- Siege of Gondor, RotK


Ioreth
Ossiriand

Nov 15 2025, 9:09pm


Views: 16480
no idea
have stayed away from that since the first frames and info I gathered.

I understand that they had a tricky situation, not being allowed to use anything else than published in the indexes - but I could not stand even the rumours of some of the invented stuff - since so CLEARLY disagreeing even with what WAS published in the indexes ...