Something that annoys me is Radagast's timing

A

AshNazg

Grey Havens
I've been thinking about the scene where Radagast shows up and meets the company as it's always really annoyed me. How does he know where to find Gandalf and why does he go to see Gandalf of all people? After much thinking I devised my own version of the film which I hope you agree is much better.

I like how Radagast is introduced in (a possible) flashback to Mirkwood after Bilbo asks about other wizards. So that's fine leave as is.

After the trolls Gandalf introduces Brett Mckenzie who in my version is playing Glorfindel. Glorfindel explains to the company that wargs were spotter nearby, the chase sequence follows and Glorfindel leads the dwarves to Rivendell as the only place to get away from orcs, explaining its protection. (and explaining the horses in FotR to movieverse fans)

Now we meet Radagast IN RIVENDELL - this to me makes much more sense. In PJ's version Saruman has called the council together for no apparent reason. Here Radagast has called it together because of his findings in Dol Guldur. Not only does it make more sense but it improves the White Council scene as Radagast's involvement adds lightheartedness and comedy to what is an otherwise serious and rather dull scene.

I can't really get my head around why it isn't played out this way. It seems to work much better and surely PJ considered it? Is there something I'm missing that means that this doesn't work?
 
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It's possible Radagast goes to see Gandalf because the two of them have the closest connection of all the Wizards.

I thought Saruman called the Council because he became aware of Gandalf's "schemes" with the Company and wanted answers as to his motivations?

Saruman: Tell me, Gandalf, did you think these plans and schemes of yours would go unnoticed?
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There's nothing to indicate to Saruman that anything is happening up to that point, unless something gets explained regarding Thrain in Dol Guldur, but I don't think that's very likely.

Radagast may well be the closest to Gandalf, but Gandalf is a wandering wizard, and as such is hard to track down. Would it not make more sense to go and see someone with a house, when you know where to find them?

And Glorfindel, I think, is a perfect character to introduce, much more so than Lindir of all people! Many fans, myself included, weren't happy about his removal from FotR and to put him here is the perfect place, where he serves a similar function. In the book Gandalf explains his scouting ahead and looking behind and says "I spoke to a few friends from Rivendell, they were were worried about trolls in the area". So substituting nameless friends for Glorfindel would fit perfectly.

The book actually says "couple of friends" so it could be Elladan and Elrohir, if you prefer. But I like an excuse to reintroduce Glorfindel.
 
than Lindir. Lindir getting name recognition and lines when Glorfindel still doesn't is the biggest slap in the face snub since Galadriel refused to give a single strand of hair to her uncle Feanor.
It's possible Radagast goes to see Gandalf because the two of them have the closest connection of all the Wizards.

I thought Saruman called the Council because he became aware of Gandalf's "schemes" with the Company and wanted answers as to his motivations?

Saruman: Tell me, Gandalf, did you think these plans and schemes of yours would go unnoticed?
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
and we don't know what powers he is especially gifted in. He is a Wizard, so I will give him the benefit of the doubt and of his spy capable associations.

Gandalf seems like the PERFECT person to go to, aside from Thranduil, who has less influence among The Wise, in all likelihood. Saruman is clearly disdainful of him. No help there. Gandalf has the respect to make the concerns heard by the rest of the Wise. He is also the most likely to take them seriously and to investigate them. Radagast would know this.

I could see Radagast waiting in Rivendell. That does make sense.

I am 100% with you about Glorfindel, though. SOOOOO much more appropriate than Lindir.
I've been thinking about the scene where Radagast shows up and meets the company as it's always really annoyed me. How does he know where to find Gandalf and why does he go to see Gandalf of all people? After much thinking I devised my own version of the film which I hope you agree is much better.

I like how Radagast is introduced in (a possible) flashback to Mirkwood after Bilbo asks about other wizards. So that's fine leave as is.

After the trolls Gandalf introduces Brett Mckenzie who in my version is playing Glorfindel. Glorfindel explains to the company that wargs were spotter nearby, the chase sequence follows and Glorfindel leads the dwarves to Rivendell as the only place to get away from orcs, explaining its protection. (and explaining the horses in FotR to movieverse fans)

Now we meet Radagast IN RIVENDELL - this to me makes much more sense. In PJ's version Saruman has called the council together for no apparent reason. Here Radagast has called it together because of his findings in Dol Guldur. Not only does it make more sense but it improves the White Council scene as Radagast's involvement adds lightheartedness and comedy to what is an otherwise serious and rather dull scene.

I can't really get my head around why it isn't played out this way. It seems to work much better and surely PJ considered it? Is there something I'm missing that means that this doesn't work?
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and also that Radagast was not shown helping the dwarves when the orcs realized they were being tricked and began pursuing the dwarves instead of Radagast.

Did he just continue racing to Rhosgobel?... and why, in spite of their tracking prowess, didn't the elves notice either Radagast or any of Thorin's company?

At the least Radagast should have returned to Rivendell with Elrond, and upon arrival at Rivendell Elrond should have mentioned to Gandalf "yeah, we figured you and your company had made it to Rivendell ahead of us, since we noticed your tracks all over the place, how many are you 13?, 14? is their a half-ling among you?"

That would have been more plausible, than the narrative plot hole Mr. Jackson created with his twisting of this part of the story....
 
is that we don't know when Radagast's introduction, and subsequent disovery of evil in the forest, takes place within the film-verse. It might be a bit farfetched to place it one hundred years or more before the events of The Hobbit (when they would have actually taken place), but it makes sense to me to think of them taking a few months before he finds and meets up with Gandalf, possibly even a year or so. By this line of thinking, it could have taken Radagast a month or so to find Gandalf and the company, and still make in film sense.
 
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He talks to birds, who chatter to each other - it's crossed my mind when watching AUJ, but he's a WIZARD and not only talks with animals, he can probably divine in some way.
 
"Nothing grows there anymore," is not a statement one makes after a short observation. I have and like the notion that things had been going sour in the Greenwood for years, but has only recently reached a point where it is so bad and pervasive that Radagast cannot explain it through anything other than a powerfully malevolent force.
is that we don't know when Radagast's introduction, and subsequent disovery of evil in the forest, takes place within the film-verse. It might be a bit farfetched to place it one hundred years or more before the events of The Hobbit (when they would have actually taken place), but it makes sense to me to think of them taking a few months before he finds and meets up with Gandalf, possibly even a year or so. By this line of thinking, it could have taken Radagast a month or so to find Gandalf and the company, and still make in film sense.
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that helps too, and works in the framework of the film. It just seems like this whole Greenwood/Mirkwood development was handled rather clumsily in AUJ. And it's too bad, because this is the stuff i love most about Tolkien and his Middle-earth history, and it's just this kind of thing that the LotR films handled so well.
 
At least that is what i put it down to. If there were two films (as originally there was going to be) then more mirkwood material would be in the first film. As it is, it feels a bit jumbled up. I'm guessing more will become clear though over the next film.
 
the forest is so great that the "darkness growing" could have been growing slowly, like the dol-guldur area looked like it had been "webbed" for a long time and Radagast's area was just starting to become part of Mirkwood.
 
Hell of a shortlived kingdom, if so. [unsure]
that helps too, and works in the framework of the film. It just seems like this whole Greenwood/Mirkwood development was handled rather clumsily in AUJ. And it's too bad, because this is the stuff i love most about Tolkien and his Middle-earth history, and it's just this kind of thing that the LotR films handled so well.
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I got the impression from the distance Radagast had to travel to Dol Guldur and the particularly decayed appearance of the forest around it that that portion of the forest went on the decline first and the serious effects are only just now reaching Rhosgobel (which, someone correct me if I'm wrong, was on the western side of Mirkwood - am I right?). So it's been going on for some time, but only now has it reached the point that Radagast feels the need to seek out Gandalf and warn him.
I also imagine it took him weeks or months to find Gandalf. As for him being *able* to find Gandalf, I do not consider it unreasonable that the Istari are able to sense each other's presences and find each other.


the forest is so great that the "darkness growing" could have been growing slowly, like the dol-guldur area looked like it had been "webbed" for a long time and Radagast's area was just starting to become part of Mirkwood.
Click to expand...

 
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