LOTR TV series @ Amazon

[malchior]

My first impression was that Amazon poured a ton of money in and it shows. The production is top notch. I also didn't find the first episode to be too slow for my tastes either. I'm happily surprised so far.

[Smoove_B]

Yeah, the second episode was much better in terms of storytelling. The first felt like...a giant setup, but stuff actually happens at a character level in the second one that pulls you in to the story.

Still have no idea where this is all going and comet man has me quite confused, but it all looks amazing. I thought the scenes between Elrond and Durin were really well done - their discussions. It really (for me) reinforced the canon (cliche?) that elves are aloof and can be perceived as uncaring but it's really just a function of their long lifespan. Also, I thought the look of the dwarves was *perfect* - visually their faces seemed so much more like how I always imagined them.

Also, was that Marsellus Wallace's soul in that chest?

[ydejin]

25 million viewers worldwide in the first 24 hours:

https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/lord-o ... 235359350/

[Holman]

The two things that really stood out for me were the Green Man armor on the elves - totally awesome. The second was the Hobbits. Of course mentally I'm always going to think of them from the Ralph Bakshi movies and the Peter Jackson movies. Though I guess they aren't really Hobbits? They're pre-Hobbits are something? Again, all this stuff is so far out of my wheelhouse they might as well be Wookies or Ewoks.

The show calls them "Harfoots," which is canon. Tolkien's prologue to TFotR ("Concerning Hobbits") describes three different Hobbit ethnicities, of which the Harfoots are one. He points out that they originated in the East and migrated west until they discovered and settled the Shire.

So these are Hobbits during their generations of migration.

[Carpet_pissr]

Spoiler:

I assume the way they made hay about that hairy Harfoot being hobbled is foreshadowing about their future ideas about traveling (‘hey, we have to stay here a bit to let him heal up. [6 months later] Hey this isn’t a bad place! [6 years later]Hey, I’m never leaving this awesome place!)

[hepcat]

Also, was that Marsellus Wallace's soul in that chest?

Spoiler:

[Smoove_B]

You're in rare form today!

The show calls them "Harfoots," which is canon. Tolkien's prologue to TFotR ("Concerning Hobbits") describes three different Hobbit ethnicities, of which the Harfoots are one. He points out that they originated in the East and migrated west until they discovered and settled the Shire.

So these are Hobbits during their generations of migration.

Interesting. I guess I always just assumed they were where they'd always been (in the Shire), but I was also surprised to learn that the Elves were not native to Middle Earth. I'm not sure why I thought they were. No wonder this show isn't popular with a certain group - it's filled with caravans of migrants taking over!

[Jeff V]

I tried watching the other night, I was admittedly distracted but nothing grabbed me enough to power through the distractions. I'll try again from the start when the season is done.

[hepcat]

Knowing what your watchlist is like on Prime Video from your numerous posts here on OO, are you sure you didn't watch Traci Lords of the Ring?

[Unagi]

Who knew that Tom Bombadil...

Spoiler:

rode in on a meteor.

Oh see

Spoiler:

I’m thinking that is a young Gandalf the Grey.

I feel like (they feel) that whole ‘shouting spell’ he does is Gandalf’s signature move.

[Scraper]

Who knew that Tom Bombadil...

Spoiler:

rode in on a meteor.

Oh see

Spoiler:

I’m thinking that is a young Gandalf the Grey.

I feel like (they feel) that whole ‘shouting spell’ he does is Gandalf’s signature move.

Spoiler:

I'm no LoTR historian, but I think Gandalf was several thousand years old (like 24,000) during Frodo's time with his current physical form being around 2000 years old. I could be wrong on that though.

[Unagi]

Was that said in support or refute of my position?
It sounds like support.

[Scraper]

Was that said in support or refute of my position?
It sounds like support.

I haven't seen the show, but I guess it's support if it takes place about 2000 years prior to Frodo.

[Daehawk]

Who knew that Tom Bombadil...

Spoiler:

rode in on a meteor.

Oh see

Spoiler:

I’m thinking that is a young Gandalf the Grey.

I feel like (they feel) that whole ‘shouting spell’ he does is Gandalf’s signature move.

Spoiler:

I'm no LoTR historian, but I think Gandalf was several thousand years old (like 24,000) during Frodo's time with his current physical form being around 2000 years old. I could be wrong on that though.

Been watching those clips.

Spoiler:

They kinda go out of the way to make the comet man evil seeming...dead fireflies and such. So I suspect he isn't and is still just confused. Ill go with other's speculations and say its a blue wizard.

[Unagi]

Been watching those clips.

Spoiler:

They kinda go out of the way to make the comet man evil seeming...dead fireflies and such. So I suspect he isn't and is still just confused. Ill go with other's speculations and say its a blue wizard.

Spoiler:

My recent understanding of the 'blue wizards' is that there are exactly two of them and they came as a pair (and wore blue).

Gandalf is the wizard that took any notice and consideration of the hobbits (and wore grey). It would make sense to build that backstory.

The booming voice is not unlike how Gandalf yelled at Bilbo in Fellowship of the Rings, inside his home at the Shire.
The use of insects also has some connection to something our LotR Gandalf did, as he whispered to that moth messenger to send for help.

But, I'm probably wrong.

[Max Peck]

Who knew that Tom Bombadil...

Spoiler:

rode in on a meteor.

Oh see

Spoiler:

I’m thinking that is a young Gandalf the Grey.

I feel like (they feel) that whole ‘shouting spell’ he does is Gandalf’s signature move.

Spoiler:

I'm no LoTR historian, but I think Gandalf was several thousand years old (like 24,000) during Frodo's time with his current physical form being around 2000 years old. I could be wrong on that though.

Spoiler:

As I understand it, according to the existing lore none of the Wizards (Saruman, Gandalf, Radagast and a couple others who don't actually play a role in anything published) arrived in Middle Earth until sometime in the Third Age, so it would be a flagrant violation of canon for the Stranger to be Gandalf.

[Unagi]

[Smoove_B]

Is it possible then that he spent thousands of years in this current proto-stage we're seeing him in now before finally "emerging" as the character we all know in the Third Age?

[Unagi]

Is it possible then that he spent thousands of years in this current proto-stage we're seeing him in now before finally "emerging" as the character we all know in the Third Age?

Heck yeah !

[Jaymann]

Who knew that Tom Bombadil...

Spoiler:

rode in on a meteor.

Oh see

Spoiler:

I’m thinking that is a young Gandalf the Grey.

I feel like (they feel) that whole ‘shouting spell’ he does is Gandalf’s signature move.

Spoiler:

I'm no LoTR historian, but I think Gandalf was several thousand years old (like 24,000) during Frodo's time with his current physical form being around 2000 years old. I could be wrong on that though.

Spoiler:

As I understand it, according to the existing lore none of the Wizards (Saruman, Gandalf, Radagast and a couple others who don't actually play a role in anything published) arrived in Middle Earth until sometime in the Third Age, so it would be a flagrant violation of canon for the Stranger to be Gandalf.

Hence what shall go down in the lore as The Bombadil Conjecture.

[JCC]

Just watched episode 3. Still really enjoying this.

[ydejin]

Who knew that Tom Bombadil...

Spoiler:

rode in on a meteor.

Oh see

Spoiler:

I’m thinking that is a young Gandalf the Grey.

I feel like (they feel) that whole ‘shouting spell’ he does is Gandalf’s signature move.

Spoiler:

I'm no LoTR historian, but I think Gandalf was several thousand years old (like 24,000) during Frodo's time with his current physical form being around 2000 years old. I could be wrong on that though.

Spoiler:

As I understand it, according to the existing lore none of the Wizards (Saruman, Gandalf, Radagast and a couple others who don't actually play a role in anything published) arrived in Middle Earth until sometime in the Third Age, so it would be a flagrant violation of canon for the Stranger to be Gandalf.

Spoiler:

The Blue Wizards arrived in the 2nd Age and had a considerable impact on the war on Sauron. The minus on the Blue Wizard theory is as @Unagi says there are supposed to be two of them. You can see a video about the Blue Wizards here from one of the better Tolkien YouTube channels.

[ydejin]

The sets and art design continue to amaze. I love those ships and the city was also very well done. Still enjoying the stories, and we are making some progress, which is good.

While I generally really like the cinematography, I though that

Spoiler:

the slow-mo horse riding was a bit too slow, held a bit too long, or was a bit too close in, or some combination of the three. I liked the basic idea, but it could have been done better.

[hepcat]

Was it just me, or did they make the warg a little too cute? He looked like a puppy.

[rittchard]

Was it just me, or did they make the warg a little too cute? He looked like a puppy.

I wouldn't necessarily call it cute, but for a billion dollars I'd expect slightly more "realistic" CGI

[hepcat]

It's the eyes (the prime example is the left one). It reminds me of a Chihuahua

[Daehawk]

I want one!!! Or at least a plushie.

[Carpet_pissr]

Is it possible then that he spent thousands of years in this current proto-stage we're seeing him in now before finally "emerging" as the character we all know in the Third Age?

Caveman Wizard…Lawyer.

[hepcat]

I’m not convinced it isn’t Rick Sanchez.

[Archinerd]

I kind of liked the warg because it was an unsettling mixture of cute and terrifying - and not your typical scary wolf thing we've seen a million times already.
The only thing that could make it better for me, is if they had gone full stop motion animation.

[hepcat]

I guess I’m more annoyed that they just reused old Scooby Doo audio for him.

[Isgrimnur]

Ruh ro, Rauron!

[hepcat]

Galadriel: Why, this is a mask! The pirate ghost is old man Sauron!

Sauron: And I would’ve gotten away with it too, if it weren’t for you meddling Harfoots!

[Carpet_pissr]

I’m convinced that Starman is Gandalf. He even looks like Ian McEllan! That would be an odd coincidence.

Don’t ask me to explain his gibbering moron act, or that he came from space inside a meteor, because I can’t, …but it’s freakin’ Gandalf, man.

Also he both scares and helps the hobbittses, just like G-man. And he shows up in (nomadic) Hobbiton right when things are starting to get dicey in the wider Middle Earth.

Waaaiitt a minute. Are they Force Awakening LOTR?! Just re-warming the same story with conspicuously similar themes?! (But done in a way that I still love it).

[Isgrimnur]

Somehow, Gandalf returned.

[Chraolic]

I kind of liked the warg because it was an unsettling mixture of cute and terrifying - and not your typical scary wolf thing we've seen a million times already.

I agree. It's a running theme in LOTR that even the land and animals have been corrupted by Sauron so the wargs probably were cute puppies at some point in Middle-Earth history, and it fits that Sauron wouldn't have had time to fully corrupt them by the Second Age.

[Freyland]

Ruh ro, Rauron!

I lol'd.

[Daveman]

I'm on the same page about comet-man except that...

Spoiler:

I think he's Saruman. He'd be the first wizard (I assume) and getting to see a good character we know will turn evil makes for a neat twist.

[RunningMn9]

Spoiler:

Isn’t Gandalf one of the Maiar? Aren’t they basically angels? Riding in on a meteor seems like a suitable way to descend from the “heavens”. When I saw his arrival, I didn’t even consider that it wasn’t Gandalf

[Unagi]

Spoiler:

Isn’t Gandalf one of the Maiar? Aren’t they basically angels? Riding in on a meteor seems like a suitable way to descend from the “heavens”. When I saw his arrival, I didn’t even consider that it wasn’t Gandalf

Precisely