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Writer's picturemikeofthepalace

The Rings of Power: Episode 1

As always when I review an adaptation, I’ll try to review it on two levels. As a thing on its own, and as an adaptation of the source material.


As a fantasy show: this was pretty awesome. Real potential for good fantasy television.


As a Tolkien adaptation: by Eru this was appallingly bad.


So let’s start with the good. Visually, this is gorgeous. I found Galadriel (when divorced from the source material) to be a super interesting character, and the overall scenario, while moderately generic and tropey, looks like it’s going to be pretty well done. If you’re not a Tolkien fan, I give this a strong recommendation as the start of what is potentially a very solid show.


As an adaptation: what the fuck.


There’s so much room for good Second Age stories. Tons of room for something completely original, or plenty of things that are only vaguely described to flesh out. I fully support that kind of thing. So why take some of the more better known aspects of all this and screw with the established canon?


Galadriel’s character and motivations are one of the central parts of the legendarium. We know exactly why she came to Middle-earth, and why she wasn’t allowed to return to Valinor even when the rest of the Elves were. Not just “chose not to;” she, specifically, was banished. It wasn’t particularly for admirable reasons; she wanted to rule her own kingdom, not be under the rule of the Valar. That was the main reason she left in the first place, and she refused to ask the Valar for pardon so she remained an exile. Frodo’s offering her the Ring was the ultimate test for her, and she passed.


All that is apparently out the window now. I’m going to give episode 2 a try, and see if I can set aside my irritation, but I’m not hopeful.


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