# Amazon Lord of the Rings series; The Rings of Power **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted, middle-earth, amazon-prime\ **Created:** [March 3, 2019, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497 "2019-03-03T20:01:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 77
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2022, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/1523 "2022-11-01T11:09:43Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > In other words, the show got great ratings and the studio is happy with the product. The show hasn’t got “great” ratings and we don’t know how happy Amazon are with the product. It is entirely possible that they are very happy with the way it was marketed. Or not, and an upward shift gets this person out of the way without making a visible implied criticism of the show. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2022, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/1524 "2022-11-01T11:10:40Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > The show hasn’t got “great” ratings and we don’t know how happy Amazon are with the product. The ratings were great enough and they’re happy enough with the product that they put the marketing consultant in charge of all their marketing. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2022, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/1525 "2022-11-01T11:11:26Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > The ratings were great enough and they’re happy enough with the product that they put the marketing consultant in charge of all their marketing. You are welcome to that assertion. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2022, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/1526 "2022-11-01T11:14:36Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > You are welcome to that assertion. And you’re welcome to assert that they secretly hate the show so much that they fired the people in charge but decided not to tell anyone so nobody would know how much they hate it (except for some guy who told some other guy about it who talked about it on a podcast nobody listens to) and then put the person in charge of getting people to watch the show in charge of getting people to watch _all_ of their shows so that nobody would know how bad they are at getting people to watch shows. Now where’s that razor I left on the counter just a minute ago? ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2022, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/1527 "2022-11-01T11:23:22Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > And you’re welcome to assert that they secretly hate the show so much that they fired the people in charge but decided not to tell anyone so nobody would know how much they hate it I never said anything about “hate” just that it probably isn’t as good as Amazon expected. I certainly think it is poor but I don’t hate it. The only thing I “asserted” was that an industry insider was reported as suggesting Amazon weren’t happy (nothing about “hate”) and were thinking of sidelining the showrunners (not “firing”) and some other retooling. And that is all true. That is the rumour as reported and I have no idea if it is true or not. > [@Smapti](#): > > then put the person in charge of getting people to watch the show in charge of getting people to watch _all_ of their shows so that nobody would know how bad they are at getting people to watch shows. If a marketing head is good enough at their job to get people watching a sub-standard show then that’s _exactly_ who I want heading that department. I see no contradiction in it being a poor show _and_ the marketing head doing a great job. Marketing has _nothing_ to do with how good a show is. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2022, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/1528 "2022-11-01T11:46:33Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > Marketing has _nothing_ to do with how good a show is. And few are claiming that the show is a strike out failure. About as few as those who are claiming it is an amazingly out of the park home run. Marketing is eyes through the door ep one, how many gave the product a chance. Show success is how many stayed to the last two and how many rate it 9 or 10 out of 10, IOW as a must have product. (You know those consumer satisfaction surveys? The metric is usually percent that are 5/5, ranked by percentile.). Amazon is more than sophisticated enough to parse the two apart. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2022, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/1529 "2022-11-01T11:50:32Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Marketing is eyes through the door ep one, how many gave the product a chance. Show success is how many stayed to the last two and how many rate it 9 or 10 out of 10, IOW as a must have product. (You know those consumer satisfaction surveys? The metric is usually percent that are 5/5, ranked by percentile.). > > Amazon is more than sophisticated enough to parse the two apart. Yes, I agree entirely. Marketing success is a very different beast to show success. Did you think I was saying something different? Smapti is the one conflating marketing success with show success. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2022, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/1530 "2022-11-01T12:46:17Z")
I was agreeing. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2022, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/1531 "2022-11-01T12:50:35Z")
No problem ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2022, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/1532 "2022-11-01T15:17:47Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > I remain sure that Amazon has better numbers. I do not believe they will share them and do not read anything into that as I do not think they generally do. They do not. Neilsen is the only numbers we have for “The Boys” viewership, for example. So I anticipate the same for ROP. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2022, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/1533 "2022-11-03T10:58:47Z")
Tom Bombadil is called _Iarwain Ben-adar_ by the Elves. I was so happy when I realized that Adar’s name of course means “Father” based on this and it’s not just what the Uruks call him. Then I was embarrassed when it occurred to me how obvious this was-I’m clearly no linguist-and they even explained it for everyone onscreen. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2022, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/1534 "2022-11-07T08:08:45Z")
For some reason I feel compelled to pat you on the head and give you a sugar cube. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2022, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/1535 "2022-11-07T14:48:13Z")
Taking a sugar cube from Tom Bombadil is probably fine. Taking one from Tim Benzedrine might have unexpected consequences. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2022, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/1536 "2022-11-07T18:34:23Z")
Eh, it’s gonna be a long week. I’ll take the fun where it’s offered, Benzedrine or no. Sugar cube it is! ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2022, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/1537 "2022-11-07T19:30:37Z")
I just watched the finale, so I’m glad to see that this thread is still alive so i can jump in with pedantic trivia. 🙂 I was happy to see many references to original JRRT dialog, even in new context (like Hilbrand’s “gift”) and his tempting of Galadriel with "stronger than the foundations of the earth, etc) Another example, though: the 3 Fates wanted the Stranger to go east, “where the stars are strange”. That’s not how astronomy works. 🙂 The line was originally spoken by Aragorn when he described his travels: he went _south_, where the stars are strange – in other words, he went south of the equator where they view a whole different set of constellations (e.g., The Southern Cross). Going east-west doesn’t change one’s view of the stars. Speaking of directions, IMHO “Rhûn” is a direction, not a country. Farad, Harad, Rhûn and Dûn are just the Sindarin words for North, South, East, West respectively. “Haradrim”–people of South, Southrons. “Dunedain” = “man of the West”. ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2022, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/1538 "2022-11-07T19:48:23Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > Another example, though: the 3 Fates wanted the Stranger to go east, “where the stars are strange”. That’s not how astronomy works. I think that at this point in the Second Age, Arda is still flat, so the stars would look the same no matter where you were. Of course, that’s assuming (1) astronomy works the same way in Middle Earth than it does with us, now, and (2) the writers even care (I’m guessing that Tolkien, as much as he was dedicated to his world-building, probably didn’t sweat the details of astronomy very much). ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2022, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/1539 "2022-11-07T20:06:58Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > Another example, though: the 3 Fates wanted the Stranger to go east, “where the stars are strange”. That’s not how astronomy works. 🙂 The line was originally spoken by Aragorn when he described his travels: he went _south_, where the stars are strange – in other words, he went south of the equator where they view a whole different set of constellations (e.g., The Southern Cross). Going east-west doesn’t change one’s view of the stars. But doesn’t the sun (and moon) revolve around ME, not the other way around? If the sun revolves around a stationary, spherical earth, then the stars would change as you moved east or west. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2022, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/1540 "2022-11-07T20:23:12Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > That’s not how astronomy works. The evening star is literally some guy on a flying ship with a glowy rock on his forehead. Your argument is invalid. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2022, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/1541 "2022-11-08T03:34:50Z")
I’m with @MrDibble on this. Astronomy in middle earth has different rules from our astronomy. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2022, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/1542 "2022-11-08T03:47:32Z")
Didn’t he nuke himself on Ancalagon the Black to end the War of Wrath? (I forget) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497.md?page=76) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497.md?page=78)