# Amazon Lord of the Rings series; The Rings of Power **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** middle-earth, amazon-prime, tv-shows-scripted\ **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:** 9
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2022, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/161 "2022-07-20T02:04:42Z")
The Second Age is quite clear. When the very first teaser appeared in the form of a map including Númenor, that was obvious. The image of the Two Trees is almost certainly by way of a flashback We have been told that the timeline is, with the Estate’s permission, going to be compressed so that actors playing Men don’t have to be constantly replaced as generations follow one another. The first full trailer makes a good deal of what appears to be a meteor. It has been suggested that this is Sauron (as “Annatar”) making a dramatic entrance (we know it’s actually a re-entrance) to Middle Earth, and I’m inclined to agree. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2022, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/162 "2022-07-20T02:28:50Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > However, the trailer also implied that one of the plot points is an attempt to bring the world back into darkness, which seems out of place for the Second Age. Ya lost me, sorry. Isn’t the Second Age when Sauron returns to Middle-Earth and makes all the Rings and destroys Eregion and the Numenoreans fight him and there’s the downfall of Numenor and the Last Alliance? How was that not a sustained “attempt to bring the world back into darkness”? (Presumably) metaphorical, as you note, but still [pretty dark darkness.](http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/The_Darkness) ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2022, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/163 "2022-07-20T03:07:17Z")
> [@promo](#): > > the greatest villain that ever flowed from Tolkien’s pen This is the part that bothers me. Wasn’t Morgoth the greatest villain that ever flowed from Tolkien’s pen? He was the originator of all the evil in the world. Compared to him, Sauron is a jumped-up wannabe. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2022, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/164 "2022-07-20T14:19:29Z")
Depends how you define “great”. If it’s just “the most powerful” then sure it’s Morgoth, but if it’s “the best villain character” then it’s Sauron. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2022, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/165 "2022-07-20T15:10:33Z")
Well, I might argue with that too, but at least it is arguable. ---
**Author:** ![GreysonCarlisle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a87d85/32.png) [@GreysonCarlisle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreysonCarlisle)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2022, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/166 "2022-07-22T22:41:32Z")
A new trailer, I think: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/uYnQDsaxHZU/maxresdefault.jpg "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power - SDCC Trailer") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYnQDsaxHZU) ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2022, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/167 "2022-07-22T22:46:03Z")
Yep. Sauron is named and a Balrog showed up at the end. I guess they are really going for things people are familiar with. ---
**Author:** ![GreysonCarlisle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a87d85/32.png) [@GreysonCarlisle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreysonCarlisle)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2022, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/168 "2022-07-22T22:47:06Z")
An Ent, too, maybe. At 2:42-ish. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2022, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/169 "2022-07-22T23:20:19Z")
The Balrog was a surprise. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2022, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/170 "2022-07-23T00:40:12Z")
A question for you Tolkien-ians: in the LotR movies, Viggo Mortensen pronounces ‘Mordor’ with very guttural Rs, which seems to be different from the way Tolkien said it, so is that a thing Mortensen made up? I hear someone in the first trailer for this series doing it, maybe Galadriel. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2022, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/171 "2022-07-23T15:38:08Z")
Tolkien stated than in Elvish languages, Rs are supposed to be trilled. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2022, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/172 "2022-07-24T01:04:37Z")
Same here. I did watch to the end of the first installment but that left me with no interest in the rest of it. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2022, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/173 "2022-07-27T19:59:34Z")
A cute story: [https://www.instagram.com/p/Cge2MKtrgxu/?\_\_s=gld2kn7hi3apflkkvcls](https://www.instagram.com/p/Cge2MKtrgxu/?__s=gld2kn7hi3apflkkvcls) Never a bad idea to have a Tolkien involved: > **[How Simon Tolkien helped guide 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power'](https://ew.com/tv/lord-of-the-rings-the-rings-of-power-simon-tolkien-series-consultant/?__s=gld2kn7hi3apflkkvcls)** > > 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' showrunners say working with Simon Tolkien has been 'the experience of a lifetime.' ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2022, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/174 "2022-08-19T19:42:11Z")
The entire soundtrack is up on Amazon Music. I think other music places as well. Sounds really good. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2022, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/175 "2022-08-19T23:24:41Z")
By the way, the Howard Shore track is the least interesting track on the soundtrack. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2022, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/176 "2022-08-23T17:25:42Z")
New trailer: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/x8UAUAuKNcU/maxresdefault.jpg "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power - Official Trailer | Prime Video") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8UAUAuKNcU) LOOKs good to me, some of the dialog didn’t seem quite right, but could be better in context. Brian ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2022, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/177 "2022-08-23T18:56:02Z")
It _does_ look good. Which brother was Galadriel mourning at the beginning? She had several IIRC. And who said he wasn’t the hero she was looking for? Would that have been that Beren, Elendil or someone else? ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2022, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/178 "2022-08-23T19:46:24Z")
Well, I hope there’s more to it than a mighty saga of big powerful folk. Most of the heart of LotR was the four hobbits and the Shire. They were the main reason, not for the events, but for us to care about the events. I fear Galadriel is too cold and mighty, even as a “young” elf, for us to care about all that much. I did notice a hobbit or two in there. It made me wonder if there is any evidence that hobbits existed in the Second Age, and if they did, how much they had to do with these goings-on. > [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Which brother was Galadriel mourning at the beginning? Finrod, I think I’ve read somewhere. Also the best known among them. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2022, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/179 "2022-08-23T19:51:07Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > I did notice a hobbit or two in there. It made me wonder if there is any evidence that hobbits existed in the Second Age, and if they did, how much they had to do with these goings-on. Hobbits in the Second Age are completely an invention of the series writers, which may be why they’re calling them “harfoots” instead of hobbits. In the preface to LOTR Tolkien says that there are no records of hobbits in any histories before the Third Age. ETA: and this is the kind of thing that makes me nervous; that the writers are just taking some individual names and some plot points and fabricating a Second Age story out of whole cloth. I hope I’m wrong. ---
**Author:** ![cieskokid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cieskokid/32/5374_2.png) [@cieskokid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cieskokid)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2022, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/180 "2022-08-23T20:12:56Z")
From what trailers I’ve seen and the MASSIVE amount of publicity Amazon’t is creating about the series’s diversity/inclusion etc., I get an impression of a social agenda more than a well-crafted set of tales from the 1st and 2nd Ages; I’m all in favor of inclusion and accepting all people for how they wish 2b defined and viewed by others but this series as that sort platform may not be the most effective choice. Perhaps because the showrunners only have rights to the appendices at the end of "The Return of The King’’ and not "The Silmarillion’’ or "The Book of Lost Tales’’ one shouldn’t expect too much from this show; what I’ve seen so far has totally failed to impress me as true to the spirit of Tolkien’s legendarium. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497.md?page=10)