RotK spoilers below if you havent read the books.
I just took a second look at the RotK preview on Disk 2 of the Two Towers DVD, and noticed a really odd scene.
At about 00:10:52, there’s a scene where Theoden is speaking to Eowyn, “I would not have you grieve for those who’s time has come”. While he’s talking, we cut to a battlefield scene.
We see Eowyn in armor and helm, apparently holding Merry, who is in pain or grief. She’s looking ahead at something with a pained (?) expression of some sort. She appears to be on horseback (supporting Merry from falling off), if that’s a mane I see at the lower right. In the background are a group soldiers all facing away and milling about. Also in the background is Gandalf, also facing the other way.
I would have guessed this scene was right before the Witch King buys it, and Eowyn is looking at him now (Merry being stricken with fear or some non-related injury) except:
-
The soldiers and Gandalf are milling about and appear unconcerned with whatever Eowyn is staring at, considering the WK would be there. It’s hard to ignore a big guy riding a dragon. Not to mention Theoden laying there dying.
-
Gandalf shouldn’t be there. In the book he’s preoccupied upstairs saving Farimir ass. (Of course, the movies have parted from the book just little sometimes.
)
However, what else could this scene be than some event on the fields of Pellenor? Eowyn is wearing her helm, so she’s “in cognito” and Merry is with her in Rohan armor. The only time this was the case was after Gandalf had taken Pippin to Minas Tirith, so Gandalg shouldn’t even be around until the army of Rohan shows up and there’s a montrous battle. If they just tossed the whole Farimir subplot (though we’d still need Denethor offed somehow), then perhaps Gandalf could be in the big battle, so this could still be part of the Witch King scene.
And if it’s not that scene, why is everyone milling about and Merry is hurt and somehow Eowyn is not? This makes it obviously before the WK shows up, since we’d already been shown Eomer grieving over what appears to be Eowyn in the new trailer, and at the very least Eowyn would have her helm off afterwards.
no I don’t overanalyze these things a bit.