The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Amazon Prime)

[Covert Rain]

I’m a writer as well, and classically trained in Creative Writing, and yes, there are a few minor issues with it, but I heavily disagree that it’s making the show terrible.

THIS. Also, I might not be an entertainment writer but I have spent decades writing policy, procedure and regulatory documentation. I work in IT now. My brain by default is logical.

Drives my wife nuts because I break down scenes in almost everything we watch. Sometimes I have to just tell myself it’s popcorn or I would blast everything.

P.S. I did write a screenplay with my brother in law that made it to a producer once. Not that I would brag about that since it never went further. LOL.

 

[Chaplin]

Whoa, I didn't say the show. I've loved the show. I said this last episode, specifically. Otherwise it's been nails.

You’ve been complaining about the show every week ad nauseum. Not DevilMayCare level, but still negative nonetheless.

 

[Devilmaycare]

Um what? Are you actually watching this show? After what you said before? That’s actually hilarious.

And pretty sure there aren’t 4 levels of horses in that ship.

The ship doesn't have room for any horses in reality unless it's a TARDIS.

And yes, I've been watching because I'm baffled at how they can spend so much on a show but only budget $10 for the writers. This is completely amateur hour. It's like watching a car wreck or the Cardinals.

 

[Chaplin]

The ship doesn't have room for any horses in reality unless it's a TARDIS.

And yes, I've been watching because I'm baffled at how they can spend so much on a show but only budget $10 for the writers. This is completely amateur hour. It's like watching a car wreck or the Cardinals.

Then why are you watching?

 

[Covert Rain]

The ship doesn't have room for any horses in reality unless it's a TARDIS.

And yes, I've been watching because I'm baffled at how they can spend so much on a show but only budget $10 for the writers. This is completely amateur hour. It's like watching a car wreck or the Cardinals.

Hilariously over exaggerated just like the picture you posted. You would have more credibility if you showed one ounce of objectivity but you threw that out the door based on things that turned out to be false BEFORE the show.

Every sitcom in the history of sitcoms doesn’t have realistic “space”. Wut?!?!

 

[Stout]

You’ve been complaining about the show every week ad nauseum. Not DevilMayCare level, but still negative nonetheless.

WTF are you talking about? You are barking up the wrong tree on this one, bub. I've loved the show.

 

[Devilmaycare]

Hilariously over exaggerated just like the picture you posted. You would have more credibility if you showed one ounce of objectivity but you threw that out the door based on things that turned out to be false BEFORE the show.

Going into the show I was expecting bad writing because of who the show runners are, check I was right. The other thing I was expecting was for them to screw up the lore, check again. It wasn't false, I had a good read on the show from all of the promotional material, cast interviews, and other material that was released.

This is going to have a TLJ effect to it where a lot of people that initially liked it aren't going to once they reflect on it once the first run adrenalin wears off and it's looked at more objectively.

 

[Stout]

You’ve been complaining about the show every week ad nauseum. Not DevilMayCare level, but still negative nonetheless.

Yeah, I'll leave these here, the entirety of my posts on this show. I bagged the Two Towers, but, until this week, I had one quibble with the writing that I said wasn't a big deal because of how awesome the show was.

You're thinking of someone else, at best. I'll await your apology, @Chaplin

Call me old, but what does this mean and what does it have to do with this being awful?

Well, since it would be impossible for "many, many people online" to track something that hasn't been released yet, I can't give that much credence. As far as Youtube upvotes/downvotes, I mean, who really gives AF?

Not sure about the lore in the series at this point. We'll see.

Yeah, I absolutely loathed Two Towers because Jackson didn't just stray from the book, but whizzed all over it, but I feel the same.

Eh, there's toxic fandom and there's eye rolling and ignoring. I feel Disney is crushing Star Wars and don't care at all to view any of their content now. I don't go crazy about it online or gnash my teeth, though. If asked, or if a thread pops up, I'll chime in with an opinion. I can also think it's dumb to saturate the market with it, without being toxic about my opinion. There's a middle ground between toxic fandom and wanting tons of new content.

Edited to add that I agree with your last sentence.

Reading reviews at this point is just dumb, if for no other reason than massive spoiler problems. Watch it and form your own opinions on it, or don't watch it.

In other words, don't listen to a bunch of naysayers that can have no idea what they're talking about because they haven't seen what they're commenting on? lol I could see complaints if the trailers showed awful things, but they didn't.

On the source material, you must have loathed The Two Towers.

Man, this show is utterly fantastic. I love hearing the names and going, "Where do I know that from?" and then having the "aha" moment, like...

Spoiler

Elendil, Elendil, he's who again? Oh, Isuldur's father!

The only real quibble I have is a bit of bad writing, put in just because the writers "needed" someone to be somewhere. Still, with the show being this good, I can easily ignore it.

Spoiler

There's absolutely zero reason for Galadriel to sail all the way back and then moronically dive into the water. I actively rooted for her to die from sheer stupidity. Like, the plan is to swim all the way back to Middle Earth or--hey, what a lucky rescue! The only reason she even got on that ship and sailed all that way is because the writers needed her there. Bad writing.

 

[Covert Rain]

Going into the show I was expecting bad writing because of who the show runners are, check I was right. The other thing I was expecting was for them to screw up the lore, check again. It wasn't false, I had a good read on the show from all of the promotional material, cast interviews, and other material that was released.

This is going to have a TLJ effect to it where a lot of people that initially liked it aren't going to once they reflect on it once the first run adrenalin wears off and it's looked at more objectively.

You also said the show was going to be cheap based on a still photo BEFORE production was completed. Started complaining about canon issues with no proof BEFORE the show came out and when we asked you to be specific or post a source there was nothing specific that turned out to be true either. None of that was true. This has adaptation like changes that are nothing more severe than the movies.

So far, not one major change has been made that completely breaks canon with the movies. The movies made more changes?!?!?

Nothing you have posted has been objective since BEFORE the show started. You were already ripping it based on conjecture which is the polar opposite of objective. Now you are watching for some strange reason waiting for new reasons to pounce because your reasoning before the show started fell apart.

 

[Chaplin]

Wow Stout you must be really upset. Sorry dude.

 

[Stout]

Wow Stout you must be really upset. Sorry dude.

No, I was just wondering where you were coming from lol It's all good

 

[carrrnuttt]

You also said the show was going to be cheap based on a still photo BEFORE production was completed. Started complaining about canon issues with no proof BEFORE the show came out and when we asked you to be specific or post a source there was nothing specific that turned out to be true either. None of that was true. This has adaptation like changes that are nothing more severe than the movies.

So far, not one major change has been made that completely breaks canon with the movies. The movies made more changes?!?!?

Nothing you have posted has been objective since BEFORE the show started. You were already ripping it based on conjecture which is the polar opposite of objective. Now you are watching for some strange reason waiting for new reasons to pounce because your reasoning before the show started fell apart.

Not to mention any Tolkien-head on social media or YouTube that has somehow praised this show at any level has somehow been "bought" by the show,

It's ridiculous on a moon-landing conspiracy level.

 

[Covert Rain]

Not to mention any Tolkien-head on social media or YouTube that has somehow praised this show at any level has somehow been "bought" by the show,

It's ridiculous on a moon-landing conspiracy level.

I actually read some of that on another forum. This guy was claiming all the critics and people on that forum were bought.

 

[Devilmaycare]

You also said the show was going to be cheap based on a still photo BEFORE production was completed. Started complaining about canon issues with no proof BEFORE the show came out and when we asked you to be specific or post a source there was nothing specific that turned out to be true either. None of that was true. This has adaptation like changes that are nothing more severe than the movies.

So far, not one major change has been made that completely breaks canon with the movies. The movies made more changes?!?!?

Nothing you have posted has been objective since BEFORE the show started. You were already ripping it based on conjecture which is the polar opposite of objective. Now you are watching for some strange reason waiting for new reasons to pounce because your reasoning before the show started fell apart.

From the stills it showed they they cut corners on some of the armor, that's what that reaction was to. A bunch of the armor does look cheap. In the last episode there were shots of the "scale mail" moving with the wind. And if you go back to that complaint it was clearly a t-shirt printing to look like scale mail that was the complaint or really it was more of a question of where they were spending the money if the promotional photos had that in it.

The show is breaking canon left and right and in worse ways than the movies. And for the record, I had some major issues with the movies for it too. Especially the Two Towers. For the "we asked you" the way it was said back then came off as a demand that I fill you in on all of the lore so I ignored it. Plain and simple.

 

[Devilmaycare]

BTW, I'm not alone in my opinions here on this board. I've had multiple user DM in support but they don't want to get into it here because of the P&R type attitudes. So of you guys are great at shutting things down which is why I don't jump in often either.

 

[Chaplin]

BTW, I'm not alone in my opinions here on this board. I've had multiple user DM in support but they don't want to get into it here because of the P&R type attitudes. So of you guys are great at shutting things down which is why I don't jump in often either.

Yeah we’re the bad guys. Sounds like some people forget this is a MESSAGE BOARD.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Wait, what? WHAT? I'm shocked that people loved that last episode. There was some "you should be fired and we should get a new writer's room" writing in that episode. I must go to spoiler land.

Spoiler

One elf is able to take down an entire tower while locking them all in with a bow and arrows? Okay, dumb, but not as dumb as "this village is highly defensible!" and "we'll make the tavern our fortress." Like, burn the effing tavern down, then scour the remains for the magical sword that can't be destroyed. But oh, that would mean the bad guys aren't lurking during the daylight, which they shouldn't have been stupid enough to do, so that the oh so perfectly timed, dawn-chasing cavalry can show up to save the day! Wow, they knew exactly where to go, too, and raced right there! Wild, that. That's not even getting into the whole none of those characters would live problems. Such bad, horrible writing. Sorry, they should all be dead, and I was rooting for them to die from sheer stupidity.

I mean, that was some seriously hack stuff, and I was expecting a bunch of posters to be just destroying this episode on here.

Don’t care.

 

[Covert Rain]

From the stills it showed they they cut corners on some of the armor, that's what that reaction was to. A bunch of the armor does look cheap. In the last episode there were shots of the "scale mail" moving with the wind. And if you go back to that complaint it was clearly a t-shirt printing to look like scale mail that was the complaint or really it was more of a question of where they were spending the money if the promotional photos had that in it.

The show is breaking canon left and right and in worse ways than the movies. And for the record, I had some major issues with the movies for it too. Especially the Two Towers. For the "we asked you" the way it was said back then came off as a demand that I fill you in on all of the lore so I ignored it. Plain and simple.

Which we addressed (including people in the industry here) and that made no sense. Again, a bunch of people (including you) on the internet jumped all over a still photo to justify blasting the show before it aired. Stills on any show can be deceiving until you actually see it on screen. Which by the way was proven because none of that looked "cheap" onscreen as the episode rolled. You and many on that Tweet assumed that meant the production was going to be cheap and justified that as why this show shouldn't happen.

You keep using that word canon incorrectly. The movies are an adaptation that established its own canon. Fans of the books like myself and you can fairly take issue with some of the changes (I had some minor complaints). However, THIS adaptation is faithful to the movies so why would you expect it to be any different? This is directly tied to the movie adaptations. It doesn't break canon with the movies. It's no different than the Bond Films, Harry Potter films, or the Jack Ryan series for example establishing their own canon that varies from the books. Everything so far has been very minor. NOTHING destroys canon so far.

BTW, I'm not alone in my opinions here on this board. I've had multiple user DM in support but they don't want to get into it here because of the P&R type attitudes. So of you guys are great at shutting things down which is why I don't jump in often either.

And? The loudest voices in the rooms are always the people complaining. It's always been that way. The show is getting fantastic ratings. The show is a massive hit. The average person isn't watching this show. Fans of the Lord of the Rings are mostly watching this show.

The other part of your post is weak sauce. Not one person in here has shut anybody down for not liking the show. Nobody said everyone has to like this show. People are taking issue with those that blasted the show for stuff that wasn't true, forming opinions before it aired and coming here just to complain about a show strangely, they claim to hate but are still watching.....then posting just to complain.

If some of you were even remotely objective? I don't think anybody would care but you haters made up your mind with b.s. before the show aired and now look like you are pouncing on every little thing, claiming to hate the show but keep watching. Look at show threads like the Walking Dead. People debate on there all the time episode they like, don't like, etc. That's not what happened on this thread. Who goes out of their way to pounce on a show they don't like but are still watching?!?! Give me a break.

 

[Adrian]

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

 

[Covert Rain]

Some interesting stuff from an interview. Head of Amazon studios, Jennifer Salke confirms they are still actively working with the Tolkien Estate and more specifically Tolkien's grandson Simon Tolkien to ensure adherence to the estate's requests and to collaborate on story. She also confirmed the show is already committed for 5 seasons. Sidenote, she was given the task of bringing this to screen as her first assignment with Amazon Studios (coming over from NBC). She is also charged with integrating MGM. Back to ROP, she said Production is already underway for Season 2. Season one had drawn almost 100 million viewers. Since she took over she has doubled the size of Amazon studios production.

 

[MadCardDisease]

I thought it was a great episode. Epic scale for a TV show.

 

[Covert Rain]

Only Squid Games and Stranger Things Season 4 has higher total streaming hours (SG-1.7 billion, STS4 - 1.4 billion) then Rings of Power (1.3 billion). To say this is a massive hit is an understatement. To put that into perspective GOT:House of Dragon has pulled in 781 million streaming hours during this same time frame.

 

[Covert Rain]

How did Amazon get the rights? More detail has come to light.

Evidently it was not just a money thing because Netflix offered more than Amazon. The Tolkien Estate had issues with the other pitches. Evidently, HBO wanted to remake the Peter Jackson movies essentially making a more detailed version of those stories covering the same ground. Netflix on the other hand was pitching several shows around a Gandolf series and an Aragon series involving the Russo brothers. Those pitches didn't go over well with the Estate because it likely meant embellishing events that were well detailed in the books to make those into a series. Essentially, their pitches were playing with well-established events.

Amazon was convinced by JJ Abrams to let Payne and McKay make a pitch for the show. Ultimately, Amazon was so impressed with their pitch they next pitched to the Tolkien Estate. They ended up choosing Amazon not only because of the impressive pitch by Payne and McKay but because they pledged to work closely with the Estate throughout and give them a creative seat at the table. In addition, the pitch was met with better reception because theirs was around uncharted territory since that age is basically only notes around what happened during this time frame. By creating stories here it left it more wide open without treading on the detailed events from the books and yet gave it room to tell new stories.

Another debunked theory by the haters it was all about money and the Estate doesn't care. If it was about only money, Netlix would have won the rights and the Russo brothers are two of the hottest show runners in the business right now.

 

[carrrnuttt]

How did Amazon get the rights? More detail has come to light.

Evidently it was not just a money thing because Netflix offered more than Amazon. The Tolkien Estate had issues with the other pitches. Evidently, HBO wanted to remake the Peter Jackson movies essentially making a more detailed stories covering the same ground. Netflix on the other hand was pitching several shows around a Gandolf series and an Aragon series involving the Russo brothers. Those pitches didn't go over well with the Estate because it likely meant embellishing events that were well detailed in the books to make those into a series. Essentially, their pitches were playing with well-established events.

Amazon was convinced by JJ Abrams to let Payne and McKay make a pitch for the show. Ultimately, Amazon was so impressed with their pitch they next pitched to the Tolkien Estate. They ended up choosing Amazon not only because of the impressive pitch by Payne and McKay but because they pledged to work closely with the Estate throughout and give them a creative seat at the table. In addition, the pitch was met with better reception because theirs was around uncharted territory since that age is basically only notes around what happened during this time frame. By creating stories here it left it more wide open without treading on the detailed events from the books and yet gave it room to tell new stories.

Another debunked theory by the haters it was all about money and the Estate doesn't care. If it was about only money, Netlix would have won the rights and the Russo brothers are two of the hottest show runners in the business right now.

But you know...them as fans care more about this property than Tolkien's family and estate.

 

[ajcardfan]

I have caught up on the episodes and I am really enjoying it. I am so glad the series was made. I love Middle Earth.

The one thing that I am having a hard time with are the names. Six episodes in and I don't know a lot of them. But, the names don't really matter unless I was to have a conversation about the show.