TV: The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power - Amazon Prime Series

[The Crypto Guy]

Makes sense why they are doing it… a lot of people are angry this show is “woke” and are review bombing the show on purpose with bad reviews.

This is a massive investment for Amazon and I can’t exactly blame them for trying to stop the fake hate reviews based on some perceived political silliness.

But how much of those bad reviews are just because people didn't like it? Having nothing to do with WOKE at all? I don't like when companies try to censor their reviews.

 

[Blender]

But how much of those bad reviews are just because people didn't like it? Having nothing to do with WOKE at all? I don't like when companies try to censor their reviews.

I don't believe for a second that ~25% of people who watched the first 2 episodes hated it so much they gave it the lowest rating possible. If you also looks through reviews on those sites, a significant number of them are complaining about diversity or just saying things like "not Tolkien". It's being review bombed, likely by many people who didn't even watch it since there is no requirement to do so to rate them. Also why these rating sites are garbage and worthless.

Even if you dislike the characters and plot, the production values alone are worth at least a mediocre rating.

 

[I am not exposed]

I don't believe for a second that ~25% of people who watched the first 2 episodes hated it so much they gave it the lowest rating possible. If you also looks through reviews on those sites, a significant number of them are complaining about diversity or just saying things like "not Tolkien". It's being review bombed, likely by many people who didn't even watch it since there is no requirement to do so to rate them. Also why these rating sites are garbage and worthless.

Even if you dislike the characters and plot, the production values alone are worth at least a mediocre rating.

Actually no. If the story is gash, it doesn't matter how pretty the show looks, it can still get a very low rating.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

But how much of those bad reviews are just because people didn't like it? Having nothing to do with WOKE at all? I don't like when companies try to censor their reviews.

I don’t know, but there most definitely seems to be a ton of anger about them having *gasp* diversity.

I highly suspect some stupid shit was happening for Amazon to take this measure.

Not going to get into it much, but review bombs can be organized as a form of revenge agt movies/series people feel are going agt their politics.

And many of them don’t even watch the movie/series. They just give it a bad review.

It’s woke!! 0 stars!

I’ll assume you are an intelligent individual and leave the rest to you to figure out.

 

[Blender]

Actually no. If the story is gash, it doesn't matter how pretty the show looks, it can still get a very low rating.

If you are ranking all shows on a 1-10 scale for example, no show with high production values should ever get a 1/10. That would indicate one of the worst shows ever made, which is laughable.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

I don’t know, but there most definitely seems to be a ton of anger about them having *gasp* diversity.

I highly suspect some highly stupid shit was happening for Amazon to take this measure.

Not going to get into it much, but review bombs can be organized as a form of revenge agt movies/series people feel are going agt their politics.

And many of them don’t even watch the movie/series. They just give it a bad review.

It’s woke!! 0 stars!

I’ll assume you are an intelligent individual and leave the rest to you to figure out.

I definitely agree with everything you're saying. Like someone else said, the whole rating system is pretty much useless because of reasons like idiots who vote based on silly reasons.

 

[Phil McKraken]

They seem to have stuff beyond the Appendix, but I'm not sure how far that goes. They reference Finrod being killed by Sauron which is not stated in The Lord of the Rings, but is in the Silmarillion.

That's interesting. I haven't seen the show yet. Did they say that explicitly or did they just allude to it without saying any names?

 

[Osprey]

I don't believe for a second that ~25% of people who watched the first 2 episodes hated it so much they gave it the lowest rating possible. If you also looks through reviews on those sites, a significant number of them are complaining about diversity or just saying things like "not Tolkien". It's being review bombed, likely by many people who didn't even watch it since there is no requirement to do so to rate them. Also why these rating sites are garbage and worthless.

Even if you dislike the characters and plot, the production values alone are worth at least a mediocre rating.

It's also hard to believe that ~33% of people who watched the first 2 episodes loved them so much as to warrant the highest rating possible. This is just what a lot of people do. They give either the highest score or the lowest score in order to make it count more and inflate or deflate the average score to closer to what they think that it should be. I disagree with the practice, but that's their prerogative and they often cancel each other out, anyways. It's a relative non-issue, IMO. What I think that we should be more concerned about is that practice being used as an excuse for damage control and manipulating the scores even further. Amazon owns IMDb and removed all but 74 positive written reviews for this show. Right now, there isn't a single review with a rating less than 6/10. That's rather suspicious. When they start accepting new reviews again, will they allow every 10-star review, but look for any excuse to reject 1-star reviews under the pretext of combatting review bombing, and will they do that only for their $1B series? The third episode of She-Hulk premiered the same day as TRoP on a rival streaming service and its 49 negative reviews (out of 76 total) are still up and new reviews haven't been paused. I think that Amazon taking measures to influence the rating of its own series is a bigger concern than hyperbolic users cancelling each other out.

 

[Blender]

It's also hard to believe that ~33% of people who watched the first 2 episodes loved them so much as to warrant the highest rating possible. This is just what a lot of people do. They give either the highest score or the lowest score in order to make it count more and inflate or deflate the average score to closer to what they think that it should be. I disagree with the practice, but that's their prerogative and they often cancel each other out, anyways. It's a relative non-issue, IMO. What I think that we should be more concerned about is that practice being used as an excuse for damage control and manipulating the scores even further. Amazon owns IMDb and removed all but 74 positive written reviews for this show. Right now, there isn't a single review with a rating less than 6/10. That's rather suspicious. When they start accepting new reviews again, will they allow every 10-star review, but look for any excuse to reject 1-star reviews under the pretext of combatting review bombing, and will they do that only for their $1B series? The third episode of She-Hulk premiered the same day as TRoP on a rival streaming service and its 49 negative reviews (out of 76 total) are still up and new reviews haven't been paused. I think that Amazon taking measures to influence the rating of its own series is a bigger concern than hyperbolic users cancelling each other out.

You're really way too late to be concerned about this, rating sites have been garbage almost the entire time they have existed. I don't care that Amazon is messing with the "integrity" of user ratings because they have no integrity to begin with.

 

[SpezDispenser]

I'm upset, I tell ya. I was so looking forward to this, but if the writing is like it was in the first episode, where I was going through my agenda for the next day when they were f***ing yaking on about the stone and the boat - or the elf nerd telling her not to worry blah blah blah.

You...stink at writing. Stink. All the money in the world can't cover up a fresh layer of bullshit from writers.

I can't friggin bear to watch episode 2...but I have to. I hope it's better, but...

 

[Hint1k]

Watched both episodes. It is most certainly not the Game of thrones (which I was afraid they would try to make out of it) - empty show that based on shocking people with sex, blood and death of major characters. It sure quite popular, but it is like the fast food - people like it, but it is quite unhealthy.

Luckily for me, the show runners went the other way - an intelligent story full of interesting characters to develop throughout the 5 seasons. Do I care how many people would downvote this show? Not much, since all 5 seasons are already confirmed and are going to be released no matter what the rating will be.

And just to be finally clear. If we talk about the books, then Hobbit is for kids and LOTR is for adults. However, Silmarillion and Unfinished tales are basically require a university degree and quite extensive knowledge of European mythology to fully appreciate them.

So, no this show is not to entertain people who want to kill some time while drinking beer and chatting with friends. If you want to watch it for entertainment and you never read at least LOTR (and generally don't like reading) then you will waste your time and will be disappointed. Try something else. There is GoT prequel for you. It requires no reading or thinking, it will help you relax after the hard day of working/studying. You have been warned.

 

[Hivemind]

Was out of town this weekend when this released, so I'm catching up now... or trying to anyway. The sheer amount of things they've changed dramatically compared to the source material in the first 20 minutes of the first episode is dumb founding.

Claiming that the Elves (specifically the Noldor) sailed from the Undying Lands to chase Morgoth has some kernels of truth to it, but it certainly wasn't because he killed the trees. It was because he, after killing the trees, stole the Silmarils from Feanor's vault. This change in motivation is massive for the Noldor, who in the books committed the first act of "Kin Slaying" (killing other elves) to steal their ships (of which, Galadriel witnessed but did not take part), and their oath (The Oath of Feanor) to reclaim the Silmarils and not allow them to fall into anyone else's hands would be a source of much of the drama and contention of the first age. Moreover, Galadriel and her brother (Finrod) did not take that oath, and followed not by ship, but by crossing the Helcaraxe (an area far colder and far harsher than Forodwaith). Galadriel journeyed to Middle Earth not out of some desire for revenge, but out of her desire to see Middle Earth.

Her brother, Finrod, was indeed slain by Sauron. But Finrod never vowed any oaths against Sauron nor did he specifically seek Sauron out. And, in fact, he was killed by Sauron well before Morgoth was ever defeated (while Sauron was still just Morgoth's most trusted lieutenant). He was slain during one of the most beloved tales of Tolkein fandom, the tale of Beren and Luthien - which is specifically mentioned even in the Peter Jackson films - and is again related to both the Silmarils and the Oath of Feanor. Finrod is among those with Beren as he attempts to claim a steal a Silmaril from Morgoth in order to win the approval of Luthien's father, and when the party is discovered by Sauron, they are imprisoned and attacked by werewolves in Sauron's dungeons. Finrod saves Beren, but dies of his wounds suffered in the fight against a werewolf. Why the producers of this show felt the need to re-write Finrod's death makes no sense to me, as their desire for Galadriel's anti-Sauron motivation could still be left intact with the actual story of Finrod's death AND we know that the tale of Beren and Luthien is not off-limits because it was also alluded to in the Peter Jackson films. Why make this change?

Even the geography presented in the episode is wrong. Forodwaith is not some far far northern area that is never crossed by elves. Forodwaith is barely north of Arnor (the area where Aragorn was a ranger in while he was known as Strider and one of the kingdoms that he reunites as king), and not even that much further north than The Shire. It's about as far north as the Lonely Mountain. Galadriel spent much of the First Age in Finrod's kingdom of Nargothrond, which was further north than Forodwaith. It's certainly nowhere near as cold or harsh as the Helcaraxe, which she crossed after the Kinslaying. Why make the claim that it is some unreachable frozen wasteland far beyond where Elves typically journey when we know that to be untrue even after the destruction of Beleriand? Especially considering that Angband (or Utumno) are both further north and would make an equally valid target for their narrative purpose.

(Note - this map is not entirely canon and is attempt to show as much of Arda through all three ages as possible - much of it changes over the course of those ages as Numenor rises and sinks, Beleriand is sunk, and the Undying Lands are removed from the sphere of Arda when it is made round - but none of this changes the point I'm making)

edit - And they're changing the relationship between Galadriel and Elrond, just as I feared. Galadriel is his mother-in-law and a princess of the Noldor. Ugh.

 

[Blender]

Was out of town this weekend when this released, so I'm catching up now... or trying to anyway. The sheer amount of things they've changed dramatically compared to the source material in the first 20 minutes of the first episode is dumb founding.

Claiming that the Elves (specifically the Noldor) sailed from the Undying Lands to chase Morgoth has some kernels of truth to it, but it certainly wasn't because he killed the trees. It was because he, after killing the trees, stole the Silmarils from Feanor's vault. This change in motivation is massive for the Noldor, who in the books committed the first act of "Kin Slaying" (killing other elves) to steal their ships (of which, Galadriel witnessed but did not take part), and their oath (The Oath of Feanor) to reclaim the Silmarils and not allow them to fall into anyone else's hands would be a source of much of the drama and contention of the first age. Moreover, Galadriel and her brother (Finrod) did not take that oath, and followed not by ship, but by crossing the Helcaraxe (an area far colder and far harsher than Forodwaith). Galadriel journeyed to Middle Earth not out of some desire for revenge, but out of her desire to see Middle Earth.

Her brother, Finrod, was indeed slain by Sauron. But Finrod never vowed any oaths against Sauron nor did he specifically seek Sauron out. And, in fact, he was killed by Sauron well before Morgoth was ever defeated (while Sauron was still just Morgoth's most trusted lieutenant). He was slain during one of the most beloved tales of Tolkein fandom, the tale of Beren and Luthien - which is specifically mentioned even in the Peter Jackson films - and is again related to both the Silmarils and the Oath of Feanor. Finrod is among those with Beren as he attempts to claim a steal a Silmaril from Morgoth in order to win the approval of Luthien's father, and when the party is discovered by Sauron, they are imprisoned and attacked by werewolves in Sauron's dungeons. Finrod saves Beren, but dies of his wounds suffered in the fight against a werewolf. Why the producers of this show felt the need to re-write Finrod's death makes no sense to me, as their desire for Galadriel's anti-Sauron motivation could still be left intact with the actual story of Finrod's death AND we know that the tale of Beren and Luthien is not off-limits because it was also alluded to in the Peter Jackson films. Why make this change?

Even the geography presented in the episode is wrong. Forodwaith is not some far far northern area that is never crossed by elves. Forodwaith is barely north of Arnor (the area where Aragorn was a ranger in while he was known as Strider and one of the kingdoms that he reunites as king), and not even that much further north than The Shire. It's about as far north as the Lonely Mountain. Galadriel spent much of the First Age in Finrod's kingdom of Nargothrond, which was further north than Forodwaith. It's certainly nowhere near as cold or harsh as the Helcaraxe, which she crossed after the Kinslaying. Why make the claim that it is some unreachable frozen wasteland far beyond where Elves typically journey when we know that to be untrue even after the destruction of Beleriand? Especially considering that Angband (or Utumno) are both further north and would make an equally valid target for their narrative purpose.

(Note - this map is not entirely canon and is attempt to show as much of Arda through all three ages as possible - much of it changes over the course of those ages as Numenor rises and sinks, Beleriand is sunk, and the Undying Lands are removed from the sphere of Arda when it is made round - but none of this changes the point I'm making)

edit - And they're changing the relationship between Galadriel and Elrond, just as I feared. Galadriel is his mother-in-law and a princess of the Noldor. Ugh.

This is the map they are using for the show, which is a canon map from Tolkien's illustrated works:

The Lord of the Rings on Prime Video

Explore Middle-earth from The Lord of the Rings on Prime Video

www.amazon.com

 

[CartographerNo611]

After the first episode, all I have to ask is can the characters talk like actual people? Not even CW is this cringy with their dialogue.

 

[Hivemind]

This is the map they are using for the show, which is a canon map from Tolkien's illustrated works:

The Lord of the Rings on Prime Video

Explore Middle-earth from The Lord of the Rings on Prime Video

www.amazon.com

Tolkein's maps extend further North than that, Forodwaith is not the Northern end of Middle Earth (and that maps also shows that Lindon is barely south of Forodwaith).

Here's the one that Tolkein himself drew.

And the more detailed recreation of it based on his notes

 

[bambamcam4ever]

Was out of town this weekend when this released, so I'm catching up now... or trying to anyway. The sheer amount of things they've changed dramatically compared to the source material in the first 20 minutes of the first episode is dumb founding.

Claiming that the Elves (specifically the Noldor) sailed from the Undying Lands to chase Morgoth has some kernels of truth to it, but it certainly wasn't because he killed the trees. It was because he, after killing the trees, stole the Silmarils from Feanor's vault. This change in motivation is massive for the Noldor, who in the books committed the first act of "Kin Slaying" (killing other elves) to steal their ships (of which, Galadriel witnessed but did not take part), and their oath (The Oath of Feanor) to reclaim the Silmarils and not allow them to fall into anyone else's hands would be a source of much of the drama and contention of the first age. Moreover, Galadriel and her brother (Finrod) did not take that oath, and followed not by ship, but by crossing the Helcaraxe (an area far colder and far harsher than Forodwaith). Galadriel journeyed to Middle Earth not out of some desire for revenge, but out of her desire to see Middle Earth.

Her brother, Finrod, was indeed slain by Sauron. But Finrod never vowed any oaths against Sauron nor did he specifically seek Sauron out. And, in fact, he was killed by Sauron well before Morgoth was ever defeated (while Sauron was still just Morgoth's most trusted lieutenant). He was slain during one of the most beloved tales of Tolkein fandom, the tale of Beren and Luthien - which is specifically mentioned even in the Peter Jackson films - and is again related to both the Silmarils and the Oath of Feanor. Finrod is among those with Beren as he attempts to claim a steal a Silmaril from Morgoth in order to win the approval of Luthien's father, and when the party is discovered by Sauron, they are imprisoned and attacked by werewolves in Sauron's dungeons. Finrod saves Beren, but dies of his wounds suffered in the fight against a werewolf. Why the producers of this show felt the need to re-write Finrod's death makes no sense to me, as their desire for Galadriel's anti-Sauron motivation could still be left intact with the actual story of Finrod's death AND we know that the tale of Beren and Luthien is not off-limits because it was also alluded to in the Peter Jackson films. Why make this change?

Even the geography presented in the episode is wrong. Forodwaith is not some far far northern area that is never crossed by elves. Forodwaith is barely north of Arnor (the area where Aragorn was a ranger in while he was known as Strider and one of the kingdoms that he reunites as king), and not even that much further north than The Shire. It's about as far north as the Lonely Mountain. Galadriel spent much of the First Age in Finrod's kingdom of Nargothrond, which was further north than Forodwaith. It's certainly nowhere near as cold or harsh as the Helcaraxe, which she crossed after the Kinslaying. Why make the claim that it is some unreachable frozen wasteland far beyond where Elves typically journey when we know that to be untrue even after the destruction of Beleriand? Especially considering that Angband (or Utumno) are both further north and would make an equally valid target for their narrative purpose.

(Note - this map is not entirely canon and is attempt to show as much of Arda through all three ages as possible - much of it changes over the course of those ages as Numenor rises and sinks, Beleriand is sunk, and the Undying Lands are removed from the sphere of Arda when it is made round - but none of this changes the point I'm making)

edit - And they're changing the relationship between Galadriel and Elrond, just as I feared. Galadriel is his mother-in-law and a princess of the Noldor. Ugh.

I agree that the justification for Galadriel alone being hellbent on finding Sauron is weak, especially because pretty much all the Noldor were killed, so why would only she be upset about losing a family member?

But:
- They don't have rights to the Silmarillion. It seems they have some leeway to make allusions to First Age events, but things like the Oath of Feanor probably isn't allowed. I also don't think it's all that important, since that segment is to give the necessary background info and this show isn't about the Silmarillion. There is literally one named elf still alive in Middle Earth who was present when the oath was made. It really doesn't matter for this story.

-Part of Beren and Luthien is in LOTR. The part where Beren finds and falls in love with Luthien. Not included is the part with the magical talking wolf, or anything with Finrod.

-You should probably remove the spoiler-y part of your post or mark it as such.

- Elrond doesn't get married until the Third Age

 

[Blender]

Tolkein's maps extend further North than that, Forodwaith is not the Northern end of Middle Earth (and that maps also shows that Lindon is barely south of Forodwaith).

Here's the one that Tolkein himself drew.

And the more detailed recreation of it based on his notes

It's based on these ones, which are more detailed than his rough sketches as an artist did them and Tolkien approved: A Map of Middle-earth - Wikipedia

Here's an interactive version of it similar to the one Amazon has done for the show: Interactive Map of Middle-Earth - LotrProject

Here's a movie prop replica version from The Fellowship of the Ring as well:

If you're going to say the map in the show is wrong, you should at least know the background of where the map they used came from.

 

[hotcabbagesoup]

I'm upset, I tell ya. I was so looking forward to this, but if the writing is like it was in the first episode, where I was going through my agenda for the next day when they were f***ing yaking on about the stone and the boat - or the elf nerd telling her not to worry blah blah blah.

You...stink at writing. Stink. All the money in the world can't cover up a fresh layer of bullshit from writers.

I can't friggin bear to watch episode 2...but I have to. I hope it's better, but...

Watch the second episode, it moves the plot along a little better, introduces the dwarves and the stranger. Episode 1 was mostly exposition and alot of Galadriel. The writing is still kinda bad and it feels ridiculous at times (things Galadriel does like jumping off the ship and.....swimming.....to somewhere).

I will still watch though. I like the emphasis on magical artifacts and elemental things like fire, water, wind, stars, one's voice because I miss the good medieval tv shows that dealt with those things. Most medieval stuff nowadays is romance and political marriage, bleghh.

 

[ItsFineImFine]

It's alright but I feel like 12 year old me would've enjoyed this more. It has some childish elements of fantasy and wonderment and this is probably also why a lot of modern reviewers, who were kids when the '02 - '05 films came out, don't like it. The fact is that if they saw those original films for the first time today, they probably wouldn't have been as into them in the first place either.

 

[Siamese Dream]

I'm willing to give the other plot lines a chance but the more time I've had to think about it the more I think this portrayal of Galadriel is just really crap. She's moody and bratty and entitled with some very bad dialogue. This is a very niche opinion due to her being such a minor character but Cate Blanchett's Galadriel is probably my favourite character from all the Peter Jackson adaptations so I am very disappointed.

I don't really care about all the race/gender complaints this series is probably getting from the usual grifters but the one thing I don't get is when writers think a female character needs to be a fighter/warrior to be strong. Galadriel in the Peter Jackson adaptations is extremely powerful in her own right without having to possess traditionally masculine traits.

I don't see why they can't just make her similar to that and make her do some badass magic shit to defeat enemies, like in The Hobbit when she does the thing where she goes into a trance and is all like "YOU HAVE NO POWER HERE SERVANT OF MORGOTH" and banishes Sauron. Which was the only good scene in The Hobbit trilogy (except for Bilbo and Gollum playing riddles in the cave).

I just can't see how this Galadriel goes on to become the version I know and love. When I think of Galadriel it's the aforementioned scene and "INSTEAD OF A DARK LORD YOU WOULD HAVE A QUEEN!" From the initial trailers I was hopeful because in a certain light she even looks a bit like Cate Blanchett, but the writing has just completely missed the mark.

 

[Knave]

I'm willing to give the other plot lines a chance but the more time I've had to think about it the more I think this portrayal of Galadriel is just really crap. She's moody and bratty and entitled with some very bad dialogue. This is a very niche opinion due to her being such a minor character but Cate Blanchett's Galadriel is probably my favourite character from all the Peter Jackson adaptations so I am very disappointed.

I don't really care about all the race/gender complaints this series is probably getting from the usual grifters but the one thing I don't get is when writers think a female character needs to be a fighter/warrior to be strong. Galadriel in the Peter Jackson adaptations is extremely powerful in her own right without having to possess traditionally masculine traits.

I don't see why they can't just make her similar to that and make her do some badass magic shit to defeat enemies, like in The Hobbit when she does the thing where she goes into a trance and is all like "YOU HAVE NO POWER HERE SERVANT OF MORGOTH" and banishes Sauron. Which was the only good scene in The Hobbit trilogy (except for Bilbo and Gollum playing riddles in the cave).

I just can't see how this Galadriel goes on to become the version I know and love. When I think of Galadriel it's the aforementioned scene and "INSTEAD OF A DARK LORD YOU WOULD HAVE A QUEEN!" From the initial trailers I was hopeful because in a certain light she even looks a bit like Cate Blanchett, but the writing has just completely missed the mark.

You don't think part of why it works is because she's a niche character?

It would be like making Monk without his OCD and hallucinations. It's just a boring detective procedural.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Watched both episodes. It is most certainly not the Game of thrones (which I was afraid they would try to make out of it) - empty show that based on shocking people with sex, blood and death of major characters. It sure quite popular, but it is like the fast food - people like it, but it is quite unhealthy.

Luckily for me, the show runners went the other way - an intelligent story full of interesting characters to develop throughout the 5 seasons. Do I care how many people would downvote this show? Not much, since all 5 seasons are already confirmed and are going to be released no matter what the rating will be.

And just to be finally clear. If we talk about the books, then Hobbit is for kids and LOTR is for adults. However, Silmarillion and Unfinished tales are basically require a university degree and quite extensive knowledge of European mythology to fully appreciate them.

So, no this show is not to entertain people who want to kill some time while drinking beer and chatting with friends. If you want to watch it for entertainment and you never read at least LOTR (and generally don't like reading) then you will waste your time and will be disappointed. Try something else. There is GoT prequel for you. It requires no reading or thinking, it will help you relax after the hard day of working/studying. You have been warned.

Very very odd post. Yes people want to be entertained, that’s the whole point of watching TV. So are you saying this show isnt meant to entertain you so if that’s what you’re looking for than watch House of the Dragon because that show delievers on…entertaining, and it’s also unhealthy? Your post is sooo out to lunch. Sorry if not everyone is enjoying the show you obviously love.

 

[Hivemind]

It's based on these ones, which are more detailed than his rough sketches as an artist did them and Tolkien approved: A Map of Middle-earth - Wikipedia

Here's an interactive version of it similar to the one Amazon has done for the show: Interactive Map of Middle-Earth - LotrProject

Here's a movie prop replica version from The Fellowship of the Ring as well:

If you're going to say the map in the show is wrong, you should at least know the background of where the map they used came from.

I'm not saying the map in the show is wrong. I'm saying the show's depiction of Forodwaith as some far-away uncharted realm is not accurate, and that the map you're providing doesn't extend all the way North (which it clearly does not, as you can see it just cuts off at the top). Forodwaith is very near Rhovanion and Lindon (the other settings the show has visited so far), not some far-off land that nobody dared to ever venture. It was cold, desolate and empty, but not somewhere where elves or mean dare-not-tread.

 

[JJ68]

Watched both episodes. It is most certainly not the Game of thrones (which I was afraid they would try to make out of it) - empty show that based on shocking people with sex, blood and death of major characters. It sure quite popular, but it is like the fast food - people like it, but it is quite unhealthy.

Luckily for me, the show runners went the other way - an intelligent story full of interesting characters to develop throughout the 5 seasons. Do I care how many people would downvote this show? Not much, since all 5 seasons are already confirmed and are going to be released no matter what the rating will be.

And just to be finally clear. If we talk about the books, then Hobbit is for kids and LOTR is for adults. However, Silmarillion and Unfinished tales are basically require a university degree and quite extensive knowledge of European mythology to fully appreciate them.

So, no this show is not to entertain people who want to kill some time while drinking beer and chatting with friends. If you want to watch it for entertainment and you never read at least LOTR (and generally don't like reading) then you will waste your time and will be disappointed. Try something else. There is GoT prequel for you. It requires no reading or thinking, it will help you relax after the hard day of working/studying. You have been warned.

you truly believe Game of thrones was just blood and sex eh? Guess you never read the books.

So far rings of power is pretty good.

 

[Bounces R Way]

I think Elrond's hair is what's getting to me the most. That coif just pushes the smugness over the top.
Just look at this mfer