The all too early Season Two thread (possible spoilers)

[Aravar]

I think the Dark Wizard is probably the future Lord of the Nazgûl, although we're obviously supposed to be thinking of Saruman.

This series seems to be much better to me, albeit with many flaws, especially Elrond's behaviour. I also don't like the way Third Age stuff is being pushed back into the Second.

[Dave_LF]

Pharazon and son just went directly to 11 on the cartoon bad guy scale, huh? Without passing Go or collecting $200. I liked 5 much more than 4 too, though.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Not to mention Elendil's daughter.

[Dave_LF]

Eh; she only went up to 8 or so . But she started lower too.

[Jude]

So a couple of people mentioned a "relationship" between Elrond and Galadriel. Are they depicting a romantic relationship? Or a professional one?

[Frelga]

They are very close friends, not romance implied. Elrond is currently having some issues with Galadriel's new jewelry though.

I believe Celeborn is going to be introduced possibly next season?

[Jude]

Very close friends? So what is the objection people have to their relationship?

[Frelga]

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Snowdog]

Not to mention Elendil's daughter.

Númenor's insurrectionist power couple.



I admit I cheered when he got punched in the face.

Eärien gave me the one cringeworthy scene so far in S2 ... I'm going from memory so likely paraphrased...

Valandil: "Were being stripped of rank."
Elendil: "By who's orders?"
Eärien: "Mine!" she says with a little foot-lift bounce and this grin.

An overall view of Rings of Power so far (1½ seasons) is they are trying to cover too many storylines in too little screentime. The core strength of the series is the rings stories with Celebrimbor, Elrond, Galadriel, and especially Sauron who I think is being fleshed out really well by Charlie Vickers. Sadly, it seems rushed, and the series would have been better had they concentrated on that. Trying to gather all the strings leads to episodes like #4.

Of course, I think the Hobbit/Wizard take is deserving of its own series set in the 3rd Age, and Númenor is deserving of a series all of its own.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

I agree in part and disagree in part. I agree that they are trying to do too many atorylines. But Númenor absolutely needs to be told in parallel with the the rings stories with Celebrimbor, Elrond, Galadriel, and especially Sauron, along with side stories with the Dwarves and the 7 and Men and the 9. The halflings and the Wiizards and most of all the idiocy with Adar (which so many people seem to like) should have been left out.

All in my humble opinion, of course.

That being said, they are getting closer to the core of the story than I thought they would. I'll be interested to see how they develop Pharazon and his desire for immortality.

[dormouse]

I liked the character of Adar very much in the first series because he gave me a glimpse of a credible ruined elf, and I was struck by some of the moments where we saw him remembering - and almost regretting - the world into which he was born. There was a sadness about him, always. I think he was written very well; he seemed far more 'elf' to me than Gil-galad, who is just too solid and too human. As for the Adar storyline, I'm not really judging that yet because I can't see where they're going with it, or why they added it. And the new Adar doesn't have the same presence for me. He's just a bloke in make-up.
Doesn't mean I'm not enjoying it - I just take the things I like and pass the ones I don't. And visually it's amazing!

[Frelga]

Caught up to E5. I though it was excellent.

I noticed they give no quarter to non-book fans. They don't stop to explain any references, like when Annatar recited the list of worthy Men.

Disa is still my favorite.

My one quibble is they are overplaying the various fallings out Elrond has with his friends. First Prince Durin, now Galadriel.

Pharazon and son just went directly to 11 on the cartoon bad guy scale, huh? Without passing Go or collecting $200. I liked 5 much more than 4 too, though.

Considering where the real world sets the bar these day, I'd say they are about 8.3.

I really like how they do villains. The recent trend was to make the evil guys relatable, conflicted, misunderstood, give them sympathetic motives. Meanwhile points at the real world again

Here, the bad guys are clearly evil, selfish, without empathy. Not even Eärien gets a pass, and is played as a scheming little baggage more than a grieving sister. And yet, it's easy to see how they could attract a following of largely decent folks.

And the new Adar doesn't have the same presence for me. He's just a bloke in make-up

Oh. I didn't realize they replaced the actor.

[Alatar]

Very close friends? So what is the objection people have to their relationship?

Its the Internet, so....

[dormouse]

And the new Adar doesn't have the same presence for me. He's just a bloke in make-up

Oh. I didn't realize they replaced the actor.

Yep - Adar 1 on the left, Adar 2 right:

[Frelga]

Oh. No wonder I thought I didn't remember Adar being so pretty.

On the subject of the Stranger, I've decided it's got to be Gandalf. With Halbrand, they kept viewers guessing, but we were not the target of the deception. Galadriel and other characters were. This would be strictly messing with the viewers, and why?

Did PJ's movie ever use the term Istar?

[Voronwë the Faithful]

There is so much that I do not like about this show. But Sauron the Deceiver is so good that I think none of it matters.

[Holbytla]

So a couple of people mentioned a "relationship" between Elrond and Galadriel. Are they depicting a romantic relationship? Or a professional one?

An uncomfortable one? It just strikes me as weird and disjointed. I'm not really sure what the direction is, or what to make of it. It just feels wrong.

I've read the trilogy somewhere between 40-50 times. The one thing that has always annoyed me were the books long gaps between character stories.

This series seems to facilitate between the two extremes. Surprisingly I'm more annoyed by the snippets and small screen time thqn individual storylines, as opposed to large chunks of character stories.

I haven't a clue as to how this will all play out, but more Nori story would be okay with me. The Stranger and Galadriel are fine, but Nori and to a lesser degree Poppy are the only characters that I'm invested in.

[Holbytla]

So a couple of people mentioned a "relationship" between Elrond and Galadriel. Are they depicting a romantic relationship? Or a professional one?

An uncomfortable one? It just strikes me as weird and disjointed. I'm not really sure what the direction is, or what to make of it. It just feels wrong.

I've read the trilogy somewhere between 40-50 times. The one thing that has always annoyed me were the books long gaps between character stories.

This series seems to facilitate between the two extremes. Surprisingly I'm more annoyed by the snippets and small screen time than
individual storylines, as opposed to large chunks of character stories.

I haven't a clue as to how this will all play out, but more Nori story would be okay with me. The Stranger and Galadriel are fine, but Nori and to a lesser degree Poppy are the only characters that I'm invested in.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Sauron is the only character I am invested in.

[Frelga]

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