Why the Rings of Power Show Is Not Good (Part #7934)

I mean, seriously. Race-baiting? Race-baiting. I can't even fathom the twists of mind it requires to believe this.

I've seen a lot of people talking about the "supposed backlash to the diverse casting" that they never see. Those people don't realize that they're the backlash that the rest of us are talking about. That's why they don't see it. It's a blind spot. It doesn't require someone to say something overtly racist like using slurs or whatever. We've already got legions of people complaining about race-baiting and how there is no other explanation other than it being a cynical marketing ploy, like NO other imaginable explanation because of course these POC would not be hired for reasons other than being POC.

Why is it so hard for some people to believe that these days, casting can cast a wider net and that there are plenty of qualified actors of all races that will still fit the parts being cast?

I cannot imagine being this cynical about something that is, at the end of the day, an Amazon Prime show.

edit: removed judgmental tone

My main frustration is how they did not have Durin as a reincarnated figure, but as part of just a lineage who happened to name themselves the same, like an English king. Thats pretty central to the dwarven situation in The Hobbit and LotR, and it feels incredibly dumb they left that out. I would love for an adaptation of the Children of Hurin, or the struggles of Fingolfin leading to his final battle with Morgoth, or something...but no, they decided to write their own lore in.

I have not watched it for the same reason that I avoided Shadow of Mordor. What I know is from the articles and reviews of the show surrounding its release. But the fact that they did not have the rights to the Silmarillion bewilders me why they would try to appeal to fans who have already read it. Tolkien and his son spent near a century working on the lore, and it feels wrong to have a corporation decide to throw it all out for a quick buck.

If they wanted a fantasy show to fight Game of Thrones, they should have had an original work. I mean, look at Invincible! Outside of the hardcore comic book scene, nobody has heard of that. Because it was such a good story, people spread the word like wildfire. They can create something original, and that original work can succeed. They are Amazon. They have the marketing to put it in the public's eye, and the money to make it good. Instead they rode the coattails of an author, and even claimed "it was the story he never wrote" as though any of that was based on his works.

Same here. The pacing is inconsistent, and some of the characters seem pretty off. The pacing is not as inconsistent, and the characters not as off, as The Hobbit. Therefore whatever, it's fine. Is it going to be my favorite show? No. Will I watch it? Yeah.

When I read this review, the author's complaints are all trivial. The three examples of the show being terrible are: 1. Elron and Durin are really good friends, 2. Galadriel looks suspiciously strong, and 3. the Hobbits aren't reacting the right way to a broken ankle.

I'm sure this type of article plays well to a person with a disposition, or someone who has been steeped too deeply into certain internet subcultures.

I'm enjoying it and I'll keep watching it, but they've stirred the entire history into an incomprehensible soup, and the questionable plot keeps jerking characters around to places where they shouldn't be. But if you can sit back and not think too hard about it, it's great. Especially the Disa+Durin+Elrond scenes.

Some people are happy to watch badasses swing swords at things. Other people are interested in character development, world building, and storytelling. He is saying the show panders to the first group while neglecting the second.

I think this is the problem with dual purposing movies for both kids and adults: you can’t have intricate politics in kids movies and you can’t have simplistic world building in adult movies.

I don't know about that. I didn't read the Harry Potter series until my 30's and I absolutely loved it. Full of imagination and wonderment, I was utterly captivated. I've also re-read The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings multiple times throughout my life and it seems to get better every time.

I'm pretty cynical about big budget movies and TV shows in general though. I prefer shows where all the emphasis is placed on the writing and acting, such as Better Call Saul.

You definitely can. It's better to just defend the show if you like it, rather than telling other people what they can and can't do.

Eh, I very explicitly remember them going over board with him and talking w/ friends how it really took us out of the movie. Same thing with Yoda in episode 2 (I think?) where he's flying around like a ninja. Feels like the movie stopped and some exec swooped in "BUT WHAT IF HE WAS A NINJA MAKE IT HAPPEN!"

I felt the same thing with that fight scene. And I think author did a pretty good job of explaining why it was off putting (because it felt shallow). For me personally I might re-phase to say it felt childish. Leader of a group of warriors goes and fights this huge ancient scary thing, they are all worthless and get beat up (but seem totally unharmed?), she swoops in and insta kills it while doing backflips without being touched by it. It just feels like something an 8 year old would write.

There are examples of bad writing in here. But you're right; it's not all bad. And effects, acting, etc are generally pretty good. Though not great. (Except Disa; she's great.)

> I can't see this as anything else than sexism

The complaints about Galadriel aren't sexism. At least, the legitimate complaints aren't. If anything, the show undersells her. She should be one of the three most powerful elves in Middle-Earth right now. She ruled Lindon and rules Eregion, and yet her nephew the high-king dismisses her like she's a nobody. And she acts rather irrationally much of the time.

I think the main complaint about the troll fight isn't that she's the one to kill it (because of course she is), but that the other elves are so completely useless.

> LOTR films were not as Tolkien wrote. I recently re-watched them and they're not perfect either, to heap praise on the films but scorn the TV series is looking back with rose tinted glasses at best.

The LotR films are really pretty good. By no means perfect, you're right about that, but they treat the source material with a lot more respect than The Hobbit or the Rings of Power did, and the result is a much better story. It was made with love, and you can tell. I can forgive Osgiliath (even if I still miss the Scouring of the Shire).

I am reminded of this quote by Gildor: "Elves seldom give unguarded advice, for advice is a dangerous gift, even from the wise to the wise, and all counsels may run ill."

Galadriel and Legolas are very different characters in more ways than just sex and ignoring those differences makes the characters more superficial. I read the critique as suggesting another kind of sexism in play: that Galadriel had to be portraited similar to Legolas (in a kind of macho way) to be seen as powerful, rather than exploring the traits that Tolkien gave her. For example, when I read the books, Galadriel gave me associations to Virgin Mary - and for Tolkien, a resemblance to Virgin Mary would be the greatest honor for any character, far more than being competent with a sword

I agree with you that the films also contained violence - and the author does not deny this. But I agree with the author that some of the scenes are more explicit than necessary and they made me too uncomfortable

Incredible that you were able to go back and verify that "The Bottom Feeder" had not complained about the absurd depictions of Legolas in the LOTR trilogy. Alas, more misogynists and bigots!

Im gonna have to disagree. Overall it was decent, but the pacing was horrible. As well, adapting a childrens book to be gritty leads to a lot of tonal problems that I had problems with. The Two Towers, at least in my opinion, is the best movie in the Jackson series. Especially when you factor in the emotions of Theoden King when he lost his son, and the fact that it was all his fault he died. He was the one who listened to Wormtongue, and banished him. Pair that with the highs and lows of the Battle of Helms Deep, and you got an emotional masterpiece! I didn't get any of that from any of the Hobbit movies.

But are they finished?

Few people bother to climb the steep wall of cognitive dissonance required to embrace the fact that the source of their problem might be intrinsic. Much easier to paint your displeasure in the palette of extrinsic and objective failures.

You’re still an ass, but at least you don’t have to think of yourself as one.

The reciprocal of this in comedy is claphter. When people clap or laugh because they hear something they agree with, whether it's funny or not. Usually not.

People say things like "It's/They're not funny" if they don't agree with the person, sentiment, message a lot now.. Which, doesn't work. My favorite thing to do is give comedians, any comedian, at least 5 minutes after the end of their first joke to see if they can make me laugh. There are comics out there who really rubbed me the wrong way at first but had me laughing before time ran out. Can't make me laugh in 5 minutes, your special is over. If I'm giggling before then I'm watching the whole hour, don't care who you are.

I'm not really digging Rings of Power but She-Hulk is the current "show that is bad™" that I really like. I was a huge Marvel kid but I've been sick of the MCU since about Iron Man 3. [0] She-Hulk gets the comedy structure right (the show runner wrote for a bunch of Adult Swim shows and Silicon Valley) and doesn't feel like it was written exclusively for ten-year-olds. Feels like they'll get their footing by season 2.

I've been reading a lot of articles saying things like "the men are unrealistic in She-Hulk." But, I've heard guys say some of the lines from She-Hulk verbatim. The dialog can be an exaggeration.. But it's not that inaccurate. I'm guessing parts of the scripts were transcribed more than written.

The best part about She-Hulk is that you have people who are good at what they do but are still pathetic playing off pathetic people who aren't good at what they do. It's funny.

[0]: And yet, I still watch every single one of them. WHY? I don't know, hope? Hawkweye was pretty good. And, that's from a guy who would say "Shut up Hawkeye" to his girlfriend every time Jeremy Renner opened his mouth.

That it's you saying it implies that it's your opinion.

There's plenty of room to say "it's good" or "it's good except these parts"

"I don't like it" leaves little room for disagreement. I can't disagree that you don't like it