Hans van Zijst

Hans van Zijst

hans@social.woefdram.nl

Professional nerd and grammar nazi, writes in Dutch and English. Can read some German, French and Spanish too. Learning русский.

Location:: Netherlands

Sun, 22 Jan 2023 02:50:22 +0100

Hans van Zijst

hans@social.woefdram.nl

Just finished the last episode of the Rings of Power. Looks really good, and it breathes the atmosphere of Tolkien's books. I can't remember a part where Galadriel was in Númenor, but I'm reading the #Silmarillion for the third time so that part of my memory is about to be refreshed (currently I'm at "the flight of the Noldor", for those who know).

They did a good job keeping me guessing who's who. Not sure if I got the last one completely right, so I'll have to wait for the second season.

Overall, I really liked it, and I'm looking forward to seasons 2, 3, 4 and who knows how many more. All the way up to the first page of The Hobbit, if it's up to me.

I didn't like the scenes in the dark though, they were too dark. I've seen people complain about it and heard that this was really how the director meant it to be, but I don't like it. It's too damn dark, you really have no idea what's happening.

#Tolkien #RingsOfPower

tolkien

show all 5 comments

Sun, 22 Jan 2023 06:12:50 +0100

John Wehrle

johnwehrle@diaspora.glasswings.com

I also really enjoyed the first season. And I agree about dark scenes being too dark. Unfortunately it's quite common now.

Sun, 22 Jan 2023 08:15:44 +0100 last edited: Sun, 22 Jan 2023 10:10:54 +0100

Tanja

tanja@hz.lazyteddy.eu

I can't remember a part where Galadriel was in Númenor

She wasn't. She stayed with Celeborn in Middle-earth until the end of the third age. The only Elves that ever came to Númenor came from the West.

Stuff like that is precisely why I'm staying well away from this, just as I stayed away from the movies after I've seen the first one. I'm a little touchy when it comes to Tolkien and people taking liberties with his work.

Sun, 22 Jan 2023 14:51:00 +0100

Hans van Zijst

hans@social.woefdram.nl

@Tanja

I'm a little touchy when it comes to Tolkien and people taking liberties with his work.

I'm prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt. As long as it's done with taste and doesn't contradict Tolkien's work too much, I have no real problem with it.

Tolkien himself stated that he hoped his work would be the groundwork for others to build on, he hoped to give the Anglo-Saxon world something like the Germanic and Nordic legends about gods, daemons and fantastic beasts. There was not much more than King Arthur and his knights.

And I like reading the books again and pointing out where a film or series is different than the books. In Peter Jackson's films, those differences were subtle. As far as I can tell now, the Rings of Power is newly written material, that just happens to play in Tolkien's world.

Sun, 22 Jan 2023 15:00:55 +0100

Hans van Zijst

hans@social.woefdram.nl

@Ronald

What does one accomplish with that?

It pisses me off, that's for sure. I don't like staring at a black screen listening to noises and getting the feeling that I'm missing information.

Sun, 22 Jan 2023 15:07:34 +0100

Tanja

tanja@hz.lazyteddy.eu

@Hans van Zijst

In Peter Jackson's films, those differences were subtle.

Well, apart from the fact that he screwed up one of the best scenes in the book, which is Frodo's meeting with Faramir. I haven't actually seen the second movie (or the third.) My best friend got around to it before me and advised me to not watch it. I never did, since I fully trusted her judgement on the matter. But according to Wikipedia,

Learning of the One Ring, Faramir takes his captives to Gondor to bring the ring to his father Denethor.

As far as I'm concerned, that's a major fuck-up, even if he did end up letting them go even in the movie. Faramir is quite possibly my favorite character in the book; I find this change unforgivable. Like I said, touchy ;-).