SPOILERS AHEAD - Season 1 Episode 8 - Alloyed

I think the best thing about the final episode was the ring-verse music at the end, I liked that.

I decided to watch the first series, but I can't see me watching any of the other seasons.

I have no investment in any of the characters, which I put down to the poor fan-fiction in the script. It could have been a lot more interesting if they had not compressed times and distances, something that Tolkien did not do.

Overall, I had hoped for a much better series, very disappointing.

I’ve hardly watched it, yet. But I will properly at some point. They big question is, does it aim for the Jackson fandom more? I’m guessing yes, and if they like it, it’s a success.

I think you are right, the series is very strongly targeted at fans of the PJ movies, lots of nods to PJ in the last episode.

huan68 wrote:

They big question is, does it aim for the Jackson fandom more?

Thats pretty obvious from the trailers. Same looks and same focus.

Ugh. Just... ugh.

Random thoughts is all I can manage this morning.

Now that Sauron has been revealed, the mystery of who he might be, and what lies he has told people, is all resolved. Gil-galad really is a jerk. Celebrimbor really is a complete idiot. (Honestly - the second greatest elven smith of all time has never heard of making alloys?). The Mystics have no idea who Sauron is, they just follow around powerful people and try to convince them. Shapeshifting seems to be a skill that can be taught, or were the Mystics Maiar themselves?

I still enjoyed Elendil. Sometime in the next few years I will go back and watch the season again knowing what we now know, and I think some facets of Halbrand will make more sense and possibly be more enjoyable. The Dwarves will be entertaining next season as well - they need to make their own rings with Sauron's help, after all.

Sauron's presence in Eregion is a complete waste of opportunity. Literally, he shows up, drops a few obvious "gifts" of knowledge on Celebrimbor (Combined metals make alloys that are good! Using high pressure doesn't always work!) and vanishes in a matter of weeks. That's it. That's the whole thing. We do get ten minutes of melting metals and pouring it in moulds, though.

I'm happy that The Stranger turns out to be an Istar. I could see them doing a "Nori and the Wizard" spinoff - I don't think I'd watch - but lots would. Doesn't fit in the main show, though.

I wasn't expecting the complete lack of the Southlanders and Adar and the Dwarves from episode 8. The finale was more 7+8 in combination. As Adar was one of my favorites from season 1, I am deeply concerned that he's been killed offscreen and we won't see him again. Who knows, though, these showrunners love the mysteries wrapped in enigmas wrapped in misdirections, so I have given up having expectations or playing guessing games.

Glad I stayed away from this =D, but it's still fun to read (bad) reviews.

Urulókë essentially speaks of my own perspective so I won't labour those points.

I do however, think that we will see Adar again and that he will become the Witch King after being broken by Sauron. Maybe after all his 'children' are tortured and half murdered.

The Eminem crew confusing the Stranger for Sauron was so dumb. I sighed through it knowing it wasn't him. Awful misdirection that failed.

The Rings creation was sort of cool but still, I agree that Celebrimbor is somewhat of a simpleton. The High King is an awful character and I hope we see no more of him. They can kill him off screen for all I care.

The Sauron reveal was rubbish and obvious from quite early on.

Overall, I was underwhelmed by the first season and hoped for much more.

It has powerful images, it's a pleasure to the eye to watch.

But in the end I'm very disappointed.

The three "mysteries" (Sauron's mark -> map of mordor, the sword -> dam's key, Sauron identity) all had a simplistic dénoûment in relation to their build up. The diversion on Sauron identity failed and it was obvious few episodes ago where they wanted to go. (And the actor talking about Tevildo in an interview cleared it up).

There are 4 main changes from canon that are too much to bear.
1) compression of chronology with the creation of the Rings coeval with the Fall of Númenor while they are 1500 years apart;
2) connection between Silmarils and Rings through mithril «the ore contains the light of the lost Silmaril»;
3) creation of the Threes before the Sevens and the Nines and now Sauron is already revealed, and the consequent impossibility to stay true to the original story and divergent motives for the Three;
4) Gandalf (because the Stranger is obviously Gandalf using the same sentence used in the first Jackson's film in Moria) arriving about 1400 years before, and before the Last Alliance;

Plus the whole "fading elves" theme.

I looked forward to watch it and I was prepared to inventions - lots of them - and changes to "canon" (because they can't use most sources), but I was hoping they would have stayed true to the fundamentals. Instead they made big shifts. And they didn't have to, they consciously decided to do them. And I'm afraid those will stick in the mind of viewers consolidating a "general knowledge" of Tolkien that will diverge more and more from the legendarium.

I appreciated those little gifts (Tuor's axe, Turin's helm, Beren and Lúthien painting) to Tolkien enthusiasts, but especially with the last episode I have the feeling there are more to Peter Jackson's films fandom than to Tolkien's enthusiasts.

I said that I would have judged tRoP based on its ability to don't contradict materials they couldn't use, but it contradicted those that they could use.

I didn't have many expectations and I knew that I would have been disappointed, but I honestly hoped for much much more (or less disappointments) than this. It's a strange feeling to describe.

Reading about this episode made me say a nice thing about Peter Jacksons movies to a friend tonight: "at least he didnt have kids around the world shipping galadriel and sauron". I made a note of time and place.