The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Prime)

[dobbles]

I just got caught up this weekend and have been enjoying it. I am not huge into the lore, but have at least read LOTR books to know about someone like Tom Bombadil, so I find all of this backstory fascinating. To me it doesn't matter if things stick 100% if they make compelling film/television. And while the first few episodes have been slow, I do think there is a lot there.

Azure and others are right to give time to shows. We bumped the Community thread recently and that show took a bit to get its legs and referenced Parks and Rec that had a terrible entire first season. The US Office was bad in its first season. So I am more than happy to give this show a bit more time.

As others have mentioned the music and visuals have been good so hopefully the writing and plot improve as we start to weave all the stories together.

[Locke]

I thought the first two episodes were rough...it was a really good idea to release them at the same time. By the third episode I thought it had more or less found its feet and now I'm fairly well invested.

[Sliver]

I'm hoping to give it a shot tonight.

I've heard mixed reviews from fans, which bodes well for me. I fataing hated the terrible books and the movies were so long and painfully boring/stupid that they actually pissed me off.

Hopefully this is better for muggles like me.

[FormerPresJamesTaylor]

Originally Posted by Matata

The problem with modern female action protagonists is that they can only be written as hyper-masculine, flawless characters. They can never be in a situation where a man is superior than them, they're always right and rarely make any kind of a misstep, lest it be interpreted as a smear against all women. I don't have a fundamental problem with that kind of character archetype, but they don't work well as main characters because it's really hard to create any tension around such a perfect character, and it seems any sort of action movie has at least one main character like that and it's been that way for a while now.

Judging by your posts I don't think you need to worry about modern females too much

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Sliver

I'm hoping to give it a shot tonight.

I've heard mixed reviews from fans, which bodes well for me. I fataing hated the terrible books and the movies were so long and painfully boring/stupid that they actually pissed me off.

Hopefully this is better for muggles like me.

I suspect you will not enjoy it. I'll be surprised if you make it throguh the first episode.

[Finger Cookin]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

I suspect you will not enjoy it.

This just seems like a generally safe bet.

[Bigtime]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

I suspect you will not enjoy it. I'll be surprised if you make it throguh the first episode.

Gotta second this, if you hated the books and the movies I don't see how this appeals to you at all.

I love the novels and movies (not the Hobbit ones), and even I have found this a little slow as it builds the world but I have enjoyed the 3rd and 4th episodes quite a bit.

[direwolf]

The latest episode was the best one yet, and the story feels like it’s now coming together after 3 episodes of character introductions and world building. I’m really enjoying this series so far.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by Finger Cookin

This just seems like a generally safe bet.

Silver will force himself to love it now out of spite.

[Dentoman]

Originally Posted by Sliver

I'm hoping to give it a shot tonight.

I've heard mixed reviews from fans, which bodes well for me. I fataing hated the terrible books and the movies were so long and painfully boring/stupid that they actually pissed me off.

Hopefully this is better for muggles like me.

I eagerly await this review!! Although the Orcs tunnels sort of resemble a bunker, so that might be in the show's favour.

[N-E-B]

Originally Posted by Sliver

I'm hoping to give it a shot tonight.

I've heard mixed reviews from fans, which bodes well for me. I fataing hated the terrible books and the movies were so long and painfully boring/stupid that they actually pissed me off.

Hopefully this is better for muggles like me.

You hated the books and the movies but want to watch this?

[Bigtime]

Sliver, please set up a twitter account and live tweet yourself watching the show.

Or.

Start a reply and simply type it all up as you watch. Then press post.

[Monahammer]

Originally Posted by Sliver

I fataing hated the terrible books

Of all your irredeemable positions this is somehow the worst. Yes, this is somehow worse than you not liking dogs. F'in crazy.

[Wastedyouth]

Originally Posted by Flabbibulin

How can anyone (LOTR and fantasy fans anyway) not like this? I think it is fantastic.

I am a huge fan. The hobbit is the first real book i remember being given (that wasnt a childs book) and reading and kicked of my life as a massive book nerd.

The writing, pacing and story is just terrible. The story is both rushed, but also painfully shallow and slow. Which is a feat of writing on its own.

I am wondering if its a matter of people wearing rose colored glasses because of LOTR nostalgia?

I went in with an open mind and low expectations and am leaving disappointed and hollow. Haha.

It is just terribly written. There is no one to cheer for. Every character just argues with every character. Every conversation is an argument. And then the Dark Elf releases Arondir to what? Go warn the Humans, give them a message to join him? Why isnt he doing that before he is destroying whole villages of potential followers? What kind of ####ing plot point is that?

And Galadriel acts like a petulant child for someone who is hundreds of years old. Like seriously.

I cannot believe this is what a billion dollars worth of writing gets you.

Blech.

[Monahammer]

Originally Posted by Wastedyouth

I cannot believe this is what a billion dollars worth of writing gets you.

Blech.

I actually think this is part of the problem. Same problem most of the newer star trek was facing as well. When you dump this much money into production and writing, you wind up with a kitchen jammed straight full of chefs who hate each other. It's the whole designing a horse by committee and getting a camel story.

Too many visions and paths synthesize together into meaningless garbage full of tropes and reactions. Want to annoy yourself? 90% of recent shows is just cuts between various facial reactions of characters. I pointed this out to my wife while we watched the recent season of umbrella academy and it straight up ruined the rest of the season for us as we laughed each time it happened.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by Wastedyouth

It is just terribly written. There is no one to cheer for. Every character just argues with every character. Every conversation is an argument.

I brought it up with someone recently - that the hallmark of modern television writers is they don't know how to write so they have people argue instead of providing story and exposition.

All modern TV writers seem to be hacks and all they know how to do is to fill scripts with petty arguing between characters to create tension rather than have tension created by the drama of the events.

The best example is looking at the new Star Trek shows (SNW might get an exemption since it's trying to be TOS) where all they do is squabble and talk back to each other unprofessionally on the bridge.

In classic Star Trek, this never happens and officers even get chewed out by their superior officers for talking back. They just get along, discuss problems, solve them.

[Wastedyouth]

And it got worse.

Welp. I'm out. Enjoy the series whoever still is. I really was hoping for something half decent.

[Azure]

So can we keep this to a series discussion and not a 'omg this sucks and I hate it' talk?

I mean you should at least contribute more than repeated whining about how you don't like it.

Go post that stupidity in the grind your gears thread.

[Dentoman]

I have definitely been enjoying the series. Episode 5 is my least favourite so far. I found it disjointed and hard to follow. Now, that could be a result of me not knowing the back story of what is going on. I'm going to watch it again as I'm sure I missed some stuff (like the characters looking over the Stranger's landing spot).
I'll catch up on the back story on Nerd of the Rings episode recap as someone else suggested (Thanks for the info btw).

[Wastedyouth]

Originally Posted by Azure

So can we keep this to a series discussion and not a 'omg this sucks and I hate it' talk?

I mean you should at least contribute more than repeated whining about how you don't like it.

Go post that stupidity in the grind your gears thread.

I just want to say, discussion on why something sucks, is still discussion. I think i pointed out why I thought it sucked pretty succinctly.

If you want all glowing reviews and positive spin I am sure there is a OMGLOTRTROPfans.com somewhere you could go to.