LOTR: The Rings of Power

[Varking]

12 minutes ago, Shocker said:

So it sounds like this show might be worth the time.  Heavy LOTRs fatigue after those last 3 though.  

The Hobbit trilogy is hard to watch after like the first hour and a half of the first movie. But I still found a way to enjoy it overall. 

[SOJA]

Wow that's amazing man 

[Varking]

1 hour ago, SOJA said:

Wow that's amazing man 

It’s definitely a year I won’t forget. I’ll post pics of some of the coke tables they gave me during the journey and even my red carpet photo I got to take in NY!

[d-dave]

That's freaking cool @Varking!

Congratulations on the wild and awesome experiences!

On a related note: I will miss the guy who played Adar.  He was great!  My hope is that they do take some of the feedback from season 1, and improve the show.  I mean, it's already just beautiful to look at, and the story is already there (Tolkien).  I'm not saying they have the hew more closely to the books, but rather get back some some good character development and more personally impactful plots.  It was just really inconsistent.

I still loved the show despite it's flaws.  It's just MORE Middle Earth and I can't get enough of it.  I'm saving up my airline miles to get some Shire ABnB

[Zaximus]

1 hour ago, d-dave said:

That's freaking cool @Varking!

Congratulations on the wild and awesome experiences!

On a related note: I will miss the guy who played Adar.  He was great!  My hope is that they do take some of the feedback from season 1, and improve the show.  I mean, it's already just beautiful to look at, and the story is already there (Tolkien).  I'm not saying they have the hew more closely to the books, but rather get back some some good character development and more personally impactful plots.  It was just really inconsistent.

I still loved the show despite it's flaws.  It's just MORE Middle Earth and I can't get enough of it.  I'm saving up my airline miles to get some Shire ABnB

Well they can't do anything in the books I don't believe as they don't have the rights to anything but like appendix's that is why the show has had to use some creative liberties and create some new characters.  I wish more people knew this because I think they'd give more understanding.  It's also a chess board that is being setup, much like the first season of the new GoT. 

And I enjoy the Hobbit movies, the problem is they will always be compared to the trilogy and no movie will ever match that.  Also three movies was too much, I don't even mind the "new characters" but it should have been TWO movies at MOST.  But I truly think Martin Freeman carries the trilogy so much and he's so fantastic in it.  There are some really epic and great scenes with him and I think he's the ultimate Bilbo in my eyes.  Thorin was great as well but I just love Freeman in it.  

[d-dave]

16 minutes ago, Zaximus said:

Well they can't do anything in the books I don't believe as they don't have the rights to anything but like appendix's that is why the show has had to use some creative liberties and create some new characters.  I wish more people knew this because I think they'd give more understanding.  It's also a chess board that is being setup, much like the first season of the new GoT. 

And I enjoy the Hobbit movies, the problem is they will always be compared to the trilogy and no movie will ever match that.  Also three movies was too much, I don't even mind the "new characters" but it should have been TWO movies at MOST.  But I truly think Martin Freeman carries the trilogy so much and he's so fantastic in it.  There are some really epic and great scenes with him and I think he's the ultimate Bilbo in my eyes.  Thorin was great as well but I just love Freeman in it.  

My critique of the story was not so much for the lack of adaptation, but more for the pacing.  It seemed as if very little happened each episode.  And some bits like the "let's all fight the elf" are tired and silly.  I don't care how good and magical you are, you aren't beating back 6-8 guys with sharp blades.  I get it's a fun trope, but it really didn't feel great.  I completely see the chess board thing.  There's several cool stories (and tragic ones) that will happen in the near future.  I hope we get some great payoff!

BTW - Lady Desi, Sophia Nomvete, popped up in Wednesday on Netflix and I fanboied out!  My wife was like "You are such a dork!"

Yeah, the problem with the Hobbit films was that they were pre-produced by Guillermo del Toro.  He had his own vision.  Then he left the project, and it was up to Peter Jackson to take all the partially done things and make them work.  Which is partially why it feels so disjointed.  I hate that because the cast was exceptional, the post was fantastic, and though overstuffed, it was a really fun trip through some of the less explored areas of Middle Earth.  I'm with you, I can still watch the Hobbit films, despite how much abuse they did to the OG text.

[Varking]

8 minutes ago, d-dave said:

My critique of the story was not so much for the lack of adaptation, but more for the pacing.  It seemed as if very little happened each episode.  And some bits like the "let's all fight the elf" are tired and silly.  I don't care how good and magical you are, you aren't beating back 6-8 guys with sharp blades.  I get it's a fun trope, but it really didn't feel great.  I completely see the chess board thing.  There's several cool stories (and tragic ones) that will happen in the near future.  I hope we get some great payoff!

BTW - Lady Desi, Sophia Nomvete, popped up in Wednesday on Netflix and I fanboied out!  My wife was like "You are such a dork!"

Yeah, the problem with the Hobbit films was that they were pre-produced by Guillermo del Toro.  He had his own vision.  Then he left the project, and it was up to Peter Jackson to take all the partially done things and make them work.  Which is partially why it feels so disjointed.  I hate that because the cast was exceptional, the post was fantastic, and though overstuffed, it was a really fun trip through some of the less explored areas of Middle Earth.  I'm with you, I can still watch the Hobbit films, despite how much abuse they did to the OG text.

I met Sophia a few times and she’s truly one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. Like outside of Rings of Power even she makes it very easy to support her. 
 

The pacing wasn’t good in season one. I think that is due to gong from ten episodes to right after the studio requested it. Going forward they know each season will be eight episodes. 
 

As for Joseph Mawle getting recast, the guy replacing him has tons of credits. I loved Adar and thought it was a great character and Mawle killed it but I know some stuff went down during filming that didn’t endear him to his peers. 
 

Attached is me and my lady walking the red carpet, and yea I posed. Another is me and Sophia meeting for the second time at the party. Me and Owain ( Durin IV ) FaceTiming and the other is Eariens actress Emma Horvath writing my username in Numenor font before the world had seen any writing from Numenor. 
 

 

[d-dave]

@VarkingDude, I'm so jelly   That's awesome!

[Varking]

here is a video of Emma shouting out the subreddits and talking about how she met me in San Diego while doing an interview. 

[Varking]

A scoop I can share is Khazad düm is going to be three times the size it was in season 1. 

[d-dave]

2 minutes ago, Varking said:

A scoop I can share is Khazad düm is going to be three times the size it was in season 1. 

Baruk Khazâd! Khazâd ai-mênu!

Man, after spending tons of time in Lord of the Rings Online's Moria, I can't wait to see it!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Varking]

4 minutes ago, d-dave said:

Baruk Khazâd! Khazâd ai-mênu!

Man, after spending tons of time in Lord of the Rings Online's Moria, I can't wait to see it!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you look around the fandom at the other accounts online that have been around for forever like The Tolkien Professor, Corey Olson, or TheOneRing.net or The Prancing Pony Podcast they all dubbed me the dwarf guy. And almost any time dwarf articles or media comes out they tag me in all of it. The only person they told me I couldn’t get access to for interviews was Peter Mullan ( Durin III ) so I assumed the whole season he was going to die and they didn’t want me to know lol. 

[Khyber53]

On 12/15/2022 at 9:24 AM, d-dave said:

Baruk Khazâd! Khazâd ai-mênu!

Man, after spending tons of time in Lord of the Rings Online's Moria, I can't wait to see it!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lord I spent weeks in that place! 

[Khyber53]

On 12/14/2022 at 11:46 PM, Varking said:

It’s definitely a year I won’t forget. I’ll post pics of some of the coke tables they gave me during the journey and even my red carpet photo I got to take in NY!

Okay, because I ask stupid questions... what is a coke table?