The Rings of Power season one is over and it’s time to take stock. So join Ian and David as they discuss what worked, what didn’t, and what may be next in this controversial new take on Tolkien’s work. Close Reads HQ is a community-supported publication. To receive bonus content & support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Just wanted to throw out… watched the last episode when I was wrapping up East of Eden. Nori had a line to Gandolf “you can choose, you can choose to be good”
Are you certain that the Stranger is indeed Gandalf? In our household, we had a collective "OK, it's Gandalf" moment after the "follow your nose" line. Later, I began to consider how very many lines the show had taken from the Peter Jackson movies and put them in the mouths of a different character, using the same intonation and everything. (This felt like coming home at first, but then rapidly began to feel like lazy writing.) It led to some uncertainty for me about the Stranger. Just because Galadriel says, "Noro lim" to her horse in an exact replication of the way Arwen said it in the FOTR movie, it doesn't mean that she is now Arwen. Are you aware that there's a contingent online who isn't sure the Stranger is Gandalf and may be instead another of the Blue Wizards? What do you think of the use of an entire season to hold certain characters' identities in suspense? Do you think that worked as a storytelling device? Is it in keeping with Tolkien? Did the Halbrand reveal work?
Do you think this season had a character who was any kind of moral center? I have seen commenters complaining that there was moral confusion in the show. I have been considering it and see evidence for it in that most characters who said strongly that we should do *something* and furthermore do it *right now* were eventually shown to be either wrongheaded or engaging in outright folly. The closest I have come to identifying a moral center is in the character of Nori, who didn't falter in her belief in the Stranger despite some worrying signs and possibly in the duo of Arondir and Bronwyn. I felt the lack of the voice of Gandalf or a character like him, whose voice could always be trusted. Is it a fundamental shift to have a character like Nori fill that role? My view of the triumph of Frodo and Sam was that they submitted even unto death, not that they were the guys full of great ideas coming from within themselves. I know that there is a lot of room for the show to improve, but I have feared that a show made by Americans isn't going to know how to handle aspects like monarchy and hierarchy, which are woven throughout Tolkien.
I have a couple of questions about the forging of the rings. Why was it so rushed? It felt like an afterthought, "Oh, hey, maybe we should forge some rings." We had greater build to the reveal of Gandalf and Sauron, which was deserved but the show isn't called The Rise of Sauron and Gandalf. Was it a timing issue or a thematic issue?
Then why do the rings look so clumsy? Galadriel's ring in LOTR is gorgeous. Why do they look like twirled wire with a colored rock? Especially if these forgers are the best in the world, for all time.
Brandon Leblanc put this article in the Facebook page. I found it convincing. What do you guys think of it?
Also, I think the Magpie Murders series thus far is better than the book. It was definitely a book I knew while reading was going to be better in on-screen form, it was kinda a trudge as a mystery, but tv will edit it up nicely I think.
This was so helpful! I was really scared to try rings of power but I’m willing to give it a shot now hahaha. For those of us who love LOTR but don’t know where to dive in first for the lore, would you give us baby nerds a heading/starting course? Hahaha 😁 I have some supplemental books too like the Costco boxed set about Tolkien put to gather by David Day (they’re gorgeous! They include atlases and such) and the illustrated world of Tolkien Al’s by David Day and have perused those but haven’t really dived into them yet because it can be so daunting 😅
Do you find the idea of “touching the darkness” to be in keeping with Tolkien’s ideas? Because on the one hand I see that good is most obvious when contrasted with evil (Finrod’s meaning?), but Sauron flips the script in his temptation of Galadriel “touch the darkness once more”, which had more of a “ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil” vibe.
Because it’s repeated throughout the first season, they clearly are doing something intentionally, but...it feels a little off, even the first time it’s said by Finrod at the beginning.
Why doesn’t Galadriel tell Elrond about Halbrand/Sauron? What do you think about the symbolism of her relinquishing the dagger only for it to be remade into a new symbol?
When do you think we’ll see Sam’s poem about Gilgalad happen (Gil-galad was an elven king/ Of him the harpers sadly sing)? Do you like his characterization/casting?
Are you hoping for redemption for Theo with the weird evil scepter/key thing? Dark Mark/Harry Potter much?
I’m ok with the mithril backstory, but not making it the elves’ salvation. It’s ok to just make them greedy for something valuable and amazing without tying their life force to it.
Just wanted to throw out… watched the last episode when I was wrapping up East of Eden. Nori had a line to Gandolf “you can choose, you can choose to be good”
And I just though “Timshel”!
Are you certain that the Stranger is indeed Gandalf? In our household, we had a collective "OK, it's Gandalf" moment after the "follow your nose" line. Later, I began to consider how very many lines the show had taken from the Peter Jackson movies and put them in the mouths of a different character, using the same intonation and everything. (This felt like coming home at first, but then rapidly began to feel like lazy writing.) It led to some uncertainty for me about the Stranger. Just because Galadriel says, "Noro lim" to her horse in an exact replication of the way Arwen said it in the FOTR movie, it doesn't mean that she is now Arwen. Are you aware that there's a contingent online who isn't sure the Stranger is Gandalf and may be instead another of the Blue Wizards? What do you think of the use of an entire season to hold certain characters' identities in suspense? Do you think that worked as a storytelling device? Is it in keeping with Tolkien? Did the Halbrand reveal work?
Do you think this season had a character who was any kind of moral center? I have seen commenters complaining that there was moral confusion in the show. I have been considering it and see evidence for it in that most characters who said strongly that we should do *something* and furthermore do it *right now* were eventually shown to be either wrongheaded or engaging in outright folly. The closest I have come to identifying a moral center is in the character of Nori, who didn't falter in her belief in the Stranger despite some worrying signs and possibly in the duo of Arondir and Bronwyn. I felt the lack of the voice of Gandalf or a character like him, whose voice could always be trusted. Is it a fundamental shift to have a character like Nori fill that role? My view of the triumph of Frodo and Sam was that they submitted even unto death, not that they were the guys full of great ideas coming from within themselves. I know that there is a lot of room for the show to improve, but I have feared that a show made by Americans isn't going to know how to handle aspects like monarchy and hierarchy, which are woven throughout Tolkien.
I have a couple of questions about the forging of the rings. Why was it so rushed? It felt like an afterthought, "Oh, hey, maybe we should forge some rings." We had greater build to the reveal of Gandalf and Sauron, which was deserved but the show isn't called The Rise of Sauron and Gandalf. Was it a timing issue or a thematic issue?
Then why do the rings look so clumsy? Galadriel's ring in LOTR is gorgeous. Why do they look like twirled wire with a colored rock? Especially if these forgers are the best in the world, for all time.
Brandon Leblanc put this article in the Facebook page. I found it convincing. What do you guys think of it?
https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2022/10/18/the-rings-of-power-season-1-review-amazons-arrogant-betrayal-of-the-lord-of-the-rings/?sh=22b6fe731839
Ok, now I feel confident to actually watch it.
Also, I think the Magpie Murders series thus far is better than the book. It was definitely a book I knew while reading was going to be better in on-screen form, it was kinda a trudge as a mystery, but tv will edit it up nicely I think.
This was so helpful! I was really scared to try rings of power but I’m willing to give it a shot now hahaha. For those of us who love LOTR but don’t know where to dive in first for the lore, would you give us baby nerds a heading/starting course? Hahaha 😁 I have some supplemental books too like the Costco boxed set about Tolkien put to gather by David Day (they’re gorgeous! They include atlases and such) and the illustrated world of Tolkien Al’s by David Day and have perused those but haven’t really dived into them yet because it can be so daunting 😅
Do you find the idea of “touching the darkness” to be in keeping with Tolkien’s ideas? Because on the one hand I see that good is most obvious when contrasted with evil (Finrod’s meaning?), but Sauron flips the script in his temptation of Galadriel “touch the darkness once more”, which had more of a “ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil” vibe.
Because it’s repeated throughout the first season, they clearly are doing something intentionally, but...it feels a little off, even the first time it’s said by Finrod at the beginning.
If the decision was all yours, would you have greenlighted this project?
Why doesn’t Galadriel tell Elrond about Halbrand/Sauron? What do you think about the symbolism of her relinquishing the dagger only for it to be remade into a new symbol?
When do you think we’ll see Sam’s poem about Gilgalad happen (Gil-galad was an elven king/ Of him the harpers sadly sing)? Do you like his characterization/casting?
Are you hoping for redemption for Theo with the weird evil scepter/key thing? Dark Mark/Harry Potter much?
I’m ok with the mithril backstory, but not making it the elves’ salvation. It’s ok to just make them greedy for something valuable and amazing without tying their life force to it.