Lord of the Rings TV series

[yeghor]

The whole thing is a fucking travesty from the get go.

Rings of Power "SUPERFANS" Have Produced ZERO RoP CONTENT!! - by HeelvsBabyface

 

[SearchingforPeace]

Here is a professional reviewer setting forth the big problems

...The writers and showrunners responsible for this show could have won me over with good fan-fiction. They could have tossed Tolkien’s lore onto a bonfire and I’d have been perfectly happy if they’d simply crafted an enjoyable story with characters I care about.

Unfortunately, The Rings Of Power is written so poorly it defies even my worst fears. Oh yes, I was awed and impressed by the opening two episodes just like many others. But my how quickly a badly written TV series can wear out its welcome once the shimmer fades....

Instead of actual character drama, the creators of Rings Of Power simply make everyone bicker and argue with one another all the time.....

We have spectacle, though. Lots of big, dramatic moments with . . . literally no build-up to them....

Nothing is earned in The Rings Of Power. Neither the emotional nor the epic. Things just happen because the writers want those things to happen. Something happens and then something else happens. There are no real consequences, no real hard spots to get out of, just a string of events unfolding, frictionless and boring.....

This is bad writing, pure and simple. Bad characterization. Choppy dialogue. Characters who don’t make sense and clearly dislike one another as much as we dislike them. Everything feels forced and contrived, especially in the Galadriel storyline.....

All the money in the world can’t save bad writing. No amount of spectacle will ever be able to paper over a lousy script.

For all its spectacle, The Rings Of Power lacks something precious: A sense of adventure......

Read more at https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikka...s-of-power-has-inexplicably-terrible-writing/

 

[Totenkindly]

Here is a professional reviewer setting forth the big problems



Read more at https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikka...s-of-power-has-inexplicably-terrible-writing/

Yeah, I posted a recap of Episode 4 last week by the same reviewer. Have to watch today's episode, but that is kind of the issue -- it's not that it's got a diverse cast or is even just fan fic (which could still be pretty awesome/enjoyable if it embraced it), it's really a writing and imagination issue. I'll read more of this later, since they have seemed pretty balanced in past recaps.

Compare to an adaptation like The Boys (also Amazon), where the writing is actually better than the comic and makes a lot of changes that, even if they happen to empower women a bit more, don't come off as self-serving and also accentuate all the character arcs to be more than just a gross spectacle meant to trigger people as the comic did. It's one of those cases where a shocking but somewhat mediocre product was actually reshaped and improved for its TV adaptation because of better writing. Not that the show doesn't have issues or is sometimes over-touted, but overall it's better than the source. And of course I have to say that show is never ever boring, lol

EDIT: Read Erik's article. Yeah, I agree. Even about the whole final section about criticism, and about how actually the NEW characters work better than most of the actual Tolkien characters. How most everything with Galadriel has been a cop-out. And so forth.

I’m trying to envision the writing process here, how they came up with this story of all the stories they could spin. They had carte blanche to make up whatever Middle-earth fable they wanted and they give us this cobbled together nonsense with a cast of characters we can barely stand, tossed haphazardly into predicaments and events that ooze fake gravitas but have no real stakes.

I don’t get it. I really don’t. I really wanted to like this show and was completely willing to suspend my disbelief and treat it like expensive fan-fiction. But this feels cheap.

And his comments about how to write good stories. I think these are extremely legitimate criticisms, and I'm still kind of befuddled how they got here.

Wonder if anything improves for e5, which aired after his review. But I am doubting it.

 

[MaxMad244]

It depends, I guess.

I suppose if your goal is to GET PUBLISHED, then marketing works that allow for easy adaptation from one medium to another is a huge plus. It's a large selling point, because you probably won't get a lot of money for selling a book but damn if you can sell movie rights and maybe even bag adapting your own script, well, there's a big budget for you to tap into.

But I agree with the structure thing. There are things you can do in film that you can't do easily in books and vice versa, so you are necessarily trading off the strength of your own medium to conform to the shape of another. I guess it depends on your overall goal. Sometimes when I am writing, I automatically think, "How would they adapt this in a film? Are the effects replicable easily?" And so on. But then it's like putting your cart before the horse.


Well, the Emmy is a TV show award, not a film award. And it's a parody, I guess you're saying. But it's making it hard for me to decipher which film -- or TV show, I'm not sure -- that you are talking about. Which one is it? Heck, though, there's probably a number to choose from lol.

It's all necessary evil shit nowadays, if you want published. Gone are the days when you'd slave away on paper in your home and get a book published with a direct line. Everything is noise, and writers spend a lot of their time getting agents and also marketing their work more than they do writing. You have to have the right in's and know the right people. It's all a business. So it's not a surprise to see a lot of the issues that commonly occur, if it's about business and not about writing or quality of work per se. Even if you write the most fucking awesome book, if they don't know how to sell it, no one will pick it up aside as a small labor of love (if you are fortunate). Writers are expected to pitch their ideas and/or have someone pitch their ideas for them.

Euphoria. That crap show that is completely random and meaningless, has no plot line, and is completely appropriated from real trauma to basically mock the trauma that it's appropriating.

 

[Totenkindly]

Euphoria. That crap show that is completely random and meaningless, has no plot line, and is completely appropriated from real trauma to basically mock the trauma that it's appropriating.

ah, thanks. I know nothing about it aside from it being based on a foreign show, and that Zandaya won an Emmy for each season, beating Rhea Seehorn this year...

 

[Totenkindly]

Watched e5 of Rings of Power. I did laugh a lot. The music is nice, as well as the lighting and sets. The Numenor plotline needs to die in a fire. I'm not sure I have much else to say. I'm glad there are only three more episodes left.

 

[MaxMad244]

ah, thanks. I know nothing about it aside from it being based on a foreign show, and that Zandaya won an Emmy for each season, beating Rhea Seehorn this year...

Both of those shows are extremely watered down in every sense of the word. Post 2020 dribble.

 

[Totenkindly]

Both of those shows are extremely watered down in every sense of the word. Post 2020 dribble.

You mean both seasons? Or are you referring to two different shows?

 

[MaxMad244]

You mean both seasons? Or are you referring to two different shows?

I mean the two shows that had actors up for Emmy's. Still I suspect the one who lost to be the better actress. Zendaya is horrible.

 

[Totenkindly]

I mean the two shows that had actors up for Emmy's. Still I suspect the one who lost to be the better actress. Zendaya is horrible.

Lol. You must have very interesting standards for shows, apparently.

 

[highlander]

I am really liking this show. At first, I thought the new Game of Thrones was better but I actually think this is quite a bit better. They are both good. The visual effects are incredible and the plotline and characters are also very good. It's a great idea.

 

[Totenkindly]

The Rings Of Power's Massive Mithril Retcon Explained

Mithril does WHAT in The Rings of Power?!

screenrant.com

 

[MaxMad244]

Lol. You must have very interesting standards for shows, apparently.

I basically think shows that make you cry or feel something are good. Shows that make you laugh and expand on the entire human experience. I don't like shows that focus and amplify one signature move because it becomes comedy and parody.

Like Euphoria is comedy. It's showing us how rich spoiled brats act pretending to suffer through the teenage adversity of drugs and coming of age. It would be like a bunch of French royalists making a movie about the genocides in Africa. Even if the acting was decent, the entire thing would be a huge joke on the actors, and a huge tragedy for society.

 

[Totenkindly]

I basically think shows that make you cry or feel something are good. Shows that make you laugh and expand on the entire human experience. I don't like shows that focus and amplify one signature move because it becomes comedy and parody.

Like Euphoria is comedy. It's showing us how rich spoiled brats act pretending to suffer through the teenage adversity of drugs and coming of age. It would be like a bunch of French royalists making a movie about the genocides in Africa. Even if the acting was decent, the entire thing would be a huge joke on the actors, and a huge tragedy for society.

Then you obviously never watched Better Call Saul, one show you were cutting on earlier. So what gives?

Your standards also could be discussed a bit, as there's a lot of variety in what can make a show good.

As noted, though, i cannot speak on Euphoria as I never watched it.

 

[MaxMad244]

Then you obviously never watched Better Call Saul, one show you were cutting on earlier. So what gives?

Your standards also could be discussed a bit, as there's a lot of variety in what can make a show good.

As noted, though, i cannot speak on Euphoria as I never watched it.

I'll give Beter Call Saul a chance for sure. Is it as good as This is Us?

I put it down because they gave the award to Zendeya for something that was so bad it was tragic. I figured if Better Call Saul was good more people would cry robbery because giving that award to Zendeya over the other movies is like giving an award to the crappiest piece of art in the show. At that point you wonder how good the other art is or if you're just witnessing a mockery of reality.

 

[Totenkindly]

I'll give Beter Call Saul a chance for sure. Is it as good as This is Us?

Did you like This is Us, then? I watched about three seasons, I wanted to watch the whole thing when airing but fell behind and then felt kind of overwhelmed when I was trying to catch up on cable. But I thought it one of the best flashback-related shows in terms of unveiling details that aired on regular broadcast TV, and especially for a kind of "feel good" show that was unexpectedly complex and nuanced. it is easily in the top five shows that I regret not yet having finished. I also have always loved Mandy Moore and Milo Ventimiglia.

I put it down because they gave the award to Zendeya for something that was so bad it was tragic. I figured if Better Call Saul was good more people would cry robbery because giving that award to Zendeya over the other movies is like giving an award to the crappiest piece of art in the show. At that point you wonder how good the other art is or if you're just witnessing a mockery of reality.

I'm not sure where you are looking for this feedback. There was a lot of upcry that Better Call Saul got 64 Emmy nominations over its run but didn't actually win anything, since it is as good as Breaking Bad at least in terms of acting, writing, directing, editing, and cinematography and even musical selection (they manage to take music you've never heard much about, or sometimes unexpected musical choices, and make it work in a montage). It's also one of the rare sequel/prequels that makes its originating show (Breaking Bad) better, once you get a bit into it. It manages to pull this off despite the audience knowing the fate of most of the characters that appear in the show, because it becomes about "how did they get there" versus what happens. It just takes a little time to get everything established.

The second half of its final season might be eligible for next year's Emmys (I'm not sure), since it aired later.

Sometimes awards actually are a conflicting of competing great performances. I am not sure what the situation was this year for some of the major characters. I did notice a few of the categories did have some actually competing good performances. Other times though, it seems like voters just have their heads up their asses or just like a particular show and either don't bother on watching the competition to make a fair choice or just vote for more generic emotion over actual quality. (I felt this way over the Best Picture award in the last Oscars; the film that won had been better done thematically previously, and is not going to stick in memory very long. In fact, I think it's already gone. Sometimes quality wins and sometimes popularity contests / marketing wins.)

 

[MaxMad244]

Did you like This is Us, then? I watched about three seasons, I wanted to watch the whole thing when airing but fell behind and then felt kind of overwhelmed when I was trying to catch up on cable. But I thought it one of the best flashback-related shows in terms of unveiling details that aired on regular broadcast TV, and especially for a kind of "feel good" show that was unexpectedly complex and nuanced. it is easily in the top five shows that I regret not yet having finished. I also have always loved Mandy Moore and Milo Ventimiglia.


I'm not sure where you are looking for this feedback. There was a lot of upcry that Better Call Saul got 64 Emmy nominations over its run but didn't actually win anything, since it is as good as Breaking Bad at least in terms of acting, writing, directing, editing, and cinematography and even musical selection (they manage to take music you've never heard much about, or sometimes unexpected musical choices, and make it work in a montage). It's also one of the rare sequel/prequels that makes its originating show (Breaking Bad) better, once you get a bit into it. It manages to pull this off despite the audience knowing the fate of most of the characters that appear in the show, because it becomes about "how did they get there" versus what happens. It just takes a little time to get everything established.

The second half of its final season might be eligible for next year's Emmys (I'm not sure), since it aired later.

Sometimes awards actually are a conflicting of competing great performances. I am not sure what the situation was this year for some of the major characters. I did notice a few of the categories did have some actually competing good performances. Other times though, it seems like voters just have their heads up their asses or just like a particular show and either don't bother on watching the competition to make a fair choice or just vote for more generic emotion over actual quality. (I felt this way over the Best Picture award in the last Oscars; the film that won had been better done thematically previously, and is not going to stick in memory very long. In fact, I think it's already gone. Sometimes quality wins and sometimes popularity contests / marketing wins.)

I enjoy This is Us. I am on season three. What you mentioned is really one of the best things about it - the creative storytelling mixed with the phenomenal acting. I actually never liked Mandy Moore but she was good in this show. It's a tear jerker and I don't recommend watching more than two a night cause it gets intense.

Yeah...Zendeya winning an award for acting is like giving Fred Savage and Emmy for Boy Meets World.

 

[Totenkindly]

Episode 6 Positives:

• Two of the subplots finally merge, cutting down on the number of multiple plotlines
• Not dragging out a long-presumed romance
• At least Galadriel's stubborn one-track mind fits better in a battle arc than in a diplomacy arc
• Things actually happen; some scenes are actually tense
• The episode focuses on a small number of plotlines at best, giving more time
• Some greyness is added to the moral complexity at least among the elves, in light of that last convo between Galadriel and Adar
• Nice referring back to the planting ritual before battle for BOTH sides

Negatives:

• Really bad awareness of plotting and/or time/spatial relationships. Primary example: Somehow the Numenor army lands, races pell-mell across the fields and mountains for what must have been hours (horses cannot run full-pace that long), to eventually get to the battle that is unfolding in the village which was nighttime but suddenly is daytime (and they are racing in daytime). There is no indication how they knew the little village was in danger or how to get there or why they would even go to that specific location or if that made sense, unless they knew of the orcs in that location -- which maybe they were told about? Sometimes details slip by.
• The orcs kind of suck if a rag-tag band of old villagers can rout them easily... although later we see they had more reinforcements coming in and it was partly a trap.
• Macguyver'ing the tower in the keep was kind of impressive although... really? Was that possible to even do realistically?
• The science might be a bit dubious -- I think cold water dumped onto lava will cool the lava and flash-steam the water. The resulting burst of steam COULD blow the top off the mountain, but I don't think it would send lava everywhere AKA volcanic eruption, it would be a steam explosion (similar to the volatile gas explosion that often blows the top off the mountain) without all the lava/fire. Not sure.
• Tripped horse doesn't break a leg. A horse rider in fact trips the horse, that's pretty sick if alternatives existed. And how did Galadriel catch up so quickly after such a late lead, and then not be able to catch him?
• I'm torn on the battle sequences. Some bits are okay, some of the one-on-one choreography is really shitty just in comparison to any random action movie I might watch. Why isn't it better? Some of Galadriel's antics on horseback are as ridiculous looking as some of her earlier fight sequences. This and the lack of spatial/chrono-awareness in plotting is what leaves this feeling like Hack Night and/or Fan Fic at the Mic night. It is the kind of sloppiness that is the first thing to go (like with Seasons 6-8 of GoT) and makes all the other details more suspect in terms of whether they were ever thought out well. It feels like children playing with franchise action figures rather than careful story telling.

Big fan [sarcasm] of the Numenor leader Miriel's wtf/cringe look when everyone else retains a more noble looking view of uncertainty:

 

[Totenkindly]

Amazon analyst said he 'fell asleep' watching the company's LOTR 'Rings of Power' TV show, making him even more worried the $1 billion project may be a bust

Amazon's 'Rings of Power' series has received poor reviews from users online, though some of that has been 'review bombing.'

www.businessinsider.com

 

[Totenkindly]

Yay?

The Rings of Power Season 2 Begins Production in the U.K.

Prime Video's hit series will move locations for most of the second season.

movieweb.com