The Rings of Power - Discussion

[Arkandel]

@Kestrel said in The Rings of Power - Discussion:

• I actually was surprised by the villain reveal, which makes me want to rewatch the whole thing now. I knew who Stranger was, but I was actually behind this fan theory (mouseover to read the URL for the deets, don’t want to hint at the spoiler otherwise). I expected we’d see a tale of gradual corruption rather than an immediate curtain-pull.

I was hoping Halbrand was who you thought he’d be, as it’d give us a nice parallel - with a much darker twist - to Aragorn’s own arc.

I think season 1 should have worked more on expanding the potential list of eligible Ring recipients.

[Kestrel]

I don’t generally use Twitter, but I have a private account for the sole purpose of occasionally looking up the latest hullabaloo.

Anyway, I decided to search for “Rings of Power” for a sense of public consensus on the finale, and all I found was endless Haladriel shipping memes.

Damnit, internet. Go to your room.

[Aria]

@Kestrel said in The Rings of Power - Discussion:

I don’t generally use Twitter, but I have a private account for the sole purpose of occasionally looking up the latest hullabaloo.

Anyway, I decided to search for “Rings of Power” for a sense of public consensus on the finale, and all I found was endless Haladriel shipping memes.

Damnit, internet. Go to your room.

There’s a sign hanging over the door that reads “Horny Jail”.

[NotSanni]

@Kestrel said in The Rings of Power - Discussion:

• Harfoots remain my favourite storyline, Nori & Stranger remain my OTPlatonic. On this @Arkandel & I are diametrically opposed. I don’t care about tall people, Hobbits: First Class spinoff when?

Literally my favorite part of every episode

Also, similarly surprised by the villain reveal. I assumed the same as the fan theory.

[Kestrel]

A week later I’m still annoyed and mystified by all the Haladriel shipping. Like as pointed out here:

@NotSanni said in The Rings of Power - Discussion:

@Kestrel said in The Rings of Power - Discussion:

Sidebar, I really love all the bestfriendships on this show, and this is something I like about House of the Dragon too. Romantic couples are boring. Laenor + Rhaenyra, Nori + Stranger, Durin + Elrond are all my OTP. (One True Platonic.)

I think that the world could use more stories that incorporate non-romantic relationships. Tolkien was really, REALLY good at incorporating them into his own works, and I’m glad that Rings of Power is showing that at least a little.

I really wish it felt possible these days to explore platonic (or otherwise complex) relationships in fiction, even between people of the opposite sex, without it always having to turn into … vague general hand wave.

I cynically wonder if Amazon was trying to tease/bait this kind of reaction on purpose, or if it is just our culture to blame, but either way ew I hate it. Down with this ship.

Anyway, on a lighter and hypocritical note:

[Arkandel]

I’d need to brush up on it but Tolkien’s Elves aren’t really driven by their relationships in the same way as other races. They mate for life, which probably reflects Tolkien’s background as a devout Catholic, as well as his more prudish society.

So the idea of breaking up, divorcing or even remarrying really isn’t that thematic in that sense. A quick google reveals only one Elf to have ever been with two partners - Finwë’s, who remarried after his first wife Míriel died, and that had complications relating to his first wife’s ‘reincarnation’. It’s pretty esoteric! Although it does bear saying when these folks fall, they fall all the damn way; Luthien and Beren’s bond basically defined the entire First Age.

Now I don’t think RoP will take that approach especially since they’ve already introduced at least one more Elf/Man couple and they do probably can use some more romance in the show than we’ve seen so far, but still. There is probably a range of reasonable compromises between “no Elf can ever take a lover outside of wedlock” and "Galadriel boinks Sauron".

[Jennkryst]

@Arkandel Counterpoint:

[Rinel]

@Pyrephox

Have you read Max Gladstone’s CRAFT SEQUENCE? It’s set in a modern similar-to-but-not-Earth fantasy world where most of the gods have recently been overthrown and society is largely run by people proficient in the Craft.

Proficiency in the Craft looks a lot like business and law.

It’s brilliant.

[Jennkryst]

@Rinel Business and Law, you say?

Also WELCOME, SMOL BIRB.

[Rinel]

@Jennkryst

Thanks! Good to be back now that life has settled down a bit.

[Pyrephox]

@Rinel I haven’t! It’s been consistently recommended, though. It remains on The List for future reading.

[Jennkryst]

Tangentially related, FLGS had their annual Great Pumpkin sale, where I picked up the One Ring core book, so now I am almost REQUIRED to gripe about how we need a Middle Earth MU. Preferably with the lewdest of Elves, to annoy @Arkandel.

[Arkandel]

@Jennkryst said in The Rings of Power - Discussion:

Tangentially related, FLGS had their annual Great Pumpkin sale, where I picked up the One Ring core book, so now I am almost REQUIRED to gripe about how we need a Middle Earth MU. Preferably with the lewdest of Elves, to annoy @Arkandel.

I’ve played on Shang, so I shall say no more.