The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powermay work better as a Tolkien-inspired show rather than an adaptation ofTolkien’s Middle-earth, avoiding a lot of backlash. The show would require some tweaks following the removal of its Tolkien elements so that it wasn’t merely a derivative rip-off, of course. But this would be very doable. That isn’t to detract from the show’s success as it stands; it has been in Nielsen’s streaming top 10 for weeks. But I thinkRings of Poweris a great blueprint for an even more popular show.
The world is full of fantasy that springs fromTheLord of the Rings.Dungeons & Dragonscopied many of itsfantasy creatures from Tolkien, as did countless other books, movies, and TV shows.Amazon’sRings of Poweronly had to tweak its title, character names, place names, and a few superficial details to be just like any other average, comforting fantasy. Then,it could have escaped its main critique: its divergence from Tolkien’s canon. And unattached to source material, the show that this talented crew made would have been much better than average.
The Rings Of Power, Viewed In Isolation, Is A Great Fantasy Show
Rings Of Power’s Screenwriters Have Great Potential
In and of itself,The Rings of Poweris amazing, and anyone who complains about sets and costumes can’t watch any other fantasy show or movie and make such critiques with honest conviction.Amazon’s series is the most expensive TV show ever made, and it shows. It is fashionable, modern, and zeitgeisty, with its strong female lead and her intriguing dynamic with Tolkien’s villain. The problem is that those strengths sometimes contradict its source material, forming the basis for most of its backlash. Many detractors would love this show if it wasn’t a Tolkien adaptation.
A More Faithful Rings Of Power Season 3 Must Zoom In On One Key Tolkien Theme
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power can make one key change to be more faithful to J.R.R. Tolkien’s books, but what that is may be surprising.
The show keeps you guessing with its Tolkien boundary-pushing;Galadriel and Halbrand’s connectionwould be painfully predictable if it wasn’t tied to Tolkien’s source material. The constant conflict between faithfulness and originality keeps you on your toes, making the show surprising and compelling. I enjoy the show as it is, but more than anything,I would like a Tolkien adaptation that finally hits the nail on the head. Meanwhile, the show shines in its original content, so I know how innovative these screenwriters could be on this budget, if liberated from source material. I would love whatever that show would be.
The Rings Of Power’s Biggest Criticisms Are About Changing Tolkien Canon
Most Rings Of Power Complaints Come Down To One Thing
Critics of the show throw lots of arguments around, but the vast majority of them come down to one thing: that the show is unfaithful to Tolkien’s books. However, very few people understand whata faithful Tolkien adaptationactually is.Rings of Power’ssource material is not clearly or easily adaptable, which doesn’t mean that adapting it isn’t worthwhile. It simply means that the outcome will always be highly subjective. What is true is that the show occasionally strays from “the core of the original,” and I believe it could refine this without compromising on good TV.
In a 1951 letter to Milton Waldman, Tolkien assessed failure in adaptations as coming down to"not perceiving where the core of the original lies."
I likedRings of Powerseason 2, but it compromised between faithfulness and drama. Tolkien said the “real theme” ofLord of the Ringswas “death and immortality.” As a longtime fan, I want three things:TheRings of Powerrenewed continuously but cutting content superfluous to this theme, another adaptation that focuses on Tolkien’s real theme, and a show that isn’t trying to beLotR.I want this cast, this crew, and this budget to serve an original fantasy dramathat commits to its disruptive ideas — so basically,Rings of Powerif it wasn’t aLotRshow.
Being Compared To The Source Material Makes The Rings Of Power Look Worse
Rings Of Power Exemplifies The Difficulty With Tolkien Adaptations
The Rings of Poweris very misunderstood, suffering from comparison to its source material when, often, there is no comparison to be made. In reality,comparingThe Rings of Powerto the books is only useful to a certain extent. Adaptations “cannot be wholly different” from their source material, as Tolkien himself asserted. ButThe Rings of Powerwill be more different from its source material than the vast majority of adaptations. Its source material is not a novel; it is an archaic collection of short stories, long stories, poems, timelines, family trees, and essays.
The Rings of Powerhas full rights toThe HobbitandThe Lord of the Ringsand has been securing one-off rights to other texts as needed.
However,we must hold the show accountable as a faithful adaptation, and we can by holding it up against Tolkien’s key theme. For instance, Galadriel’s revenge arc didn’t embody this theme, makingRings of Powerlook worse. But while the show remains so misunderstood, conflicting and nonsensical demands from show and book fans need not be Payne and McKay’s concern. They should focus on emphasizing how the characters' inner conflicts inRings of Powerseason 3swing between mortality and immortality. Then, they should take this sharpened focus and apply it to a new fantasy show, untethered toLotR.
The Lord Of The Rings Means It’s Easier To Be Cynical About The Rings Of Power
The Show’s Adaptation Status Makes Cynicism Easy
The Rings of Powerinvites cynicism, being based on such widely loved books.Many people can compare the show to its source material, although not many can do it well. Regardless of the validity of the feedback on the show, it coalesces into a wider online conversation of a temperature that isn’t as positive as it could be. Even despite that,The Rings of Poweris amassing tens of millions of viewers worldwide and spiking Tolkien book sales every season (viaAmazon Best Sellers). I’m eager to see what this team can accomplish with no restrictions.
…a show just likeThe Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powerwould be welcome as an original venture, given the opportunity to develop independently…
The Rings of Powerfully exemplifies the difficulties of adapting Tolkien.If it wasn’t aLord of the Ringsadaptation, lots of viewers would probably relaxinto characters likeThe Rings of Power’sHarfootsand enjoy them for their innocent fun, rather than calling out their distinct absence from the Second Age in the books. Whether or not viewers' criticisms of the show’s faithfulness make sense, I’m sure that a show just likeThe Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powerwould be welcome as an original venture, given the opportunity to develop independently. I hope some form of it happens.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Cast
Set in the Second Age of Middle-earth, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power explores the forging of the iconic rings, the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron, and the epic events leading up to the stories in J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic novels. The series chronicles the creation of legendary characters and the historic alliances and rivalries that shape the fate of Middle-earth.
