The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power‘s finale aired last Friday. It was the one show I was watching. But I’m not sure who else is/was watching it. Nor do I know if it has been well received. Sometimes-and classically Tolkienesque I might add-there are…whisperings. For instance, on Twitter someone wrote how Rings of Power was awful and no one was watching. The thread underneath that tweet came to the show’s defense by saying…they were watching it. And the only flack it was receiving was on Twitter because…well…it’s Twitter: the center of the universe for the almighty gripe. Yet-another time-the host of a podcast I listen to said, “Why’d they spend a billion dollars on this show and then not do anything…?” The whisperings imply Rings of Power isn’t good. But, I think the whisperings imply something else. I think the whisperings imply something else entirely.
We saw it before in Star Wars The Last Jedi. It was the ugly face of toxic fandom. Fans voicing outrage on…Twitter-and elsewhere. But also being hateful to actors, and in so many other ways, demanding a different movie. And so, what it seems to me, the writers went back to the writers room to make a movie more for those fans. Not this fan, mind you. For those fans. The loud and angry ones. Which, I’m sure, was a great idea. What to do when a bully demands your lunch money? Just give it to him okay. You’ll eat later.
So, it makes me wonder, what are Lord of the Rings fans really thinking? There are a few things to consider. First, the story being told here isn’t exactly the story that Tolkien alluded to in his appendices. The writers and creators are taking some liberties. Some liberties are due to what rights the creators have to Tolkien’s texts (it doesn’t include everything). Others are being taken to somewhat condense time. I mean, Elves live forever but Harfoots sure don’t and we’ve got a story to tell right? Do these liberties strengthen the story? Sometimes yes, sometimes no.
Secondly, if the story isn’t exactly Tolkien’s text, how much slack are fans willing to give them? If they’re drawing lines in the sand I wonder, what that line is, and where would it be drawn?
Thirdly, and this isn’t just Rings of Power’s problem, but a problem all prequels must face. How to raise the stakes when viewers all know that all the major characters on screen don’t die. This isn’t a spoiler by the way, because we’ve all seen Lord of the Rings and know who makes it out alive. We may not know how they make it out, but they make it out.
I had a conversation recently with my brother-in-law. He said something similar to, “Yeah the prequels and the sequels to the original Star Wars Trilogy weren’t that great…but who cares! I just like being in that world.” While I realize he doesn’t speak for everyone, what he said really resonated with me. That’s exactly the reason why I love The Mandalorian like I do. That first season was just…magical. It was Mando and Baby Yoda hopping on a space ship and touring the galaxy. We’ll stop off here and help a village. We’ll stop off here and earn a bit of money, roll credits and “join us next week when…” I loved it. And I loved it because I just liked being in the world of Star Wars. No space wizards with light swords. No Force, no Skywalker, but still very much Star Wars.
Another whispering about Rings of Power that reached my ears had to do with this issue…the pacing. Rings of Power seemed to be taking its time. In a word…it’s too slow. The idea that a show-or more to the point-a story taking its time is detractor is, I feel like, a new phenomenon. Maybe we’ve forgotten how long things used to take. Remember sit coms? A typical season had an average of 22-26 episodes per season. Each episode was a complete story arc, but sometimes a “B”-storyline would unfold over the entire season…slowly. That pace gave time for tension to build, characters to develop and for you to become invested.
I could watch the Mandalorian and Grogu planet hop for seasons and seasons. Give me more slow moments where I can just watch the weird alien in the corner of the bar sip his purple beer. This is what I want. I just want to be in this world for a bit. Let me sit down and just…creature watch.
I realize it’s been a long walk to get where I’m going, so I’ll get to the point. I’m pretty sure I’m not the only fan that feels this way. Also, I know there are a lot of people who probably feel the opposite of how I do. My point is, just when did it come so important to yell and scream about it? Rings of Power may not be the Tolkien story you were looking for. So the solution should be, don’t watch it. You don’t have to get on Twitter and whine about it, or criticize it, or talk trash. You can just…skip it, and keep what you do love. I’m a big Star Wars fan, but not so big on the sequels. So I watch the original Trilogy when I’m in the mood. It’s the part of Star Wars I enjoy the most.
Not everything is made for me and you. If you hate apple pie, then don’t eat it. It’s really that simple. Not enjoying Rings of Power? No biggie, but someone else may really love it. And life goes on. If I had to go on the defensive about Rings of Power, I’d make the same point I did earlier. I just enjoy being in Tolkien’s world. The architecture alone is beautiful to look at. And every frame is a freaking Thomas Kincaid painting. But I get it: Isildur isn’t quite living up to his older reputation. Galdriel is more of a hot head than you thought. Maybe try some other fantasy movie then. I hear Krull’s pretty good.
Just don’t Tweet me about it. Because, like how I choose what to keep and what to leave when it comes to my fandom, I do the same with social media.
Power Rangers in Space Reunion Event!
On November 19th and 20th Fanboys Marketplace is hosting a Power Rangers in Space Reunion Event. VIP passes and photo tickets are available now for purchase ahead of time. Click the link here, and we’ll see you in November!
