Hard to argue with him about the JJ-Abramsification of all things, or the perplexing fact that modern audiences appear to lap it up.

Watching season one of RoP felt undeniably reminiscent of watching The Force Awakens and almost hearing the audible *ding as yet another callback got checked off the list. It’s not art any more; it’s just content to be consumed.

This review makes a lot of great points about parts of the series that I was having trouble putting into words. Especially the bit about the scope being so grand and beautiful and then zooming too far in so that the cities or towns feel like a set.

On social media, I keep seeing the Rings of Power promotions with ‘Deep Dives in Lore’ or something like that. Why have these deep dives if the lore doesn’t add up? Tom Bombadil doesn’t deserve this.

Lol Not-Gandalf

I haven’t watched the second season, but I remember more than one sigh during the first one. I really liked the costumes and decoration, but I just kept thinking, “Why did they need to tell this story?” I didn’t hate it, but I thought the entire exercise was pointless and unnecessary: apathy is worse than hate.

The question is rhetorical, of course. They couldn’t get ahold of the rights to the Silmarillion, and the machine hungers.

Kind of weird to call it a “callback.” I think the author just didn’t quite know what to call it when Rings of Power is just taking straight up stealing scenes from the books an entire Age before they happen?

I don’t think there is a name for it, because it’s stupid and no one thought it was a good idea before now. Some marketing bozo heard book nerds were salty about Tom Bombadil not being in Jackson’s movie and figured they paid for the rights, just rewrite the scene to fit?