{"id":1638239,"date":"2022-09-10T03:02:45","date_gmt":"2022-09-10T07:02:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1638239"},"modified":"2022-09-10T03:03:22","modified_gmt":"2022-09-10T07:03:22","slug":"amazons-the-rings-of-power-leaves-many-disappointed-while-some-hold-out-hope","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/amazons-the-rings-of-power-leaves-many-disappointed-while-some-hold-out-hope\/","title":{"rendered":"Amazon\u2019s \u2018The Rings Of Power\u2019 Leaves Many Disappointed While Some Hold Out Hope"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Famazons-the-rings-of-power-leaves-many-disappointed-while-some-hold-out-hope%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1638239&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>\u201cI\u2019ve seen a lot of reactions that have immediately suggested, \u2018Oh, this is really sloppy,\u2019\u201d said Corey Olsen, a medieval studies <a href=\"https:\/\/signumuniversity.org\/people\/corey-olsen\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">scholar<\/a> who goes by the moniker \u201cTolkien Professor\u201d online, in a live Q&#038;A <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/tolkienprof\/status\/1565730541713891329\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">interview<\/a>. \u201c[And] I\u2019m feeling a little challenged in trying to orient myself.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>He\u2019s not alone in his reaction to \u201cThe Rings of Power,\u201d Amazon\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/entertainment-arts\/business\/story\/2022-09-01\/lat-et-ct-amazon-the-lord-of-the-rings-rings-of-power-prime-video?sfmc_id=3556273\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">$700 million dollar<\/a> prequel TV series to J.R.R. Tolkien\u2019s \u201cThe Lord of the Rings,\u201d which premiered with two episodes this past weekend. To see Middle Earth reduced to the TV format is jarring. So is the depiction of \u201cCommander Galadriel\u201d and the show\u2019s portrayal of Valinor, the elves\u2019 undying lands.<\/p>\n<p>Advance coverage, such as in <a href=\"https:\/\/time.com\/6205837\/the-rings-of-power-amazon-most-expensive\/\">TIME Maga<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/time.com\/6205837\/the-rings-of-power-amazon-most-expensive\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">z<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/time.com\/6205837\/the-rings-of-power-amazon-most-expensive\/\">ine<\/a>, leans into Hollywood hype rather than interrogation from serious Tolkien scholars.\u00a0It\u2019s famously the most expensive TV season ever produced, with season two soon <a href=\"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/tv\/fantasy\/rings-of-power-season-2-filming-exclusive-newsupdate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">heading<\/a> into production. The show is a visual feast of sweeping landscapes, golden vistas, and elaborate artisanship at many levels. But are elaborate visuals enough to make the series a faithful portrayal of Tolkien\u2019s work?\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Olsen, a medieval studies Ph.D. who has taught university-level and free classes on the Tolkien legendarium for over a decade, admits being \u201cconfused\u201d by the serialized drama so far. He adds: \u201cBut there is so much more information that is going to be coming about these things, I am content to be patient.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His approach accords with where several longtime Tolkien adherents have landed on this glossy version of Middle Earth. Considering the series has been outlined as 40 episodes over five seasons, some are willing to wait until this eight-episode season one finishes to better evaluate themes and intent.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Steven Greydanus, a Catholic deacon and father of six \u2014 and the rare Christian writer who is also a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nyfcc.com\/membership\/steven-d-greydanus\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">member<\/a> of the New York Film Critics Circle \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.catholicworldreport.com\/2022\/08\/31\/a-new-foray-into-middle-earth-the-rings-of-power\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">notes<\/a> the premiere episodes are a \u201cmixed bag\u201d but urges Tolkien fans to \u201ckeep an open mind.\u201d Similarly, Aaron Earls, who works at LifeWay Research in Nashville and blogs at The Wardrobe Door, <a href=\"https:\/\/wardrobedoor.substack.com\/p\/the-rings-of-power-and-belonging\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">admits<\/a> having \u201cquibbles\u201d with some creative choices. \u201dBut the desire and effort to prove faithful to Tolkien is clear,\u201d he stated.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But with inevitable changes to the source material and numerous hands involved, can any good come of it?\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>The Oliphaunt in the Room<\/h2>\n<p>Most reviews of \u201cThe Rings of Power\u201d touch on \u2014 to use a term from Middle Earth \u2014 the oliphaunt in the room: how Galadriel has been depicted as a field commander of elves and, by all appearances, on a vengeful mission motivated by the death of her brother.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Several reviewers note this portrayal as not befitting Tolkien. \u201cNothing against Galadriel handily dispatching a vicious snow troll \u2026 but the badass approach to writing Strong Female Characters is long since a tiresome clich\u00e9,\u201d writes Greydanus. \u201cIt seems like a terrible storytelling decision.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>English professor Ben Reinhard, who recently published a new translation of Tolkien\u2019s beloved \u201cBeowulf,\u201d gives a much starker assessment. His <a href=\"https:\/\/www.crisismagazine.com\/2022\/rings-of-power-jeff-bezoss-billion-dollar-anti-tolkien-fan-fiction\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">scathing review<\/a> calls Galadriel in the premiere episodes \u201cone of the least likable protagonists ever committed to screen \u2026 an arrogant Amazon (with) a smothering self-righteousness, hell-bent on revenge.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Yet several commentators view this Galadriel as though she is at the start of a long character arc, with Kevin McLenithan of <a href=\"https:\/\/christandpopculture.com\/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-rings-of-power-review\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Christ and Pop Culture<\/a> noting \u201cthe gulf between\u201d this depiction of her and the one seen over 3,000 years later in the film trilogy. \u201cHow might [this] obsessive, loose-cannon warrior have grown into [Cate] Blanchett\u2019s gliding, One Ring-rejecting queen?\u201d he asks.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But the show introduces other jarring changes from the source material, as well. Tolkien\u2019s legendarium describes key Second Age events \u2014 the rise of Sauron, the forging of the rings of power, and the rise and fall of the seafaring kingdom N\u00famenor \u2014 as occurring over thousands of years.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>That might work for TV if all the characters are elves who live for millennia. To have humans, dwarves, and Harfoots (ancestors of Hobbits) as part of the ensemble, writers compressed the timeline. \u201cWe brought some events up and [moved] some back,\u201d said co-showrunner J.D. Payne in a <a href=\"https:\/\/gizmodo.com\/lord-of-the-rings-rings-of-power-showrunners-interview-1849468644\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">recent interview<\/a>. \u201cWe worked very closely with the Tolkien estate to make sure we had their blessing to do that, as one of the big liberties that we took in adapting this.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A third oft-heard criticism concerns how king Gil-galad appears to grant certain elves passage to Valinor \u2014 an analog of sorts for eternity \u2014 as if it were a military honor. \u201cI was most taken aback by this,\u201d said scholar Olsen. \u201cGil-galad is in charge in this show. [But] I don\u2019t think he has the power to \u2018open the curtain\u2019 to Valinor. Instead, it seems like he\u2019s the one who owns the boats.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Such minutiae of the mythology will send many reaching for copies of Tolkien\u2019s novels; in fact, HarperCollins <a href=\"https:\/\/www.publishersweekly.com\/pw\/by-topic\/industry-news\/publisher-news\/article\/90092-brian-murray-on-harpercollins-s-fiscal-2022.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">predicts<\/a> \u201cRings\u201d and related works will hit new sales records in the coming weeks.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>Can Truth Prevail Amid Powerful Corruption?<\/h2>\n<p>As potential evidence that \u201cThe Rings of Power\u201d will inevitably <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2022\/09\/06\/amazons-rings-of-power-fails-because-it-abandons-tolkiens-moral-imagination\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">abandon<\/a> any hint of virtue or its roots in Tolkien, critics have noted the show hiring writer-producer Bryan Cogman who worked on\u00a0 HBO\u2019s prurient \u201cGames of Thrones\u201d TV franchise.<\/p>\n<p>However, in interviews, Cogman has emphasized how \u201clife-affirming\u201d and \u201clife-giving\u201d he has found Middle Earth as opposed to the hyper-violent, obscene world of Westeros. \u201cThere\u2019s a different tone, a different vibe, a different feeling to the world of Tolkien, and it was one J.D. (Payne) and Patrick (McKay) were adamant we embrace,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thewardrobedoor.com\/2022\/08\/how-an-atheist-game-of-thrones-writer-gave-this-christian-hope-for-the-rings-of-power.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">said<\/a> Cogman.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>For his part, co-showrunner Payne says that \u201ctimeless themes\u201d of the series include how \u201cstaying true and loyal to your companions in a fellowship can overcome even the armies of evil\u201d and exposing \u201cthe corrupting influence of power.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>One hopes Amazon\u2019s executives will consider all aspects of these themes.<\/p>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theamericanconservative.com\/how-amazon-crushes-small-business\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">cutthroat player<\/a> in several highly competitive industries, Amazon often seems more Orc-like than Ent-ish in its practices. It\u2019s perhaps why some Tolkien fans feel a certain dissonance about this series, promoted as another work of commerce to add to an online cart.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The showrunners, self-professed Tolkien nerds, seem genuine in describing why they love Middle Earth. \u201cIt takes you there \u2014 it takes you to places where people die. People go evil. There\u2019s true tragedy in Tolkien in the greatest sense of the word,\u201d said Payne.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut at the same time, there\u2019s always that one ray of light,\u201d he added. \u201cEven passing through great pain, there is still hope for something good at the end.\u201d From the season one finale to wherever season five ends up years from now, it remains to be seen if \u201cThe Rings of Power\u201d can deliver on those lofty aspirations.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Drawing on the moral symbolism of Tolkien\u2019s magical rings of power, reviewer McLenithan raises a central question about this loose fantasy adaptation. \u201cWill it function like an Elven Ring, enhancing, embellishing, and nourishing an already good creation? Or will it meet with the fate of the Dwarven Rings, which killed contentment and fueled a never-ending appetite for more riches before being lost forever to dragons?\u201d<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" \/>\n<p>\n  Josh Shepherd covers culture, faith, and public policy for several media outlets including The Stream. His articles have appeared in Christianity Today, Religion &#038; Politics, Faithfully Magazine, Religion News Service, and Providence Magazine. A graduate of the University of Colorado, he previously worked on staff at The Heritage Foundation and Focus on the Family. Josh and his wife live in the Washington, D.C. area with their two children.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-comments mt-30 mt-sm-60\">\n<div class=\"article-comments-container d-flex flex-column align-items-center py-30\">\n    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"110\" height=\"106\" src=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/fdrlst-mark.svg\" class=\"img-fluid mb-20\" alt=\"The Federalist logo eagle mark\" \/>    <\/p>\n<p>Unlock commenting by joining the Federalist Community.<\/p>\n<p>    <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/plans\/pricing\/\" class=\"btn btn-on-white\">Subscribe<\/a>  <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cI\u2019ve seen a lot of reactions that have immediately suggested, \u2018Oh, this is really sloppy,\u2019\u201d said Corey Olsen, a medieval studies scholar who goes by the moniker \u201cTolkien Professor\u201d online,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":626,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1638239","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1638239","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/626"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1638239"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1638239\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1638239"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1638239"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1638239"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}