An image of my expectations departing for the Grey Havens (jk that's Numenor or something)

Disclaimer: this is my opinion 😬 HOWEVER if you’re expecting a rant on how Amazon is single-handedly destroying Tolkien’s legacy and the world as we know it, look elsewhere.

The Misty Mountains of Hype

As the hype rocket launched a few years ago, slowly drifting apart from the Earth at first then, in the past year, blasting at hyper speed toward the Kuiper belt, I was mostly excited for Amazon’s The Rings of Power (ROP from here on out). Then, the promotional material began releasing. In a few short weeks my expectations went from very optimistic to basically just gone. Why? I’ll tell you.

This show had a lot of potential before we all knew what was going on behind the scenes, and that’s not because of Amazon, but because of Tolkien. For those of us that truly enjoy Tolkien’s works and imagination, the idea of a show (the world’s new favorite “art” medium) set in the Second age was intriguing and exciting. My first thoughts were of Celebrimbor and Annatar forging the Rings, the battle at Eregion, the fall of Numenor, the War of the Last Alliance, and many other subtleties related to that fictional timespan. And I think I had company. I think most Tolkien fans, at first, had the same thought: there is no way they can mess this up.

Fast forward to years and months later and we finally get a glimpse of what’s to come, along with a kind of flood of new information. My main impression during this time was that it seemed to me that the creators did not care so much for Tolkien’s works, that they seemed hubristic, and that they were making choices that were kind of baffling. Namely: they were not following the lore.

The Realm of Lost Lore-ian 🤷‍♂️

Let’s get one thing straight - the creators of ROP did not change Tolkien’s lore. They just ignored it. And they did this intentionally, but not without necessity. They had two impositions: 1. A requirement for racial inclusiveness in the cast (fair enough) 2. They only had rights to The LOTR proper. Another milder imposition was a practical one - the timeline spans thousands of years with major characters not always occupying the same convenient stretch. I think it’s completely reasonable for them to have condensed the timeline for the TV format.

With these boundaries in place, it becomes clearer why they made some of the decisions they did. To add Hobbits seems like the biggest departure from the lore, but honestly, if they have rights to use Hobbits (an archetype we are very familiar with from the films) why wouldn’t they?

Regarding the racial inclusiveness: according to the lore, it is out of place. There’s really no way around that, again, if your comparison is to the lore. (I’m not against it, I’m just making an observation). But I think what has become clear is that the lore doesn’t really matter to them as much as a nerd fan might hope. To be fair to them though, they are working with the hand they’ve been dealt and honestly I think they played it well. The elf, Arrondir, I think was one of the most compelling and interesting characters. I liked him. Is it really such a big deal? I don’t think so, especially considering the obvious huge alterations they’ve made to the Second Age time line, characters, and events to begin with. I think the ultimate issue stems from viewing this show as a work of Tolkien, but more on that later.

The story also has the burden of filling in a lot of details, because the Second Age, even in the preferred source (The Silmarillion) is rather sparse on the kinds of details you need for a screen adaptation. It’s necessary to kind of make stuff up for this reason. Honestly, that’s totally expected and fine, even if you don’t particularly like the details that get added. Really what all of this is pointing us toward is a really simple conclusion: ROP isn’t Tolkien.

A Long Expected Par (For the Course)

And in this I think we finally awaken to the obvious - this show is not made for Tolkien fans, but just generally for a wide audience, which, honestly, is to be expected. Show runners have a responsibility to their investors (I guess) to make money and get views. Why reinvent the wheel to accomplish that? Use the tried and true formula - Disney does it ad nauseum. This is ultimately just another fantasy show that happens to include characters and places from Tolkien’s works. Honestly that’s where the similarities end - which is what leads me to my above assertion.

They want the support of the already successful titles along with the support of the modern audience, which happens to not always necessarily care so much for the source material as they do about what is in front of them. They want to make a show that will get and keep casual viewers, because that’s what will be the most lucrative to them. Tolkien’s lore can be complicated, intricate, challenging, and doesn’t often offer concessions to those who would try to adapt the work to another format. I understand that only certain people will want to dive into that lore (in all it’s beauty). I love it and still don’t really have time for it. A TV show allows you to engage at a more comfortable level, but also requires a certain format, story devices, archetypes, etc. They followed this formula and it seems to have worked out for them, so well done!

Children of Hubris

This brings me to my only qualm. The apparent hubris of the creators and team. It’s one thing to say “We’re making a fantasy show based on Tolkien’s works but adding some new twists to it to fit a modern audience”. It’s another thing to say “We’re making Tolkien better” which seems to be the sentiment they have held on to for some time now. That, I think is the main issue. What they did was make a great TV show. They should be proud of what they have accomplished without needing to assert that it is actually reflective of the source material. It isn’t. If ROP has a soul, it is not the same soul found in Tolkien’s written works. I just wish they would admit that, instead of posturing like they are the heroes we all needed - have some humility about it. This is mostly my own conjecture and I haven’t honestly paid a lot of attention to the media surrounding the show but at a glance, that’s the impression I got.

I don’t want to be uncharitable though. This show is GREAT. It is epic, big, exciting, action-packed, and has some of the most stunningly beautiful sets and costumes I’ve ever seen. It is a masterpiece for its medium. That said, I’m not interested. I want Tolkien, so I’ll stick to the books.

All We Have To Decide

I love Tolkien and his works. They’ve had an impact on me and I care about them, which is kind of strange. They are stories. Granted, they are rich stories with fathoms to explore, but stories nonetheless. They can’t ultimately change me, without my permission, and they’re not trying to. I will say I believe Tolkien was very moved in his own heart by these stories and they reflect the life of an interesting and good man. In all of our own stories there are lessons we learn, discoveries we make, problems we face, and villains we overcome. Our stories.

You didn’t write Tolkien’s works. You may have connected to them and found solace in them, or simply enjoyed them, but they are not yours. And this brings me to my purpose for this article. Tolkien saw war, love, grief, and a world falling under the control of forces darker than we can imagine. He codified his experiences and observations into a beloved work of fiction. He lived his life and in this living he saw beauty and darkness.

TV is a waste of your time, ultimately. It grants some fleeting pleasure, gives you something to talk about at the water cooler, but other than that, it has no power to edify you. It has a purpose: entertainment. Entertainment is so over-emphasized in our modern culture. We seem to want to barely live our own lives and then, as a reward, plop in front of a screen for hours on end every night to experience life vicariously through stories. Not everyone is like this, but I am, or was.

I was indignant when I first learned they were “marring” Tolkien’s works with their original characters and stories. Then I stopped and realized, ROP is entirely original, it just borrows some things from one of my favorite authors. Moreover, I realized this: I care more about a tv show (or book) than I do about what’s important in my own life. Seeking truth and loving others.

The Great Wave of Petulance

In the wake of the initial release of the promotional material and all the way until this very day, many voices have arisen and cried out against ROP. Their preoccupation has become tearing down someone else’s hard work. Childish men with walls full of toys behind them shout into the nothing, hoping to be heard (and are heard). They want your focus to be on the thing that they hate. They want you to agree with them and they don’t want you to ask questions. But regarding these things, there really is only one question: who cares?

The world is ripe with complainers who care more about hearing themselves opine than they do about things that matter. Are you one of them? I think I was at one point, then I was awakened. Not by television, nor by a work of fiction, but by the living God, Himself. I learned that my pettiness was born out of selfishness and that my heart had been given to many idols and the small things of this world. I was chasing my own cares, my own dreams, my own desires. I was not seeking after the Creator of All, but cared so much about subcreators whose creations were even lower. Then God called me out of this world. First into curiosity about Truth itself, then into His Word which offers us this Truth, His Son Jesus Christ.

Under A Swift Sunrise

The time is short. Waste it not on the darkness but seek the light. God promises that those who seek Him with their whole heart will find Him. I have found Him and found Him to be beautiful, patient, loving, kind, and glorious. And He is working on me to make me more like Him every day. I still enjoy Tolkien’s works, but nothing can compare to the Way, the Truth, and the Life in Christ Jesus.

Let us journey together.

...seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness... - Matt 6:33