I enjoy the show. I think it looks great. I want to see what’s going to happen. The casting is really good and I like most of the actors (some more than others, for sure). I’m surprised at how interesting I find some storylines, and I’m amazed at what they’ve come up with considering they’ve just got the appendices (plus some stuff they’ve apparently managed to get access to). I have two issues.
My first issue is the uneven quality. Given the callbacks to the Jackson films, the flirting with various Tolkien quotes from letters and whatnot, how can a name like Elanor Kellamark (Markella reversed) Brandyfoot be allowed to slip through? Did the team get ridiculously drunk at some point? Also, the lack of people is slightly annoying. In Númenor, we need more extras to believe it’s an empire of any significance, and it’s weird how Celebrimbor seems to be totally alone (isn’t a Lord supposed to have servants and assistants? Where are the other smiths?) I hope there will be less of this.
The second issue is the script, which is fine in many ways but it’s too effective! Every scene has a clear goal and people always seem to want something specific that’s made very clear. It’s like opera, not like life. I’d like more irrelevant interaction, filling the story with everyday random occurrences and dialogue not going along the lines of the main story. Sometimes an actor can lift his or her lines and give them that extra quality (I think of Robert Aramayo and Owain Arthur mostly but I also like Morfydd Clark and Lloyd Owen). But overall, the storylines feel pretty much like a straight railroad. As it is, I find I “know” who Sauron is, and I am not expecting a lot of surprises. But I’m not sure why surprises would be the reason to watch this show…
In the end, so far the show hasn’t reached the level of the (in my opinion) best parts of Jackson’s films, but I haven’t been upset yet the way I sometimes was by Jackson. I want more though.
My first issue is the uneven quality. Given the callbacks to the Jackson films, the flirting with various Tolkien quotes from letters and whatnot, how can a name like Elanor Kellamark (Markella reversed) Brandyfoot be allowed to slip through? Did the team get ridiculously drunk at some point? Also, the lack of people is slightly annoying. In Númenor, we need more extras to believe it’s an empire of any significance, and it’s weird how Celebrimbor seems to be totally alone (isn’t a Lord supposed to have servants and assistants? Where are the other smiths?) I hope there will be less of this.
The second issue is the script, which is fine in many ways but it’s too effective! Every scene has a clear goal and people always seem to want something specific that’s made very clear. It’s like opera, not like life. I’d like more irrelevant interaction, filling the story with everyday random occurrences and dialogue not going along the lines of the main story. Sometimes an actor can lift his or her lines and give them that extra quality (I think of Robert Aramayo and Owain Arthur mostly but I also like Morfydd Clark and Lloyd Owen). But overall, the storylines feel pretty much like a straight railroad. As it is, I find I “know” who Sauron is, and I am not expecting a lot of surprises. But I’m not sure why surprises would be the reason to watch this show…
In the end, so far the show hasn’t reached the level of the (in my opinion) best parts of Jackson’s films, but I haven’t been upset yet the way I sometimes was by Jackson. I want more though.