Frame Narrative

We really should take a moment to think about the overall, Big Arch for the frame stories for a moment.
I am a bit concerned that we'll hasten along and find ourselves in the Fourth Age too soon, and being forced to use the last travelers to the West for the final five seasons, or anyway end up with few or boring alternatives. The First Age will take a number of seasons and then Aragon will be all grown up and the War of the Ring will be at the door. Then we've got the Second Age, which could take a couple of seasons...and the LOTR story.
 
Not to panic: LotR story will not need a frame. The whole point of the frame was to provide a familiar frame of reference for the Low Information Newbie Silmarillites (like Moi)... LotR was that familiar frame. As for Age II, well, maybe it too will not need a frame narrative. How long can it be to tell that: one season? Rise, Corruption and Fall of Numerousnore... why drag it out? Now, of course... ending the FN at the conclusion of Age I maketh for a mighy looooong cliff hanger... So maybe a Cliff Notes version of it will have to be given at the start of Season 3,937 when we get to LotR... i.e., a One or Two episode rehash of it, or perhaps that FN material could be worked into flashbacks as LotR progresses beyond Season 3,937.... So, see, all we have to do is drag out the FN for 3,937 seasons... a piece of cram, er... fairy cake!! ("cup cake" to us Yanks)
 
Timdalf said:
Not to panic: LotR story will not need a frame. The whole point of the frame was to provide a familiar frame of reference for the Low Information Newbie Silmarillites (like Moi)... LotR was that familiar frame. As for Age II, well, maybe it too will not need a frame narrative. How long can it be to tell that: one season? Rise, Corruption and Fall of Numerousnore... why drag it out? Now, of course... ending the FN at the conclusion of Age I maketh for a mighy looooong cliff hanger... So maybe a Cliff Notes version of it will have to be given at the start of Season 3,937 when we get to LotR... i.e., a One or Two episode rehash of it, or perhaps that FN material could be worked into flashbacks as LotR progresses beyond Season 3,937.... So, see, all we have to do is drag out the FN for 3,937 seasons... a piece of cram, er... fairy cake!! ("cup cake" to us Yanks)
Click to expand...


I have been thinking for some time that the LoTR seasons are where we would drop the frame altogether. Firstly, we have Hobbits through whom we are seeing the story. Secondly, doing so ratchets up the peril for the involved characters. We already know that nothing TOO bad will happen to Celeborn and Galadriel. We also get the sense that Melkor is no longer at large, suggesting his eventual defeat.
 
Fine. But still, there are a lot of things happening in the Second Age, which might demand a few seasons and a corresponding amount of frame.
 
Also, keep in mind that the elves in Valinor are available for a Frame narrative whenever we need them. I wouldn't want to do that more than once, but seeing Finarfin as king in Tirion and the Valar talking about the events in Middle Earth, and Finrod and Amarie happily married and, oh yeah, Glorfindel reborn....this could be a good 2nd Age frame, setting up the attempt of Numenor to conquer Valinor.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top