Script Discussion S04E13 Finale!

[MithLuin]

Glaurung breathes the fire then immediately starts moving.
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I've gotta say that, based on what I know of horses, there will be exactly zero horses still standing anywhere near the dragon after this. They will all bolt at a full gallop, with or without their riders, away from the scary flame-breathing monster.

 

[Nicholas Palazzo]

Also, can I just say that I'm *really glad* that we can just double underline something and say, hey, this dialogue is in Quenya? Because I would hate to have to translate all of it while we're still in rough draft mode with these scripts!

But I can translate one line....

Celegorm and Fingon command the archers in Quenya, saying "Now!"

There are two choices for that.

One is sí (which means "now")

The other is silumë (which means "at this time")

(Both are Lord of the Rings-style Quenya)

Either is a better choice than a fully articulated wordy "release arrows" in Neo-Sindarin from the LotR films.

I hate that I'm about to pick this nit even further.... Not enough to not do it, obviously...

So, does having the command to shoot essentially be "NOW!" work in this case? I mean, sure... But these archers have likely been trained to shoot under a different command for the sake of precision, so it seems likely they would use that command. Because on the battlefield, "NOW!" could mean "SHOOT!" or "CHARGE!" or "RUN AWAY!" If I hadn't already been thinking about it, it probably wouldn't bother me... but I had...

 

[MithLuin]

Alright, fine, the command for shooting arrows could be:

Seno!

from:
sen- v. “to let loose, free, let go”

So Celegorm can shout "now!" (sí/silumë)
And Fingon can command his archers "loose!" (seno)

 

[MithLuin]

By the by, if we ever need a name for a dog, I might suggest the following:

satar n. “trusty follower, loyal companion”

(which in Sindarin would be: sadron )

 

[MithLuin]

Oh....it's a bit late for me to think of it, but her wedding would be a perfect time for Galadriel to appear as a 'maiden crowned with a radiant garland'

 

[MithLuin]

I did a quick mental run-down of names of horses in books about horses, and this is what I came up with:

Black Beauty: Beauty
Misty of Chincoteague*: Misty
The Black Stallion: The Black
National Velvet: The Pie (her horse is piebald)
War Horse: Joey
My Friend Flicka: Flicka (="little girl" if I recall correctly)
Bonny's Big Day**: Bonny

(*so there are a *lot* of Marguerite Henry novels, and they all have named horses/ponies/donkeys: Stormy Misty's Foal, Brighty of the Grand Canyon, Sham, etc.)
There are likewise about 30 novels about the Black Stallion and other horses written by Walter Farley.
** James Herriot stories feature lots of farm animals, naturally

Based-on-a-true-story names:
Seabiscuit
Pharlap (lightning)
Little Bub (Justin Morgan Had a Horse, by Marguerite Henry)


I think the point here is that in real life, people name their horses all sorts of things, but if you are a 1940's novelist, you can get away with naming them after a color or giving them a normal human name.

 

[Haerangil]

Alassëhaltor - jolly jumper

Sorry

 

[MithLuin]

I think I have pinpointed what bothers me about Thingol in this episode.

This entire season has been about reconciliation of grievances, and the Sindar-Noldor storyline focused very much on Thingol's reaction to news of the kinslaying. This wedding is the first/only time Thingol is going to the meet the Noldor who aren't House of Finarfin in person.

Thingol is a guest of Finrod (not the other way around, so there is a role-reversal there. We should play with that a bit). And Thingol is introduced to two actual kinslayers - Fingolfin and Maedhros. And he, what, nods politely? I get it - it's Galadriel and Celeborn's wedding, everyone's on good behavior, no one wants to cause a scene. But...but...seriously, nothing happens at all?

I certainly enjoy the conversation between Fingolfin and Thingol about Cuivienen. I guess I am just asking for some more tension beyond Maedhros and Thingol essentially greeting each other casually. He need to make better use of this meeting.

 

[Rhiannon]

I think I have pinpointed what bothers me about Thingol in this episode.

This entire season has been about reconciliation of grievances, and the Sindar-Noldor storyline focused very much on Thingol's reaction to news of the kinslaying. This wedding is the first/only time Thingol is going to the meet the Noldor who aren't House of Finarfin in person.

Thingol is a guest of Finrod (not the other way around, so there is a role-reversal there. We should play with that a bit). And Thingol is introduced to two actual kinslayers - Fingolfin and Maedhros. And he, what, nods politely? I get it - it's Galadriel and Celeborn's wedding, everyone's on good behavior, no one wants to cause a scene. But...but...seriously, nothing happens at all?

I certainly enjoy the conversation between Fingolfin and Thingol about Cuivienen. I guess I am just asking for some more tension beyond Maedhros and Thingol essentially greeting each other casually. He need to make better use of this meeting.

Maybe Maedhros could be part of the conversation with Thingol and Fingolfin. What exactly should he talk about? Is Thingol expecting an apology?

 

[MithLuin]

No, Maedhros does not have to be around for the Fingolfin and Thingol scene. That works better with just them. But the arrival-of-Thingol scene needs a lot more tension and some interaction between those two that isn't joking like old friends. They haven't earned it.