In episode 275, much attention was given to the wolf-shape when it first appears. In the reading, a pause was added between 'seen' and 'halted' which I believe changes the meaning of the sentence.
By adding a pause, it makes it a property of the shape, rather than what I interpret it as: an action.
Instead of seeing a motionless wolf, I read it as them seeing a wolf that was halted by an external factor. It can't be surprise, the wolves know they're there, so is something, or someone, keeping the wolves from just easily slipping through?
Immediately after encountering the wolf, we see Gandalf striding forward with his staff held high and warning the wolf no to enter the ring of boulder-stones. His staff is often described as a focal point for Gandalf exerting his powers. Is it possible Gandalf had halted the wolf-shape from entering unnoticed?
And, a follow-up thought that just occurred to me, might this be a remnant of Tom Bombadil having played a larger part in earlier versions? Probably not, but it does feel in line with what we've seen from Tom in earlier drafts; stopping the hobbits by raising a hand and in one version stopping chasing wights by, again, raising a hand and commanding them to stop.
By adding a pause, it makes it a property of the shape, rather than what I interpret it as: an action.
Instead of seeing a motionless wolf, I read it as them seeing a wolf that was halted by an external factor. It can't be surprise, the wolves know they're there, so is something, or someone, keeping the wolves from just easily slipping through?
Immediately after encountering the wolf, we see Gandalf striding forward with his staff held high and warning the wolf no to enter the ring of boulder-stones. His staff is often described as a focal point for Gandalf exerting his powers. Is it possible Gandalf had halted the wolf-shape from entering unnoticed?
And, a follow-up thought that just occurred to me, might this be a remnant of Tom Bombadil having played a larger part in earlier versions? Probably not, but it does feel in line with what we've seen from Tom in earlier drafts; stopping the hobbits by raising a hand and in one version stopping chasing wights by, again, raising a hand and commanding them to stop.