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Junesong
Rohan
Mar 10, 5:20pm
Post #1 of 6
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Radical Timeline Theory
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Bear with me as I walk you through a theory I have about Rings of Power.
In all adaptations, some adjustments must be made to any number of things to maximize the jump from written mediums to visual mediums. With Tolkien, things get even more complicated because of how meticulous he was to bake plausibility into all his world building. Faux history etc.
Now, my theory is this:
I think ROP is not just changing the timeline, I think they are totally disregarding it. Now, here's where my theory takes on a certain nuance.
I don't just mean that they are condensing things, or shifting dates, or whatever - I mean, I think they are going to totally ignore times and dates in order to tell a five season story that arcs us from their "beginning" sometime after the "great war" up to the doorstep of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings' stories. Since the show was announced we've been discussing how they might fit the enormous timeline into such an arc, and I think the answer is to ignore it completely.
This occurred to me the other day when I saw one of those dunk on ROP memes, where someone was making fun of Numenors armour when it was supposedly at the "peak of its strength".
But I think ROP is ignoring the timelines. I think they are presenting us with a young Numenor that we will see become weaponized and with a huge army under Pharazon. I think we'll see the various Rings of Power used to build the great structures in Middle Earth we're all waiting for (Rivendell, Lorien, Orthanc, Argonath, Minas Tirith and Ithil, Barad Dur etc). I think the Harfoots actually will migrate up to and settle in what we all now know as The Shire by series end.
I actually think it's a pretty good idea for a TV Show, you don't want to get bogged down by the REAL when's and where's as much as possible. Even shows like ROME, BAND OF BROTHERS or BOARDWALK EMPIRE etc (ie, shows based on history) did similar things to their timelines to maximize drama.
Anyway - just thought I'd drop that in here and see what you all think.
(I'm sure most of you are rolling your eyes as if I'd said that I just noticed the sky was blue or something...)
"So which story do you prefer?"
"The one with the tiger. That's the better story."
"Thank you. And so it goes with God."
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DGHCaretaker
Rohan
Mar 10, 8:46pm
Post #2 of 6
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I think we'll see the various Rings of Power used to build the great structures in Middle Earth we're all waiting for (Rivendell, Lorien, Orthanc, Argonath, Minas Tirith and Ithil, Barad Dur etc).
I'd enjoying seeing the writers have the courage and imagination to show on screen how the Rings of Power manifest real, physical, observable effect in a believable way that makes sense within the rules of its universe, more than just waving arms and hands to emit balls of light and a dissolve or morph to the new scenery. I don't much appreciate inspirational or aspirational powers that merely allow people to meet their own potential "if they just believe in themselves." That's always seemed an easy way out; wishy-washy and a bit too sappy. I've seen Gandalf's ring Narya described that way.
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TFP
Lorien
Mar 11, 1:49pm
Post #3 of 6
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To my mind they have just gone with a compression.
All of the story, from the construction of Barad-dûr to the sack of Eregion etc will take place during Isildur's lifetime.
I'm not sure that they'll take the Third Age action very far past the Gladden Fields. As you say, the Harfoots heading West might be a good way to draw a line under everything.
Galadriel's line from the Jackson movies that, "...History became legend. Legend became myth. And for two and a half thousand years, the ring passed out of all knowledge..." is to my mind too nice a bit of storytelling for them to pass on.
(This post was edited by TFP on Mar 11, 1:49pm)
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Owlyross
Rohan
Mar 12, 9:55am
Post #4 of 6
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They have chosen to compress the major events of the second age into a few hundred years. That is shift up the ring making to the conclusion of the age rather than having a 1500 year gap. In this they are supported by the Tolkien Estate. That's it, there's little more to add to that. I'm almost certain they won't compress anything in the third age, because that's a bridge too far even for casual movie watchers.
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both."
Benjamin Franklin
The world is a tragedy to those who feel, but a comedy to those who think.
Horace Walpole (1717 - 1797)
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Otaku-sempai
Immortal
Mar 13, 3:43pm
Post #5 of 6
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To my mind they have just gone with a compression.
All of the story, from the construction of Barad-dûr to the sack of Eregion etc will take place during Isildur's lifetime.
I'm not sure that they'll take the Third Age action very far past the Gladden Fields. As you say, the Harfoots heading West might be a good way to draw a line under everything.
Canonically, of course, the Harfoots did not cross the Misty Mountains into Eregion until sometime after Third Age 1050 when the Shadow took possession of Dol Guldur. But The Rings of Power displays little respect for the canon of Tolkien's legendarium.
“Hell hath no fury like that of the uninvolved.” - Tony Isabella
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TFP
Lorien
Mar 26, 9:45am
Post #6 of 6
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To my mind they have just gone with a compression.
All of the story, from the construction of Barad-dûr to the sack of Eregion etc will take place during Isildur's lifetime.
I'm not sure that they'll take the Third Age action very far past the Gladden Fields. As you say, the Harfoots heading West might be a good way to draw a line under everything. Canonically, of course, the Harfoots did not cross the Misty Mountains into Eregion until sometime after Third Age 1050 when the Shadow took possession of Dol Guldur. But The Rings of Power displays little respect for the canon of Tolkien's legendarium.
I'm not sure that detail is thematically all that important.
It wouldn't surprise me if they finish with a sort of proto-version of 'the road goes ever on', as the Harfoots have made a decision about heading for 'the west'/towards the sea, just because they think it sounds nice or peaceful, probably knowing nothing about the 'big picture' events which relatively recently kicked off in the west/over the sea.
(This post was edited by TFP on Mar 26, 9:46am)
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