There, and then what? The Dwarves’ development in The Desolation of Smaug

Who do you trust?

It’s still probably not enough to permanently divide the Company; witness Gloin’s argument with Thorin halting simply at the sight of The Lonely Mountain before the band of heroes in the recently-debuted footage. All the Company have an inherent devotion to their cause which seems to overwhelm personal animosity. Their trust in Thorin’s ambition seems to continually out-weigh other concerns.

Certainly, the issue of trust is one which would seem to play into the Dwarves’ journey. Particularly for the second film: the other Dwarves’ growing trust in Bilbo (who must maintain and nurture this faith from the company though increasingly dangerous circumstances); trust of Thorin (how and will this be shaken?); and distrust of pretty much everyone else, especially Thranduil and Bard (the former seems appropriate, but the later… would the story not have progressed in a different direction had Thorin and the Dwarves fostered allies rather than enemies?)

Just as the Dwarves’ trust in Bilbo places both support and great burden on him, their antagonistic attitude toward outsiders lead to events which ultimately result in a conflict-ridden ending for the story.

Other recent comments would lead one to believe not only that there is in-fact some relationship between Kili and Tauriel as has long been rumored; Evangeline Lilly specified that the dwarf actors she most worked with were Turner, O’Gorman, Callen and Nesbitt, hinting that she might well spend time amongst these four in Lake-town. In particular, Lilly specified that she had “a lot of amazing” scenes with Turner. It also seems that Lilly heals Kili’s orc-wound: as recently mentioned, she shot a “powerful healing ceremony with… dwarves around her”.

Does what may be Kili’s admiration for/crush on Tauriel provide more for a divide with his uncle? And if the Dwarves remain in Lake-town, are they still there when Smaug attacks? If so, one imagines they’ll be involved in the action in some capacity, perhaps simply trying to survive, or perhaps ushering Bard’s children (Bain, Tilda and Sigrid), to safety?

Do the Dwarves in Lake-town believe that the others have been killed when they notice fire burning on the mountain (as the second film’s end credits song “I See Fire” would suggest)? Or does Thorin’s company believe that the four in Lake-town have been killed when Smaug attacks the settlement? If Thorin thinks his heirs have perished, this may fuel his madness and drive to secure the Arkenstone and his kingship.

Additionally, how will Kili feel about Tauriel when his uncle’s domain is besieged by Wood-elves? And does Billy Connolly’s comment that he had “elves to kill” during the Battle of Five Armies suggest that things progress further than in the novel, and blood is shed amongst the Free Peoples? Or was Connolly simply being facetious?

And a final question. How will Thorin’s madness manifest in The Desolation of Smaug without becoming full-blown dementia (culminating in his assailing Bilbo, if that scenes remains, in There and Back Again)? With Thorin slipping into “threatening” mode in The Desolation of Smaug’s last act, that doesn’t seem to leave Armitage much room for Thorin to grow increasingly obsessed.

Obviously, we have more questions than answers right now. But many of the latter will be revealed in a few week’s time.

Captain Salt has been a Tolkien fan since childhood when he played Gloin in a stage production of The Hobbit though as there were only about eight dwarves, he was given other dwarves’ dialogue as well, resulting in a rather strange Gloin who at times talked to himself in a Gollum-ish manner. He’s also volunteered through the years at other film sites and has written for (minor) entertainment publications.

The views presented in this article are his own and don’t necessarily represent TheOneRing.net or other staff.

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