The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power remains a controversial show, even if the initial wave of backlash has somewhat diminished over the past couple of weeks, with the fandom taking a more measured stance on the Amazon adaptation and even acknowledging some of its scantily available strengths. Something even tells us that it will remain controversial long after the series has ended after its planned five-season run, if for nothing besides deviating ever so slightly from J.R.R. Tolkien’s established lore.
Now, as fans wonder if The Rings of Power has sacrilegiously gone its own way regarding míthril, other viewers contemplate whether Middle-earth should be even remotely political, such of it as currently is, depicting Númenor or not.
Who were those white-robed people in episode 5?
The young British actor Anson Boon, believed by many to be portraying none other than Sauron himself, finally made his debut in the latest Rings of Power episode. As brief as it was, the appearance sent the online community buzzing with speculation. There’s no telling with absolute certainty who these white-robed individuals are — even consulting Tolkien’s books — but we’re definitely enjoying the mystery of it all, and trying to make a few sound guesses while we’re at it.
Did ‘The Rings of Power’ just re-write míthril?
Míthril apparently has a large part to play in the narrative of Amazon’s adaptation, even if records of its existence tracing back to the earlier ages of Middle-earth are few and far between. What’s more, The Rings of Power essentially adds to Tolkien’s lore by giving the miracle ore a mythic backstory, one involving an Elven warrior fighting a Balrog of Morgoth over the dominion of a tree. According to Gil-galad, míthril contains the essence of both light and shadow, but if we were to consult the canon, what would we find about its origins in Tolkien’s writings?
Should Middle-earth be more politically correct?
Tolkieniests know all too well that the author had a ferocious contempt for allegory and using his escapist work as a means to send a message across to readers. In fact, it would be no overstatement to suggest that a huge part of why the fandom is on the fence when it comes to The Rings of Power is the constant fear that Amazon might this adaptation into just another politically correct drama. In their estimates, they haven’t been able to discern any signs of the series being “woke” so far, but with Númenor and its politics continually taking centerstage, how long will it be until we hear of comparisons being drawn to real-life upheavals? Not a moment too soon, we hope.
That’s all we have for you today, but tune in tomorrow for more on the world of Middle-earth.