Yeah, I wasn’t expecting that level of gore, The blood squirting from the eye socket went on forever.
Yeah, the show went from "PG-rated comic book" to "R-rated horror" in some of those scenes. I can't stand horror or ultra-violent movies, so when things like when : Spoiler Arondir fought the Big Daddy Orc, stabs him in the eye, and when that doesn't slow him down, later in the fight turns the splinter still stuck in his eye and cranks it out, which causes black goo to start squirting out of the orc's eye onto his face... I was like ok, that's just gross -- was that necessary? lol.
Way he episode 6 last night and it’s definitely picking up in action. I agree with some comments about how it’s gotten gorier. The fight scenes though seem very uneasy and the pacing and fight choreography in the main one on one fight just seemed off. This appears to be a problem going back to the first episode. Spoiler I did like the erupting volcano effect and I’m guessing that mountain turns into Mount Doom. The effects of the explosions and pyroclastic flows looked really good. Galadriel surviving a pyroclastic flow though strains credulity. Yes I know it’s a fantasy and Elves are tougher than humans but she’s really going to survive a high speed avalanche of superheated gas and ash that is incinerating everything in its path?
Spoiler I always figured Adar wasn’t Sauron. It would’ve been obvious to Arondir if he was. About him claiming that he killed Sauron they might be possible in a way. Sauron (along with Gandalf and the other wizards) are lesser gods. They cannot be physically killed but their physical forms can be destroyed and their spirit dispersed. They later can form a new physical form. Adar might’ve thought he killed Sauron or Sauron might’ve wanted him to to avoid capture. This gives more credence to the idea that the Stranger might be Sauron. In the books it does say that Sauron does deceive the Elves and actually helps them forge the rings of power. Gandalf and the wizards aren’t supposed to come to Middle earth until the Third Age but I can see the producers not sticking with that so he could be Gandalf.
One thing I thought was interesting (in addition to the step up in gore) of the fight scenes in this latest episode was the stunt work. Especially Arondir fighting the big boy Orc...I'm pretty sure that was the actor (Ismael Cruz Cordova) doing all those stunts. Rolling down the multiple roof levels, getting thrown up against rock walls and fences. If it wasn't him then it was some top notch effects work seamlessly putting his face on the stunt double because they didn't cut away and when he would get up it was clearly Cordova fighting. Pretty impressive.
Yeah, I read somewhere he trained in various martial arts styles like capoeira for something like 8 months(?) for the battle and that fight itself took about 3 months of training or something. I know, I know... but elves don't know capoeira!!!
We're going to learn that he's from an elven clan that migrated to a Caribbean island millennia ago, which explains their dark skin. They then picked up Capoeira to defend themselves against the island orcs and use the soil to their advantage.
Last episode was the first one I really enjoyed, they really started moving.....preview for the next episode looks like its going to focus on the hobbits though....
My first inclination was that the meteor man was Sauron the minute he was discovered, given that we know he tricks them all, but I remember reading that Sauron is supposed to be good looking almost like a Gadriel type when he deceives them. So I would go with not likely. And I would think Sauron's plan is a little more contrived than what the Meteor man is giving off... which seems to be a little lost as to who he is. Sauron should know exactly what he is doing.
Spoiler Sauron helps the Elf forge the rings that is currently working with Elrond in the show. However, in the show he is already building the furnace and stuff to forge the rings, which leads most people online to say that based on timeline, he should already be in the depths of Sauron's deception. I really don't think the Stranger ends up being Sauron.[/quote]
I doubt anyone that has been shown in the show so far is Sauron. Halbrand more than likely will turn into one of the nazgul.
I've always associated Gandalf with the Hobbits. In the main series, everyone is always wondering why the Hobbits were at the adults table. It was mainly Gandalf who saw them for what they were. Kinda looked into if Sarumon could be the stranger because the Stranger looks like him. Sarumon was good at first, but he wanted nothing to do with the Hobbits, so it doesn't make sense continuity wise. It could be some unknown chump, but the fact that they're playing into it being someone we know would be uncharacteristic for a mostly straightforward show.
Finally gave this series a go. I'm enjoying it. I can't believe there's so much controversy over racial castings. If anything, Netflix is more egregious with their recastings. The writing isn't bad to me, either. I know nothing of Tolkien lore other than the blockbuster movies, so I have no idea what deviates from source material or not. But the story, writing, and direction is typical plot-driven fantasy to me. The plot for Rings of Power is more watchable than House of the Dragon. But then again, I never crowned GOT as GOAT-tier television pre-S7/8. GOT was always mediocre to me. HOTD is on par with the early seasons of it.
This is again why I harped on the casting. One of the Nazgûl is one of the kings of the Haradrim. You could’ve still done a multi racial cast and stayed true to Tolkein by casting and even setting some of the action in the Rings of power in Harad itself.
[/QUOTE] Spoiler Thats possible but also consider that the writers have changed the timeline. Celebrimbor is the Elven smith so if he’s been taken in by Sauron already it would be odd if they haven’t given any indication that he’s working with anyone other than Elrond. Also the tower being built might be yet for the Rings but could be for refining Mithril from ores. I don’t recall Mithril as essential to the elves survival in the books but it seems like an important plot point in the show. One thing I will give credit to the writers is keeping up the mystery of Sauron and the stranger.
