The Rings of Power Season 1 Episode 3 "Adar"

[InCali]

Yeah, that's what I assumed after reading things online as well. Though the showrunners said some of those things were for later seasons as well. It just feels like some of that is miles away still, and I'm very unclear on what we'll be doing in the meantime. There isn't really an identity to this story yet, I guess is the best way to put it. Though there is a lot I really enjoy as well.

The reason I say no one knows is that because the plot itself and the timeline is completely (utterly) divorced from the tale of the years in the appendices. Literally everything is changed. For example, Elendil wasn't even born when the rings were made. He was born almost 2,000 years later. Numenor was friendly with the elves during the War of Sauron and the Elves and actually came to their aid. In this show Sauron has yet to even show himself and Galadriel is being held hostage by the Numenoreans.

Virtually nothing is the same and this isn't the story of the 2nd age. Whether you like the show or not is a completely different issue.

 

[Mjolnir Reborn]

I'm sad to say that I still don't really get much out of this other than great visuals and some nice music. Even when looking past that they are making huge changes to the story and characters by choice rather than necessity I don't really think any of the storylines work well this far.

I want this to be good but I feel like I'll keep watching out of obligation rather than interest.

 

[squeekness]

I'm sad to say that I still don't really get much out of this other than great visuals and some nice music. Even when looking past that they are making huge changes to the story and characters by choice rather than necessity I don't really think any of the storylines work well this far.

I want this to be good but I feel like I'll keep watching out of obligation rather than interest.

I found my own interest waning some as well. I haven't read any book history of this time period. I'm just struggling to find the characters engaging beyond the proto Hobbits. Maybe I just need to watch them through again, I don't know. Right now I find House of the Dragon more interesting.

 

[henzINNIT]

I don't know how I feel about young Isildur. That is not a story I am particularly interested in, nor his family squabbles. His sister (who I shall refer to as Miss-ildur) is very pretty though.

 

[InCali]

I found my own interest waning some as well. I haven't read any book history of this time period. I'm just struggling to find the characters engaging beyond the proto Hobbits. Maybe I just need to watch them through again, I don't know. Right now I find House of the Dragon more interesting.

HotD has a trio of characters I find very interesting, compelling, and complex. IMO, the writing is far, far superior. I love the visuals of RoP, but that can't carry the show. The show itself isn't really that bad or anything, but it just doesn't grab me.

 

[InCali]

I don't know how I feel about young Isildur. That is not a story I am particularly interested in, nor his family squabbles. His sister (who I shall refer to as Miss-ildur) is very pretty though.

Numenor is about to go plop, plop, fizz, fizz and Sauron hasn't even surfaced there (and probably won't??). The weird thing, to me, is that Numenor is on the doorstep of being destroyed and the rings haven't even been made yet.

Miss-ildur.....LOL

 

[KaijuDude1992]

I enjoyed this week's episode, but man I wish most of it took place in Numenor. Such a rich and gorgeous looking location and I really liked the character interactions we got there too.

I can definitely appreciate the slower paced worldbuilding of this show because it feels like we are being reintroduced into this world, but it still feels like there should be a bit more happening plot wise.

This season is only 8 episodes afterall and by next week we will pretty much be at the halfway point. I really liked the Warg sequence though and the overall design of it look pretty damn creepy IMO.

 

[misjuevos]

Yeah the money seems to have went to the look of the show. Usually it is the other way around and the visuals are forced to make do with the allotted time. Here it seems the dialogue, and story are just not up to the task. Hardly anything goes on in these episode, so It might be best to just wait till the season is done and binge it. You might get a full narrative that way instead. Oh well I can get some nice wallpapers I guess.

 

[blackdragon6]

so It might be best to just wait till the season is done and binge it..

I kinda agree with this. I feel it'll flow better while binged. But I figure Amazon would never do something like that lol.

 

[Iceman]

Great locations here, Numenor looks so good. The orcs also are quality.

 

[Kane52630]

Loved Numenor and I really dug what they did to the orcs.

 

[Albright]

Really really great episode.
But I think Halbrand ain’t Sauron, because that’d be too obvious to unravel it now with still 5 episodes left.
He might become the king of the Southlands and receiving a ring from Sauron…
And he might wield that blade Theo found

 

[Sithborg]

I am just going to keep calling Adar Antoine.

 

[Weather Witch]

I enjoyed this week's episode, but man I wish most of it took place in Numenor. Such a rich and gorgeous looking location and I really liked the character interactions we got there too.

I can definitely appreciate the slower paced worldbuilding of this show because it feels like we are being reintroduced into this world, but it still feels like there should be a bit more happening plot wise.

This season is only 8 episodes afterall and by next week we will pretty much be at the halfway point. I really liked the Warg sequence though and the overall design of it look pretty damn creepy IMO.

I think you perfectly put my thoughts about the pacing into words, which I was failing at.

 

[Albright]

OMG I might be wrong, and Halbrand still be the Frontrunner for Sauron.
Those hints we think are too obvious might not be discovered by non Tolkien nerds.
Also they already troll the general audience with Adar being Sauron

 

[MagnarTheGreat]

 

[SomeOldGuy]

I enjoyed this week's episode, but man I wish most of it took place in Numenor. Such a rich and gorgeous looking location and I really liked the character interactions we got there too.

I can definitely appreciate the slower paced worldbuilding of this show because it feels like we are being reintroduced into this world, but it still feels like there should be a bit more happening plot wise.

This season is only 8 episodes afterall and by next week we will pretty much be at the halfway point. I really liked the Warg sequence though and the overall design of it look pretty damn creepy IMO.

Yeah, at this point the pacing is my biggest complaint. The writers appear to have JJ Abrams Disease: it’s all mystery box setups. Great, awesome, I’m sure everyone will be blown away by the reveals in later seasons, all three of them who managed to stick with it that long. Let’s get on with the story.

 

[MagnarTheGreat]

I found out recently that my and others' JJ Abrams impressions of the early episodes goes deeper than just a feeling elicited by the premiere episodes. (Only thing is I think Abrams has a better knack for on-screen interpersonal drama and banter scenes than the show has really demonstrated so far.)

CBR - JJ Abrams Helped Lord of the Rings Showrunners Land Their Rings of Power Gig
J.J. Abrams' recommendation helped The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power showrunners land their creative roles for the upcoming fantasy series.

Empire - Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power’s Five Seasons Are Fully Planned Out: ‘We Know What Our Final Shot Will Be’ – Exclusive

We even know what our final shot of the last episode is going to be. The rights that Amazon bought were for a 50-hour show. They knew from the beginning that was the size of the canvas – this was a big story with a clear beginning, middle and end. There are things in the first season that don’t pay off until Season 5.

 

[antsman41]

I uploaded a higher resolution Numenor map from the show. It's on my previous post I just replaced the one that was there. Here is a cool shot of Numenor
View attachment 58587

This makes GOT establishing shots look like a CW show.

 

[Persona]

Sounds like the showrunners have more of a big picture plan (supposedly, anyways) than JJ ever did for anything, though.

I get your point about the interpersonal drama and banter scenes, that has been hit or miss for me, but I have really liked the Nori/Poppy and Elrond/Durin/Disa dynamics for their warmth, humor, and emotion.

 

[Iceman]

This makes GOT establishing shots look like a CW show.

Yeah, so impressive.

 

[Albright]

to be fair, the scenes on Elendil‘s booth didn’t looked better, than the scenes in Dragonstone, where Rhaenyra retrieves the egg from Daemon.

 

[InCali]

OMG I might be wrong, and Halbrand still be the Frontrunner for Sauron.
Those hints we think are too obvious might not be discovered by non Tolkien nerds.
Also they already troll the general audience with Adar being Sauron

Tolkien nerds don't take the storyline seriously so a Sauron reveal is what the writers decided to make it; not the author's vision.

 

[Albright]

A theory I read today:
The sign, the Stranger draws looks like a gemini sign. He searches for s star and wants Nori to lead him to that.
Maybe he‘s not looking for a star, but for the destination, where another Istar arrived.
This could dxplain, why Gil Galad and Elrond saw the meteor as well - because there’s a second one that fell in the west of Middle Earth