Lord of the Rings TV Series Purchased by Amazon

[Universalgirl]

I don’t support the claim it’s organized.

Let’s talk real why the downvotes really happen

1. Tolkien freaks, ultra fans,
2. Forced Woke

It’s something people dont want, simple as that.

While i think the Tolkien Ultras are a minority, i believe much negative aura is from this whole woke phenomena

[eschatological]

While i think the Tolkien Ultras are a minority, i believe much negative aura is from this whole woke phenomena

These aren't legitimate criticisms. It's culture war nonsense which comes from outside the media into it. The 1s are bringing outside grievances to the media itself. Actual art criticism is about how media affects culture, not how culture wants to constrict and confine media.

[Universalgirl]

These aren't legitimate criticisms. It's culture war nonsense which comes from outside the media into it. The 1s are bringing outside grievances to the media itself. Actual art criticism is about how media affects culture, not how culture wants to constrict and confine media.

Amazon has a agenda, a ideology. And people push back. That’s the result.

And it must be HUGE.

[eschatological]

Amazon is a company whose only ideology is money.

If they were truly "woke" they wouldn't be trying to bust burgeoning unions in their warehouses like they have been for a year.

Your perception of the agenda, like I said, is culture war bullshit nonsense.

Edit: Also, I couldn't find this on comicbook.com, I wonder if you or some other bad-faith person made it up. Could you provide a link?

Oh wait: I found it. It's an article that is supporting Amazon's decision.

[s_bushido]

While i think the Tolkien Ultras are a minority, i believe much negative aura is from this whole woke phenomena

Yes, you are correct. The "negative aura" around this production is due almost entirely to bigots who can't stand the idea of black people playing fantasy characters. Now that the show is actually out, and people will see that it doesn't matter in the slightest, I imagine their pathetic "criticism" will fade rather quickly. Especially when they find a new target for their ridiculous anti-"woke" crusade.

[Askyl]

I don’t support the claim it’s organized.

Let’s talk real why the downvotes really happen

1. Tolkien freaks, ultra fans,
2. Forced Woke

It’s something people dont want, simple as that.

While i think the Tolkien Ultras are a minority, i believe much negative aura is from this whole woke phenomena

And yet morning about this show is "woke" other than people reacting to one or two actors skin color.

Nothing in this show highlights "we stronk cuz we dark and still fight". Literally nothing is woke in this series.

And still they cry as if it was their mission in life.

Sad little.men.

[bledgor]

Amazon is a company whose only ideology is money.

If they were truly "woke" they wouldn't be trying to bust burgeoning unions in their warehouses like they have been for a year.

Your perception of the agenda, like I said, is culture war bullshit nonsense.

Edit: Also, I couldn't find this on comicbook.com, I wonder if you or some other bad-faith person made it up. Could you provide a link?

Oh wait: I found it. It's an article that is supporting Amazon's decision.

I mean you can go to amazon and see that there are no reviews so, *shrug* that part is true. Also lets not pretend that a fair amount of those 1s would have still been low 3/4 out 10 ratings if there wasn't fighting going on, people bend but rarely break on such things like this (aka going from a 7-8 to a 1). Like I said as an adaptation it is a 1/10 but as a fantasy story right now it is a 5/10 for me.

[Universalgirl]

Amazon is a company whose only ideology is money.

If they were truly "woke" they wouldn't be trying to bust burgeoning unions in their warehouses like they have been for a year.

Your perception of the agenda, like I said, is culture war bullshit nonsense.

Maybe it’s human nature? Culture War seems natural.

When we look back at our past, and present it allways mattered.

It allways was culture (nation) against another culture (nation).

Allways conflicts.

Maybe we are not completely compatible.

In Zoo you also dont cage Lions with Monkeys, or Tigers with Elephants.

It just doesn’t work.

I dont know man, all i can think is that’s a failed attempt of humanity to force unity.

But besides the culture war.

Rings of Power seems to be trapped in a small Tolkien Box where you can’t barely move up or down, right or left.

[Biomega]

It’s something people dont want, simple as that.

That's not the same thing as what's happening when something is review bombed. It's not just about "I don't like this", it's "I don't like this, and I don't want other people to like this, either". VERY different thing.

Not to mention that - as people have already pointed out - neither "Tolkien freak" nor "forced woke" are particularly good reasons to criticize something with.

Returning to the show itself... I've watched episode 2, and unlike many people I did not find it a particularly compelling piece, or a step up from the previous one. The dwarf parts were pretty good, though. I dislike the Scottish stereotype that somehow entered into common consciousness when it comes to dwarves, but I found both the visuals and the narrative surrounding them interesting and properly executed. With the possible exception of the "secret", which if it turns out to be a silmaril is going to wreak absolute havoc on the larger framework; but it might well not be (though it's heavily implied). I was surprised they even mentioned Fëanor and the silmaril at all, given how they skirted around the Silmarillion no-go zone in Ep 1.

The whole man-from-the-sky thing just feels really forced to me. I guess we'll have to see who it turns out to be (though everyone expects Gandalf at this point) but it feels kind of out of place. The ocean parts are just... so bad. They add nothing to Galadriel's story or character, and it entirely feels like a forced encounter created for the sole purpose of bringing her to Númenor. Which they could just as easily have done by having her rescued by one of their ships right away, without spending an entire episode wet and shivering and being ogled by a rugged swashbuckler. In fact that would have made total sense, because Númenor was canonically known to frequently explore the sea to the West, ever envious of Valinor and the lands of Aman.

I'll keep watching, though. WoT this is not. The quality is on a different level, despite its issues. Plus I want to see more of the dwarves. Heck make an entire show about THEM, please. Fuck the elves and humans and ESPECIALLY the hobbitses.

[Super Kami Dende]

Yes, you are correct. The "negative aura" around this production is due almost entirely to bigots who can't stand the idea of black people playing fantasy characters. Now that the show is actually out, and people will see that it doesn't matter in the slightest, I imagine their pathetic "criticism" will fade rather quickly. Especially when they find a new target for their ridiculous anti-"woke" crusade.

Good lord is must be hard to maintain this level of delusion on a daily basis.

[Askyl]

Good lord is must be hard to maintain this level of delusion on a daily basis.

Did you read the reviews that were removed? Almost all of them were racist bullshit and hated on skin color. How is he delusional?

[Universalgirl]

Did you read the reviews that were removed? Almost all of them were racist bullshit and hated on skin color. How is he delusional?

All reviews under 6 where racist?

And we currently have 4 user reviews on episode 2.

Seems super realistic

[PACOX]

Am I reading someone rallying against alleged censorship of reviews when there's evidence of frivolous reviews? If you want to argue for the sanctify of review aggregators they you should also be for them taking steps against bad faith reviews both positive and negative.

[Kumorii]

Review bombers aren't voting 3-4-5... they are voting 1, maybe 2 if they want to be sneaky.
There's no reason to purge 5 and below... well, except you know. Manipulation of numbers.

Anyone paying attention to any of the media hysteria around this show knows there would be a lot of 1's from haters, but you also knew there would be lots of 10's from defenders.

Then again, review numbers are just straight up useless because of the disingenuous voters on each side as well as the disingenuous manipulation. So...shrug..
Mostly just fun to see the fallout on how people behave to justify why their numbers are wrong or correct.

[Veggie50]

I think it’s important to realize that about 99% of people watching this show do not discuss it on a forum, nor vote on review sites. There is a selection bias for both that favours the biggest fans and haters.

This means that both 1’s and 10’s on review sites do make sense, though they are both quite ridiculous. It just means review sites do not display the real population.

[Universalgirl]

That’s all what matters these days

[Triceron]

Yes, and the premise of those bringing this up as if it matters is flawed to start with. People don't brigade these systems with 10s..

Don't be stupid. Of course it happens, and it happens as often as people brigading 1's.

There exists groups of people who blindly champion a product and give it 10/10 for the sake of boosting its rating just as there are those who put 1's to bring it down. And you even bring up a strong example of that with WoT.

As someone summed it up nicely above, most people who watch don't even bother reviewing. Fans and haters are much more likely to care enough to give a review than the average casual watcher. And shows with large fandoms and shows that have something controversial tend to have their reviews swayed by both tribes.

[Hansworst]

I don't understand why people think user reviews are a fine metric to see how good a show is. (As in ever)

So here's mine:

Visuals are amazing and approaching the LotR movies. Way better then the Hobbit.
Dwarves look awesome so far.
Short hair elves are weird at first glance but not a deal breaker. Probably their hair grows incredibly slow.
Pacing is off, like a lot.
Don't like Galadriel but can't tell you why.

So after two episodes I'd say 7/10

And the stranger has to be Sauron or Morgoth/Melkor.
Would be way too early for an Istari.

[Universalgirl]

Something doesn’t feel right about Galadriel

[Dhrizzle]

He never ever describes as such, but as a leader, as someone wise, who guides others, who helps them to figure out what to do (as seen in the trilogy). She was never a fighter at any point, most females weren't which is why Eowen was such a big moment in the Return of the King. Just because you live thousands of years doesn't automatically make you an expert in many things, there are humans who live 100 years that are barely competent in one thing. To make her a warrior and a military leader is fanfic, you can like it, but it still remains fanfic.

All female Elves would fight at times of need. It's typically the male Elves who would go forth to fight in other lands but "canonically" Galadriel tends towards masculine roles like wishing to rule and athleticism as well as being described as Amazon. Tolkien never explicitly wrote of her going out to fight but the story of the Second Age was due a rewrite to fit in her later characterisation and showing her as a warrior has some support from his notes and letters.

They needed to add events to show it (probably due to licensing) but they really nailed her reasons for refusing to return to Aman despite longing to dwell there again. I also liked the little but if tension between her and Gil-galad where he carries more authority but everyone knows she carries more wisdom and is (again canonically) the greatest of the Elves living in Middle-earth.

- - - Updated - - -

I don't understand why people think user reviews are a fine metric to see how good a show is. (As in ever)

So here's mine:

Visuals are amazing and approaching the LotR movies. Way better then the Hobbit.
Dwarves look awesome so far.
Short hair elves are weird at first glance but not a deal breaker. Probably their hair grows incredibly slow.
Pacing if off, like a lot.
Don't like Galadriel but can't tell you why.

So after two episodes I'd say 7/10

And the stranger has to be Sauron or Morgoth/Melkor.
Would be way too early for an Istari.

Tolkien was considering placing the Blue Wizards in the Second Age when he got around to rewriting the Silmarillion so it could be one of those. If it's Gandalf I would be very disappointed.