Some fans say 'The Rings of Power' betrays Tolkien.

High treason or controversial adaptation. The endless debate now has expert opinions

The latest episode of ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ raised blisters, especially regarding The Stranger’s true identity. The name given to his new identity is debatable and contradicts Tolkien’s books. But… is that canon vital? Additionally, is there a canon?

Spoilers ahead. Gandalf is the Stranger, as expected. There are few surprises here, but the controversy has arisen because the Stranger was Gandalf all along: he takes that name as a tribute to his little friends the hobbits, who call him “Great Elf” in a pun worthy of Hodor. The dispute: Tolkien claimed Gandalf arrived in Middle Earth in the Third Age to fight Sauron. Amazon stories are set in the Second Age.

No problem. Corey Olsen, “The Tolkien Professor,” asks a strange canon question on the series’ Amazon page. Literally, “there is no Tolkien canon as such.” “Tolkien’s ideas were continually evolving.” In ‘The Lord of the Rings’, Gandalf and the other wizards arrive around 1000 of the Third Age. In later years, he considered the possibility that Gandalf arrived earlier because some Wizards arrived in the Second Age and participated in the Wars of the Rings of Power.”

A historical wizard. In the video, Olsen says that Gandalf is one of many names this wizard has had, including Olórin when he lived in Valinor with the Gods, Mithrandir among the elves, Tharkun for the dwarves, and Incánus in the South. His presence has impacted many communities, so he deserves many names. According to Tolkien, the episode of ‘The Rings of Power‘ does not follow his exact words, but it does not contradict them either.

Who is Corey Olsen? This Tolkien expert appears in many podcasts and online videos about mediaeval literature. In 2007, he founded a website about ‘The Lord of the Rings’ author Tolkien, hence his nickname. His ‘Rings and Realms’ videos explain the series’ references and mythology, and he makes weekly ‘The Lord of the Rings’ videos.

The endless debate. The eternal conflict of ‘The Lord of the Rings’ viewers and Amazon’s search for a different audience have been discussed previously. An audience that doesn’t care about Tolkien’s rigidity and wants a coherent story. Both ways to enjoy Tolkien’s work are valid, but one will save ulcers. With renowned expert assistance.

As we know, fans are one of the hardest ingredients for entertainment companies to manage and predict. Their vicious campaigns of direct harassment of stars or directors, social media discrediting, and review bombing can ruin series, video games, and films that would have had better careers in another era.

Crystal Generation. The analysis of the fan phenomenon and its current relationship with franchises (Marvel, ‘The Lord of the Rings’, ‘Star Wars’) that received unconditional support is beyond the scope of this article. Please note that while fans have always been a pressure group (from the first fan fictions of series like ‘Star Trek’ to communication through media like readers’ mail sections of comics and magazines), they have never had the impact they do today thanks to the Internet.

Is there much? If that impact matters is another question. Again, it’s hard to quantify: ‘The Acolyte’ was cancelled due to fan opposition, but is that the real reason? The ratings were good, but can we blame the fans for Disney’s big decision, which has no problem remaking ‘The Little Mermaid’ with an African-American protagonist? Because’The Boys” openly progressive message (which it has always had, but many seem to have realised now) was rejected in its last season, and the show still has high ratings. How much does this fan base shape series, films, and games?’The Rings of Power’ case. ‘The Rings of Power’ is possibly the most openly rejected series by anti-woke activists, as shown by its low Rotten Tomatoes scores, which led Amazon to close the scores on IMDB and Prime Video. Amazon believes season 2 audiences will grow enough, though there are no official figures. Despite negative press, Amazon is proceeding with its expensive proposal.

Some fans say ‘The Rings of Power’ betrays Tolkien.

High treason or controversial adaptation. The endless debate now has expert opinions

By triji

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