I also loved it, despite some weak writing – I was so thoroughly confused by the finale – and despite me having no familiarity with the source material. I also didn’t follow the thread, partly because I’m invested in a very different way from most of the people in this discussion. But as a glitteringly pretty fantasy world full of glitteringly pretty actors – and a few annoying kids whining about getting kicked off varsity sailing team – without a ton of McGuffin mumbo-jumbo and instead a ton of characters making difficult decisions, this was totally my jam!
I’m a huge fan of an indie horror movie called St. Maud, in which cute little Morfydd Clark plays a religious fanatic. So I absolutely adored all the crazy Galadriel stuff, even when it was super sloppy, because Clark’s performance isn’t that far from what she was doing in St. Maud. She’s so utterly convicted about everything she says. But unlike her character in St. Maud, she’s also powerful to the point of being downright magic! Like how she magically fights a bunch of armed guards into a prison cell without even the benefit of choreography! Booom! That’s lady elf power! All the horse stunts, the survival while adrift, the political maneuvering, the inspirational elf speeches, getting on and off boats, with and without ash, and I might as well mention the horses again because damn, I’d like to see the Comanche try that! You go, girl! And Clark has more than enough conviction to sell it! Morfydd Clark’s unflinching delivery of Super Serious Middle Earth Lore was a real joy to watch in the same way I’d enjoy anyone totally invested in her D&D campaign, but especially trained British actors. :)
I feel similarly about Robert Aramayo’s Elrond. That dude, a British actor through and through, has had quite the career playing rednecks (Surely some of you guys remember him from The Empty Man unfolding secrets for James Badge Dale? Or how about Galveston, where he tries to con Ben Foster?). But look how nice he cleans up! It’s really cool to see him basically playing the role of “elfdom” for the audience, demonstrating what they’re like, how they think, how they feel. Cute little Morfydd Clark plays the fanatical element of the elfs, while the Gil-Galad and Celebrimbore dudes play the politics and craftsmanship of the elfs. Meanwhile Elrond is basically demonstrating their heart and empathy. Their soulfulness, if you will. Aramayo is so good doing that in his scenes with Owain Arthur’s wonderful Durin and especially Sophie Nomvete’s stately Disa.
And hoo boy, I cannot get enough of Disa. Disa singing to the mountain! I never thought I’d say this in a million years, but more lady dwarfs please. I tend to think of dwarfs as comic relief, and Peter Jackson was certainly happy to oblige me. But this felt so very different. I also want more black elfs and hobbits and dwarfs, too. I cannot speak highly enough for the multicultural casting in this. I don’t really take issue with Tolkien’s monoculturalism, because he was a member of a monocultural society, writing about Germanic folklore. Of course it was going to be lily white. But there’s no reason to preserve this if we’re crafting fantasy mythology for a modern audience, and especially for a younger modern audience. So I treasured every single minority elf, dwarf, lady king, or harfoot trailmaster. This is a Tolkien D&D campaign I can really get behind because it’s a Tolkien D&D campaign minus Tolkien’s own cultural trappings. And I’m fine with that.
Also, here’s where I have to lead with the obligatory “I’m not gay, but…” I’m not gay but that Arondir actor is so ridiculously gorgeous that I can barely even pay attention to his love interest’s unflattering overalls cleavage, her deep brown doe eyes, and her strategically stray locks of hair. It’s quite the state of affairs when a woman that lovely – she’s a dead ringer for a young Joanna Whalley – is so thoroughly upstaged by her love interest! It just goes to show how magical elfs are.
So, put me in the thumbs way up category on Rings of Power. Yeah, the writing was godawful at times, but it was a small price to pay for such a massively and glitteringly pretty modern D&D campaign. Way to go, Bezos! I hope you got laid!
