Richard Caldwell

I saw the Fellowship of the Ring before I had finished any of Tolkien’s books. To say that movie was anything less than astounding for someone who’s not really a fantasy fan would be an understatement. Sadly, the next two films, for me at least, were very disappointing. With the exception of the first 15 minutes of the Two Towers. And then the barely watchable Hobbit trilogy came. I had essentially given up on any meaningful or enjoyable return to Middle Earth. The first two episodes of the series have completely erased my disillusionment with the franchise. Is this groundbreaking visionary television at its finest? No, of course not. But the writers and creators of the show have done something that I did not believe to be possible. They have made a return to Middle Earth fun and enjoyable. I finished the second episode with a feeling of excitement for what’s coming next. Similar to what I felt when I finished FotR 20 years ago! It was good to feel that again. It was good to know there are stories that can still deliver on the promise of what Tolkien’s Middle Earth has to offer. For me it’s pointless to debate how accurate the plot is or how true to the characters the writers were in developing the script. From my perspective, trying to reproduce the formula of FotR is what delivered three mediocre prequels and in my opinion two lackluster sequels. I love Peter Jackson and Weta (and Philippa). I watched the “making of” documentaries of the first three movies more often than I watched the movies. But it’s time for a new direction. For me, this show delivered that. It was fun. It was different yet somehow familiar I’m very excited to watch the remainder of the season.