David Cason

A Successful Revisionist Version of Tolkien’s Middle Earth I appreciate the effort to bring the immensity of Tolkien’s history of Middle Earth and the tales of the 2nd age to the screen. Cobbling together the stories, notes and appendices that cover roughly 3,500 years into a coherent framework is no small task. In doing so there had to be some re-imagining and adaptation of Tolkien's work. The limited access to Tolkien’s intellectual property made the task that much tougher. Even with these challenges, the show succeeds at capturing the essence of Middle Earth and the spirit of Tolkien’s works. A meaningful revision to the cinematic narrative of Middle Earth is the incorporation of people of color into the cast. Having read the LOTR books and the Silmarillion years ago I don’t recall anything that suggests that the characters were all white. An updated portrayal of diversity enriches the mythos and increases its relevancy. Regrettably, some backlash against the show comes from those who object to this change. I remember when the LOTR trilogy came out, there was criticism about deviations from source material and that some characters didn't look as described in the books. Now, these films are regarded as classic works. Perhaps a similar phenomenon is at work here. In addition to modernizing a massive far-reaching storyline, the cinematography is stunning with beautiful well imagined scenes that feel like Middle Earth and give even greater depth to the lore. Furthermore, the use of maps in the prologue and in the transitions between scenes helps convey a geographical scale worthy of Middle Earth. It also helps us make sense of the many but necessary transitions between the different locations and peoples. This lends even greater emphasis to both the immensity of the story and how reemerging evil is in hiding across the land. Another notable feature of The Rings of Power is making the protagonist a driven, heroic, female figure – Galadriel. This earlier version of the venerated elven queen takes up the quest of her dead brother, Finrod to find and eliminate Sauron. She is obsessed by the belief that Sauron’s evil not only endures but grows unseen and that she must find it and stop it. However, she receives little support and, instead, encounters resistance born of the complacency that comes from years of relative peace. This character is much different than the stoic and noble Galadriel we know from the 3rd Age. Her back story and anticipated evolution is a gift. Galadriel’s struggles encapsulate what is so good about Tolkien’s works. On the surface, it appears to be a simple tale of good vs evil that we’ve heard many times. But it’s the way that this elf and other characters confront and struggle with larger-than-life conflicts that make it special and appealing. We identify with their self-doubt, hopes and fears and, ultimately, their valor in shouldering impossible quests in ways that become personal to us. Though the Rings of Power includes some reimagining of Tolkien’s works, the characters remain steadfast in their confrontation of the forces of evil. Forces that are intent on seizing power and establishing dominion over others. This narrative will keep me interested throughout the series and, probably, wanting for more.

It's refreshing to see a classic story re imagined to be both thoroughly entertaining and socially poignant. It examines the role and treatment of women, race relations and the plight of native people in ways that inform and move us to be better. It helps to illustrate that these are longstanding issues with which we have struggled for much too long. But instead of scolding us, it gives us hope in the form of an optimistic girl, Anne, who's coming of age story is a catalyst for community change and enlightenment for those with whom she shares her journey. Kudos to Producer and Screenwriter, Moira Wally-Becket for elevating the story to such a high level of contemporary relevance. And, the talented cast cannot be thanked enough for bringing depth and relatability to the characters. Everything about this show is superb. Though we must be grateful to have three wonderful seasons of Anne, it is terribly unfortunate Netflix has cancelled the show. It's perplexing that Netflix would prefer to produce another inane comic book series at the expense of this high quality content. Perhaps they will come to their senses? I'm not holding my breath.

Surprised at how much I liked this show. The multiple timelines in season one were confusing at first. Once understood, they made sense and were necessary for development of the key characters. Looking forward to season two and beyond. Hope Netflix will make more than 8 episodes for future seasons. Would like to see 10 or more.