Loved ROP season 2.
Awful fandom
First off the LOTR fans are an extremely picky bunch. They have a very set idea of how the second age should be and if the show doesn’t agree to their head cannon they will denounce it. They can’t just accept it as an interpretation and then enjoy the show on its merits. Also, Tolkien is extremely complex. People who grew up on the very good LOTR Peter Jackson movies don’t realize that that too was an interpretation of the LOTR, one that Tolkien’s own family basically said missed the point of Tolkien. They think they know the Lore but they just don’t. They’re familiar with a lot of it, but it’s too complex. I just remember Erik Kain dismissing the whole Galadriel throwing herself into the sea on the way to Valinor as stupid but in Unfinished Tales there’s an obscure story about Amroth jumping off of a boat, like Galadriel, in search of his long-lost love. Only he ends up drowning. So that scene was inspired by Tolkien. It’s funny because Amroth jumps off for his long lost love that he’s been looking for and Galadriel jumps off for her long lost enemy she’s been looking for.
But really the whole Halbrand and Galadriel in the sea together seems to be inspired by the story of Uinen and Osse. Osse is a Maia that get’s seduced by Morgoth but his wife Uinen saves him.
In season 1 when Galadriel visits Halbrand in jail, she passes a statue of Uinen that literally saved Osse who had fallen under the influence of Morgoth(the force of evil in Tolkien’s world) and brought them back to Eru (the force of good in Tolkien’s world). This is foreshadowing or pointing to Galadriel potentially acting like Uinen, when she is reminding an imprisoned Halbrand that he is a King.
Diversity and girlbossing
Okay, you got me there. It’s all corporate that’s probably forcing diversity. There most likely is a feminist coordinator on the set, and some dei hire to make sure it’s diverse, but that’s a bigger issue than just one show. However, it doesn’t bother me to see multicultural elves as long as they all look elvish. Fundamentally for me it doesn’t take away from ROP. I think they’ve made great casting choices. The girl bossing is probably a bigger problem if it makes characters act in ways they wouldn’t.
However, realism and consistency of the plot
There a lot of complaints about the writing. I like the old English way of communicating. The elvish and black speech that comes up regularly. I have no problem with the writing.
And I love the “scenes” the soliloquy between characters. Whether it’s Sauron and Celembrimbor, Galadriel and Elrond, or Galadriel and Adar. Season 2 though, without a doubt, Celembrimbor and Sauron steal the show.
In talking about Lore vs. Adaptation, I highlighted how keeping some parts of the lore and throwing out others can lead to inconsistencies. This issue is even more noticeable in prequels and fantasy stories, in prequels people know the end and in fantasy you’ve already asked your audience to suspend their beliefs, so it’s sometimes hard to get people to care, to have impact.
In high-quality fiction, lots of things do not happen the way they would in real life, and almost all literature has things that just are contrived or fated. Like Eliza Bennet taking a tour of Mr. Darcy’s property and somehow bumping into the man. Would that happen in real life, probably not? Do the readers mind or become less engaged, no.
Plot realism
However, there were a few things in ROP this season that didn’t make sense, or created a lot of “suspension of belief”. Generally kind of lost the audience.
A major problem with this season was the whole conflict between the Orcs and Elves. Sauron managed to get them to attack each other, but it just didn’t add up. Why didn’t they just agree to focus on taking out Sauron? It seems way more reasonable for the Orcs to concentrate on him rather than trying to wipe out all of Eregion.
I get that Adar might have thought Eregion was too aligned with Sauron, and if they took him out, the Elves would come after them. He even brings this up in his conversation with Galadriel. But in the context of the LOTR universe, the idea that Elves would team up with Sauron against Orcs, and that a high-ranking Orc would think they’d ally, just makes you go, "Hmm?"
Another issue was that Galadriel and Elrond couldn’t warn Celebrimbor. In one episode, Sauron visits the Dwarves, and in another episode, Elrond also goes to see them. So, couldn't Elrond have just swung by Eregion? It feels a bit strange that Eregion suddenly seems impossible to reach, or that they couldn’t send someone—or even part of an army—to visit. The dwarves visit Eregion several times in season 2, but no one from Lindon can? Durin is being offered these rings from Annator, who says he’s a friend of Elrond, why not double-check? The fact that the messengers were killed too, should have made them more urgent to send someone over to Eregion too, no?
To me, it seems that the end-of-season 1 reveal kind of got them into the difficult situation of having to keep the elves out of Eregion. The elves fighting the Orcs over a common enemy seemed to be more of a moral issue, that essential when you war you’re doing you’re enemies bidding. But war is a complicated thing and it just didn’t make entire sense.
My fanfiction edits -
To address these, I would have had Halbrand return to Mordor in Season 1, before revealing himself to Galadriel. During this time, he would have a conversation with Adar and then make his escape. Afterward, he could come back to Eregion while Elrond and Galadriel are still there and reveal his identity as Annatar to Celebrimbor, Elrond, and Galadriel at the end of Season 1. So I would swap out the season 8 reveal that Galadriel had with Season 2 episode 2 reveal that Celembrimbor had, except all the important elves would see it Galadriel, Elrond, etc.
We could have kept Galadriel in Eregion during Season 2, while Elrond withdrew to Lindon. Annatar and Celebrimbor could then be involved with the rings, which would initially be entirely Elven, as they are in the books. Galadriel could visit Lindon to try to mend her relationships with Gil-galad and Elrond, both of whom distrust Annatar. During her visit, she could get kidnapped by Orcs and Adar, like she does in episode 4. Sauron could then come to rescue Galadriel, killing Adar. And after that we could have the big “Sauron” reveal between Galadriel and Sauron that was done in episode 8 of Season 1.
Being revealed Sauron would flee Eregion. Galadriel would notify all the elves that Annator was indeed Sauron. The elves would make the three rings. Galadriel and Elrond would take them to Lindon and we could have basically the opening of Season 2 episode 1 & 2 storyline the elves occur. The elves, in Eregion and Lindon would start plotting their defenses for Sauron’s attack. Sauron would make the one ring in Mount Doom and with the Orcs invade Eregion, find Celembrimbor and then we could have some of the great scenes from season 2 between them as Sauron tortures Celembrimbor for the rings and then after he kills Celembribor we would have the battle between Sauron and Galadriel, but no throwing yourself off the cliff.
The battle would be great. I just think this event timeline has so much more action in it and is so much more believable. We don’t have any stupid Elrond Galadriel kiss and and we can properly manage the Galadriel and Sauron. We may even see him in his official Sauron suit too then…how cool.
Even though the reveal was fantastic in season 1, it happened too soon and really messed up the plot in season 2. I would also have Celebrimbor give Galadriel the gem stone in one of the beginning episodes of season 2 and then show Annator jealous fuming.
I know I’m changing the plot but I really liked how the showrunners did things, especially in season 1. By changing the character Halbrand they changed every event in Season 1 and it has so much more meaning, as opposed to Galadriel hanging out with the younger version of Waldreg the way I originally imagined her to be while I was watching it. Season 2 had a lot of episodes where people were just walking around and not doing anything. I know they may have been trying to build up a story around Elrond and Galadriel but it just didn’t work. It was just weird.
Also why have a fill in for Galadriel in Eregion when you could just have Galadriel? I think Mirdania would have been a lot more likeable in that situation. And I think it would have been super cool seeing the Elves reaction to Halbrand turning into Annator. This also makes Sauron responsible for what he does. He puts on the Annator sharade, makes the rings and it’s not on Galadriel.
So to recap these are the edits I personally would make;
Season 1 episode 8
Halbrand visit Southlands, Annator reveal
Season 2 episode 1
Elrond and Gil Galad not happy, don’t trust Annator, go to Lindon and refuse to allow Annator to visist. Galadriel remains in Eregion but feels like somethings not right and still has many doubts. Clears up why Halbrand is not the King of the Southlands. Still likes him. Sauron, Celembrimbor ring making. Annator introduces to all the elves and becomming ingrated into the various elven kingdoms and showing off all his knowledge.
Episode 2
Would be more ring making blah blah
Epsiode 3
Galadriel would try to go to Lindon to make up with Elrond and Gil Galad and try to get them to get along with Annator. She will have her Orc moment that she has in episode 4 and get kidnapped by Adar.
Episode 4
Adar will reveal to her Halbrand as Sauron she will refuse to believe him. Annator will come and rescue her, kill Adar and reveal himself to the Orcs in full Sauron get up and gear. Galadriel will see things but not everything. He will take her back to Eregion, she will demand an explanation and then they will have what happened in season 1 episode 8. Galadriel will tell everyone in Eregion and in Lindon the truth about Sauron.
Episode 5
Sauron will make the one ring and beseige Eregion. The three elven rings will be made in secret but Elrond will have doubts and basically Season 2 epsiode 1 elven events will occur. The elves will start preparing, both Eregion and Lindon for war.
Episode 6
The battle will begin and it will be long and drawn out.
Episode 7
Great Celembrimbor and Sauron scenes that we had in season 2. With Celembrimbor forge destroyed and Sauron torturing him to obtain the rings.
Episode 8
We will have the same Galadriel and Sauron confrontation as he tries to obtain her ring and get the location and wearers of the other elven rings. No falling off cliffs.