I’ve thoroughly enjoyed #RingsOfPower. Here’s why:
Tolkien’s stories are primarily about Wisdom, not War. Courage & hope aren’t given, but learned & cultivated. The humble prevail by guiding each other’s hearts with wisdom. Truth paves way for goodness. This show gets this.
Tolkien’s stories are primarily about Wisdom, not War. Courage & hope aren’t given, but learned & cultivated. The humble prevail by guiding each other’s hearts with wisdom. Truth paves way for goodness. This show gets this.
War exists on Middle-Earth — & it often seems central— but it’s dreaded, avoided, & always rooted in foolishness. This is why this isn’t an Epic War show. It’s a book of wisdom on screen. It’s unique right now as a story that uses actions AND words to elevate goodness over power.
Tolkien was able to write an epic tale in a trilogy (LOTR), 1x book (Hobbit), or even 1x chapter (Appendixes, Silmarillion, etc). How? Because he knew the essentials of a wisdom adventure. We don’t just want a “good guy/girl” to win. We want “goodness” itself to win. Truth works.
For goodness to thrive, truth needs to be shared and wisely followed. It needs to be sowed thoughtfully and with beauty. Deception also needs to be exposed and rejected. It will be whispered in our ears or shouted from thrones, but the wise will extinguish it with the light!
For a TV show to carry this, it will require “slower” episodes and/or scenes and focused dialogues. That’s good! It’s the only way we’ll hear Tolkien-like pearls of wisdom that made his stories so much richer than the average high fantasy. Here are some from season one:
“The same wind that seeks to blow out a fire may also cause it to spread.” -High King Gil-galad, S1E1
“Despise not the labor which humbles the heart. Humility has saved entire kingdoms the proud have all but led to ruin.” - Galadriel, SE1E6
“Despise not the labor which humbles the heart. Humility has saved entire kingdoms the proud have all but led to ruin.” - Galadriel, SE1E6
“It darkens the heart to call dark deeds good. It gives space for evil to thrive inside us. Every battle is fought without, and within. Of that, every soldier must be mindful.” - Galadriel, SE1E7
“Betimes, our paths are laid before us by powers greater than our own. In those moments, it's our task to make our feet go where our hearts wish not to tread. No matter the perils awaiting us on the way.” - The Stranger, S1E8
Will the characters heed the wisdom they’ve shared and received? We will have to wait and see how the writers unfold it all, but if they follow Tolkien’s story arc approach, the key decisions and major events in the story will be anchored in their responses to these truths.
This is not #GamesofThrones or #HouseOfTheDragon and you will not enjoy it if you expect it to be a GRRMartin style adult-oriented amoral war fantasy. It is an everyone-inclusive, family-accessible, heart-warming reflective tale. Maybe the world has lost its love for such a way.
As for me, I’m grateful for a viewing adventure that I can share with my whole family, even young kids, specially knowing what they might learn along the way. The coming seasons will tell whether or not this approach will truly work for viewers, but it’s off to a beautiful start.
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