Jenarita Plante
Anchor Staff Writer
J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic world in “The Lord of the Rings” has been fascinating young and old alike since 1954. The story centers around a Hobbit named Frodo Baggins who is given a ring from his cousin. It is not long before he discovers that this ring is magical, powerful and highly sought out by Sauron, the dark lord. The ring was created by Sauron, and is a great source of power that could destroy Middle Earth. Frodo goes on a fantastical quest with a few friends from his homeland of the Shire, encountering Elves, Ents, Orcs, Wizards, Dwarves and countless other magical and mystical beings. His quest to destroy the ring spans three books, which are each broken into several parts. Having a grand following, the epic novels were made into three respective films in the early 2000s.
Following those films came the film series “The Hobbit,” which was actually an adaptation of Tolkien’s earlier 1937 novel of the same name. The series chronicles Frodo’s cousin Bilbo’s adventures. It tells of how he came to get the well known ring and the adventures that followed, namely trying to get a share of a treasure from a dragon named Smaug. The film and book answered many backstory questions from “The Lord of the Rings,” yet with an epic this powerful, so many questions have burned in the minds of readers and viewers for countless years.
That was until the new series, “The Rings of Power,” began to answer them one by one. “The Rings of Power” began airing on Sept. 1. The series, produced by Amazon Prime Video, takes place thousands of years before the events of “The Lord of the Rings.” It is a time when the Hobbits are not settled in the Shire, but are travelers, never staying in one spot very long. A wizard has fallen from the stars and one can speculate that this may be Gandalf, especially due to his fondness for the Hobbits. The elf sorceress, Galadriel, has not yet learned of her powers and is leading an army to challenge the Orcs and Sauron. The dark lord Sauron is rising to power and creating destruction and devastation in his wake. Currently, the new series is only five episodes in and has already begun to captivate a large audience. Amazon reported that on the first day 25 million viewers worldwide tuned in to watch the premiere.
As a fan of the “Lord of the Rings” franchise, I was both excited and hesitant about this new series. I knew that “The Rings of Power” had a great deal to live up to as it is hard to top the films. However, in its first five episodes, “The Rings of Power” has lived up to the grandeur of the originals. The writers of the series are consulting with the Tolkien estate, and they are remaining true to the Middle Earth so many of us have grown to know. The graphics and filming are impeccable, making you feel as if you are in this fantastical world. The casting was done tastefully, keeping in mind the characters that live for thousands of years and are again met in “The Lord of the Rings.” Overall, this show is a must see and is enjoyable for the whole family.