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The new Amazon Tolkien series will be set during the Second Age

So it’s confirmed, the new Amazon Tolkien series will be set during the Second Age. This seems like a fine choice, since some of the characters that we know and “love,” such as Sauron, Galadriel, and Elrond, will be major players, and the framework for the Third Age which is the backdrop that we’re familiar with will be set.

Additionally, as noted in the reactions, the fact that much of the action could take place on Numenor is probably a good thing for character development and dramatic tension. Numenor is the byword for hubris in Tolkien’s legendarium and opens up a path for a more complex and realistic take on character development than may have been possible during the more mythological First Age.

And of course, the series could culminate in a set-piece battle to end all battles.

9 thoughts on “The new Amazon Tolkien series will be set during the Second Age

  1. It’s a great idea. There’s some good stories in there, and the fact that they have immortal characters like Elrond and Galadriel means that they could have great amounts of time pass between the seasons. The first season could be the forging of the Rings of Power and end with Sauron driven back by the arrival of the Numenoreans, the second could take place centuries later, and so forth. I’m just going to guess that the last season will be the Last Alliance vs Sauron.

  2. I will just say that the LOTR movies set the bar so high that it will be extremely hard to satisfy the viewers. I am not very hopeful for this series.

  3. The LotR movies were great where they stuck to the books. The pieces of the Hobbit movies that stuck to the book were great. The rest? Ick. I worry that there is no book for a LotR show (the Silmarillion doesn’t really count, it’s more of a plot outline). Games of Thrones was great and I am sure that’s what they’re inspired by but that had books too.

  4. And of course, the series could culminate in a set-piece battle to end all battles.

    Hundreds of thousands of combatants on each side? Magic supply system! And I guess no one drinks water. Also, think of the sanitation problems! Okay, maybe Elves and Orcs don’t need supplies, but surely horses and wolves do?

  5. Elrond and Galadriel aren’t really powerful figures in the second age. Elrond only stands out because of the destruction of Eregion and death of Gil-Galad.

    Similarly, Galadriel is a figure of note in terms of personality, but not power. Again, the decline of the Eldar and her use of one of the rings is what makes her stand out in the third age.

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