S01 Season 1 Episode 6: Udûn Breakdown

[Erestor Arcamen]

Discussion of Season 1 Episode 6: Udûn
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11609042/

 

[CheriptheRipper]

What a bombtastic ending. Can't believe we really did get to see it.

 

[Ent]

Well. I have watched this episode.
my comments:
…………………..
……………………….
…………………………….
Any questions?

 

[Rivendell_librarian]

Laying aside the connection to Tolkien I think that was a much better episode ... until Galadriel turned up. Better because it focussed on just the one plot strand: the struggle between the orcs and the Southlanders. The treating of the wounded Bronwyn was not for the squeamish, but she seemed miraculously hale and hearty before the end of the episode.

 

[Annatar]

This episode was no better than the last.
The most evil creatures of Middle-earth, i.e. the Harfoots, fortunately did not appear at all this time, and nothing was said about the (inverted) Elven kryptonite Mithril, but it was still all catastrophically bad and had absolutely nothing in common with Tolkien or the sublime, grandiose spirit that resonates between the lines of his works. I don't even feel like going into the details in an ironic way anymore (at least not here, unless there's an explicit demand) because it's actually all so obvious, at least to those who aren't completely hollow inside.
After the absolute disregard for Tolkien lore in the last episode, this time there was just more garbage, although I thought it couldn't get any worse. But even if you don't know Tolkien: this was just all badly done. How can you be satisfied with such crap? Don't you have the slightest expectation of a sophisticated and entertaining series that doesn't insult your intellect? How can you be so jaded?

Unless the showrunners and writers are changed for season 2, you can forget this series for good.

In the end, you can only make fun of this series or get upset about it. Here I chose the latter, although I usually prefer the other way...

What's a nice symbol for this terrible episode: the apple; from which once Isildur bites and once the horse, and then again Isildur, and then he throws the apple into the sea...
After this episode, you have to seriously wonder if the plot wasn't dreamed up by an AI rather than a human.

 

[ZehnWaters]

After the absolute disregard for Tolkien lore in the last episode, this time there was just more garbage, although I thought it couldn't get any worse. But even if you don't know Tolkien: this was just all badly done. How can you be satisfied with such crap? Don't you have the slightest expectation of a sophisticated and entertaining series that doesn't insult your intellect? How can you be so jaded?

In the end, you can only make fun of this series or get upset about it. Here I chose the latter, although I usually prefer the other way...

I don't get the whole "just turn your brain off" or "lower your standards" statements in defense of such media.

 

[Gondolin's Bard]

I don't get the whole "just turn your brain off" or "lower your standards" statements in defense of such media.

It's about managing expectations. Much of what makes Tolkien Tolkien is wrapped up in the written word, so I never expected any form of media other than that to really capture it.

Thus, I can focus more on what the show is trying to do versus what it could never be and enjoy it this way. Personally, I quite enjoyed this episode myself. Adar continues to be a fascinating character. It might be crass of me, but I did like that twist at the end.

 

[Ent]

"just turn your brain off" or "lower your standards"

Good morning (where I am) friend ZehnWaters.
I for one certainly am not asking anyone to 'turn brain off' or 'lower'... each person tackles things according to the 'rules' they set for themselves... and every platform of rules a person determines to apply is that person's platform. Perfectly acceptable. Their opinion based on their criteria.

From any facet of the diamond, conflict only comes when one tries to insist others 'agree with and adhere to' their own platform/opinion.

It's about managing expectations.
Thus, I can focus more on what the show is trying to do

My dear Gondolin's Bard - exactly - our 'platforms' seem to match, at least in their basic formulation.
My own comparative with the series is not to Tolkien's work(s) but with these things:
1. How it handles itself within itself.
2. How the characters deliver their parts.
3. How the costuming 'works' and either adds to or detracts from the environment.
4. How the scenery "works" and either adds to or....
5. The 'credibility' of the individual actions, scenes and episode within the next layer of, and growing into, the whole.
(there are more.)

Meanwhile, each person is totally free to accept, reject, like, dislike, love, hate, watch or walk away from, the whole thing as they see fit.

The ONLY wrong thing is to subscribe to The Religion of Opinion, whose fundamental platform is "you must agree with me or you are excommunicated and I'm going to let you KNOW you are excommunicated..!" (or worse.)

 

[Annatar]

 

[ZehnWaters]

It's about managing expectations. Much of what makes Tolkien Tolkien is wrapped up in the written word, so I never expected any form of media other than that to really capture it.

I would like to point out that I am almost the only person on these boards who LIKED The Hobbit and the character Tauriel. My expectations are sufficiently managed.

 

[ZehnWaters]

Good morning (where I am) friend ZehnWaters.
I for one certainly am not asking anyone to 'turn brain off' or 'lower'... each person tackles things according to the 'rules' they set for themselves... and every platform of rules a person determines to apply is that person's platform. Perfectly acceptable. Their opinion based on their criteria.

From any facet of the diamond, conflict only comes when one tries to insist others 'agree with and adhere to' their own platform/opinion.

I know you're not, and I'm thankful for that. Others are not so kind, however. Not on here, blessedly. Everyone on here has been surprisingly cordial.

My dear Gondolin's Bard - exactly - our 'platforms' seem to match, at least in their basic formulation.
My own comparative with the series is not to Tolkien's work(s) but with these things:
1. How it handles itself within itself.
2. How the characters deliver their parts.
3. How the costuming 'works' and either adds to or detracts from the environment.
4. How the scenery "works" and either adds to or....
5. The 'credibility' of the individual actions, scenes and episode within the next layer of, and growing into, the whole.
(there are more.)

Meanwhile, each person is totally free to accept, reject, like, dislike, love, hate, watch or walk away from, the whole thing as they see fit.

For me, I think it comes down to at least TRYING to stick to the source material. If you're not even going to try, and all you've really done is import the names, why even bother? This has happened with a lot of reboots lately (I'm looking at you, "She-Ra").

Another problem is the "anti-marketing", where any criticism is painted as being grounded in some sort of "-ist" or "-phobe". When you point out your criticism doesn't fall under that category they just say "then my response doesn't apply to you!" Except they don't address any other criticism and the only people who DO fall under the banner of "-ist" or "-phobe" only constitute >1% of the criticism, so who ARE they talking to? Why address, so greatly, such a small minority of criticism?

The ONLY wrong thing is to subscribe to The Religion of Opinion, whose fundamental platform is "you must agree with me or you are excommunicated and I'm going to let you KNOW you are excommunicated..!" (or worse.)

Yes. It's become a back and forth, unfortunately.

 

[Elthir]

What? Who? Pompeii? Water key. No lever? Where? Cool ash? But fire! Eye blood! Uruk! Uruk!

Why? When. Horse? Ouch! Fine. Pompeii? Water. Big ork! No weapon? Water apple. Water pizza. Why?

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

This may be Elthir's most coherent post ever.

 

[Ent]

I confess, I came to a stunning realization just a few short minutes ago.
Brief background: the wife is asleep, and I have some time to do some light computer work sitting here in my recliner with my double screens set up.

When I do that, sometimes I put on the TV what I call "mindless movies" to run in the background.
Mindless movies....
- require nothing of you.
- contribute nothing to you.
- leave nothing behind for you, and;
- don't need any real attention.

So as I was considering what 'mindless stuff' to put on today, watching the "RoP" episodes came to mind.
What does that mean?

 

[Elthir]

This may be Elthir's most coherent post ever.

LOL! Awesome response. Pompeii what? Hurt no horse! Yaaah!

😂

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

 

[Rivendell_librarian]

Funny how "Pompeii" made me think of Frankie Howerd. Maybe Galadriel could turn to the camera and say "titter ye not" - but would she have the comic timing?

On a more serious note, I took a quick look at the star ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, and they follow a Bathtub Curve distribution (or maybe better called a Bovril Curve). It seems to be either loved or hated with less than you would expect in between the two extremes. And the difference did not correlate all that well with those claiming to have read the books.

Anyway, Galadriel could well deflect the molten flood with her magical powers, but as this is Mordor maybe not.

 

[Ent]

It seems to be either loved or hated with less than you would expect in between the two extremes.

Sadly, I fear this relates as much to 'society as it is today', as it does to anything else. For all our 'wokeness' we live in a far more intolerant world now than we have in many a century for reasons I need not (and will not) expound upon here.
Thus, the responses to RoP do not surprise me. Nor does their lack of correlation with something that would SEEM to be a (primary?!) reason for the polarization.

 

[Goldilocks Gamgee]

I'm a little behind all of you on watching the episodes, but I just finished and wow! That was... I'm not sure how to phrase it.
They definitely stole Sam's line of "It is only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass." and remodeled it into Bronwyn's line to Theo.
The CGI was tremendous! The erupting volcano, the water rushing...! I loved that part. Also, the battle scene! Glorious. I was kind of hoping to find Rowan alive, but ah, well.
What was kind of stupid, was how Bronwyn survived. Like, every single other character die when they're hit by an arrow, and everyone ignores it. But when Bronwyn is pierced through (it comes out on the other side!) and yet survives. I mean, Bronwyn is one of the only characters I like in this show: killing her off might have been a very emotional scene!
Other than that, I think this was a pretty okay episode, all in all.

 

[ZehnWaters]

Sadly, I fear this relates as much to 'society as it is today', as it does to anything else. For all our 'wokeness' we live in a far more intolerant world now than we have in many a century for reasons I need not (and will not) expound upon here.
Thus, the responses to RoP do not surprise me. Nor does their lack of correlation with something that would SEEM to be a (primary?!) reason for the polarization.

The only reason someone could dislike it is intolerance?