Reaction to Vanity Fair's Rings of Power First Look

Read the Vanity Fair Article here: https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/02/amazon-the-rings-of-power-series-first-look

On Thursday, at 8 am EST, Middle-earth fans received the most in-depth look yet at the upcoming Amazon series Rings of Power, set to premier September 2 of this year, via a release from Vanity Fair. I was in class at the time, but that was hardly enough to stop me from eagerly reading the article the moment it dropped. Here are my thoughts:

My faith in the series has greatly increased following the article. Based on the information about them in the piece, showrunners Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne seem to be devoted to making a piece of art faithful to Tolkien’s vision, fans who are doing this out of genuine passion and love, unlike some other big-time fantasy showrunners of late. Based on the thirteen stills presented in the article, the massive budget seems like it has been put to good use and divided wisely amongst the various departments which all must receive sufficient monetary resources in order to produce a complete, cohesive piece of beautiful art, which Rings of Power should absolutely be. From hair and costumes to set and lighting, every new image sings gloriously of being of the true essence of Midde-earth. Assuming the rest of the show adheres to the same standard of quality as these stills, it is a guarantee the show will be at least a visual success.

The lighting of the stills really stood out to me. Each image is breathtaking, thanks in no small part to the magical lighting that is reminiscent of that used in Jackson's films and so is strongly associated with Middle-earth. Just look at the usage of light in the below image of Galadriel and Elrond in Lindon. It recalls the lighting of Rivendell and so manages to infuse the viewer with a sense of comfort and familiarity in a realm they have never visited before. This will serve as a key component to making the kingdoms of Rings of Power resemble those seen in other adaptiations of Tolkien's work, making all of the work feel like a depiction of a singular universe while simultaneously expanding on that universe. This is especially comforting given the questionable lighting choices made in the other promo material we have received which has been discussed in more detail by Daniel Greene on his YouTube channel.

The gold leaf designs on Galadriel's gown as well as the other full character costumes display the show's magnificent attention to detail which we saw in the posters released earlier this week. All of the costumes are extremely impressive, each with its own individuality and charm while all still able to believably exist in the Middle-earth we know and love.

The only character design that gave me pause was that of the so called "nomadic hunters". Their design is awe inspiring and does not stand out as not belonging in Middle-earth, but it does seem like the giant elk-like antlers on their backs might be a bit too much.

The story point I found to be the most interesting of the article was the inclusion of a forbidden Elf/Man relationship between original characters Bronwyn and Arondir. Sure, Aragorn/Arwen went over smoothly, but Kili/Tauriel was met with widespread criticism so great that many point to the existence of the relationship as one of, if not their main, reason for despising The Hobbit films. I am not among the masses on that one. Kiliel was my first OTP, The Hobbit films are my favorite of all time (yes, even more than Lord of the Rings, I said it) and Tauriel is my favorite character of the trilogy, I couldn't care less that she's not canon. In the face of the Kiliel bashing, I was shocked to see that Rings of Power chose to include a forbidden love of their own. I could see popular opinion going in either direction, I'm honestly not sure how it's going to play out. As one of the few devoted Kiliel fans, I am preparing myself to be irked if the majority of the fandom ships Bronwyn/Arondir but continue to slander Kiliel.

Despite these beautiful stills, the quality of the show is far from promised. There are plenty of ways things could go wrong, infinite ways the showrunners could screw this up. But there is one thing that Rings of Power is doing that no Middle-earth adaptation has done before, a splendid step in the right direction for not only Middle-earth, but for all fantasy, so much of which is derived from Tolkien- characters of color exist in visual Middle-earth!!!!! For decades, they have lived only on the page and have not been given any front and center roles in any Middle-earth films. Now that era is ended! People of color will finally be seen playing essential roles in the history of the greatest mythical world ever created, that is a defnite achievement no matter what else the show may bring!

The first official trailer for the series premiers this Sunday during the Superbowl (Yes, I will be forcing myself to watch it for the trailer and terminating my viewership as soon as I see it). Until then, the Vanity Fair article, along with the posters and the title announcement are all we have. Given all of that, I am extremely excited for the show but determined to maintain restraint on my excitement to avoid being let down if the show fails to deliver, which it is almost certain to do in at least one area. When taking on such a massive, beloved work, mistakes are inevitable. The only real question is whether the areas in which it succeeds will outweigh the areas in which it disappoints.