Aye, accents are funny, but I found forgiveness in the fact that, unlike Cruise, Kidman, J Roberts, H Graham, etc., etc., etc., they weren't supposed to be actually "Irish".

I'd have happily watched a 3rd, 4th and maybe more last night after the 2nd ended. Only 8 in total this season.

Watched the 2 episodes last night. Jesus it looks fucking amazing. Good story and the acting ain't bad so looking forward to more.

I enjoyed the first episode, haven't seen the second yet. As said, it does look great. I would have lapped this up as a teenager but finding it hard to summon much enthusiasm for this kind of thing these days. I think the final seasons of GOT killed off any goodwill on my part towards the fantasy genre.
Article from the Times below on the Irish accents. Hard to disagree with a lot of it. That said, I'd always imagined the hobbits having a bit of a rustic, west country accent, and that seems to have been how they were depicted in the films.

https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/tv-radio/2022/08/31/rings-of-power-the-new-hobbits-are-filthy-hungry-simpletons-with-stage-irish-accents-thats-1bn-well-spent/

Quote from: Black Shepherd Carnage on September 03, 2022, 08:21:38 AMAye, accents are funny, but I found forgiveness in the fact that, unlike Cruise, Kidman, J Roberts, H Graham, etc., etc., etc., they weren't supposed to be actually "Irish".

I'd have happily watched a 3rd, 4th and maybe more last night after the 2nd ended. Only 8 in total this season.

Yeah that's how I got over it too tbf

#19 September 03, 2022, 01:25:18 PM Last Edit: September 03, 2022, 01:29:21 PM by Black Shepherd Carnage
Quote from: John Kimble on September 03, 2022, 11:23:19 AMArticle from the Times below on the Irish accents. Hard to disagree with a lot of it. That said, I'd always imagined the hobbits having a bit of a rustic, west country accent, and that seems to have been how they were depicted in the films.

https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/tv-radio/2022/08/31/rings-of-power-the-new-hobbits-are-filthy-hungry-simpletons-with-stage-irish-accents-thats-1bn-well-spent/

No time for martyrdom takes like this tbh. Not to mention that yer man doesn't seem to understand anything about the world of Middle Earth. The hobbits were clearly never cast as an "inferior" race by Tolkien for one thing, so it's no insult if the harfoots have been given Irish accents (even though, they're precisely not fully Irish accents). Tolkien's whole approach to heroic exploits was that the prosperity of a world relies on the cooperation of all sorts, all having different characteristics. No elf or dwarf or human could have done what Sam & Frodo accomplished, which was vitally necessary for the future of their world. This is supposed to be painfully obvious. The races look down on each other amongst themselves, but the reader, with their omniscient point of view, is supposed to see just how wrong they are to do this (Gandalf, notably, understands this). Nothing has been presented yet, but we can be sure that if the harfoots are appearing, it's because they are going to have some kind of similar vital role. The hack martyr there calls the harfoots "dirty", etc., whereas a more up to date ecological view would say that they form a unit with their environment, as witnessed by the very first scene they appear in. That's a kind of ninja super power I don't believe 19th century Irish peasants possessed. Ah sure, if someone watched the first episode, as a "journalist", and the best thing they could think of to share with the world about it was that article, let's just say I'm very glad I'm not that person.

As I've mentioned before, nobody seems to be upset about the fact that nowhere in the lore does it say that elves have pointy ears.

Also re the accents, it's sort of a mix of Irish Scottish Welsh and West country I'm hearing in them but is that the actors different takes on the generic TV Irish accent or is it supposed to be a generally vague sort of rustic or hokey thing?

I just meant episode specific stuff like.

Quote from: Eoin McLove on September 03, 2022, 05:47:15 AMThe Old Testament will be some craic.

Yeah the new testament won't hold a candle to it

Inevitable given the level of their pettiness and immaturity, but I see the series has been "review bombed" by trolls on Rotten Tomatoes. It won't have any impact on viewership, especially given the disparity up to the critics' score, but, wow, this kind of behavior, this is the real paroxysm of entitlement culture.



I've a feeling it's some kind of woke/anti-woke thing and tbf one's as bad as the other.

I enjoyed it for what it is which to me is a bit more Tolkien on the screen

Quote from: astfgyl on September 03, 2022, 09:45:47 PMI've a feeling it's some kind of woke/anti-woke thing and tbf one's as bad as the other.

Sure is. Ruined IMDb comments section and ratings. The saddest of people.

"the harfoots are appearing, it's because they are going to have some kind of similar vital role. The hack martyr there calls the harfoots "dirty", etc., whereas a more up to date ecological view would say that they form a unit with their environment, as witnessed by the very first scene they appear in. That's a kind of ninja super power I don't believe 19th century Irish peasants possessed"

Some spiel there. Irish Tolkien fans can box it up any way they like but the Anglosphere will recognise it immediately as the Punch cartoon dirty thick Irish. A fuckin Aussie directed the accents as having an Irish base and Aussies love their dirty Paddy jibes.  Ive challenged plenty of the cunts on it to watch their lip