‘The Rings of Power’ hate is as boring as it is predictable

We’re back with another installment of “Let people enjoy the thing.” This time, we’re talking about Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. It is yet again another series that people online want to hate on just … because, I guess? I don’t get it; the show is fun to watch.

The Rings of Power follows Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) at the time when Sauron (Charlie Vickers) is creating the titular rings of power. The show itself is based largely on the appendices of The Lord of the Rings, giving it a bit more freedom in what to do with characters and storylines, as opposed to the Peter Jackson adaptations of the Lord of the Rings books themselves.

This has, for reasons that should be obvious at this point, brought out the worst of the internet. From the first season on, “fans” of Lord of the Rings have complained about the show for one reason or another, most all of them about the inclusion in the series. Centering the series around Galadriel instantly put the angry men on alert. Then, we have women of color in prominent roles, as well as men of color playing elves, dwarves, and other characters that they didn’t in Jackson’s films.

These “fans” have said that they don’t like the liberties the show is taking with J.R.R. Tolkien’s work, but that argument isn’t actually founded in what Tolkien and his family want. Do you know how I know that? Because the Tolkien estate is heavily involved in the show. You know what the Tolkien family didn’t love? (Mainly Christopher Tolkien?) The Peter Jackson movies.

Simon Tolkien, the grandson of Tolkien and the son of Christopher Tolkien, is a consultant on the Prime Video series.

Rings of Power is fascinating! I’m sorry; it just is!

The first season of the show had a lot of mystery to it. Was Halbrand really Sauron tricking Galadriel? Who was the Stranger? Is he Gandalf or another wizard? When will all of the different tribes of halflings come together to be the Hobbits as we know them in the Shire? It excited me to see all of these aspects of the story being explored at the same time.

In season 2, we’re seeing Sauron turn his gaze to Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards), and I think it is fascinating how the show explores Sauron’s use of the elves. That, to me, makes the storyline with the elves from Lord of the Rings even more interesting.

I love every single thing that happens with the halflings (which is unsurprising since I love the Hobbits), and I think Nori’s (Markella Kavenagh) journey with the Stranger (Daniel Weyman) is a perfect parallel to Gandalf’s relationship with the Hobbits. Even Aragon and Eowyn fans can find something to love in Mìriel (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) and Elendil (Lloyd Owen).

All of this to say that there is something for every single fan of Lord of the Rings in this show. We get to see the dwarves at the height of their power! I just don’t get hating on this show.

It’s good. Get over yourselves.

It is a great time to be a nerd. Every month, we have a new show to unpack and love, but being online during this time has been miserable. All of these angry people have tried to ruin the fun for everyone else. They want to cry and complain that something they cherish (and yet miss the basic principles it is trying to teach them) is not what they want. We saw it with The Acolyte. We’re seeing it with Marvel shows. The angry “fans” are out about Star Trek. Hell, even The Boys got turned on.

All of these shows exist in our nerdy space, and instead of celebrating the amount of geeky adaptations we’re getting, we get people attacking fans of these shows online. Why? Are people that concerned about other people liking something? Or is this some deep rooted issue where they cannot handle people embracing their nerdy sides because they got made fun of? I’m betting it’s the latter.

So how about if you don’t like something simply because you think you know more, you keep that energy to yourself? What about that?