When I watched the OG Lord of the Rings movies for the first time, I didn’t fall in love with them. It wasn’t until I watched its prequel series, Rings of Power, with an Amazon Prime subscription that I started to get what all the hype was about. Now, with Rings of Power Season 2 airing on the 2024 TV schedule, I decided to give Peter Jackson’s movies another shot, because I figured I’d enjoy them more this time around. Turns out, I was right!
As I mentioned, I was pretty indifferent about The Lord of the Rings movies after I saw them for the first time a few years ago. I didn’t grow up with them, I haven’t read the books, and to be blunt about it, I was overwhelmed by the universe. However, thankfully, Rings of Power is helping me understand Middle-earth’s history. So, when I gave Fellowship another chance with that background knowledge, my thoughts about the film changed completely, and this is why:
Before Watching Rings Of Power, I Wasn’t Invested In The Elves. Now, I Care So Much About Them
I’m about to be so real right now, the last being I cared about when I watched Fellowship for the first time was Elrond, Galadriel and all the other elves.
With Elrond, I just thought he was some guy giving Frodo and co. directions, and I was ready for them to just get on the road. A common theme in this story, as I’ve mentioned, will be me admitting how careless I was about the lore the first time around. And I think I was the worst offender when it came to Elrond, his backstory and the role he plays in Frodo’s journey.
Now, because of Rings of Power, I understand how apprehensive he’s always been about the evil power of this jewelry. Watching him literally jump off a waterfall with the rings in Episode 1 of Season 2 and witnessing how it fractured his relationships with Galadriel and High King Gil-galad hammered that point home. So, when I watched Fellowship this time around, I could feel the weight of Elrond’s past weighing on him as he spoke about how important it was to get rid of the ring.
The same can be said about Galadriel. The first time through with LOTR, I didn’t fully comprehend why she was important, and it felt like she was always speaking in riddles. However, with the context of Rings of Power on my side, her haunted moment when she sees the One Ring packs a sucker punch, because I know she was deeply deceived and hurt by Sauron all those years ago when he was disguised as Halbrand.
All together, my appreciation for the elves' impact on Middle-earth and their connection to the battle against Sauron has increased tenfold, because I get the lore now!
Aragorn’s Lineage And Why It’s Important Is Something I Actually Appreciate
Let the record show, the first time I watched Fellowship, out of the LOTR cast Aragorn was one of my favorite characters (Gandalf is the other). I was in love with Viggo Mortensen’s performance, and I adored the hero’s journey he went on across the three films. However, when it came to why he had a claim to the throne… before Rings of Power, I couldn’t have explained it to you.
Now, and I say this with my full chest: boy do I know who Isildur is! In fact, while watching this film I screamed when the statues of Isildur and his brother Anárion appeared.
In Rings of Power, I adore Isildur, and I’m very fascinated by the journey he’s going on, especially now that he’s not in Númenor and I know he’s eventually going to become a king. I’m invested in his journey, because he’s pure and good, and I’m fascinated by the fact that when he obtains the One Ring, he can’t throw it into Mount Doom.
Between the downfall of Isildur – that now also has the context of his origins from the prequel series added to it – as well as the rise of Aragorn, when I watched Fellowship I absolutely got the importance of Mortensen’s character on a much grander scale that goes far beyond he’s good with a sword, nice and royal.
I Fully Get The Power Of The Rings And Just How Terrifying They Are
I’ll admit it, I was judgy at first. I thought it was easy to throw the ring in Mount Doom, and I didn’t get what the big deal was. I knew it was impossible to not be impacted by it, but I didn’t fully understand just how terrible it was.
Now, I get it. Seeing Sauron manipulate Celebrimbor into creating the rings in Rings of Power has added a whole new level of terror and meaning to Frodo’s journey with the ring. In the prequel series, the One Ring hasn’t even been created yet. However, we witness Sauron putting his dark plan into action as he takes advantage of this brilliant artist. Plus, across Season 1, as Galadriel became allies with Sauron (who was Halbrand), before realizing she was being coerced into helping him, I trusted him too. Then, when his true identity was revealed I was scared.
All this is to say, Sauron isn’t some god-like faceless creature in the show. He presents as a man people believe in. Seeing that added to my understanding of the rings and the downfall of Middle-earth.
Also, witnessing these strong characters be negatively influenced by him, when they seem like the kind of beings who never could be, emphasized the evil power of the ring as well as its ability to corrupt. So, obviously, Frodo can’t easily complete his quest, and that makes sense now.
Looking back on my first viewing of Fellowship of the Ring I was plagued by the overwhelming feeling of learning the lore, and that caused me to only watch the movie from a surface-level perspective. Now, being a big fan of Rings of Power, I have a new and deeper understanding of the characters, politics and lore that has made me do a total 180 on my feelings toward the OG Lord of the Rings movies.
If you are looking to go on a quest like this one and reassess your thoughts on this iconic fantasy franchise, you can stream Rings of Power on Amazon Prime and The Lord of the Rings movies with a Max subscription.
