The Departure from Middle-earth: How 'The Rings of Power' Strayed from 'The Silmarillion' and 'Unfinished Tales'

Disclaimer: I have only followed the show via video reviews and thus my knowledge of the show comes from recaps rather than personal viewing. The books, The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales, are not accessible to the show's producers, who can only use The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.

The more pertinent question, however, is 'how much it didn’t stray from the books'. In fact, the whole series is a massive departure from the source material and subpar screenwriting.

Timeline Discrepancies

One of the most significant issues is the timeline. The show’s portrayal of events in the Second Age is deeply flawed. According to The Lord of the Rings (appendix B), the timeline in the Second Age within which The Rings of Power is set is quite detailed.

First Age: The story of the Silmarillion, Fanor, the greatest of the Eldar, forsook the Blessed Realm and led a great part of his people to Middle-earth to recover the Silmarilli. Notably, Elros is only mentioned in episode 3, and the show does not explain who he was. In episode 4, a human character boasts that Elros’s host conquered Morgoth himself, but this plot point is attributed to a "MAGA" type character and is disregarded.

Key Events Compilation

Major Events in the Second Age:

442 Years SA: Death of Elros Tar-Minyatur. c. 500 Years SA: Sauron begins to stir again in Middle-earth. 750 Years SA: Eregion is founded by the Noldor. c. 1000 Years SA: Sauron alarmed by the growing power of the Númenóreans chooses Mordor as a land to make into a stronghold, and he begins the building of Barad-dr. 1075 Years SA: Tar-Ancalim becomes the first Ruling Queen of Númenor. c. 1200 Years SA: Sauron endeavours to seduce the Eldar. Gil-galad refuses to treat with him but the smiths of Eregion are won over. The Númenóreans begin to make permanent havens. c. 1500 Years SA: The Elven-smiths, instructed by Sauron, reach the height of their skill and begin the forging of the Rings of Power. c. 1590 Years SA: The Three Rings are completed in Eregion. c. 1600 Years SA: Sauron forges the One Ring in Orodruin. He completes the Barad-dr, and Celebrimbor perceives the designs of Sauron. 1693 Years SA: The War of the Elves and Sauron begins. The Three Rings are hidden. 1695 Years SA: Sauron's forces invade Eriador. Gil-galad sends Elrond to Eregion. 1697 Years SA: Eregion is laid waste. Celebrimbor is killed. The gates of Moria are shut. Elrond retreats with the remnants of the Noldor and founds the refuge of Imladris.

Compared to the source material, the show drastically compresses these events, particularly the forging of the Rings, which is said to have taken decades. This inconsistency further distances the show from the original narrative.

Conjectural Elements and Characters

The show also introduces fictitious elements and characters. The Harfoots, presented as "hobbit ancestors", are a branch of the race of hobbits that has no records in the First or Second Ages. The show also mistakenly presents the mysterious "stranger," who is clearly identified as Gandalf, but the show's producers avoid this identification. Gandalf's arrival in Middle-earth is mentioned as by ship in the Third Age, something the show conveniently ignores.

Absurd Plot Points

Several plot points in the show are absurd. Halbrand reveals himself to be Sauron to Galadriel, but for some reason, she doesn’t tell Celebrimbor. Sauron returns to Eregion with the intent to trick Celebrimbor as Annatar, but it is highly improbable that Galadriel would not have warned all of Eregion of this. This shows that the show's creators may have painted themselves into a corner, creating plot holes and inconsistencies that make the narrative less believable.

Conclusion

While 'The Rings of Power' attempts to stay true to the Middle-earth universe, it fails profoundly in its fidelity to the original material. Many key stakeholders and pivotal moments from the Second Age are ignored or speculated upon, leading to an overall misinterpretation of events. It's clear that the showrunners, while working with the constraints of existing narratives, have strayed significantly from the detailed and immersive world of J.R.R. Tolkien.