Amazon's Lord of the Rings series is set to premiere September next year. For a while, there were rumors that the show was going to include more mature elements, like Game of Thrones did. This talk caused concerns for some fans, as they wondered if these elements would fit the Lord of the Rings world. Are more mature elements only natural now, in 2021? And do they fit the story that Amazon's Lord of the Rings series would be telling?
These are the questions that fans are likely asking themselves. Luckily, there are answers to these questions. In order to understand the answers to these questions, it is crucial to understand the story that Amazon's Lord of the Rings series will be telling. Unlike the Lord of the Rings movies, this series takes place during Middle Earth's Second Age. This is the time when Sauron created the Ring.
He rises to power during this age and makes an alliance with the Númenoreans. The people of Númenor, of course, don't do too well with that alliance. Therefore, Amazon's Lord of the Rings series might deal with the fall of Númenor and the remaining Númenoreans who flee to Middle Earth. It is these people who find the Kingdom of Gondor. It is that Kingdom that Aragorn inherits at the end of the Lord of the Rings movies. However, this is long before Aragorn's time. However, it will probably deal with some of his ancestors. But why does Sauron need this alliance in the first place? Well, he wants to fight the gods of Middle Earth.
Sauron is a very powerful being himself, but it was still probably not the best idea. And the poor people of Númenor end up victims in this situation. Well, somewhat. They do agree freely to help Sauron because he offers them eternal life, like that of the Elves. They should have probably known better than to accept that offer. Amazon's Lord of the Rings series, therefore, will likely show the dark side of human nature, but also the heroes that rise up at difficult times. Before their alliance with Sauron, the Númenoreans live a peaceful life. So the series might start out with everything seeming to be good, but with darkness brewing underneath the surface. The image released might feature Osgiliath, which Frodo passes on the way to Mordor. During the Second Age, when an Alliance grew to fight Sauron and his forces, it came under attack.
Yet before that, it was built by the Númenoreans and was likely a wonderful place. It seems, therefore, that the series will likely follow the Númenoreans extensively. Yet the Elves are also mentioned. The official synopsis, reported by Entertainment Weekly, includes "the elf-capitol of Lindon." This means that Elves such as Elrond and Galadriel might show up in Amazon's Lord of the Rings series. And for some fans, it might be difficult to see Elves as anything other than wise leaders. It's hard to imagine them having more human or more mature moments. However, it would depend, probably, on how the story is written. The Second Age seems to be a dark time, but even in dark times, there are points of light. The Elves' storyline could be one of these points, and that could include perhaps more mature, more human moments.
So would the more mature elements fit the story being told in Amazon's Lord of the Rings series? For the elves, it would probably depend on how the writers approached it. For the human characters too, the more mature elements would have to be done respectfully. So perhaps the writers would take a different approach than the Game of Thrones writers did. Gratuitous nudity and other mature elements would not fit the story of Amazon's Lord of the Rings series. Yet if it was done well and with respect for all the characters involved? Why not? It is 2021, after all. Such elements are only natural, especially as many Lord of the Rings fans have grown up since the release of the movies. However, the show's writers would have to take care not to go overboard with any mature elements to retain the story's integrity.
Of course, not every fan looking forward to Amazon's Lord of the Rings series will agree. Some would prefer to leave such things out of the story. And that's fine, everyone has different tastes when it comes to fiction. Yet it would be interesting to see a more mature take on the Lord of the Rings story. One that acknowledges the darker and also more mature sides of human beings, and Elves. A story that shows that everything is okay if done with respect and consent. Of course, nothing too intense would be depicted. The story needs to retain Tolkien's vision of that world. Yet it would be interesting to see a more mature side to the world. Fans will just have to wait and see what the writers have in mind.