Ever since it was confirmed that Amazon Studios bagged the rights to bring J.R.R. Tolkien’s popular trilogy, Lord of the Rings, to our TV screens, fans have been waiting for hints about what the series will be about.
If you have read the book or have seen the film versions, you are aware that there are a lot of plot lines to cover. The two and a half hours of film for every book wasn’t really enough to flesh out what was covered in the novel. A TV series obviously has more elbow room to fit the whole history of Middle Earth, with all its characters and events.
Rumors have been floating around the internet recently that the first season of the multi-billion dollar TV series might be about the story of Aragorn. This was after @TheOneRing.net, “a longtime source of reliable scuttlebutt related to Middle-earth” according to Slashfilm, tweeted about it after “confirming” it from multiple sources.
Though the reliability of the news is yet to be confirmed, fans can indulge themselves with this working theory—enough to keep them wondering even more until more news come out.
[BREAKING] We have confirmed from multiple sources that @AmazonStudios new billion-dollar #LOTR series will open its first season centered on a young Aragorn.
Let's discuss whats available and how this opens up Tolkien's Legendarium. A thread. #Tolkien
/1 pic.twitter.com/mfbkf4jyX6— TheOneRing (@theoneringnet) May 16, 2018
Firstly, we must stamp out any remaining confusion:
From the first press release, we know this so-called #LOTR series will NOT be a retelling of the events of the War of the Ring. #BeenThereDoneThat
Instead it will be Appendices based and cover a lot of time and history. /2
— TheOneRing (@theoneringnet) May 16, 2018
This is the greatest advantage the show runners have: that so much of Tolkien’s storytelling, even just in “Appendix A,” covers a tremendous swath of time.
Starting with a young Aragorn narrative allows connections to his Numenorean bloodline (and to the founding of #Gondor). /3
— TheOneRing (@theoneringnet) May 16, 2018
The fabric of Aragorn’s story is just so rich. Plentiful in new characters and familiar ones we already love. Recall in #BOTFA when #Thranduil tells his son about this person he must meet (even though we know in book-time Aragorn wasn’t born yet)? /4 pic.twitter.com/JULfQDv94F
— TheOneRing (@theoneringnet) May 16, 2018
If that mention of him wasn’t the biggest, brightest, neon-glaring indicator of how Aragorn’s story is ideally suited as a prime entry point for further Middle-earth stories, well then, you’re not thinking #Prime like Amazon is (sorry, just had to)…. 😅
/5— TheOneRing (@theoneringnet) May 16, 2018
We could, in flashbacks, learn essentials about the men of #Arnor, sister kingdom in the north to #Gondor, and how the surviving #Dunedain became a community of Rangers, seeking to protect the north from incursions of the Witch-king of Angmar. /6
— TheOneRing (@theoneringnet) May 16, 2018
With a vibrant historical background in place (fully explored in the Professor’s notations) the stage would be set for some of the most anticipated characters:
Arathorn himself, Elladan & Elrohir, the twin sons of Elrond, and #Gilraen, the lad’s Mother. /7— TheOneRing (@theoneringnet) May 16, 2018
Aragorn the lad had his identity hidden. The secrecy surrounding his lineage was needful to prevent the enemy from slitting his throat in the middle of the night. Imagine a mother trying to protect her child amid such constant fear? #Gilraen will be a terrific, meaty role. /9
— TheOneRing (@theoneringnet) May 16, 2018
Aragorn had more aliases than the talented Mr. Ripley (nod to Cate Blanchette).
Each alias, each assumed identity, allows the Amazon writers to explore more facets of this character. #Estel #Thorongil#Strider
/10 pic.twitter.com/gCwb4qea4t
— TheOneRing (@theoneringnet) May 16, 2018
Anything about the sacrifices of Gilraen in her efforts to protect Aragorn, and her introducing him to the Elves of Rivendell, will benefit connections to the Jackson films when we see this scene later, making them much more emotionally resonant:
/11 pic.twitter.com/QxNCDXBoSQ— TheOneRing (@theoneringnet) May 16, 2018
The political landscape of Rivendell, as we often see in #GameofThrones storylines, will come to fore. We will learn how difficult it was living in the North after the dissolution of #Arnor and how the #Elves navigated a relationship with the descendants of #Isildur.
/12— TheOneRing (@theoneringnet) May 16, 2018
It doesn’t stop there.
Appendix A “Annals of the Kings & Rulers” gives us so much more about how young #Estel was smitten like a kitten when he first laid sight on #Arwen. Here we have a HUGE storyline on how they took their tentative first steps towards true (tragic) love. /13 pic.twitter.com/S4huH2eWTl
— TheOneRing (@theoneringnet) May 16, 2018
Amongst all the connective tissue that puts a “young Aragorn” story firmly in a recognizable spot within the Third Age (and there’s a TON of it, thankfully) the biggest that might just give #Ringers a seizure, is a full-on moment where #Gandalf befriends #Strider. /14 pic.twitter.com/R8oU58knF7
— TheOneRing (@theoneringnet) May 16, 2018
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