Changes to Tolkien's Lore Were Necessary for RoP to Succeed (Too Bad It Didn't)
From the very mention of its announcement, The Rings of Power was pestered by fans demanding that it remain true to Tolkien's original works.
Upon the show's release, when it proved to not stay precisely within the boundaries of the lore, it was crucified by Tolkien loyalists for not remaining accurate to books.
However, reflecting on its first season, was the show's criticism entirely just? Would the series have been any better if it had indeed stuck to the letter of the lore?
What RoP deemed as necessary changes
Although RoP did not totally rewrite the source material, there were some fairly substantial changes to the narrative that cannot easily go unnoticed.
Firstly, the timeline and order of events, as noted by Tolkien in the lead-up to books, are completely different. Circumstances which are meant to happen over hundreds (if not thousands) of years (including the fall of Númenor, fading of the elves, and the forging of the rings of power) were sped up and reorganized.
The show also sees certain changes to the characters' backstories. Galadriel is the most obvious, who is very different in tone from her appearance in the books.
What's more, the existence of both Durin III and VI simultaneously is majorly inconsistent with the very nature of Dwarven culture. And of course, rewriting Sauron's disguise as Annatar to the very contrary disguise identity of Halbrand.
Lastly, aspects of the lore of Middle-Earth have been changed to suit the purposes of the show's developing backstory. For instance, the properties of mithril seem to be a prominent part of the series so far.
However, details of its origin and abilities have been greatly altered from the lore. Something fans question if it was necessary.
Why RoP needed to make some of these changes
The truth of adapting books to screen, no matter how closely you want to stay true to the source material, it's almost always impossible to be completely faithful. When the showrunners were planning the show's creation, they likely ran into some issues.
Events which take thousands of years in the story cannot be easily depicted within the constraints of a single season. Therefore the timelines of events within the lore had to be shortened for relevance.
Some would also argue that to make a series entertaining, it has to include some form of variety. If Galadriel had started like her character from the books, how can the show demonstrate any development over time?
The same goes for Hallbrand's identity, which added an element of secrecy and surprise that would not have existed otherwise.
Of course, not all changes can be labelled as positive/necessary so far. Many fans still question the adaptations to the lore included in the show.
And until RoP makes a case for some of its less obvious changes, fans are not likely to let it go lightly. But by this point, it may be too late.