Rings of Power's Racist Backlash Was Even Worse Than We Thought
It got to the point where an on-set therapist had to be hired for season 2.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, a television series based on J.R.R. Tolkien's books, has been criticized for many things, from problems with the quality of the plot and characters to significant deviations from the source material.
Another thing that enraged a number of fans was the racially diverse cast, which according to some overzealous "experts" on Tolkien's works was absolutely unacceptable.
They said that elves and dwarves were never supposed to be black, and choosing people of color to play them was a bastardization of the original.
And apparently this problem was much bigger than anyone expected, as a recent interview suggests.
Ismael Cruz Córdova, who portrayed the elf Arondir, recently revealed that Amazon Studios had to hire an on-set therapist for the production of the show's second season to, among other things, help the cast deal with the racist backlash that followed the release of the first season.
Córdova said her presence helped him greatly, as the backlash "hurt" and "had a psychological and mental impact" on him.
The actor also shared that this hate spread beyond social media, with his phone and several other accounts being hacked, and it even went so far as to receive death threats.
Fans admit that it's baffling how crazy some people can get about the color of a fictional race.
They point out that while the show has many problems, the "wrong" colored elves and dwarves are definitely not one of them, and that "you don't have to be racist to criticize the show."
Others make the surprisingly insightful point that when actors who grew up as fans of the books or movies and dreamed of one day playing a part in them finally get a chance to shine, only to have their dreams dashed by racist backlash, it can indeed lead to some kind of psychological trauma.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 release date has not yet been announced, but it is expected to premiere in 2024.