I’ve always considered myself a passing fan of The Lord of the Rings. When I say “passing fan” I mean that I enjoyed the Peter Jackson trilogy of films but, despite being an avid reader, I’d never read the books, never played a game based on the franchise, and never dived into the lore.
I often envied people of their love of Tolkien’s world - fantasy is a genre I enjoy, but the series never quite clicked for me. In fact, until recently I’d only ever seen the film trilogy once in entirety, when they first came out. I’d never watched the extended editions, and every year one of my friends will comment about how they watch them over Christmas, so I decided, during the break for the holidays, to set aside some time to watch them. All 11 hours of them.
Advert
Advert
Some months ago, I began to feel the itch take over, making me want to absorb all the information and lore that I could. Oddly, it started withThe Rings of Powerseason two. I’d watched the first season and enjoyed it well enough, but seeing Sauron embark on his master plan and forge the rings themselves, in the second season, had me wanting to know more.
New Line Cinema
Advert
Advert
Now, I’ll admit, I paused the film halfway through to watch the Doctor Who special and the superb new Wallace and Gromit film,Vengeance Most Fowl, then carried on after. During the little break, a nagging sensation of wanting to be back in Middle-Earth began to work its way through me.
Now, if you’ll allow me a moment of deep thought and personal experience, I want to first make an admission and secondly explain myself. The admission is that after this festive watch of the films I understand the passions of others and these works, I also join the ranks of those who love them. My reasons for this new-found love run a little deeper than just “they’re very good stories.”
New Line Cinema
Advert
Advert
As I came to the end of 2024 I was reflecting on the summer, when I completed a course of therapy for C-PTSD, or Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It was brutally hard work looking over my traumatic experiences and accepting that these things happened to me. I found a small connection to Frodo, along with the weariness and brutality of a traumatic experience. Seeing him sail away was knowing that you can still go on to live a meaningful and fulfilling existence, even if that means leaving some behind on the shore.
New Line Cinema
Advert
Advert
Since my movie marathon, I’ve restarted my deep dives and begun falling down more rabbit holes to find details. I wanted to know more about Gimli and the dwarf people, so I followed what I could. I devoured information on the previous ages of Middle-Earth because there’s a hunger to know more. Certain concepts sit in my brain and never cease, like the origins of the Istari, and now I find myself ordering a copy ofThe Silmarillion.
There’s a comfort in this world of Middle-Earth and while I knew that I enjoyed the core story of The Lord of the Rings (andThe Hobbit) I didn’t quite estimate just how much I would come to love it and connect with it.
Topics:The Lord Of The Rings,TV And Film
