Are there even any stories about "smallfolk" like people? Or is this more of a backdrop thing?

 

Fairly certain the hobbits aren't key players given the lack of Second Age content concerning them, but who can really say. We know next to nothing about specific character roles beyond who has been cast. That said, I'm sure we'll be seeing some diverse casting choices in major roles that will make that corner of the internet unhappy. Too bad for them because Tolkien never detailed any of that shit. He was too busy writing endless pages of description about fucking gardens.

Here is the full cast btw.

 

I don't really see the need for multiple simultaneous plots, as there's supposedly five seasons of this coming. The first season could focus on the ~200 year span from forging of the first rings to the war between elves and Sauron, and end with Sauron distributing the 16 rings to men and dwarfs. Sure, 200 years per season is still huge amount of time to somehow cover, and I can't really see how you could make engaging television from elves taking 50 years to perfect their skill in ring-smithing without somehow condensing the time significantly, but I don't see any issues with the cast here as even the humans can easily live 400 years during this time. The hardest part is to somehow make the audience understand this; you really never got the feeling that Aragorn was over 80 years old during the events of LotR.

My predictions for the five seasons:

1st season: 1500-1700, forging of the rings, war between elves and Sauron, enter Numenor stage left, Sauron gives rings to the leaders of men.
2nd season: 2250-2350: Nazgul appear, internal strife in Numenor, Faithful Numenorians settle in Middle Earth.
3rd season: 3110-3260: Civil War in Numenor, Ar-Pharazon comes to power, Numenorians come and beat Sauron again and take him prisoner
4th season: 3260-3320: Sauron manipulates Ar-Pharazon, the Great Armament, destruction of Numenor. Founding of Gondor
5th season: end of the Second Age, the Last Alliance, defeat of Sauron (yet again)

The biggest problem in the long term is going to be that it's hard to have Sauron as the big bad for the whole show when he's repeatedly defeated by the same people. Really with that kind of underdog story you'll likely start to root for the little guy getting his ass kicked by the bullying Numenorians...

 

Interdasting. I don't recall much about the Hobbit's early history besides the compendium in my version of lotr, but I am reasonably sure that at least some of the of the houses of the Edain most if Tolkien's heroes come from are described as pale of skin with either black or golden hair. But on the other hand vaguely remember some mentioning of "swarthy" people, so who knows.

I will have to re-read a lot of Tolkien bevor the start of the series. And let's be honest, as long it is not total garbage I will watch it anyways, it's not like a fictional race if Übermenschen like the Numenorians have to adhere to any memories of childhood notions I have of their appearance.

 

Going by what Steelbadger said, I could see:

Spoiler: witcher season 1 spoilers

Amazon doing what audiences took to quite well, overall, with the Witcher and having stories that seem concurrent but are in fact taking place over a large span of time, to allow you to have your characters of very differing longevities be able to get through all their key moments and all have the same time on screen and the same immediacy to the audience.

 

Most characters of the "good" races in Tolkien's books are usually described as being pale or ruddy yes. But dark-skinned folks definitely exist in Middle-Earth (the Haradrim, the Harfoot hobbits, the druedain, the "swarthy" looking Gondor clans you mentioned, etc). Tolkien really never says anywhere as a rule that all the members of one group of people have the same skin tone, not even the elves. They can cast whoever they want for anything as long as there wasn't a physical description given for a specific character.

 

I am not to sure about the whatever look in a group. Most of Tolkiens tribes/clans/people are described in the manner of kingship groups. You don't exactly have to spell it out that those generally share physical traits.

 

I think the only thing that would be pushing it is a non-white actor portraying a pure blood elf. Tolkien basically tells us that they almost never intermingle with other races, and every single elf in the books that earns a physical description is described as pale, so it is pretty safe to assume they all are. That said, it is still just an assumption and they could go that route if they wanted to. Tolkien never states the elves as a whole are pale-skinned.

Every other group though, particularly the humans, dwarves, and hobbits can safely be diverse.

I can basically guarantee that the Numenoreans won't all be white dudes. Numenor is Middle Earth's Roman Empire. They took slaves from all over, especially Harad. They colonized and settled and yes, they got busy with the "middle men". You can see Umbar listed on the Second Age map there. I fully expect we'll get a subjugation of Harad plotline from this show.

The dilution of the Valar's gift to the "pure" Numenor people that grants them long life is actually a pretty big LOTR plot point.

 

For me, the verisimilitude would get challenged if we have people of very different ethnic groups living together. Or at least in places without recent mass migrations. For sure, Numenorian colonies ought to be multicultural, at least as far as a clear separation between can be made between the settlers and the natives.

But people really didn't move around a lot. I don't think "historical" fantasy should try to resemble a modern multicultural city.

 

Rome at its zennith was pretty multicultural, even by modern standards. Numenor is basically Rome, but Rome that lasted for 3000 years.

 

Numenorians, descendants from the Edain of the first age who all lived for some 400 years and had stature and skill beyond other men were multiethnic? They are raised beyond all other men and live on a blessed island rewarded to them by the Valar. Even when the Numenorians came to middle-earth as friends and teachers, their lifespan and gifts would ensure a split with other peoples. And when they became reduced later on, their arrogance only increased, and they saw other men as lesser. At no point in their history would the be likely to allow easterlings or other "swarty" peoples access to Numenor. The Faithful would be suspicious of them, and the King's men would see them inferior. Sure, there was an internal Numenorian ethnic split between the three houses and some woad-men. But it was hardly multiethnic as we understandit today.

I like my fantasy worlds to feel lived in. What I like about lotr, and other fantasy worlds, is an alternate reality with a history that makes sense for the rules of that world. If it's not the same for you, then that's great. But clearly this show's not for me.

 

The Numenoreans had a colonial empire that spanned pretty much the entire west coast of Middle Earth. If only for trade purposes there would have been a large contingent of other races. Even if they were second class citizens, that wouldn't stop them from existing.

 

This is confirmed by several tales, quotes, and note passages. Numenor wasn't an exclusive yacht club. They brought slaves and wives back to Numenor and there was lots of interbreeding with the "lesser men" going on in the colonies.

And, also important, being considered a "pure" Numenorean, and reaping all the benefits therein, is only partially related to bloodline. It has just as much to do with personality and piety to the Valar as it does with being descended from the Edain who fought with the Valar against Morgoth. EG Eldacar of the Third Age (direct paternal ancestor of Aragorn), who was technically only half Numenorean by blood, yet had all the powers and abilities of a full blood Numenorean of the royal line.

 

I have never been so excited by hands before.

 

The costuming details are just incredible.

 

Missed one.

 

Ok that's pretty hilarious

 

So any thoughts on who's who?

- #1 is likely Sauron's Mordor form, or perhaps the witch king

- sun armor guy, I'm thinking Glorfindel?

- gold and silver sword with very elven armor, maybe Elrond or Celebrimbor

- scythe lady, I'm betting on Yavanna herself or one of her Maiar

-woman with the white flower and the dude with the tower-shaped scepter are almost guaranteed to be Numenoreans, as those are both symbols of Numenor

-people with fruit are likely dunlanders or small folk

-guy with the apple is giving me gandalf vibes but he shouldn't be manifested as an old man wizard at this point so probably not, unless his Olorin form is basically identical to his Mithrandir form

 

Ah no. Definitely not Gandalf.

But of Olórin this tale does not speak; for though he loved the Elves, he walked among them unseen, or in form as one of them, and they did not know from whence came the fair visions or the promptings of wisdom that he put into their hearts.
— Valaquenta

 

September? I'll forget this exists by September.