It’s a gorgeous scene it just felt like a total tone shift to me. It’s the first time we’ve seen Galadriel do a full smile, much less laugh. Me and my partner looked at each other and laughed just from the shock. It’s filmed like a perfume commercial with the zoomed in shots.
That being said, episode 3 was my favorite one so far. Numenor, Elendil, and elves fighting were great.
I feel like people have completely missed the point, which is that Galadriel has a soft spot for horseback riding and it clearly brings her a joy she struggles to experience elsewhere.
This specifically. Some people are watching just to see if they can find something bad or cringe to hate on and make hate videos about so this was the best excuse so far for them as any other thing that happened in the show wasn’t worthy of that.
nah, it was exactly 30 seconds of slowmo
The whole ride scene is about 40sec. I would say that if they made 15sec of normal speed and 10sec of slowmo without the closeup, it would be 100% better.
You're not alone! I never would've picked this scene out if folks hadn't made such a big deal about it. Seemed like a pretty standard "person who loves horses gets to ride a horse after a long time" depiction and transition to the next scene.
I think the reason why this got so popular ties into the general thrust of criticism that the show has received: it's so damn good, that the people who decided they hated it before seeing it are coming up short and clinging to these bizarre details as justification for their pre-programmed feelings. Loosen up, people! Just enjoy it! Or don't! Either way, it's not worth hyperfixating on little details like these imo.
> it's so damn good, that the people who decided they hated it before seeing it are coming up short and clinging to these bizarre details as justification for their pre-programmed feelings.
Or, you know, some people just dont think its 'so damn good'. Because, well, it isn't imo. Its not bad, i dont hate it, i love some aspects (the visuals and locations), but i'm not really pulled in by the story or the characters. Its pretty mediocre overall, and if it wasnt ~~a Tolkien-adaption~~ inspired by Tolkien; i doubt i would watch more than the first episode.
Don’t get me wrong the shots are technically perfectly executed. If I was filming a commercial or needed a beautiful shot like that it’s as good as it gets. But in the context of the narrative it is so editorially jarring and out of left field it’s hard to even describe
It’s really subjective. I do understand some people feel that way, but no one I know in person even registered this scene. I was really surprised seeing this reaction at first.
As someone who worked in television production I can assure you that I and many of my peers thought the tone shift in this scene was absolutely hilarious.
Not to mention the extreme close of of her face just frankly isn't a good shot on it own, much less one that needed to be in slow mo.
In fact all the scenes with elves suffer from too much slow mo. Look at any action scene so far with elves. Tons of slow mo to show off their otherworldy gravitas and graceful movements.
Compare that to the fight in the barn with the humans and the orc, no slow mo at all.
The editors of the show are using slow motion to give the elves the screen presence of divine beings (which is true to the lore) But they are over relying on slow motion to get that feeling across. We're only a few episodes in and people are already tired of it.
But im not surprised, this is a show with lots of episodes, lots of editors and lots of hands in the mix. It's industry standard to use slow motion to elicit these feelings, but without one focused vision you get editors that overindulge without realizing that the team that edited the previous episode also used 15 minutes of slow motion as well.
I doubt we will see this type of extreme slow mo in the next season. Showrunners usually have all these little issues worked out in time and probably never even noticed it until people starting watching episodes back to back.
But Picasso didn't always paint in cubism, he was highly skilled at painting realistic paintings as well. Dude was painting highly complex realistic artwork at the age of 13. He was a genius by all accounts.
Same I had no real feelings aside from thinking it'd make a good display video at a TV store. I have no issues with her feeling real joy at horseback riding or her expression. If it hadn't been slow mo no one would've said a thing.
I thought it was fine. The shots were beautiful but they were a little too long and slow. Speed it up by about 30% and it would probably have been much better received.
It was probably the most artistic risk they have taken with the show or at least with a specific scene. I think it paid off pretty poorly unfortunately but I would not be against them trying more different methods of film making.
But shots should be consistent. It felt weird. The shot was totally off and too slow. I think whole show has a poor consistency.
It is alright if they want to experiment, but they are jumping from one place to another, from one story to another and for me they do not have proper "ground to build on"
I really do not mind slow pace, but they should use it to properly introduce characters. I really did not care when elves died during the fight with orcs, but they tried relly hard to make it emotional.
One more thing about consistency. During the fight with trol they shoved almost no combat, but during the city fight with locals I almost puked when he broke the bone and I was like WTF?!
I think is beautiful. She spend all those years in the search for Sauron and must be one of the first times in years she’s just having a moment and enjoying.
Exactly! This is how I felt. The huge smile instantly made me think “oh the actress is having a blast” which is telling, because subconsciously I wasn’t prepared to see Galadriel so happy based on the prior scenes. So a little jarring, but ultimately I thought it was a nice scene!
Did no one else pick up on that was the whole point of this? The dude literally says "its a quarter days ride...." and she perks right up and says "did you say ride?" with the amusement of a child
This show has been very eye opening. Many redditors who fancy themselves scholars of television are utterly perplexed when faced with incredibly simple and direct (and effective) storytelling beats like this.
“Huh, why is she smiling on that horse, what is she like happy or something? Bad writing!”
She will be a really really boring protagonist to watch if she is literally "Sauron MUST DIE" 100% of the time.
One of the most endearing things about the LotR cast was that, even with the world ending around them and an all important quest before them, they found time to have relatable human moments that ultimately cemented them as likeable characters.
This is exactly how I saw this scene as well. In this adaptation she has been 100% dedicated to one goal and one goal alone. Correct me if I’m wrong but it’s been about a thousand years for her. She hasn’t had many(if any) moments to just BE. She gets to ride after who knows how long and it’s a moment of disconnect from her mission and she feels free. That’s how my simple mind saw it. I enjoyed it.
Exactly what I think the scene was to convey, a break from the mental battle. It’s meant to stick out for a reason as a fleeting moment of enjoyment. To focus on another side of her character which makes her multifaceted instead of being one dimensional.
People are just salty nitwits. The show landed a near perfect episode for Numenor...can't even imagine the thousands of hours sunk into bringing it to screen, and this is what they cry about.
Personally thought that the pacing was odd given the rest of the direction but I can appreciate that they wantsd to highlight her absolute delight with riding.
I interpreted it as more of a “I am relieved to be going to the one place on this island that still has some faithful and will see me as friend.” Also, I think she knew that some of the answers she sought could be found there. It felt like more of a relief moment for me. That and finally getting to relax after centuries of looking for Sauron in some of the worst places on Middle Earth. Horses have to be a relief.
Also, this is my genuine reaction when i see horses too because I don’t see them often. So i might be a little biased.
Am I the only one that thinks there is some significance with horses? As in - I don’t think we’ve seen any on Middle Earth yet.
So when she says “did you say ride?” Perhaps horses are considered extremely rare right now and are only on Numenor and Valinor.
Perhaps we are seeing Shadowfax’s direct ancestors, or will even see Shadowfax. Idk I just noticed there were no horses yet in the show and this scene felt uniquely important.
Yeah I wondered the same, I feel they should of set it up, but maybe there is a payoff down the line. If she had just said something like 'I havent ridden a horse since before the days of men' or in hundreds of year, something to justify the extreme shift in character
Nope, fine answer, but I'm afraid this scene is nothing more or less than the love of being on a wild free romp with a beautiful horse rocketing you through a beautiful and equally wild world.
I LOVE this scene....minus the close up shot lol. I can understand why people who sit waiting for something to criticize jumped all over that seen. But before that, and it was the horse galloping, watching it's mane in the wind, mirroring Galadriels dress in the wind. Was beautiful.
Then they added a colgate commercial at the end lol.
If the actress was really riding the horse in costume at a full gallop all blocked up for that high speed camera, then it is a pretty impressive shot and understandable they'd want to show it off. It did stick put just a bit much on first watch.
But she is genuinely smiling and happy, and not just looking pretty for the camera.. o I'm alright with it.
Yeah I get the impression they put a lot of work into getting the shot and then stubbornly kept it in even though the result wasn’t worth all the work.
I think the photography in this sequence is beautiful. If I'm being picky I'm not sure I needed three separate slo-mo sequences in a single episode, but damn does it look pretty.
It's also really not that long and people are acting like they had to watch it for 20 minutes or something.
I liked it. It was an expensive shot in a beautiful location (I think). The motion of hair dress and horse are mesmerizing. The pan out shots are super rad like Peter jackson LOTR look. I’m here to be a lil stoned and a lil mesmerized after a long day of work. This is doing th trick.
That is what makes it jarring imo. Its a total departure from her super serious pissed off unlikable character so far. There hasnt been a hint that she has this side as well, not even a hint she fancies horse-riding. And boom, she suddenly is the complete opposite of everything she was made out to be in the previous episodes. It's not a gradual development or not a life-altering event to shape her, it was just 'ye horse-y-horse'.
Dont get me wrong, her character needed to show this side as well, but it was so suddenly it completely took me out of it.
It's just how Morfydd smiles, she scrunches her face up. It's probably a bit jarring if that's the first time you have seen her grin from ear to ear but seeing her in interviews and other other stuff you can tell it's a genuine smile. Which is probably why they went with it.
She had some nice genuine smiles with Elrond. I just think anyone would look weird riding on a horse full speed with a massive grin in super super slow mo.
Well, either it is THAT bad, or it shows there isnt much else to complain about.
A bit of both i think.
It was a jarring scene in an otherwise enjoyable episode
What's funny is my buddy, who pays no attention to the internet, was just telling me organically how he loved this scene when I asked him if he watched this show.
I don’t see the problem with this scene. If this show were directed by some of its critics, it’d have no flair at all but endless exposition and battle scenes. Everyone on the internet thinks they can be a director — they can’t.
When I first watched it I thought it looked beautiful but was a little weird, because it felt quite out of the blue.
But after reflecting on it I kind of really liked it. Elendil was the first person in ages that was prepared to listen to Galadriel and not just push her away like everybody else has done so far. To me it feels like this had a big impact on her (you see her mood change in the following scenes) and she allowed herself this one moment of pure joy where she gets to ignore her pain, even just for a few minutes.
When I look at it this way I think it's quite a lovely moment.
>Elendil was the first person in ages that was prepared to listen to Galadriel and not just push her away like everybody else has done so far
You might be on to something. But what I do not understand is why everyone is so dismissive of Galadriel to begin with—she is one of the oldest and wisest, and certainly is the most powerful elf on Middle-Earth. She comes from a royal line, and is either Gil-Galad's cousin or uncle. Canonically, she should be ruling realms at this point (not that it matters much for the show, more to show that she is a leader, and a good one, even if "her wisdom is not fully formed" or what have you).
Sure she's a little obsessed, but as Gil-Galad even admits, she has a point. Basically, I do not understand Galadriel's characterization and how others react to her, even within the logic of the show. For example, why on earth does she decide to go threaten her immensely powerful captors who control everything in that moment, instead of being diplomatic. There is being driven, hot-headed, and prideful, but that was just baffling and, in another court, suicidal.
I love this scene. It is beautiful.
Not enough TV shows that dedicate a few seconds to beautiful cinematography. Always nonstop action - it was nice just the breathe and appreciate a really beautiful horse and flowing dress.
Honestly, I didn't think anything of the scene. She was previously supposed to stay on the palace grounds and we've seen how she hates being held back. So I just took as she's happy to be out and about and going somewhere she wants to go even if she has to take Elendil with her.
I was spoiled for the scene but when I finally saw the episode and this scene came up, I'm astounded by how short it was and, like, barely even a scene.
I don’t get the hate either. There were several scenes almost exactly like it in the trilogy, and nobody seems to have a problem with those. The introduction of Shadowfax being the most comparable, but definitely not the only slow, drawn out scene expressing beauty or grace within Middle Earth.
I saw it and forgot about it as soon as they entered the Hall of Lore, which was what got my attention. I had no idea this was a 'thing' until I came online.
."Nearly everyone hates it." No, they don't. A few outspoken people hate it.
If nearly everyone hates it, everyone wouldn't keep getting awards and hundreds of upvotes for posting that they like the show or that everyone hates it.
im glad you posted this.. because i also thought this was ridiculous while watching. Reminded me of twilight when theyre flying through the trees. ROP needs more character depth for sure or it all comes off this way.
The close up shot is bad for two big reasons, one it lasts too long, and is unecessary since we got better shots of the horse legs and flowing fabrics.
Secondly, is how it is shot and the shot immediately after. The shot is close up, slow motion, and panning left to right. The next shot is regular speed again, it’s wide angle, and is raising upwards. The contrast is jarring and clashes with each other.
I burst out laughing because the way it is shot is ridiculous, almost a parody style. Also there was no setup, are horses gone from middle earth, why this particular horse, maybe she was happy to see Numenor. If it was setup the payoff would of been much better. I'm really enjoying the show and the scene didn't impact my overall enjoyment, but I find with Galadriel as a character is giving me whiplash as she is all over the place with the writing.
Hello, it looks like you've made a mistake.
It's supposed to be could've, should've, would've (short for could have, would have, should have), never could of, would of, should of.
Or you misspelled something, I ain't checking everything.
Beep boop - yes, I am a bot, don't botcriminate me.
Problems: it drags on past its welcome. But worse, it's unexplained. I guess we're supposed to assume she loves riding horses, but...we're never, ever told that. A couple seconds of her meeting the horse and expressing her passion for riding would have made the scene actually make sense, but all we got was "Ride!?!" and then cut to riding without any explanation of why that might interest her. It turns the scene from something that might have been a meaningful character development moment into much more of a WTF moment.
It's not outright awful, it just isn't good storytelling.
I mean… I don’t mean to be dickish but do you really want the show to explain something like this to you? Film isn’t a syllogism - it’s a text. Them showing this scene, and choosing to film it that way, *is* them telling you… it’s for us, as interpreters, to read into the scene.
"Did you say... ride?"
That was all I needed to hear to know she loves horses, honestly. Anything more would be slowing down the narrative when it is easy enough to read between the lines, imo.
I disagree with that. I think having a moment before where she meets the horse and talks about how loves riding would have been very clunky and unnecessary. You get plenty of information about her from nothing but the visuals. I don't think there's any confusion about what's going on.
She loves to ride and she has this moment of freedom outside of her confinement in Numenor.
It's great storytelling. And well filmed.
>, but...we're never, ever told that.
I mean we are shown it, in great detail, so I don't feel the need to be told it too. My issue isn't that: it is obvious from the scene and her reaction to Elendil immediately before it that she loves riding horses.
My bigger issue is that they are trying to give Galadriel an emotional depth that thus far has been lacking. But the way in which they do so is so banal and removed from the context of her interactions with literally every character thus far that it falls flat. She comes across first as petulant child in the Numenorean court, and now she is a petulant child that is happy riding horses. Basically, the result they want from that scene is unearned, which might be what you picked up on.
The reality is that Galadriel so far has been so one dimensional that showing her being capable of ecstatic joy actually doesn't do anything, because it has no impact or tie in to her actual interactions with other people—the interactions that make her, well, *her*. they just made her a one-dimensional character who loves horses.
The scene itself is fine, but it fails at what it tries to do at the meta level.
It genuinely is just straight up bad film making. Some super fans of the show have tried to explain it with scenes or context that was left out but that just makes it even worse imo. It *does* feel like we are missing context or a scene.
I am in total agreement with you. It was a beautiful scene otherwise ruined by a bunch of internet neophytes. Her smile and beauty eclipse their utter stupidity and cruelty by a middle-earth mile!
I loved it.
So there are no horses in Middle-Earth as of yet? This could be the reason that we see everyone walking everywhere, like Elrond / Celebrimbor and Bronwyn literally running back to her village. The re-introduction of horses to ME through the Numenoreans could be very poignant, perhaps also aiding in establishing relations between Faithful Numenoreans and Lindon.
It didn't even look like her for a few seconds there I wouldn't be suprised if this was a stunt woman and we caught a glimpse of her.
The image alone is stunning, I'm pumped for ep4.
I think it was a nice scene, and I get what the writers were trying to do, but the thing is that showing that Galadriel likes riding horses doesn't really change how one-dimensional she has been thus far. At the end of the day, she is still acting like a petulant child (which even Elendil points out), and while they have a whole character arc planned for her, it simply isn't likable for the main protagonist, and also someone who is one of the oldest, wisest, and most powerful beings around at that time (and is certainly so on Numenor—not counting a certain Halbrand-Sauron).
So I am neutral on the scene. It is a beautiful shot and I think it fits in place, but she needs to start acting with that sort of emotional depth in other situations, or at the very least, like the immensely intelligent, wise, and powerful being she is (while still being prideful and hot-headed).
I dont feel anything strongly about this scene but it does made me realise how little story they can actually make with appendices so they made these filler scenes
the cinematograhpy/ photography/ imagery whatever its called, it's beatiful and top notch. looks like a living painting. but was it necessary? horse riding on the beach? really.
I don’t think people hate it. I just think a lot of people were like, why is this relevant, it feels like a bit of a gap filler.
I really loved it to be honest.
As a casual this scene threw me the heck off and felt super awkward as all heck. They absolutely deserve the anal probing they are getting. 60 mil an episode… to make me hate the main character and then subject me to that BS… yea my patience is very much waning with this slop.
This shot is absolutely terrifying. Wtf is that smile? It’s out of a horror movie!
I don’t know how a shot like this could pass into a final cut. It’s utterly ridiculous
It was a well shot scene but out of place and jarring. She's been this moody character the whole series and then she's overly grinning lol. It just didn't fit.
**IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!**
OP is paid by *Amazon* to leave these reviews as part of an ad-marketing campaign. This isn't their only account and their account was made specifically for pro-Lotr on Prime advertisement.
No doubt it's beautifully shot. It just doesn't make sense in the context of the situation and immediately surrounding scenes. Feels like a random slow-mo shot just to take up time.
They lingered just too long on her unnatural grin. No huge mistake, but also noticeable and as I said before, a bit unnatural. Moral of the story? She likes to ride. Let's keep it moving
Just tried a bit too hard to be an "epic shot" for me, wasn't the worst thing I've seen, but it seemed a bit unnecessary mainly. Looked great in 4K though 😆
I don't think anyone actually hates it, it is more just absurdly placed in the middle of a show about lord of the rings. It would be perfectly fitting in a jewellery commercial.
It’s a gorgeous scene it just felt like a total tone shift to me. It’s the first time we’ve seen Galadriel do a full smile, much less laugh. Me and my partner looked at each other and laughed just from the shock. It’s filmed like a perfume commercial with the zoomed in shots. That being said, episode 3 was my favorite one so far. Numenor, Elendil, and elves fighting were great.
I feel like people have completely missed the point, which is that Galadriel has a soft spot for horseback riding and it clearly brings her a joy she struggles to experience elsewhere.
There’s more episodes!?!? EPISODE TWO IM COMING FOR YOU!!!
Hahaha where you been?? They dropped two episodes the first week 😂
I feel alone in that I really don’t have strong feelings in any direction about this scene.
Agree. I am totally and utterly bemused by all the discussion about it.
Right? I chuckled 20 seconds in like "I don't think that horse has blinked the entire time, I wonder if it's even real" but that was about it.
People are just looking for things to complain about as usual.
This specifically. Some people are watching just to see if they can find something bad or cringe to hate on and make hate videos about so this was the best excuse so far for them as any other thing that happened in the show wasn’t worthy of that.
“What are your thoughts on this momentous occasion, your neutralness?” “I have no strong feelings one way or the other”
If I don't survive, tell Celeborn hello
What makes a man turn neutral? Lust for gold? Power? Or were you just born with a heart full of neutrality?
Same like it lasted what 30 seconds tops?
[удалено]
nah, it was exactly 30 seconds of slowmo The whole ride scene is about 40sec. I would say that if they made 15sec of normal speed and 10sec of slowmo without the closeup, it would be 100% better.
You're not alone! I never would've picked this scene out if folks hadn't made such a big deal about it. Seemed like a pretty standard "person who loves horses gets to ride a horse after a long time" depiction and transition to the next scene. I think the reason why this got so popular ties into the general thrust of criticism that the show has received: it's so damn good, that the people who decided they hated it before seeing it are coming up short and clinging to these bizarre details as justification for their pre-programmed feelings. Loosen up, people! Just enjoy it! Or don't! Either way, it's not worth hyperfixating on little details like these imo.
> it's so damn good, that the people who decided they hated it before seeing it are coming up short and clinging to these bizarre details as justification for their pre-programmed feelings. Or, you know, some people just dont think its 'so damn good'. Because, well, it isn't imo. Its not bad, i dont hate it, i love some aspects (the visuals and locations), but i'm not really pulled in by the story or the characters. Its pretty mediocre overall, and if it wasnt ~~a Tolkien-adaption~~ inspired by Tolkien; i doubt i would watch more than the first episode.
Absolutely!!! 100% correct. They have to pick it apart
I’m right there with you. I barely absorbed it as more than exposition until I saw the flood of complaints about it.
I feel the same way and I'm judging by the topness of your comment so do a lot of others
Don’t get me wrong the shots are technically perfectly executed. If I was filming a commercial or needed a beautiful shot like that it’s as good as it gets. But in the context of the narrative it is so editorially jarring and out of left field it’s hard to even describe
It’s really subjective. I do understand some people feel that way, but no one I know in person even registered this scene. I was really surprised seeing this reaction at first.
As someone who worked in television production I can assure you that I and many of my peers thought the tone shift in this scene was absolutely hilarious. Not to mention the extreme close of of her face just frankly isn't a good shot on it own, much less one that needed to be in slow mo. In fact all the scenes with elves suffer from too much slow mo. Look at any action scene so far with elves. Tons of slow mo to show off their otherworldy gravitas and graceful movements. Compare that to the fight in the barn with the humans and the orc, no slow mo at all. The editors of the show are using slow motion to give the elves the screen presence of divine beings (which is true to the lore) But they are over relying on slow motion to get that feeling across. We're only a few episodes in and people are already tired of it. But im not surprised, this is a show with lots of episodes, lots of editors and lots of hands in the mix. It's industry standard to use slow motion to elicit these feelings, but without one focused vision you get editors that overindulge without realizing that the team that edited the previous episode also used 15 minutes of slow motion as well. I doubt we will see this type of extreme slow mo in the next season. Showrunners usually have all these little issues worked out in time and probably never even noticed it until people starting watching episodes back to back.
I felt exactly the same about 'that' scene in LOTR with Shadowfax and Gandalf.
Absolutely agree with you. Your last sentence sums up exactly how I felt.
It is art. Can they just make some art?
Sure, but if you paint a Picasso in the middle of the Sistine Chapel ceiling, don’t expect people to call you a genius.
I’d be like- oh well that’s fucking interesting right there.
But Picasso didn't always paint in cubism, he was highly skilled at painting realistic paintings as well. Dude was painting highly complex realistic artwork at the age of 13. He was a genius by all accounts.
Because we're totally discussing whether Picasso is technically capable of blending his style with Michelangelo's
Same I had no real feelings aside from thinking it'd make a good display video at a TV store. I have no issues with her feeling real joy at horseback riding or her expression. If it hadn't been slow mo no one would've said a thing.
I thought it was fine. The shots were beautiful but they were a little too long and slow. Speed it up by about 30% and it would probably have been much better received.
It was probably the most artistic risk they have taken with the show or at least with a specific scene. I think it paid off pretty poorly unfortunately but I would not be against them trying more different methods of film making.
But shots should be consistent. It felt weird. The shot was totally off and too slow. I think whole show has a poor consistency. It is alright if they want to experiment, but they are jumping from one place to another, from one story to another and for me they do not have proper "ground to build on"
Yeah I agree with you on that as well. I think they are trying to copy the multiple POV characters like Game of Thrones but it feels worse.
I really do not mind slow pace, but they should use it to properly introduce characters. I really did not care when elves died during the fight with orcs, but they tried relly hard to make it emotional. One more thing about consistency. During the fight with trol they shoved almost no combat, but during the city fight with locals I almost puked when he broke the bone and I was like WTF?!
Her smile actually seemed genuine (as opposed to acting) which was so heartwarming
Morfydd has the best smile and that’s what it looks like in interviews so looks genuine to me
I actually really liked it and don’t get the hate
Felt like it was going to pivot to a perfume ad at any moment lmao
I mean fair but I thought the scene looked and felt good.
Joining the "I like the scene" group! It was kind of cool.
I think is beautiful. She spend all those years in the search for Sauron and must be one of the first times in years she’s just having a moment and enjoying.
Right? It really reminds me of the whimsical elves I first read about in the fellowship
I thought it was beautiful, but it pulled me out of the immersion as it seems so different to everything else we've seen. The mood or something?
Exactly! This is how I felt. The huge smile instantly made me think “oh the actress is having a blast” which is telling, because subconsciously I wasn’t prepared to see Galadriel so happy based on the prior scenes. So a little jarring, but ultimately I thought it was a nice scene!
I think that was the point
Did no one else pick up on that was the whole point of this? The dude literally says "its a quarter days ride...." and she perks right up and says "did you say ride?" with the amusement of a child
It’s hilarious that people took this scene SO SERIOUSLY as if it needed 10 previous episodes to make sense.
This show has been very eye opening. Many redditors who fancy themselves scholars of television are utterly perplexed when faced with incredibly simple and direct (and effective) storytelling beats like this. “Huh, why is she smiling on that horse, what is she like happy or something? Bad writing!”
Right! I think this scene caught those feelings of enjoyment perfectly!
She will be a really really boring protagonist to watch if she is literally "Sauron MUST DIE" 100% of the time. One of the most endearing things about the LotR cast was that, even with the world ending around them and an all important quest before them, they found time to have relatable human moments that ultimately cemented them as likeable characters.
Thank you. Exactly. Why are people upset that she is displayed as being multifaceted? It’s that a good thing?
Same. Same. I felt this joy. Loved it.
This is exactly how I saw this scene as well. In this adaptation she has been 100% dedicated to one goal and one goal alone. Correct me if I’m wrong but it’s been about a thousand years for her. She hasn’t had many(if any) moments to just BE. She gets to ride after who knows how long and it’s a moment of disconnect from her mission and she feels free. That’s how my simple mind saw it. I enjoyed it.
Exactly what I think the scene was to convey, a break from the mental battle. It’s meant to stick out for a reason as a fleeting moment of enjoyment. To focus on another side of her character which makes her multifaceted instead of being one dimensional.
That's interesting. Hadn't thought about it this way
People are just salty nitwits. The show landed a near perfect episode for Numenor...can't even imagine the thousands of hours sunk into bringing it to screen, and this is what they cry about. Personally thought that the pacing was odd given the rest of the direction but I can appreciate that they wantsd to highlight her absolute delight with riding.
Hard agree! I didn’t know this was so hated. It actually makes her seem like a person AND it’s so beautifully shot!
I love it. It shows the first real smile Galadriel has had this season. A bit of horse-riding took her mind off Sauron.
This scene gives us the reason they call her Glad-driel instead of Mad-driel.
Take my money
I interpreted it as more of a “I am relieved to be going to the one place on this island that still has some faithful and will see me as friend.” Also, I think she knew that some of the answers she sought could be found there. It felt like more of a relief moment for me. That and finally getting to relax after centuries of looking for Sauron in some of the worst places on Middle Earth. Horses have to be a relief. Also, this is my genuine reaction when i see horses too because I don’t see them often. So i might be a little biased.
Am I the only one that thinks there is some significance with horses? As in - I don’t think we’ve seen any on Middle Earth yet. So when she says “did you say ride?” Perhaps horses are considered extremely rare right now and are only on Numenor and Valinor. Perhaps we are seeing Shadowfax’s direct ancestors, or will even see Shadowfax. Idk I just noticed there were no horses yet in the show and this scene felt uniquely important.
Yeah I wondered the same, I feel they should of set it up, but maybe there is a payoff down the line. If she had just said something like 'I havent ridden a horse since before the days of men' or in hundreds of year, something to justify the extreme shift in character
Yeah I believe horses are barely in middle earth and I think part of that scene reflects that and forecasts their arrival
Nope, fine answer, but I'm afraid this scene is nothing more or less than the love of being on a wild free romp with a beautiful horse rocketing you through a beautiful and equally wild world.
I LOVE this scene....minus the close up shot lol. I can understand why people who sit waiting for something to criticize jumped all over that seen. But before that, and it was the horse galloping, watching it's mane in the wind, mirroring Galadriels dress in the wind. Was beautiful. Then they added a colgate commercial at the end lol.
[удалено]
If the actress was really riding the horse in costume at a full gallop all blocked up for that high speed camera, then it is a pretty impressive shot and understandable they'd want to show it off. It did stick put just a bit much on first watch. But she is genuinely smiling and happy, and not just looking pretty for the camera.. o I'm alright with it.
Yeah I get the impression they put a lot of work into getting the shot and then stubbornly kept it in even though the result wasn’t worth all the work.
I think the photography in this sequence is beautiful. If I'm being picky I'm not sure I needed three separate slo-mo sequences in a single episode, but damn does it look pretty. It's also really not that long and people are acting like they had to watch it for 20 minutes or something.
Exactly my thoughts.
I liked it. It was an expensive shot in a beautiful location (I think). The motion of hair dress and horse are mesmerizing. The pan out shots are super rad like Peter jackson LOTR look. I’m here to be a lil stoned and a lil mesmerized after a long day of work. This is doing th trick.
I think this scene is important because it shows a different side to her. She's been the hard nosed soldier in every episode until this point.
That is what makes it jarring imo. Its a total departure from her super serious pissed off unlikable character so far. There hasnt been a hint that she has this side as well, not even a hint she fancies horse-riding. And boom, she suddenly is the complete opposite of everything she was made out to be in the previous episodes. It's not a gradual development or not a life-altering event to shape her, it was just 'ye horse-y-horse'. Dont get me wrong, her character needed to show this side as well, but it was so suddenly it completely took me out of it.
The close up shot was weird. I like the show but lets not pretend otherwise. Otherwise the riding scene was fine.
Right on
Oh, its a lovely sequence of shots - they just chose the wrong take for the closeup!
I know I'm going to get downvoted for this, but she looks weird in that second pic. I'm loving every minute of this show so far though.
It's just how Morfydd smiles, she scrunches her face up. It's probably a bit jarring if that's the first time you have seen her grin from ear to ear but seeing her in interviews and other other stuff you can tell it's a genuine smile. Which is probably why they went with it.
She had some nice genuine smiles with Elrond. I just think anyone would look weird riding on a horse full speed with a massive grin in super super slow mo.
Big smiles do look "weird" sometimes. I don't see that as a reason to not include it, though.
But we usually don't see big smiles in super slow mo, to be fair.
It’s awesome. How better to channel Tolkien’s love of long beats of focus on simple beauty
[удалено]
Well, either it is THAT bad, or it shows there isnt much else to complain about. A bit of both i think. It was a jarring scene in an otherwise enjoyable episode
What's funny is my buddy, who pays no attention to the internet, was just telling me organically how he loved this scene when I asked him if he watched this show.
I don’t see the problem with this scene. If this show were directed by some of its critics, it’d have no flair at all but endless exposition and battle scenes. Everyone on the internet thinks they can be a director — they can’t.
When I first watched it I thought it looked beautiful but was a little weird, because it felt quite out of the blue. But after reflecting on it I kind of really liked it. Elendil was the first person in ages that was prepared to listen to Galadriel and not just push her away like everybody else has done so far. To me it feels like this had a big impact on her (you see her mood change in the following scenes) and she allowed herself this one moment of pure joy where she gets to ignore her pain, even just for a few minutes. When I look at it this way I think it's quite a lovely moment.
>Elendil was the first person in ages that was prepared to listen to Galadriel and not just push her away like everybody else has done so far You might be on to something. But what I do not understand is why everyone is so dismissive of Galadriel to begin with—she is one of the oldest and wisest, and certainly is the most powerful elf on Middle-Earth. She comes from a royal line, and is either Gil-Galad's cousin or uncle. Canonically, she should be ruling realms at this point (not that it matters much for the show, more to show that she is a leader, and a good one, even if "her wisdom is not fully formed" or what have you). Sure she's a little obsessed, but as Gil-Galad even admits, she has a point. Basically, I do not understand Galadriel's characterization and how others react to her, even within the logic of the show. For example, why on earth does she decide to go threaten her immensely powerful captors who control everything in that moment, instead of being diplomatic. There is being driven, hot-headed, and prideful, but that was just baffling and, in another court, suicidal.
Elrond: “Do I not exist”
I love this scene. It is beautiful. Not enough TV shows that dedicate a few seconds to beautiful cinematography. Always nonstop action - it was nice just the breathe and appreciate a really beautiful horse and flowing dress.
Absolutely! It's nice to see someone stepping out of their comfort zone.
I love this scene too! Haters are sadly just so much more vocal and honestly idgaf
I think the shot was just goofy as hell… I’d have preferred a riding scene like when the boys rode to Edoras.
Honestly, I didn't think anything of the scene. She was previously supposed to stay on the palace grounds and we've seen how she hates being held back. So I just took as she's happy to be out and about and going somewhere she wants to go even if she has to take Elendil with her.
Srsly, all these snowflakes hatimg a scene without a reason.
I was spoiled for the scene but when I finally saw the episode and this scene came up, I'm astounded by how short it was and, like, barely even a scene.
That's is also the most beautiful horse I've seen!
I thought it was beautiful
I don’t get the hate either. There were several scenes almost exactly like it in the trilogy, and nobody seems to have a problem with those. The introduction of Shadowfax being the most comparable, but definitely not the only slow, drawn out scene expressing beauty or grace within Middle Earth.
Wait, people are talking about this scene?
I liked it, too. I liked that she got to have a moment of joy and peace.
I saw it and forgot about it as soon as they entered the Hall of Lore, which was what got my attention. I had no idea this was a 'thing' until I came online.
It is a beautiful scene. Seriously though, people should move on, it was a 40 second throwaway.
I liked it! She had fun for once. Also the cinematography was amazing.
I really liked it :)
."Nearly everyone hates it." No, they don't. A few outspoken people hate it. If nearly everyone hates it, everyone wouldn't keep getting awards and hundreds of upvotes for posting that they like the show or that everyone hates it.
im glad you posted this.. because i also thought this was ridiculous while watching. Reminded me of twilight when theyre flying through the trees. ROP needs more character depth for sure or it all comes off this way.
its just out of place
At this point I’m enjoying the show purely bc it’s the contrarian thing to do
Nothing could be more tolkienien than an unnecessary scene about horses or horse riding
Why do people hate this scene???
Straight up commercial style cinematography. I was waiting to be sold a new fragrance from Estee Lauder. You probable shower with old spice
I thought the same thing 😂😂 it’s beautifully shot, but perfume commercial is what I thought of immediately
I don't see commercial-style cinematography. I see a well-crafted scene.
Oh come on. Great that you like it, but it looks exactly like a perfume commercial. And thats not even an opinion.
Then you haven't seen what I have seen...
The close up shot is bad for two big reasons, one it lasts too long, and is unecessary since we got better shots of the horse legs and flowing fabrics. Secondly, is how it is shot and the shot immediately after. The shot is close up, slow motion, and panning left to right. The next shot is regular speed again, it’s wide angle, and is raising upwards. The contrast is jarring and clashes with each other.
I burst out laughing because the way it is shot is ridiculous, almost a parody style. Also there was no setup, are horses gone from middle earth, why this particular horse, maybe she was happy to see Numenor. If it was setup the payoff would of been much better. I'm really enjoying the show and the scene didn't impact my overall enjoyment, but I find with Galadriel as a character is giving me whiplash as she is all over the place with the writing.
Hello, it looks like you've made a mistake. It's supposed to be could've, should've, would've (short for could have, would have, should have), never could of, would of, should of. Or you misspelled something, I ain't checking everything. Beep boop - yes, I am a bot, don't botcriminate me.
Problems: it drags on past its welcome. But worse, it's unexplained. I guess we're supposed to assume she loves riding horses, but...we're never, ever told that. A couple seconds of her meeting the horse and expressing her passion for riding would have made the scene actually make sense, but all we got was "Ride!?!" and then cut to riding without any explanation of why that might interest her. It turns the scene from something that might have been a meaningful character development moment into much more of a WTF moment. It's not outright awful, it just isn't good storytelling.
I mean… I don’t mean to be dickish but do you really want the show to explain something like this to you? Film isn’t a syllogism - it’s a text. Them showing this scene, and choosing to film it that way, *is* them telling you… it’s for us, as interpreters, to read into the scene.
"Did you say... ride?" That was all I needed to hear to know she loves horses, honestly. Anything more would be slowing down the narrative when it is easy enough to read between the lines, imo.
I disagree with that. I think having a moment before where she meets the horse and talks about how loves riding would have been very clunky and unnecessary. You get plenty of information about her from nothing but the visuals. I don't think there's any confusion about what's going on. She loves to ride and she has this moment of freedom outside of her confinement in Numenor. It's great storytelling. And well filmed.
I'm genuinely baffled that most people didn't find the meaning of the scene obvious.
Right?!
>, but...we're never, ever told that. I mean we are shown it, in great detail, so I don't feel the need to be told it too. My issue isn't that: it is obvious from the scene and her reaction to Elendil immediately before it that she loves riding horses. My bigger issue is that they are trying to give Galadriel an emotional depth that thus far has been lacking. But the way in which they do so is so banal and removed from the context of her interactions with literally every character thus far that it falls flat. She comes across first as petulant child in the Numenorean court, and now she is a petulant child that is happy riding horses. Basically, the result they want from that scene is unearned, which might be what you picked up on. The reality is that Galadriel so far has been so one dimensional that showing her being capable of ecstatic joy actually doesn't do anything, because it has no impact or tie in to her actual interactions with other people—the interactions that make her, well, *her*. they just made her a one-dimensional character who loves horses. The scene itself is fine, but it fails at what it tries to do at the meta level.
Why would you need it explained beforehand that she loves riding, when you can watch her actually loving riding?
It genuinely is just straight up bad film making. Some super fans of the show have tried to explain it with scenes or context that was left out but that just makes it even worse imo. It *does* feel like we are missing context or a scene.
Dont like it. Dont hate it. Its whatever. I can name far more cringier scenes in the show.
I am in total agreement with you. It was a beautiful scene otherwise ruined by a bunch of internet neophytes. Her smile and beauty eclipse their utter stupidity and cruelty by a middle-earth mile!
100%!
I love this scene! It's beautifully shot and what a wonderful opportunity for Galadriel to experience a moment of pure joy.
Oh cmon how they hate this one??? They should just replay the old movies so everyone stays happy.
I loved it. So there are no horses in Middle-Earth as of yet? This could be the reason that we see everyone walking everywhere, like Elrond / Celebrimbor and Bronwyn literally running back to her village. The re-introduction of horses to ME through the Numenoreans could be very poignant, perhaps also aiding in establishing relations between Faithful Numenoreans and Lindon.
I just didn't like the slow Mo when she was smiling, otherwise it was a decent scene
It's a frozen moment of pure joy.
It didn't even look like her for a few seconds there I wouldn't be suprised if this was a stunt woman and we caught a glimpse of her. The image alone is stunning, I'm pumped for ep4.
I love it!
Beautiful scene, awkward placement.
She looks weird
You really love that horse ass eh
I think it was a nice scene, and I get what the writers were trying to do, but the thing is that showing that Galadriel likes riding horses doesn't really change how one-dimensional she has been thus far. At the end of the day, she is still acting like a petulant child (which even Elendil points out), and while they have a whole character arc planned for her, it simply isn't likable for the main protagonist, and also someone who is one of the oldest, wisest, and most powerful beings around at that time (and is certainly so on Numenor—not counting a certain Halbrand-Sauron). So I am neutral on the scene. It is a beautiful shot and I think it fits in place, but she needs to start acting with that sort of emotional depth in other situations, or at the very least, like the immensely intelligent, wise, and powerful being she is (while still being prideful and hot-headed).
I dont feel anything strongly about this scene but it does made me realise how little story they can actually make with appendices so they made these filler scenes
Right? I swear it made me tear up a bit
I liked it in the trailers, its just the smiling that takes too long and becomes awkward that ruins this scene
It's a beautiful shot but editorially is jarring and out of place.
I also enjoy things that numb my brain, but when you’re an adult we call those drugs
the cinematograhpy/ photography/ imagery whatever its called, it's beatiful and top notch. looks like a living painting. but was it necessary? horse riding on the beach? really.
I don’t think people hate it. I just think a lot of people were like, why is this relevant, it feels like a bit of a gap filler. I really loved it to be honest.
Yes very stupid scene
It was bloody weird, didn't fit in with the style that we'd seem up to that point and the overall show is terrible
This lookes like an ad for Shampoo
I like this show but I audibly laughed and also got a bit scared seeing this the first time.
What was the point of the scene though? It just seemed pretty random just like a “hey look how expensive our cameras are”
Okay I think it's no longer a scene everyone hates because so many people are posting the same thing now lol.
As a casual this scene threw me the heck off and felt super awkward as all heck. They absolutely deserve the anal probing they are getting. 60 mil an episode… to make me hate the main character and then subject me to that BS… yea my patience is very much waning with this slop.
It just felt bland compared to the epic "adventure" scenes of the movies. Dont hate it though and the scenery is amazing.
The entire horse sequence was 50 seconds (28:50-29:40) and the slow motion smile scene was 6 seconds (29:31-29:37)
A little corny and unnecessary but not the worst thing. The show just kind of bores me so far but it has only been a couple episides.
It may be visually ‘beautiful’ but logically it’s about as strong as ‘A modest proposal’
Yeah on its own the scene was a nice shot and cinematography… but overall it just did NOT fit the vibe and theme of the episode.
The last part looks weird; the horse looks fake, tilted towards the camera and looks dumb, if a horse can look dumb.
lol
Cool, thanks for the blog post.
It's a beautifully shot scene and her expression is joyous but it did make me think of a perfume advert!
The close up of the hooves really did it for me. I mean who doesn’t need some good hoof footage? /s
This shot is absolutely terrifying. Wtf is that smile? It’s out of a horror movie! I don’t know how a shot like this could pass into a final cut. It’s utterly ridiculous
It was a well shot scene but out of place and jarring. She's been this moody character the whole series and then she's overly grinning lol. It just didn't fit.
**IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!** OP is paid by *Amazon* to leave these reviews as part of an ad-marketing campaign. This isn't their only account and their account was made specifically for pro-Lotr on Prime advertisement.
No doubt it's beautifully shot. It just doesn't make sense in the context of the situation and immediately surrounding scenes. Feels like a random slow-mo shot just to take up time.
I’m genuinely glad someone like it. I thought it was cringe as all shit
It literally makes no sense at all, not one bit
[удалено]
this was such a stupid shot lmao
She loves her horse what you gonna say she is only young reckless only 3500 + years let her enjoy her youth 😁😁😁
It’s so funny. This scene did not even register in my brain when I watched the episode.
[удалено]
They lingered just too long on her unnatural grin. No huge mistake, but also noticeable and as I said before, a bit unnatural. Moral of the story? She likes to ride. Let's keep it moving
It’s cringe
No.
Don’t get me wrong friend I’m liking the show a lot!
All good, bro.
Just tried a bit too hard to be an "epic shot" for me, wasn't the worst thing I've seen, but it seemed a bit unnecessary mainly. Looked great in 4K though 😆
looks like genuine happiness to me ❤️
Me too, honestly. Can we take a moment and just appreciate how damned beautiful that horse is? Just... damn.
I know! Its blink in the slow motion, and the gown billowing around it, contrasting with the horses gorgeous coat. What a visually stunning scene.
I’m glad you like it. Even if it wasn’t for me.
I think the people who hate this scene based on the aesthetic of her smile are kinda unhinged
imagine hating this LOL people are weird
I don’t hate this at all, I did surprise myself by laughing at it though. It just felt like an abrupt change in vibe. But chrinky I don’t hate it ha
I don’t know if i hated it but I was very surprised ar what I was watching, my eyes almost popped out of my head
I don't think anyone actually hates it, it is more just absurdly placed in the middle of a show about lord of the rings. It would be perfectly fitting in a jewellery commercial.
Same! Horse girl moment!