Amazon Studios The Rings of Power is here. The Second season is on its way. We want all Spoilerites to have the best viewing experience possible and have the widest knowledge base about the Second Age of Middle-Earth. This is a weekly Let’s Get Nerdy article series highlighting a different piece of Tolkien I think you need to know about!
This post contains potential spoilers for The Rings of Power’s second season. At the time of writing these are simply rumours, but if you may want to avoid spoilers come back later and see if I was right!
In past articles I have answered the question:
Spoilerites, I was going to write about The Battle of Bywater today. I had plans to do a deeper exploration into the setting for the upcoming Tales of the Shire cozy hobbit video game. In light of last week’s event I’m putting that off until next week. Last week saw the passing of a tremendously talented performer and the man who brought King Théoden of Rohan (one of the most complex and tragical characters in J.R.R. Tolkien’s canon), to life on the Silver Screen in the original Lord of the Rings film trilogy: Bernard Hill.
King Théoden’s Battle Speech
Lord of the Rings – The Return of the King ___________________________________ Théoden: Éomer, take your éored down the left flank. Soldier: Flank ready. Théoden: Gamling, follow the king’s banner down the center. Grimbold, take your company right after you pass the wall. Forth, and fear no darkness! Théoden: Arise, arise, Riders of Théoden!
He brought incredible humanity to the Uther Pendragon-esque King Théoden who could easily be looked at as the downfall of his entire human race ending the character’s story with grace and redemption.
(no spoilers, Spoilerites!, in case you maybe haven’t watched or read The Lord of the Rings yet)
Hill passed over the weekend at the age of 79. His fellow Lord of the Rings trilogy actors Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Dominic Monaghan, and Billy Boyd were all in attendance at Liverpool Comic Con and paid their respects along with fans:
Fellowship of Fans on Twitter: “The 4 Hobbits pay their respects to Bernard Hill at Liverpool Comic Con”He was intrepid, he gruff, he was irascible.” – Sean AstinEchoing Sean’s words, Billy Boyd, said: “We were watching the movies and I said to Dom, I don’t think anyone spoke Tolkien’s words as great as… pic.twitter.com/fNzOLpVh2o / Twitter”
The 4 Hobbits pay their respects to Bernard Hill at Liverpool Comic Con”He was intrepid, he gruff, he was irascible.” – Sean AstinEchoing Sean’s words, Billy Boyd, said: “We were watching the movies and I said to Dom, I don’t think anyone spoke Tolkien’s words as great as… pic.twitter.com/fNzOLpVh2o
… with Elijah Wood later adding a personal post across his Official social media profiles:
Elijah Wood on Twitter: “So long to our friend, our king, Bernard Hill. We will never forget you. “For he was a gentle heart and a great king and kept his oaths; and he rose out of the shadows to a last fair morning.”photo by Viggo pic.twitter.com/lxjepm5rUZ / Twitter”
So long to our friend, our king, Bernard Hill. We will never forget you. “For he was a gentle heart and a great king and kept his oaths; and he rose out of the shadows to a last fair morning.”photo by Viggo pic.twitter.com/lxjepm5rUZ
Hill was in his late fifties when he joined the cast of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (filmed concurrently with The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King which he also co-stars in), and was already a well-regarded performer, probably most famous for his turn as the Captain of the Titanic in James Cameron’s 1997 blockbuster, Titanic. Of his work aboard Titanic director James Cameron said:
“Bernard Hill makes a great Captain Smith. He was an interesting character to work with because I always felt like he wasn’t doing enough. And then I’d watch the film (or the dailies) and I’d realize it was all there – it was in his eyes somehow. I’d keep asking for more takes, and I’d be trying to push him for a littler bigger reaction and later I’d realize he’d made the right decision.”
If you’ve been meaning to revisit Hill’s turn as King Théoden in The Lord of the Rings or perhaps some of his lesser known works (may I recommend A Very Social Secretary and/or Gandhi?), the weekend is coming up and I can’t think of a more lovely tribute to a late actor than engaging with their art.
For anyone interested you can read Bernard Hill’s obituary here.
