Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies cut a tragic event from J.R.R. Tolkien’s books, and it would have hit even harder after The Rings of Power. Although the LOTR movies and the Amazon show aren’t technically connected to one another, their links to Tolkien’s works make overlap inevitable. And in some ways, The Rings of Power enhances Jackson’s films in hindsight. Sauron’s depiction is certainly fixing a problem with The Lord of the Rings’ villain, and the Stranger’s story is shedding light on what Gandalf might have gone through years earlier.

The Harfoot narrative is also poised to lead into The Lord of the Rings, as it seems more likely than ever that Nori Brandyfoot will found the Shire. Given the location’s significance to Frodo Baggins’ story in LOTR and Bilbo’s adventure in The Hobbit, it’s exciting that The Rings of Power is revealing the Shire’s origin all these years later. And had Jackson’s films included the final confrontation from Tolkien’s books, it would have hit even harder after watching Nori’s TROP journey unfold.

The Lord Of The Rings Movies’ Cut One Of The Books’ Most Devastating Battles

The Scouring Of The Shire Doesn’t Happen In The Return Of The King

The Lord of the Rings movies cut the Scouring of the Shire from the end of Frodo’s story, with Jackson determining it wouldn’t work in The Return of the King. To the director’s credit, his reasons for excluding the battle are valid. In Tolkien’s source material, the Scouring of the Shire takes place after the One Ring is destroyed and Sauron is defeated. Tolkien’s point that it would have felt “anticlimactic” after all this makes sense (via CBR), and that’s not to mention that it would have made an already long finale even longer.

Even so, the Scouring of the Shire is an important and devastating part of Tolkien’s narrative, as it sees the Hobbits realizing the place they call home isn’t safe from the darkness engulfing Middle-earth. They successfully take the Shire back from Saruman and his forces, but the destruction and loss prove a tragic reminder of all that’s happened. The battle certainly leaves its impact on Frodo and the other Hobbits, and it would be more emotional for viewers after watching one Rings of Power narrative unfold.

The Scouring Of The Shire Would Have Hit Harder After The Rings Of Power’s Shire Story

Showing The Shire’s Founding Would Make It More Tragic

The Scouring of the Shire would have been an emotional battle if Jackson included it in The Return of the King, and it would have been even more powerful after The Rings of Power‘s Shire story. The Rings of Power season 2 sees Nori and Poppy meeting the Stoors, and their leader, Gundabel, sheds light on the group’s connection to the Harfoots. She also reveals their longing for a true home, which is clearly positioning the Hobbit ancestors to find the Shire later on.

Seeing the Shire founded — and learning what it means to the Hobbits’ ancestors — gives the location even more importance.

Seeing the Shire’s creation — and learning what it means to the Hobbits’ ancestors — gives the location even more importance. This would make it even harder to watch the Scouring of the Shire unfold, as Saruman and his forces would be destroying the very thing Nori and the Stoors longed and worked for. This would add weight to the devastation of Tolkien’s Third Age event, with the two narratives once again playing off one another. Unfortunately, they can’t do that after The Lord of the Rings cut this major book sequence.

✕Remove Ads