The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power takes hilarious measure to avoid this Game of Thrones mistake

As a longtime fan of both fantasy epics, it’s fascinating to observe the parallel journeys of “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” and “House of the Dragon.” While I eagerly await the return of JD Payne and Patrick McKay’s Tolkien adaptation, I can’t help but chuckle at the subtle shade they’ve thrown towards “Game of Thrones” to keep their cast and crew on their toes.

We’ve bid farewell to “House of the Dragon” until its third season premieres after a couple of years, yet fantasy enthusiasts won’t have to wait long for their next TV series fix. The second season of Amazon Prime Video’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” is set to air later this month, and everyone’s eagerly anticipating how the Tolkien adaptation will unfold further. While it may not have garnered as much popularity as the “Game of Thrones” spinoff, “The Rings of Power” earned generally favorable reviews in its debut season, even if purists of the original work were displeased with certain alterations.

Prior to the second season premiere, GQ got an exclusive backstage look at a film studio in England, interviewing the cast and crew about what’s to come. In chats with showrunners JD Payne and Patrick McKay, as well as actors like Morfydd Clark and Charlie Vickers, we learn fascinating insights into the show’s origins, casting decisions, and responses to the shocking Sauron revelation. However, a seemingly minor detail from the set had me chuckling and needing to re-read it, finding it surprisingly humorous.

The Rings of Power shades Game of Thrones to keep the cast and crew in check

As a gaming enthusiast, diving into the realm of Game of Thrones, I can’t help but recall an intriguing tidbit about Barrie Gower, the masterful prosthetic artist who graced our screens with his work in The Rings of Power. When GQ delved into their conversation, they couldn’t help but notice a memorable sign adorning one of the sound stages – a testament to the final season of Thrones, the infamous coffee cup blunder. The sign, a clever reminder, reads: “We don’t want to end up like this crew. Keep unnecessary items away from set.” Indeed, such precautions are instrumental in steering clear of cringe-worthy errors!

Essentially, in the eighth season’s episode titled “The Last of the Starks,” there was a brief moment where a coffee cup was spotted next to Daenerys Targaryen in Winterfell. Later, the show edited out the cup from the episode. However, before it could be removed entirely, viewers had already noticed and joked about it extensively on social media, immortalizing it as an internet legend.

It was unbelievable to me – I’ve watched that scene a thousand times before… I felt as if we were subjects in an experiment, similar to when people fail to notice the gorillas in the background because they’re busy focusing on something else. In this case, we were so engrossed in counting the D&D games that the Game of Thrones coffee cup went unnoticed.
— Thrones Facts | HOTD 🐉 (@Thrones_Facts) October 5, 2020

Discussing Game of Thrones, Payne and McKay mentioned a bit about how The Rings of Power and House of the Dragon might be rivals, but they kept their comments respectful. “We’re concentrating on our own projects,” McKay said confidently. Luckily, these two shows aren’t airing simultaneously this year, unlike during their initial seasons.

Regrettably, beyond being prequels to cherished fantasy tales, these two series have an unfortunate similarity: they’ve been met with harmful, racially charged responses.

Like House of the Dragon, The Rings of Power faces racist backlash

The article discusses the unfair criticism faced by “The Rings of Power” following the casting announcements. Many fans are comfortable with actors of color portraying central characters, but unfortunately, a vocal minority has been quite toxic, leading to such backlash that even the cast felt compelled to issue a statement during its first season. Notably, cast members from Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, including Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd, and Dominic Monaghan, have shown their support for the current cast.

Sophia Nomvete, who gives a remarkable performance as Disa in The Rings of Power, shared with GQ that she felt excluded from the fantasy genre earlier in her life. She stated, “As a child, I didn’t see anyone resembling me leading the forefront of fantasy stories.”

“Attacks upon me were numerous, yet I feel privileged to be on the front lines. I bear those marks with honor,” Nomvete expressed about the racial backlash. It’s a sad reality that many adaptations often face such hardships, but we believe that the genuine enthusiasts of these universes support diversity and inclusivity, as they rightfully do.

The second season of “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” will debut on Amazon Prime Video on August 29, with three episodes released at once. Following this, new episodes will be available every Thursday. Let’s hope there are no anachronistic items like coffee cups in any of the episodes to ruin the immersion!

2024-08-15 23:41