Fan Theory Spins LotR's Eagles Plot Hole in a Way That Will Make You Rethink Everything
What if the story's biggest inconsistency was actually a part of the plan all along?
For many years now, a lot of Lord of the Rings fans have been questioning why wouldn't Gandalf send Frodo and Sam to Mordor on the Great Eagles from the very beginning instead of embarking them on a dangerous journey across Middle-earth.
While some may frown upon this as a plot hole and move on, one popular fan theory offers an unexpected angle on the Eagles and why they only an option in the end of the story.
According to the theory shared on Reddit by VulcanDeathGrip, Gandalf actually planned to use the Great Eagles to deliver Frodo and Sam to Mordor, but something — or, to be precise, someone — messed up his plans.
"The eagles lived on the other side of the Misty Mountains but all the routes for crossing them were too dangerous and difficult, and Gandalf (along with his secret plan) ends up falling down a chasm in a battle with the Balrog. Just before falling with the Balrog he tries to surreptitiously tell them the secret plan but was too surreptitious and they didn't understand," the theory suggests.
Explaining why he did not go with the plan after his resurrection as Gandalf the White, the theory author notes that after coming back, the wizard "forgot many things," including his secret plan. Well, happens to the best of us...
While still subject to criticism from people who believed that the Eagles were never an option even if Gandalf survived the clash with Balrog, the theory does kind of fit into the narrative. Still, neither the books, nor the Peter Jackson movies have never hinted at the possibility of him having a secret plan to use the majestic birds from the start.