Should We Admit Already That The Rings of Power is Just Fan Fiction?
When the writers and producers of The Rings of Power first started considering a television series based on the works of Tolkien, they must have been excited by the many directions they could go within the known universe of Middle-Earth.
And yet it must have also been overwhelming to have such depth and detail already well-established within the franchise's lore. Tolkien's works, including such novels as The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, form one of the most comprehensive fictional universes ever created. With such an expansive description of the environments of the lands, the history of its people, and detailed information about its invented languages, you would think the show would already have everything laid out for it. Unfortunately, the series has proven time and time again, over its very first season, that it is an adaptation that can not be trusted to keep to the source material on which it is based.
The Rings of Power has taken many missteps concerning the accuracy of Tolkien lore. Maybe some of the most notable are the edits of a clearly structured timeline of the Second Age, which has been very heavily edited for the purposes of the show. It's understandable why the series would have made the decision to re-arrange the events to support its own story being brought to the screen.
What is meant to be taking place over thousands of years is instead happening over months, if not weeks. This has therefore forced the series to change the details of Middle-Earth's lore completely. Removing characters who should exist and adapting the narratives of others to suit the show's version of the plot. There should have definitely been many more Númenórean kings for a start.
These are not the only changes to the lore the series has taken so far. Other alterations present in the show have been considered much more unnecessary according to the fans. One being the existence of both Durin III and Durin VI simultaneously.
Although this has led to a rather interesting father/son dynamic on the show, the lore specifically details how the Dwarfs believe all kings by the name of Durin are in fact a reincarnation of the original Durin I, founder of Khazad-dûm. To include the existence of two Durins at the same time is a direct infringement of that lore, without much need or purpose.
Other inconsistencies include unfamiliar representations of certain characters such as Galadriel, differences in appearances of the elvish and dwarven races, and newly invented backstories involving mithril. So many contradictions from the books have got fans questioning whether the series should be included within the realms of the franchise at all.
Because the series is not directly associated with Tolkien, it is highly unlikely it could be argued that it exists equal to the original novels. However, with so many key details changed it is difficult to even present the narrative of The Rings of Power as canon either.
How can the events of the books and the show be compared when their characters and events do not directly align? Amazon will have to pull some major sorcery indeed to make that happen. This is why some viewers are labeling the series merely as very expensive fan fiction instead. The product of imaginative writers attempting to fill too much into a series, and a production company attached only to the Tolkien name, and the audience it attracts.