Round Two is closed, with around 5,000 votes placed, and it’s almost time to launch the Sweet Sixteen round in Middle-earth March Madness 2020; but before we do that, we need to take a look at the results in Round Two! As at the end of Round One, we hosted a LIVE results show, with a great panel of folks discussing the various battles and their outcomes. If you missed it, you can still watch that show here. Take a moment to check it out; and be sure to tune in for another results show when this current round ends on Wednesday 8th April. If you don’t have time to watch, then read on for a look back at Round Two now…
As ever, we start with the Tearjerkers bracket. In Round One this category contained the closest battle overall (Theoden’s death vs Pippin finding Merry on Pelennor Fields); but here in Round Two, there were fairly hefty wins in all four fights. The closest one was Sam’s ‘There’s some good in this world’ speech against the previously mentioned Theoden death scene; Sam was triumphant, with just over two thirds of the vote. The widest margin here was the Fellowship’s reaction to Gandalf’s fall in Moria vs Sam saying farewell to Frodo after Shelob’s sting (80% to 20%). Our panelists on the live show last night were all pointing out how it is the superb acting of Elijah Wood, Sean Astin et al in the scene of Gandalf’s fall, as they weep or sit in stunned disbelief, which really makes it. A possible contender to go all the way to become Champion? Maybe; but first it faces very tough competition, as it goes up against Boromir’s death scene. Round Three of this bracket surely contains some of the hardest choices; the other pairing is ‘You bow to no one’ against ‘There’s some good in this world’. As our panelists remarked, we’re all looking for good in this world right now; that scene for sure will be getting my vote!
Let’s look next at the Scenic bracket. The first pairing here was the lighting of the beacons vs the Witch King and his army leaving Minas Morgul. Lighting the beacons won by the biggest margin in any match up, taking 87% of the vote. This scene is surely a strong contender for overall Champion 2020? It gets my vote for certain (well, given that my favourite great hall of Moria scene went out in Round One. Still grieving; grumble grumble…)
The closest duel in this category was Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli running through Rohan against Eowyn at Meduseld, gazing out across the land. Our live panel almost unanimously wanted Eowyn to win; but the running ‘boys’ took 700 more votes than the Shieldmaiden, so they go through to Round Three – where they face surely VERY tough competition from the sailing past the Argonath scene?
Laughter next: something we all need right now! As was remarked last night, this has now come down to a Pippin vs Gimli bracket. Pippin’s ‘What about second breakfast?’ defeated the scene where he and Merry welcome Aragorn, Gandalf and Gimli to Isengard; though it wasn’t the landslide I would have predicted, with second breakfast taking less than two thirds of the vote. The closest fight in the entire second round was between two Legolas/Gimli moments: ‘That still only counts as one!’ vs ‘Would you like me to find you a box?’ To our panel’s surprise, ‘find you a box’ was victorious; but there were only just over 100 votes in it!
Last but by no means least, let’s consider the Drama/Action bracket. Having beaten Gandalf escaping on an eagle in Round One, Eowyn taking on the Witch King had another fairly easy victory this round, taking 80% of the vote against Gollum falling into the Cracks of Doom. Now she faces Gandalf and the Balrog in Round Three; will she have another easy win, or will that scene be stiffer competition?
Two charges faced off in this group: Gandalf and Eomer’s dawn charge beat Faramir’s charge, with almost three quarters of the vote. And alas, another of my personal favourites has fallen, to another charge: the Ents going to war was beaten easily (69% to 31%) by the charge of the Rohirrim.
Here’s the entire Round Three bracket:
So now comes the Sweet Sixteen round! You have until 10pm ET Wednesday 8th April, to vote in this Round. Every vote counts; and the choices get harder as we move through the rounds. Click here to go to the survey and place your votes. Don’t forget to tune in to our LIVE results show starting at 10pm ET on Wednesday evening; as ever, you’ll be able to find that on our facebook page (and you can watch last night’s show here). As usual, results will also be posted here around 10am ET, on Thursday 9th in the morning; and then on to Round Four!
What are your predictions now for 2020’s Champion? Which pairings are the hardest choices? Share your thoughts on facebook, in the chat room or on the message boards. Onwards!
What a contest Middle-earth March Madness 2020 is shaping up to be! Almost 5,500 people voted in Round One, and there were some very close contests. Last night, for the first time in Middle-earth March Madness history, we had a LIVE results show, and we’ll be continuing that whenever we can, throughout the contest. For those who weren’t able to tune in, let’s take a look at some of the Round One results.
Starting with the Tearjerkers bracket, the closest battle played out on Pelennor Fields. There were fewer than 200 votes between Theoden’s death, and Pippin finding Merry; but the death of the King ultimately won through to Round Two. The second tightest contest in this bracket was between Bilbo’s farewell to the dwarves in The Battle of Five Armies, and Sam finding Frodo in Cirith Ungol in The Return of the King. In the end, it was The Hobbit scene which won the duel, by 230 votes. The surprise (for me, anyway) in this category was the significant margin (almost 800 votes) by which The Return of the King‘s ‘You bow to no one’ moment beat the Grey Havens scene at the end of that movie.
Moving on to the Laughter gathering, we find the biggest victory of Round One: Pippin’s ‘What about second breakfast?’ took 90% of the vote, with only 500 voters expressing a preference for PJ’s Corsair cameo. Most of the pairings in this bracket were fairly easy wins, the only close(ish) call being between Gandalf’s ‘Fool of a Took!’ remark in the mines of Moria, with 59%, to 41% for Bilbo’s faint after reading the contract in An Unexpected Journey. Another personal comment from me: the one part in all six movies which is guaranteed always to make me laugh is Gandalf’s ‘In fact, it’s better if you don’t speak at all’ to Pippin outside Meduseld; but more than two thirds of voters disagree with me, and preferred Gimli’s ‘Toss me’ aside to Aragorn.
In the Scenic group, as beautiful as the Shire is, Frodo and Sam’s journey through it in The Fellowship of the Ring was no match for the lighting of the beacons; the Return of the King scene took 85% of the vote in that match up. The Shire was defeated again, but this time only by 52% to 48%, with Gimli, Legolas and Aragorn’s run through Rohan in The Two Towers vanquishing Gandalf’s first arrival in Hobbiton in The Fellowship of the Ring. I’m taking a moment to lament one of my own very favourite scenes, the ‘Dare we risk a little more light?’ moment in the great hall of Moria; it has fallen in Round One, conquered by the Fellowship’s first glimpse of Rivendell.
And finally those dramatic moments… It is perhaps not surprising that the widest margin in the Drama/Action bracket was between the first seed and the bottom seed; Eowyn vs the Witch King beat Gandalf escaping Orthanc on an eagle by 4,415 votes to 917. The closest fight in this category was (also perhaps not surprisingly) between seeds 8 and 9; Gollum’s fall into the Cracks of Doom beat Bilbo’s first sighting of Smaug by 55% to 45%.
Here’s how things look as we go into Round Two:
So Round Two begins! You have until 10pm ET Sunday 5th April, to vote in this Round. Don’t delay! Click here to go to the survey. We’ll have a LIVE results show starting at 9.50pm ET on Sunday evening; as ever, you’ll be able to find that on our facebook page. Results will also be posted here on Monday 6th in the morning; and then on to Round Three!
What do you think of the results so far? Any of your favourites already defeated? Which scene are you hoping will go all the way to become 2020’s Champion? We’d love to hear your thoughts! Let battle resume!
It seems that the theme of ‘Scenes from Peter Jackson’s movies’ is a popular one; over 4200 people have voted in Middle-earth March Madness 2020 so far! And Round One still has a day to go! Let’s have a look at how things are playing out…
There are several close fights underway in the Tearjerkers bracket. How to choose between Theoden’s death, and the moment when Pippin finds Merry on Pelennor Fields? Or between Sam’s heroic scenes: when he carries Frodo on Mount Doom, or when he tells us all, ‘There’s some good in this world…’? It’s a tough decision for sure, and right now they are neck and neck.
In the Scenic group, it’s a close call between Gandalf’s first arrival in the Shire in The Fellowship of the Ring, and the sweeping vista as Gimli, Legolas and Aragorn run through Rohan in The Two Towers. I know which one gets my personal vote (I’m a sucker for the humble beauty of the Shire), but which way will YOU vote?
Finally, which dramatic moment do you prefer: when Gollum, clutching his Precious, falls into the Cracks of Doom, or when Bilbo first sees Smaug in the second Hobbit movie? This pairing is running very close just now; make sure your vote is included!
Here’s a reminder of the Round One bracket:
(Don’t worry if some of those seem a little unclear; when you go to the actual survey to vote, you’ll see a longer description to help you place the scene. We just had to fit succinct summaries on the bracket image!)
You have until 10pm ET tomorrow, Thursday 2nd April, to cast your Round One votes. Simply click here to go to the survey. We’ll then have a LIVE results show starting at 9.50pm ET on Thursday evening; you’ll be able to find that on our facebook page. Results will also be posted here on Friday 3rd in the morning, and then voting on Round Two will begin.
How many folks are rewatching the movies, to help you make your choices? Anyone fallen out with friends yet, over differences of opinion? We’d love to hear your thoughts! Take part, share liberally, and let’s make this a contest to remember!
Welcome to The Great Hall of Poets, our regular monthly feature showcasing the talent of Middle-earth fans. Each month we will feature a small selection of the poems submitted, but we hope you will read all of the poems that we have received here in our Great Hall of Poets.
So come and join us by the hearth and enjoy!
If you have a Tolkien/Middle-earth inspired poem you’d like to share, then send it to poetry@theonering.net One poem per person may be submitted each month. Please make sure to proofread your work before sending it in. TheOneRing.net is not responsible for poems posting with spelling or grammatical errors.
The Lord of Water
by D.McGlinchey
I move through the world via many paths. Each pathway leads to me and I cover this Middle Earth. Nowhere is beyond my reach. For if I am hinderedI may take to the sky to fall again anew, Where each raindrop may carry a message from me, Each teardrop you shed a tale from you. Through the scars of the land I move unassailed. In my depths I hold memories and great tales never told. For the memories and tales are as the Great River’s roar. Each crash is a cry out. Each trickle a whispered sigh. The thunder of Rauros echoes of a thousand battles, Whilst the screens of a waterfall have hidden the events that began them!
Not for me the grand halls and graces of Valinor, Nor the rugged beauty of the lands of Arda. It is Ulmonan holds my heart. The depths of my oceans and the calm of my seas offer seclusion enough. But beware my wrath and cherish my pity For I am ever present to protect. To guide. To avenge. For I offer both mercy and punishment to the Children of Illúvatar I will speak with Nàmo and Manwë if need, within the Máhanaxar And forestall the works of Melkor For I am of the Eight, The Aratar The Holy Ones of Arda And I remain.
~~ * ~~
The Dawn of the Fourth Age
By Mary E.
He who was the younger now must take charge. The one who his father loved the least has now become the first. What has happened to the world? That which was fair is now corrupt He who was less now is more. Those who loved peace now must fight. The land which was green is now a blight. The kingdom of elves is fading fast It is men that must take up the banner of good. The king will return The halfling will save. All that must be will be Much that is old must leave the earth. For a new age has come, Never seen under this sun. All things must come to an end But many others have just begun. That which was beautiful but deadly Has at last been destroyed. The power of evil no more can stand All peoples will join the final fight And bring down that which blocked the light. A star in heaven will join her lord And a new race of kings will be born. The last of the wise will pass over the sea, But leave in their wake the ones who have tales still meant to be told. What has happened to the world? Is the dark gone for good The light here to stay? Prophesies fulfilled and wars won and passed? The earth is beautiful, fair and bright, The King loves his people And all is right.
~~ * ~~
Elf of the wand
By: Theo van de Pol
And so it was told that both were Maiar,
but the light was in Olórin and the
darkness with Valaraukar.
One walked Middle Earth and Gandalf became his
common name,
the other dwelt deep in darkness and would become
Durin’s Bane.
Many years later Durin Doors would sway open again,
and the Grey Pilgrim led a brave fellowship into
the Balrogs den.
In the grim cold of the mine there are no lights or
stars,
there he would face his greatest test as outlined
by the wise Valar.
At the bridge of Khazad-Dum he stood firm but fell
in the abyss,
fighting the demon for days, leaving his friends
alone and amiss.
The darkness took him and he strayed out of thought
and time,
but was send back naked as it was still his task to
guide and shine.
He became Gandalf once again to help those who opposed Sauron to fight, this time not as the Grey, but purely as the White.
~~ * ~~
If you have a Tolkien/Middle-earth inspired poem you’d like to share, then send it to poetry@theonering.net. One poem per person may be submitted each month. Please make sure to proofread your work before sending it in. TheOneRing.net is not responsible for poems posting with spelling or grammatical errors.
Here we go! Middle-earth March Madness 2020 begins today!
This year we’re pitting against one another various scenes from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, in the categories of Tearjerkers, Scenic, Laughter, and Drama/Action. (Those listed are the moments as they appear in Peter Jackson’s movies; though you can of course feel free to reread the appropriate sections in the book and use your imagination, when making your choices!) Do you love the part when the Ents stride out to war? Or do you prefer Theoden’s stirring speech to the Riders of Rohan on the edge of Pelennor Fields? Which makes you laugh more: Pippin’s, ‘Great, where are we going?’ or Gandalf’s command to him that ‘it’s better if you don’t speak at all’? Take a look at all the magical moments vying to be 2020’s Champion:
(Don’t worry if some of those seem a little unclear; when you go to the actual survey to vote, you’ll see a longer description to help you place the scene. We just had to fit succinct summaries on the bracket image!)
So, how do you play along, I hear you ask? Simple! Click here to go to a survey, where you can vote in each of the battles in this first round. You only get to vote once, so choose wisely! Round One runs until 10pm ET on Thursday 2nd April; on Friday 3rd in the morning we will post results, with an updated bracket, and voting on Round Two will begin. So it continues until only two remain, with the Grand Final happening on April 14-15. Which scene will be declared the overall winner? YOU decide!
Maybe you need to revisit PJ’s films to weigh up all these stirring scenes – a perfect excuse for a marathon viewing! Maybe you want to lift your copies of the books down from the shelf, and read aloud certain moments, in the Professor’s own words. Discuss online with friends, have a remote viewing party, and make the case for your preferences. HOW you decide on your vote is up to you! We’ve given you four days for this first round, so you have plenty of time to ponder, and to savour all these magical moments in the realms of Middle-earth.
We hope you’ll share your opinions with us too: here in the comments, on the message boards, in the Facebook group, via Twitter (#memarchmadness), etc. Are there incidents you think should be on there, which we’ve omitted? Finding it hard to choose? Share your thoughts and dilemmas! Let’s virtually gather together in this time of social distancing, to enjoy these stories we love; and to engage in a bit of friendly dueling!
It’s a tradition going back some years: TheOneRing.net’s own version of March Madness! Each Spring, staffers at TORn draw up a table of characters (or something else – see more below) from Tolkien’s realms, and we ask you all to vote in each round, until we have an overall winner. This year is no exception! We all need things to do, and to think about, to keep us distracted in these days of social distancing; so we hope you’ll join us and play along for this year’s Middle-earth March Madness!
The fun begins on Monday, when we’ll post this year’s brackets, together with a link to a poll where you can place your votes. We’ll be posting articles about the various ‘battles’, and we hope you’ll join in and discuss on facebook and the message boards. Meanwhile, here’s a look back on some of the earlier contests.
We first created our own March Madness fun back in 2012, making this the 9th year of the contest. (What shall we do for our tenth, next year?) That year our four brackets consisted of various characters from Middle-earth, with the brackets named for Ralph Bakshi, Rankin Bass, the Tolkien family, and Peter Jackson. The final was between Aragorn and Samwise, with Sam coming out on top.
In 2013 and 2014 the brackets were simply named for different places, with a mix of characters in each bracket. 2013 saw The Shire, Erebor, Mordor and Angmar brackets, with a final showdown between Thorin (from the Mordor bracket) and Gandalf (from Angmar). It was a close contest, but the wizard ultimately came out on top. 2014’s brackets were named for Bag End, the Lonely Mountain, Erebor (yes the Lonely Mountain going by another name) and Mirkwood. The finalists came from the Bag End and Mirkwood categories, and were father and son: Thranduil took on Legolas. The fans were out in force for both these pretty elves, but Thranduil won in the end.
2015 saw the first year that combatants were divided by specific categories, with brackets being Lord of the Rings characters, Hobbit characters, Silmarillion characters, and ‘Others’ from the Professor’s writing. It also saw a first in a combatant being ‘disqualified’: Thranduil’s fans were so desperate to see him victorious again, they were bucking the system and voting multiple times. With Mirkwood’s ruler thrown out, the final saw Bilbo and Gandalf face off; and Gandalf was champion for the second time.
In 2016 we drew up brackets according to attributes: Beauty, Brains, Brawn, and Baddies. Ultimate Baddie Morgoth took on Galadriel in the final, where the elf maiden was triumphant, taking two thirds of the vote! 2017’s groupings divided characters into ‘Book Only’, ‘Movie Only’, ‘Wider Mythos’, and ‘Movie and Book’. A first this year was that we deliberately did not include past champions Gandalf, Galadriel, Samwise or Thranduil; also the divisions allowed many first time entrants, such as ‘Sebastian the Hedgehog’ and ‘The Fox’. The champion in 2017, appearing in his second final, was Aragorn.
2018 mixed things up by including characters from outside of Tolkien’s writings. This year, we had roles from the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings movies, AND roles from other films, played by the same actors. This meant that was saw Lee Pace’s Ronan take on his Thranduil, as well as a show down between Count Dooku and Saruman. Middle-earth characters, however, were the ones who made it to the final, where Gollum beat Elrond.
And just last year, our contest became Middle-earth MAP March Madness, with all the entrants being locations: from The Shire, The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion. Gondolin faced, but could not defeat, Rivendell in that final.
What will the categories be this year? All will be revealed on Monday! Or head on over to join TheOneRing.net’s Facebook group, The Worlds and Works of J.R.R. Tolkien, where you can get an early preview tomorrow. Let’s get ready to rumble!
In 2013 and 2014 the brackets were simply named for different places, with a mix of characters in each bracket. 2013 saw The Shire, Erebor, Mordor and Angmar brackets, with a final showdown between Thorin (from the Mordor bracket) and Gandalf (from Angmar). It was a close contest, but the wizard ultimately came out on top. 2014’s brackets were named for Bag End, the Lonely Mountain, Erebor (yes the Lonely Mountain going by another name) and Mirkwood. The finalists came from the Bag End and Mirkwood categories, and were father and son: Thranduil took on Legolas. The fans were out in force for both these pretty elves, but Thranduil won in the end.
2015 saw the first year that combatants were divided by specific categories, with brackets being Lord of the Rings characters, Hobbit characters, Silmarillion characters, and ‘Others’ from the Professor’s writing. It also saw a first in a combatant being ‘disqualified’: Thranduil’s fans were so desperate to see him victorious again, they were bucking the system and voting multiple times. With Mirkwood’s ruler thrown out, the final saw Bilbo and Gandalf face off; and Gandalf was champion for the second time.
