Poll: LotR: Does Sauron deserve to win?

[Asita]

snip

So Sauron's definitely stupid. He failed to tell the difference between Frodo and Pippin, even though he had a damn good look at both of them.

Read what I said again. "assuming that Sarumon had captured the hobbits who bore the ring". Note that hobbits is plural. He didn't have to confuse the two. That said, he didn't get a 'damn good look at both of them'. He sensed Frodo when he put on the ring, but this wasn't a visual cue and probably better equated to hearing a far off yell than spying something through a looking glass. Do recall that despite Bilbo holding onto the ring for decades and using it somewhat liberally, Sauron's forces needed to be told where to find it ("Shire! Baggins!") before they even knew where to start looking for it.

Weren't the ringwraiths drawn to the ring, cursed forever to gravitate towards it? Didn't they have even the slightest inkling that it was still with Frodo, when they were getting buzzed by the fell-beast, when they were travelling across the Dead Marshes?

Yes and no. They were bound to its power and subservient to it, but the power of the Ring as a Nazgul magnet is questionable and strongly implied to be heavily dependent on whether or not it was worn (Hence it always tried to make Frodo wear it when the Ringwraiths were near).

 

[Private Custard]

snip

Now I think about it, the nazgul actually saw the ring, in Osgiliath, when Faramir was taking Frodo and Sam to Denethor. Frodo climbed up and stood right in front of him.

I certainly don't think Sauron deserved to win. As good as he was at building an army of darkness, him and his 'lieutenants' couldn't have snatched the ring back if it was taped to their arses!

 

[Asita]

snip

Now I think about it, the nazgul actually saw the ring, in Osgiliath, when Faramir was taking Frodo and Sam to Denethor. Frodo climbed up and stood right in front of him.

Spoiler

I certainly don't think Sauron deserved to win. As good as he was at building an army of darkness, him and his 'lieutenants' couldn't have snatched the ring back if it was taped to their arses!

Didn't happen. The entire subplot with Faramir in the Two Towers film was unique to that film to give a better sense of climax before the credits. In the books Faramir was one of the only people unequivocably opposed to the use of the Ring as a weapon, acting as a foil to his brother Boromir and one of the only people never tempted by it. Frodo and Sam never even went to Osgiliath in the books (a fact given a subtle laugh through Sam's line about how "By all rights [he and Frodo] shouldn't even be here, but [they] are").

And the moral of this story is: Movies take creative liberties with the source material. Shocking, I know.

 

[Private Custard]

snip

Aaahhhh, so we all think that PJ's lost the plot with DoS. But really, he's been adding nonsensical stuff from the start.

If I ever decide to read the books, it could prove to be a very enlightening experience

 

[Lionsfan]

A not-nose ring?

His nethers are easier to hit. Sauron's like eight or nine feet tall. At least if it were a nose ring, earring, or somewhere on his head somehow, it's secret and it's high up and there's a bitchin' helmet keepin' it safe.

I think a dick ring could do all of that too

 

[dyre]

I don't really see "being prepared" as "deserving to win." You said it yourself, he was evil, that means he didn't deserve to win.

I mean, not to compare Sauron to Hitler, but Adolf did a pretty fantastic job preparing for war while the Allies were grossly underprepared and made some pretty shitty treaties because they knew they needed time to prepare (Munich Conference, Soviet non-aggression pact). Sure as hell didn't mean he deserved to win.

 

[FalloutJack]

A not-nose ring?

His nethers are easier to hit. Sauron's like eight or nine feet tall. At least if it were a nose ring, earring, or somewhere on his head somehow, it's secret and it's high up and there's a bitchin' helmet keepin' it safe.

I think a dick ring could do all of that too

You might say that, but if there's a Rimmer in the crowd, you get a quick "Not Today, Matey!" and there goes your overlord.

 

[Lieju]

Furthermore, the One Ring disappeared a few years after Sauron was defeated when Isildur was killed by Orcs. So even if Elrond wanted to do something in all that time, how would he know where to look for it?

As far as I remember, Saruman convinced everyone (except Gandalf) that The One Ring was washed out to the sea after Isildur died, and was lost forever, because he wanted to make sure no-one except him would go looking for it.