November 25, 2002

Shelob Should Be in Rotk
Danny

The Chronology is impossible to have Shelob in TTT. Frodo and Sam encounter Shelob long after the events that start ROTK's reading happen. Check the appendix with the chronology to be exact, but it is roughly around the time the siege on Minas Tirith is starting when Shelob comes into the story. Jackson would have had to distort the chronology in one area or another to make it work, but that chronology is pretty important because the end timing of the Ring's destruction only saves Aragorn, Gandalf, and Pippin from certain death.

It would make an incredible cliff hanger ending for TTT to have Shelob there, but it won't work with a visual depiction that will be showing both groups of characters in a switch-off fashion. My guess, and only a guess, is that TTT will end with Frodo and Sam leaving Faramir, and Gandalf riding towards Minas Tirith with Pippin.