March 10, 2002

The Ending of TTT
Peter C.

I'm sure someone has brought up this point, but the Return of the King is significantly shorter than both FOTR and TTT. It just wouldn't do to have two three-hour movies and one which is an hour and a half.

I can't help wondering, though, along with everyone else, what is the appropriate place to end TTT without giving Shelob screen time. But then I remembered that Sam and Frodo encounter Shelob in the tunnel without actually seeing what she is. Perhaps Jackson will work this in somehow.

Previous debaters are correct; Frodo being captured is a perfect cliff-hanger ending, much like having Han Solo taken away to Jabba the Hutt in "The Empire Strikes Back."

But we still don't have a clue what will happen at the end, nor does it particularly matter. I think Jackson will most likely make a good decision. If he doesn't, there is nothing we can do about it.