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At San Diego Comic-Con, the backlash intensified. The trailer released there received approximately 74,000 upvotes against 250,000 downvotes, indicating a strong negative response. Comment sections are flooded with critiques, with many viewers openly mocking the series' efforts to appear respectful of Tolkien’s legendarium while allegedly diverging from it.
Manufactured Praise and Distorted Narratives
Amidst this, some promotional narratives take on a bizarre tone. For example, humorous and hyperbolic comments have surfaced claiming moments like Tom Bombadil’s participation are “sublime” and “unconceivable” by Tolkien himself. Such statements exemplify the disconnect between fans' expectations and the actual content being presented.