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If Sauron wins eventually without the Ring, why weren't Elrond/Gandalf in panic mode before Frodo showed up?
Sort of a follow-up question to Why did the Council of Elrond debate hiding or sending the Ring away, if Sauron wins eventually in that scenario?
If Sauron wins eventually even without finding the Ring, then it seems the situation was already…
Allure
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Why Did J.R.R. Tolkien Capitalize Certain Words Throughout His Books?
Why did J.R.R. Tolkien randomly capitalize various words throughout his books?
My husband asked me this question today and we were wondering if there's any rhyme or reason to Tolkien's capitalization process. These are examples taken from the LOTR…
Slytherincess
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Was this reference in Starship Troopers a real one?
In the book Starship Troopers, Colonel Nielssen is discussing the chain of command with Juan Rico and two other cadets:
If you go back to the Second Global War, you can find a case in which
a naval junior officer took command of a naval ship and…
gowenfawr
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Could Hermione really free the Hogwarts house-elves with her knitted hats?
Could Hermione really free the Hogwarts house-elves with the little knitted hats she hides around Gryffindor Tower?
‘Why d’you wear that thing, Dobby?’ [Harry] asked curiously.
‘This, sir?’ said Dobby, plucking at the pillowcase. ‘’Tis a mark of…
Slytherincess
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Why does Harry have no childhood trauma symptoms from his abusive adoptive parents?
I am currently taking a childhood trauma class for a social work degree, and my professor said this comment:
The most unbelievable aspect about Harry Potter isn't the magical world, it's that Harry has survived 17 years of abusive parenting without…
TheAsh
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Did the Death Eaters Know Voldemort Was a Half-Blood?
Canon seems to conflict a bit on whether Voldemort's Death Eaters knew that Voldemort was a half-blood. In Half-Blood Prince, Tom Riddle refers negatively to his parentage and it reads as if his fellow Slytherins found it amusing in a derisive way,…
Slytherincess
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Why is a living creature being frozen in carbonite in “The Mandalorian” so common when it seemed so risky in “The Empire Strikes Back?”
In episode 1 of The Mandalorian we see inside Din Djarin’s (aka: “The Mandalorian”) ship and he’s carrying at least four bounty marks/targets who are frozen in carbonite as pictured below:
In fact we see an unnamed Mythrol — which Din Djarin just…
Giacomo1968
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Why does Greedo say "Maclunkey" in the Mos Eisley Cantina?
In the Disney+ edit of Star Wars (1977), yet another change has been made to the "Han Shot First" scene in the Mos Eisley Cantina.
Greedo now yells "Maclunkey!" before shooting simultaneously. [Video Clip]
This is the only non-subtitled word of…
pk_
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Had J. K. Rowling seen This Is Spinal Tap before writing Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone?
This may sound like a bizarre question, but when I was rewatching the classic 1984 mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap, I noticed something about this scene.
Nigel Tufnel: He just was like, a flash of green light, and that was it.
This struck me…
Buzz
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What is the origin of the "being immortal sucks" trope?
In a lot of science fiction and fantasy, there is the trope of someone becoming immortal, but then being really sad about it, deciding that it is worse than being mortal.
What is the oldest work to have this trope?
Stormblessed
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What was the ultimate objective of The Party in 1984?
While it is well understood that The Party had a goal of
achieving complete control over the population,
what was the longer objective after that goal had been achieved?
anonymous
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Is the ring poem slightly inaccurate? Who wrote it?
It is clear that the three Elven rings were not made by Sauron. The inscription on the One Ring, made by Sauron, was in some way related to its power, even if we cannot say if it was by fancy (it makes for a nice trick :) ), if it was required by…
Francesco
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Why didn't Daenerys' advisers suggest assassinating Cersei?
There are numerous people in Daenerys' council who know secret ways in and out of the Red Keep.
Varys: Back in Season 1 Varys is shown to know the secret way in and out of the Red Keep when he shows Illyrio in and Arya sees them. He also uses…
TheLethalCarrot
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Why does Count Fenring choose not to kill Paul Atreides at the end of Dune?
At the end of Dune when ordered by Shaddam IV to fight Paul Atreides, Count Fenring refuses to do so even though it is strongly implied that it is well within his capability to defeat him in combat. It is also noted that Shaddam IV and Fenring were…
bazz
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What do the Banks children have against barley water?
In Mary Poppins (1964) Jane and Michael stipulate that their new nanny must:
Love us as a son and daughter, and never smell of barley water.
I've always wondered why they include this. If they mean actual barley water, which apparently is popular…
PlutoThePlanet
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