I've been hesitating to watch it. The Tolkein books were pretty heavy reading, but brilliant works. The series doesn't sound like it's really Tolkein. It's another case of someone writing their own new story and veneering it in someone else's brilliance. IME, even if that new story is good, wrapping it in the hollowed out skin of someone else's work ruins both works. It's not just theft – it's a kind of literary cannibalism.