A day may come when Sam and Frodo buy into a major "Lord of the Rings" fan theory, but it is not this day.
Many fans think it's a big plot hole that Gandalf didn't use the eagles immediately to get into Mordor, especially considering how easily they seem to show up at the end to save Frodo and Sam. But a popular fan theory seems to finally explain why that happens.
The theory: Gandalf was planning on using the eagles the whole time.
Image: Tumblr
Redditor VulcanDeathGrip (probably not a birth name), explains that Gandalf did secretly plan to use the eagles and was bringing the group to them until things were interrupted when the Fellowship was attacked by the Balrog:
Just before falling with the Balrog, [Gandalf] tries to surreptitiously tell them the secret plan but was too surreptitious and they didn't understand. When he came back as Gandalf the White he had forgotten many things, including the plan to meet the eagles.
According to the Redditor, Gandalf's famous line, "Fly, you fools!" is actually him telling the Fellowship to go to the eagles. Then, of course, he forgets the plan and much of his past upon his return.
Seems like a solid theory, until you ask the guys who actually made the trip to Mordor, Sam (Sean Astin) and Frodo (Elijah Wood).
Image: Tumblr
"He forgot! That's always the best excuse," Wood said, laughing.
The actor, who stars with Vin Diesel in the new movie "The Last Witch Hunter," tells The Huffington Post he isn't buying it.
"'Fly you fools,' right. I’ve heard this before. So that wasn’t about run away. It was, 'Get on the eagles, you idiots'? No, I think the plan wasn’t to get them on the eagles because that would’ve been the plan to begin with. No, I think they were meant to go on this journey to walk there, as illogical as that seems, considering the fact that the eagles swoop in at the end," Wood explained.
"It also wouldn’t make for a very big story," he continued. "If you’re writing this story to be a grand adventure, it’d be a pretty short book if the eagles just swoop in."
While talking to HuffPost about his movie, "The Surface," Astin also weighed in on the theory and even offered an alternative.
"As Sam, I think it’s about time [the eagles] showed up," said Astin. "As a literary device, I never liked it in 'The Hobbit' when the eagles came and rescued them out of the trees because it just felt like they could whenever they wanted to. But I also have a theory that [the eagles] couldn’t make it that far when Sauron was there. It was only after the destruction of Sauron that, for whatever reason, they were allowed or capable or able. "
OK, so Wood and Astin aren't too into it, but don't get discouraged. There are good theories in the world, Mr. Frodo. And they're worth fighting for.
Image: Tumblr
"The Last With Hunter" hits theaters Oct. 23.
Also on HuffPost:
'Lord Of The Rings': Where Are They Now?
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