'Conspiracy' plot hole - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

William Cloud Hicklin · 06-12-2024, 08:52 AM

This one has bothered me for decades. At Crickhollow when Merry spills the beans, he says that it began the previous April when ":things got serious", and names Sam their "chief investigator" and says he collected "a lot" of intel, until he was caught and clammed up.

The problem with this is that there's no timeline in which it works. On April 13, Gandalf tells Frodo about the Ring. Sam overhears; Sam is caught. No window for Sam to be gethering and reporting intel- Merry's story just doesn't work.

Morthoron · 06-12-2024, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by William Cloud Hicklin

This one has bothered me for decades. At Crickhollow when Merry spills the beans, he says that it began the previous April when ":things got serious", and names Sam their "chief investigator" and says he collected "a lot" of intel, until he was caught and clammed up.

The problem with this is that there's no timeline in which it works. On April 13, Gandalf tells Frodo about the Ring. Sam overhears; Sam is caught. No window for Sam to be gethering and reporting intel- Merry's story just doesn't work.

Perhaps it wasn't the first time Sam was dropping the eaves.

06-12-2024, 08:52 AM	#1
William Cloud Hicklin Loremaster of Annúminas Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 2,304	'Conspiracy' plot hole This one has bothered me for decades. At Crickhollow when Merry spills the beans, he says that it began the previous April when ":things got serious", and names Sam their "chief investigator" and says he collected "a lot" of intel, until he was caught and clammed up. The problem with this is that there's no timeline in which it works. On April 13, Gandalf tells Frodo about the Ring. Sam overhears; Sam is caught. No window for Sam to be gethering and reporting intel- Merry's story just doesn't work. __________________ The entire plot of The Lord of the Rings could be said to turn on what Sauron didn’t know, and when he didn’t know it.