As much as I loved seeing Evangeline Lilly in long flowing red hair and a complete badass, it was just so wrong as far as the book goes. There is more than enough written in Middle Earth that new characters shouldn't have to be created. My worry aside, I think this new series is going to be something with the potential for brilliance.
I know exactly what you mean, and I agree, but I think there was space for a created character to be made if it was done CORRECTLY. Lilly in no way should have been a major character, let alone the centerpiece of an awkward interracial love triangle. I understand why Legolas was put into the films (and don't mind that decision, agian, if it was done correctly - it was not), and if he's there why can't he have a companion? I really wish Jackson had been "allowed" to stay on the sidelines for the Hobbit, GDT would have made fantastic films I think.
But also, this:
Also, while the Hobbitt trilogy was not as good as the original, it was still really well done. I've never understood the hate for it.
Context is everything. If you look at it as its own piece of work then it's excellent. It really is a brilliantly made independent piece of work. If you are someone hoping that it kept more with the spirit of the book, then the movie is a disappointment in that aspect. You can't say it's not as it undoubtedly has very little resemblance to the book. I can see both sides of it easily, and agree with both sides.
I am FAR from a Tolkien purist, but I really have a hard time using words like "excellent" or "brilliant" to describe the Hobbit films. My problems with it are not that they deviated from the text. My problems with it are not that they expanded it "needlessly" to make it three years worth of Hollywood blockbuster. I actually like a lot of the individual creative decisions they made in those regards. My problems stem more from the fact that they, in effect, dumbed down the LOTR series with this trilogy, made it look more like a video game than a movie at times, inserted plot details that either made no sense or were so distracting as to take you completely out of the moment, and made some of the characters into what I felt were cardboard cutout characatures of what they were supposed to be. There are many moments about the films that I love. But overall, the series really left me cold and disappointed. I'm not sure how to describe it as anything better than, "good overall, but deeply flawed on several fundamental levels."
I have no desire to watch the films again, though Martin Freeman but on an incredible performance, and that is really sad coming from a guy who would buy and consume literally anything that is LOTR - so naturally, I will be watching this Amazon show hoping beyond hope that it is at least not cringe-worthy, but also bracing myself for the worst. There is huge potential here, even more so now that it is known to be a prequel (between the Hobbit and LOTR - midquel?). I just hope it doesn't bastardize everything like the Shadow of Mordor/War games have done.