These Three Things I Lost: 80 Years, my Desire and One Ring

[Groin Redbeard]

Originally Posted by alatar

So what's up with Gollum and Sauron? Just what were they doing for the 70-80 years from the time Bilbo finds the Ring until the time Frodo decided to finally get lost? Sure, I've killed some time now and then (thank you Internet!), but this is some professional slackerism.

Slackerism? Never heard that one before. Remember that Sauron wasn't just building his strength in Mordor, he was just recently defeated and thrown out of Dol-Goldur. I'm sure it took Sauron time to recover from that complete dissaster, plus it took time for him to rebuild Barad-Dur and his forces within the curtains of the mountains of Mordor. I think Sauron was anything but slacking, you might call him very productive in those last hundred or so years.

As for your theory with Gollum, could it be that Gollum was confused? It is said that Sauron and the Ring were one, could it be that Sauron's pull was similar to the Ring's? Just one of those random thoughts I just thought I'd throw out there.