Well, Gandalf, it's nice to see you again, but...

[Anguirel]

I was wondering yesterday if I would have enjoyed The Lord of the Rings rather more had Gandalf stayed dead.

The task ahead for the Three Hunters and their chums such as Eomer would be trickier; the story darker and more fraught with danger and death; in fact, it might end up closer to the Silmarillion...but victory would assuredly still be possible. I'm not quite sure how the sub-plot of Narya would be dealt with; perhaps the Red Ring would be destroyed with Gandalf or never given to him at all. But that's a comparatively minor problem.

Wouldn't our nice message about the triumph of the race of Men, despite all the odds, be rather clear without some smug semi-seraphic septuachilogenarian running about?

I get particularly infuriated by lines like "Ha ha! None of you even have any weapons that could hurt me! I am the White Rider!" They make part of me wish Aragorn could produce a flintlock and test Gandalf's proposition...

Gandalf's occasional cheerful flashes of wisdom could easily be dispensed by Faramir, Aragorn, types like that. It's a bit depressing for Aragorn, who after Gandalf's death lacks confidence as a leader, to have that problem solved not by gaining realisation of his own abilities but by the return of his comforting mentor-figure.

And yes, I know about the Three Rebirths of Gandalf, Frodo and Aragorn, going underground and all, but really, a tricolon...that's low.

So. Somebody give me a good reason why Gandalf had to pop up out of the abyss like some blasted White Rabbit, er, Rider.