**RotK - Éomer (Karl Urban)**

[doug*platypus]

Karl Urban showed himself to be an excellent actor in <I>The Two Towers</I>, capable of making the role much larger and more noticeable than the writers gave it credit for. I'm still miffed to say the very least about him going north for absolutely no reason while his people are being butchered at Helm's Deep. Just another send 'em away, bring 'em back Peter Jackson gag.<P>Anyway, I admit that the filmmakers had their hands full with a huge number of characters. It wasn't until I saw <I>The Return of the King</I> that I understood (although I still don't forgive) Imrahil's disappearance. There was very little time to deal with Éowyn, Faramir, Legolas or Gimli, and I'm happy to wait until the extended (i.e. real as opposed to condensed) edition. <P><B>But</B> leaving out Éomer's ascendance, and his role as Aragorn's brother (not literally) in the future of Gondor and Rohan was criminal. It could have been accomplished with no more than two lines, at Aragorn's coronation. Éomer had even less emphasis placed on him than in the previous movie, and that seemed to be inconsistent to me. Surely his future is at least as important as seeing who Pippin is going to get married to?<P>Alas for Éomer, who will make a much better king than Bernard Hill did!