Okay, so what do you think NOW?

[alatar]

Originally Posted by Meriadoc1961

I do not recall Gandalf behaving in a way that was inconsistent with his character from the books in the first two films, particularly FOTR,...

In FotR Gandalf, previously confined to watch the ending of the Third Age from high atop Orthanc, having escaped later tries to sway the Fellowship into walking down through the Gap of Rohan, which just so happens to be in the neighborhood of Saruman. I started referring to him as Gandalf the Black, as he almost seemed to be working for Saruman.