If Merry and Pippin went with Frodo - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Rose Cotton · 04-17-2002, 11:54 AM

What if, for topic sake, Merry and Pippin had managed to go with Frodo and Sam? What would Legolas, Aragorn, Gimli, and Boromir(who wouldn't have died) have done? What would the hobbits have done?

Arwen Imladris · 04-17-2002, 03:12 PM

I think that they would have gone strait to Minas Tirith and helped out there.

Elenya · 04-17-2002, 03:44 PM

I have nothing against Merry or Pippen (I luv 'em both), but for some reason, I think that they most likely would have been a hindrance rather than a help.

Rose Cotton · 04-17-2002, 04:41 PM

That's what I was thinking. I wonder how they would have reacted to Gollum. I don't think they would have grown-up either because they would have Sam and Frodo to be the grown-ups.

Ms. Took · 04-17-2002, 07:09 PM

If Merry and Pippin had gone with Frodo, the ents wouldn't have destroyed Isengard, the witchking probably wouldn't have died, Faramir would be dead, and Eowyn would just keep chasing Aragorn around.

Birdland · 04-17-2002, 11:05 PM

Good point, Rose. Sam would have wound up taking care of three hobbits, instead of one.

Also, it would have turned into a "destroy the Ring by committee" quest, with Merry and Pippin second-guessing Frodo's decisions all the way.

And when they met up with Faramir, I'm sure P. and M. would have tried to convince Frodo to turn back to Minas Tirith to "get advise".

At which point Frodo would have ditched them in Ithilien, and his story would have continued on as written. [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

Child of the 7th Age · 04-17-2002, 11:48 PM

Have you ever heard the adage "two's company and three's a crowd"? I think four would make it even more so. (especially with Gollum thrown in as the fifth wheel) The whole heart of the ascent of Mount Doom is the back and forth dialogue with Sam and Frodo, especially as they react and respond to Gollum. I hate to think what that dialogue would have sounded like with Merry and Pippen along. And I have serious doubts about how long Gollum would have remained alive. Plus, by breaking off from the more staid Sam and the serious Frodo, Merry and Pippin have the chance to distinguish their own separate adult identities which they do in a wonderful way. sharon, the 7th age hobbit [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

VanimaEdhel · 04-21-2002, 04:36 PM

Another chiming in saying "They would have been a hinderence", but: I agree!

I believe they would have gotten in the way of Sam and Frodo and a lot of important before-mentioned things would or would not have happened.

Kalimac · 04-22-2002, 09:26 PM

I'm probably not saying anything that hasn't been expressed already but here's the 2 cents anyway. Merry and Pippin, far from being a hindrance, might have been a little too much of a help. Granted that they weren't nearly as "grown up" at Parth Galen as they were later on, they were still much more hardened and experienced than they were in the beginning, when they were doing things like deliberately wandering into the Old Forest, almost getting snarfed up by the Barrow-Wight, etc. You're right that since they're social equals to Frodo, they would have felt more authority to second-guess him than Sam did (all those doubts that Sam thinks but does not express might have become pitched battles, probably between Merry and Frodo). And it's very easy to see Merry and Pippin doing several very helpful-at-the-time things that would have plunged all of them into disaster; for example, going off on their own to hunt for extra food (hey, they're running out, aren't they?), attacking Faramir in defense of Frodo instead of keeping cool, killing Gollum (to protect Frodo from him) and, God help us all, maybe even wrenching the Ring from Frodo somewhere along the line (because they could see what it was doing to him and refused to see him endure it any longer). None of these things would be motivated by ill-will, and all of them would have been the right things to do according to the mores of the Shire, but as for what the end would have been....quite. Ultimately they were much better off where they were, even though while Pippin was watching the cloud lower and Merry was confronting the Witch-King neither one would have shared our opinion of the matter.

04-17-2002, 11:54 AM	#1
Rose Cotton Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: A place worse then Mordor........School! Posts: 1,075	If Merry and Pippin went with Frodo What if, for topic sake, Merry and Pippin had managed to go with Frodo and Sam? What would Legolas, Aragorn, Gimli, and Boromir(who wouldn't have died) have done? What would the hobbits have done? __________________ "There's nothing you can do, Harry... nothing... he's gone."-Remus Lupin "The closer we are to danger, the further we are from harm."-Pippin (now how can you argue with that logic?)

04-17-2002, 03:12 PM	#2
Arwen Imladris Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: In a box with a fox Posts: 1,347	I think that they would have gone strait to Minas Tirith and helped out there. __________________ "Wake up! Wake up! Wake up, sleepies, we must go, yes, we must go at once."

04-17-2002, 03:44 PM	#3
Elenya Haunting Spirit Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: See that mound of earth? No, no, the one to the left.....There you go Posts: 96	I have nothing against Merry or Pippen (I luv 'em both), but for some reason, I think that they most likely would have been a hindrance rather than a help. __________________ "And at night, I cruise the streets of Gotham City in my Davemobile" -Dave Nelson

04-17-2002, 04:41 PM	#4
Rose Cotton Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: A place worse then Mordor........School! Posts: 1,075	That's what I was thinking. I wonder how they would have reacted to Gollum. I don't think they would have grown-up either because they would have Sam and Frodo to be the grown-ups. __________________ "There's nothing you can do, Harry... nothing... he's gone."-Remus Lupin "The closer we are to danger, the further we are from harm."-Pippin (now how can you argue with that logic?)

04-17-2002, 07:09 PM	#5
Ms. Took Haunting Spirit Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Great Smials Posts: 63	If Merry and Pippin had gone with Frodo, the ents wouldn't have destroyed Isengard, the witchking probably wouldn't have died, Faramir would be dead, and Eowyn would just keep chasing Aragorn around. __________________ We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars -Oscar Wilde Check out my website. http://groups.msn.com/pippinfanclub

04-17-2002, 11:05 PM	#6
Birdland Ghastly Neekerbreeker Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: the banks of the mighty Scioto Posts: 1,757	Good point, Rose. Sam would have wound up taking care of three hobbits, instead of one. Also, it would have turned into a "destroy the Ring by committee" quest, with Merry and Pippin second-guessing Frodo's decisions all the way. And when they met up with Faramir, I'm sure P. and M. would have tried to convince Frodo to turn back to Minas Tirith to "get advise". At which point Frodo would have ditched them in Ithilien, and his story would have continued on as written. [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

04-17-2002, 11:48 PM	#7
Child of the 7th Age Spirit of the Lonely Star Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 5,135	Have you ever heard the adage "two's company and three's a crowd"? I think four would make it even more so. (especially with Gollum thrown in as the fifth wheel) The whole heart of the ascent of Mount Doom is the back and forth dialogue with Sam and Frodo, especially as they react and respond to Gollum. I hate to think what that dialogue would have sounded like with Merry and Pippen along. And I have serious doubts about how long Gollum would have remained alive. Plus, by breaking off from the more staid Sam and the serious Frodo, Merry and Pippin have the chance to distinguish their own separate adult identities which they do in a wonderful way. sharon, the 7th age hobbit [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] __________________ Multitasking women are never too busy to vote.

04-21-2002, 04:36 PM	#8
VanimaEdhel Etheral Enchantress Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Wellesley College! Posts: 1,473	Another chiming in saying "They would have been a hinderence", but: I agree! I believe they would have gotten in the way of Sam and Frodo and a lot of important before-mentioned things would or would not have happened. __________________ "I think we dream so we don't have to be apart so long. If we're in each others dreams, we can be together all the time." - Hobbes of Calvin and Hobbes

04-22-2002, 09:26 PM	#9
Kalimac Candle of the Marshes Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Flyover Country Posts: 780	I'm probably not saying anything that hasn't been expressed already but here's the 2 cents anyway. Merry and Pippin, far from being a hindrance, might have been a little too much of a help. Granted that they weren't nearly as "grown up" at Parth Galen as they were later on, they were still much more hardened and experienced than they were in the beginning, when they were doing things like deliberately wandering into the Old Forest, almost getting snarfed up by the Barrow-Wight, etc. You're right that since they're social equals to Frodo, they would have felt more authority to second-guess him than Sam did (all those doubts that Sam thinks but does not express might have become pitched battles, probably between Merry and Frodo). And it's very easy to see Merry and Pippin doing several very helpful-at-the-time things that would have plunged all of them into disaster; for example, going off on their own to hunt for extra food (hey, they're running out, aren't they?), attacking Faramir in defense of Frodo instead of keeping cool, killing Gollum (to protect Frodo from him) and, God help us all, maybe even wrenching the Ring from Frodo somewhere along the line (because they could see what it was doing to him and refused to see him endure it any longer). None of these things would be motivated by ill-will, and all of them would have been the right things to do according to the mores of the Shire, but as for what the end would have been....quite. Ultimately they were much better off where they were, even though while Pippin was watching the cloud lower and Merry was confronting the Witch-King neither one would have shared our opinion of the matter. __________________ Father, dear Father, if you see fit, We'll send my love to college for one year yet Tie blue ribbons all about his head, To let the ladies know that he's married.