[Lily Bracegirdle]

I think this thread is rather above my head, but that's never stopped me before. <P>MyLady, I think your assessment is very appropiate for the movie relationship between Aragorn and Eowyn. The way PJ and co. handled the plot introduced uncertainty into the relationship between Aragorn and Arwen that simply wasn't there in the books, leaving the door open for a possible emotional entanglement between Aragorn and Eowyn. They probably did this to introduce sexual tension and spice things up a bit, and it worked very well, IMO. Certainly, it showed Eowyn's feelings for Aragorn very clearly while keeping his feelings opaque enough for speculation. My friend who has not read the books asked me "So what's going to happen between Aragorn and the horse-woman?" and he didn't believe me when I told him "Absolutely nothing." (I asked him if he *really* wanted to know before telling him, honestly!) Of course, the whole "Going to the Havens" thing will be revealed as a trick in the final movie, but it does serve to raise the specter of doubt for the length of TTT.<P>I agree with Tar-Palantir that there isn't any real sexual tension betwen Eowyn and Aragorn in the book. As Bekah pointed out, Aragorn is pushing 90 years old, and he's been faithfully engaged for almost 40 years by the time he meets Eowyn. He's over three times her age, though he doesn't look it. He never shows any attraction to her, and either ignores or shoots down her hints. To him, she must seem a wayward child who longs for things she really knows nothing about. It's as if a 13-year-old were infatuated with him: he's polite to her, but uncomfortable with the thought that she is attracted to him. I don't think Aragorn goes in for forbidden love with nymphets (a la Lolita), so I don't count his discomfort as suppressed sexual feelings, but actual embarrassment.<P>Beacause we're unaware of these details in the movie, Eowyn does seem on a more even footing with Aragorn and could possibly be a good match for him. (Especially when compared to a weepy Elven princess who seems to be abandoning her boyfriend.) So I guess I agree with both arguments in part:<P>Movie Eowyn: sexy, good possible love interest who will be unfortunately disapponted in RotK. (Or fortunately, for those of us who love Faramir.)<P>Book Eowyn: not a chance. And that's as it should be, IMO.<P>Cibbwin, much as it pains me to say it, Arwen and Eowyn can't be as good as Aragorn in combat. They just don't have the experience. That's not to say they wouldn't be as good (or better!) if they'd been crawling around in the Wilderness as long as he has been, but they haven't. Or at least, not to my knowledge.<P>-Lily