Sam who?

[Elianna]

In the EE of TTT, Gandalf gives this huge long monologue to Aragorn ending with that Frodo is all alone. Aragorn replys "Not alone. Sam went with him." Gandalf then seems surprised. Why? He knows he, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli are all together. He knows that Merry and Pippin are with Treebeard. And he seems to know that Frodo has gone on to Mordor. Where does he think Sam is if not by Frodo's side? Dead?

[DarkRose]

I don't think he is surprised, although I see how one could be mislead in that scene to believe so.

I think Gandalf takes a moment to feel comfort about the fact that Sam is going with Frodo. Like an "Ah, yes." type of moment, if you know what I'm trying to get across.

Tis difficult to describe.

[The Only Real Estel]

I don't think he is surprised, although I see how one could be mislead in that scene to believe so.

Sounds plasible except for this part:

(Aragorn)"He's not alone. Sam went with him."

(Gandalf)"Did he? Did he indeed..."

I think that shows that Gandalf did not realize that Sam was with Frodo. It's a good question Elianna, I was just mentioning what you said to my friends the last time we saw TTT together. Surely Gandalf would've found out just about everything that had happened to the Fellowship during the long ride to Edoras. I would like to think he'd wonder where Sam is, not just assume he's dead or gone home .

[dancing spawn of ungoliant]

Well, I'd suppose it has been put that way in the movie because...
Chapter 5, The White Rider: (Legolas) "We think that Sam went with him."
"Did he!" said Gandalf, and there was a gleam in his eye and a smile on his face. "Did he indeed? It is news to me, yet it does not surprise me."
I personally think that it was a nice little moment in the film between Gandalf and Aragorn.

[HerenIstarion]

according to the book:

'Then you know about Frodo!' said Gimli. 'How do things go with him?'
'I cannot say. He was saved from a great peril, but many lie before him still. He resolved to go alone to Mordor, and he set out: that is all that I can say.'
'Not alone,' said Legolas. 'We think that Sam went with him.'
'Did he!' said Gandalf, and there was a gleam in his eye and a smile on his face. 'Did he indeed? It is news to me, yet it does not surprise me. Good! Very good! You lighten my heart. You must tell me more. Now sit by me and tell me the tale of your journey.'

edit: sorry, it was a cross-poster, DSoU. But I'd let the quote stay.

[Elianna]

Then I guess my question is towards Tolkien, not Jackson. But I still don't get it.

[Mad Baggins]

I was thinking the same thing, until this was posted.

'Did he!' said Gandalf, and there was a gleam in his eye and a smile on his face.

When people are pretending to be surprised but they really know that something has already happened, they get odd little looks on their faces and gleams in their eyes. This makes me think that Gandalf is pretending to be surprised about the news, but he really knew all along. Just my two cents.

[Kitanna]

I watched TTT the other day and when Aragorn says "He's not alone, Sam went with him." At first Gandalf goes "He did?" Then he nods and has this look on his face like, "oh I should have known better." And then Gandalf nods and goes "He did."

[The Only Real Estel]

I watched TTT the other day and when Aragorn says "He's not alone, Sam went with him." At first Gandalf goes "He did?" Then he nods and has this look on his face like, "oh I should have known better." And then Gandalf nods and goes "He did."

Are you sure about that? I thought it went like this:

Aragorn-"He's not alone, Sam went with him."

Gandalf-"Did he? Did he indeed..."

Followed by something like 'very good'

[elfwishes999]

Gandalf wasn't surprised because he was the one who sent Sam on the whole journey with Frodo in the first place! he made sam promise not to leave frodo, so why in the heck would he be surprised if he knew sam had to have been with frodo...some things in movies are just so confusing

[wilwarin538]

maybe he thought that by this time Sam missed his garden and Rosie and the gaffer so much that he chickened out?? I dont know but ya its very confusing.

[Olorin_TLA]

Well Gandalf must have notcied the lack of Boromir, and he hadn't spoken to Merry or Pippin, so he had many reasosn to think that (a) Boromir and Sam went a different route, (b) 1 or more of those 2 are dead, or (c) Boromir's gone, and Sam's been captured (possibly taken by Mordor Orks when they argued with Sartuman's ones), etc.