When In The Film Is It: During the Thrain sequence. What Happens: There's a real purpose to Thrain popping up beyond bolstering the run time. He reveals to Gandalf that not only was he kidnapped by Azog, but that the white orc also took his Ring, one of the seven given to dwarves in the prologue to The Fellowship Of The Ring. Later, when he learns that Thorin is on a quest to reclaim Erebor, he delivers some even more disquieting news. It turns out Smaug is already in cahoots with the Necromancer, making the dwarves' mission even more deadly. Why It's Great: If you're going to try hand over fist to tie the events of The Hobbit into the wider story of The Lord Of The Rings then this is the way to do it. Having a mention of one of the Rings is a simple and mostly unobtrusive link, while the Smaug reveal directly implicates the events at Erebor with the wider scope of Middle Earth. Smaug siding with Sauron is one the biggest threats the fire-drake poses, with it becoming an actuality adding an extra layer of tension to the subsequent showdown. Why wasn't this in the finished film? Have you seen The Desolation Of Smaug Extended Edition? And if so what did you make of it? Is it a superior version of the film or a cynical cash grab? Head to the comments and have your say.
