The King under the Mountain has quite a tragic spiral ahead of him. Without diving into how his story plays out -- as his decisions play a huge part in the shaping of the post-Smaug conflict -- we'll just acknowledge that Thorin's personal journey in the final film is one of fallen hero to redemption and that his death shortly after the conclusion of the Battle of the Five Armies will likely stand as one of the series' most powerful moments. Richard Armitage has done a great job fleshing out the dwarf, highlighting why his companions would follow such a leader without sacrificing his clear potential to succumb to years of understandable frustration and entitlement that could shut him off from those he holds dear. Thorin's interactions with Bilbo are going to showcase Armitage's ability to play Thorin across the emotional spectrum even further and though he'll go from King to buried under the Mountain by film's end, it'll be sad to say goodbye to such a great character during our final cinematic trip there and back again.
Writer, film enthusiast, part-time gamer and watcher of (mostly) good television located on the fringe of Los Angeles, who now has his own website at www.highdefgeoff.com!
